Syllabus

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COMD 3313| FA 2020

Introduction to lllustration

DATE/TIME

ONLINE

Section _____ | 3 credits, 4 hours

Openlab Home: add site

Office Hours: add detail

Course Overview

This course is a practical introduction to the field of illustration.  Focus will be places on process work and professional practices, presented within contemporary and historical context. Course includes projects and lectures in a variety of illustration genres including: product design and advertising, storyboard, book illustration, editorial illustration, and institutional illustration.  A variety of materials will be introduced through lectures and demonstrations for use on assignments such as: pencil, pen and ink, brush, colored pencil, brush and paint, and collage.  Critical concepts such as: Conceptual Development, Working on Assignment, Composition, Contrast, Value, Point of View, and Color theory will be introduced. 3 Credits, 4 Hours (1 lecture, 3 lab)  ENG 092R (ESOL 032R) and/or ENG 092W (ESOL 031W) as required. 

Attendance (College) and Lateness (Department) Policies

A class roster roll will be taken at the beginning of each class. Only two absences are allowed. After two absences, a student may be withdrawn because of unsatisfactory attendance (code WU). Students arriving after the roll is taken will be marked “late.” Students will be notified at the earliest opportunity in class after they have been absent or late. After four latenesses, a student will be asked to withdraw from the class (code W) or may be withdrawn from the class (code WU).

Academic Integrity Standards 

Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion.

Academic Integrity and Expectations
You are responsible for reading, understanding and abiding by the NYC College of Technology Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities,” section “Academic Integrity Standards.” Academic dishonesty of any type, including cheating and plagiarism is unacceptable. “Cheating” is misrepresenting another student’s efforts/work as your own. “Plagiarism” is the representation of another person’s work, words or concepts as your own.

In-Class Structure/ Timeline

• Hang homework up for peer and instructor review • Meet with students as a group or individually to review work and offer feedback • In Class Lecture and / or Demo • Give new assignment & homework • Work in class

Grading System

• Sketchbook  20%
• Individual Assignments 40%

• Final Project 20%

• Participation 20%

• Projects given as Homework Assignments are due to be recived digitally before the beginning of class, otherwise they are considered late.

• ANY MISSED ASSIGNMENTS WILL EARN A ZERO. Assignments received after the deadline will
drop a full letter grade, and will only be accepted within 1 week of the due date.  After that time period, any late assignment will earn a zero.
• A final portfolio of ALL PROJECTS will be handed in with the final project at the end of the semester.
Students have the option to revisit earlier projects and revise them based on critique.
• Make-ups: If a student finds they will not be able to present or hand in a project on the scheduled day, it is their responsibility to notify the instructor PRIOR to the due date and request alternate arrangements. Points will be deducted for late assignments and missed critiques.

Labs

You are expected to work on sketchbooks and assignments for at least four hours a week outside of class. You will find that assignments will take a lot more than that to be successful.  Students are encouraged to utilize tools posted in the Class Resources section for extra help.

Critiques

Each student will present his/her work weekly for critique using appropriate design vocabulary. The critique is a neutral dialogue. Students will present their work and discuss the strengths and weaknesses, expressing what works and what doesn’t work in relation to the assignment guidelines. Peer responses will be given. No personal likes or dislikes are discussed without elaborating the “why” of it. Design-specific terminology should be used at all times.

Communication

Communication is at the heart of everything you do as a creative professional. Whether you go on to become a designer, illustrator, art director, game designer, or any one of the numerous careers that the COMD department is preparing you for, your number one goal is to communicate, and to do it visually. To be able to communicate visually you also need to be able to communicate verbally. One of the most important and overlooked skills in our industry is to be able to express yourself clearly so that other people understand what your are saying.  With that in mind you should always try to express yourself as clearly as possible in this (and all) of your classes. Within this class you are expected to communicate with your classmates and with your professor. If you are going to miss an online class it is your responsibility to let the professor know. If you are sick and miss a class when an assignment is due you will get a zero unless you contact your professor. If you have a question or are confused about something COMMUNICATE! Ask a question, send an email. Ignorance is not an excuse.

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS

Appearances matter.  Work should be presented online neatly and with care.

1 Project 1 – Advertising Illustration

2  Project 2 – Editorial illustration

3. FINAL PROJECT – Book Illustration

4. WEEKLY SKETCHBOOK 

5. STUDENT POSTS

Essentials For Class  

SKETCHBOOK – Moleskin 8 x 5 or similar

FAVORITE DRAWING PENCILS RULER and/or TRIANGLE

KNEADED ERASER

GRAPHITE TRANSFER PAPER OR LIGHT BOX

BRUSH PENS (SAKURA and PENTEL recommended)

OR  get an Assortment of BRUSHES for INK only (Sizes #1, #2 and #3 are a good start and WATERPROOF BLACK INK

FELT PENS (MICRON recommended)

BRISTOL BOARD

CLOUD STORAGE With assignments accessible for work in class

SCANNER or DIGITAL CAMERA

ADOBE PS Strongly recommended

DRAWING TABLET Strongly recommended

Projected Schedule

Sept 1 | Week 01

Introduction: Review academic policies, go over syllabus.  Discuss our relationship to illustration.Introduction to Sketchbook Practice. 

NEW: Assignment 1 – Product Illustration, part 1 – brainstorm, Research & Thumbnails 

Sept 8   | Week 02

Lecture: ILLUSTRATION PROCESS NEW: Assignment 1 , part 2 –  Thumbnails Sketches DUE: Assignment 1 , part 1 

Sept 15 | Week 03 

Lecture: CONCEPT DEVELOPEMENT NEW: Assignment 1 , part 3  – Concept Sketches DUE: Assignment 1 Part 2 

Sept 22 | Week 04

Lecture: Design Concepts in Illustration

NEW: Assignment 1 Part 4 – Tight Pencil Sketch

DUE: Assignment 1 Part 3

Oct 6 |  Week 05 

Lecture: INTRODUCTION TO VALUE

NEW: Midterm Project : INKED Illustration

DUE NEXT WEEK: FINAL PENCIL ILLUSTRATION & 2 Value Studies

DUE: Assignment 1 Part 4.

Oct 13 | Week 06

Lecture: INTRODUCTION TO INK

NEW: Assignment 1 Part 5. FINAL INKED ART.

DUE: FINAL PENCIL ILLUSTRATION & 2 Value Studies 

Oct 20 | Week 07

MIDTERM Presentations (no lecture)

DUE: Midterm PRESENTATION & FINAL INKED ART

(Formal Presentation IN CLASS) NEW: Assignment 2 , Editorial Illustration  Magazine COVER , Part 1 – brainstorm & research 

Oct 27 | Week 08  

Lecture: INTRODUCTION TO Editorial Illustration – Concept is key! NEW: Assignment 2 , part 2 Thumbnails & Concept Sketches

DUE: Assignment 2 , part 1

Nov 3 | Week 09

Lecture: INTRODUCTION TO Color

Due: Assignment 2  Thumbnails & Concept Sketches

New: Assignment 2 PENCIL FINISH DRAWINGS (*Ink & pencil with digital), 3 value studies, 3 color studies

Nov 10 | Week 10

Lecture: Intro to Digital Coloring DUE: Assignment 2 PENCIL FINISH DRAWINGS, 3 value studies, 3 color studies

NEW: Editorial Illustration FINAL ART.  *LIMITED COLOR PALATE* Magazine COVER

Nov 17 | Week 11

FINAL PROJECT Assigned

Lecture: BOOK ILLUSTRATION & UNDERSTANDING THE BEATS OF A STORY

DUE: Editorial Illustration FINAL ART. NEW: FINAL PROJECT: Narrative illustration Part 1 : STORY SELECTION & Thumbnails for Cover /  Interior Illustrations

Nov 24 | Week 12 

Lecture: POINT OF VIEW NEW: Concept sketches for FINAL PROJECT

Due: Project 4, part 2: Character Designs & Concept Art

Dec 1 | Week 13

Lecture:  NONE- WORK IN CLASS

DUE: FINAL PENCILS for FINAL PROJECT

DUE: Color Palate for FINAL PROJECT

Dec 8 | Week 14

Lecture:  NONE – WORK IN CLASS

DUE: FINAL Project – FINISHED DRAWINGS (Ink & pencil with digital) Work in Class on Final Project / Final Portfolio

Dec 15 |  Week 15

Final Portfolio Due.

Final Presentations.

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