This course is a practical introduction to the field of illustration. Focus will be placed on process work and professional practices, presented within contemporary and historical context. The course includes projects and lectures in a variety of illustration genres including: product design and advertising, storyboard, book illustration, and 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. In addition, digital tools and techniques will be integrated and discussed.
Critical concepts such as: conceptual development, working on assignment, composition, contrast, value, point of view, and color theory will be introduced.
Course Overview
This course is a practical introduction to the field of illustration. Focus will be placed
on process work and professional practices, presented within contemporary and
historical context. The course includes projects and lectures in a variety of illustration genres including: product design and advertising, storyboard, book illustration, and 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. In addition, digital tools and techniques will be integrated and discussed.
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 unexcused
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 After two absences, a student may be withdrawn because of unsatisfactory attendance (code WU).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 After four latenesses, a student will be asked to withdraw from the class (code W) or may be withdrawn from the class (code WU).
Please email the professor before class if you are unable to attend.
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.
GRADING
• Participation and Attendance 20%
• Sketchbook 20%
• Individual Assignments 30%
• Midterm 15%
•Final Project 15%
• Projects given as Homework Assignments are due to be received 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 PDF 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 critiques.
• 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.
COURSE WORK EXPECTATIONS
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.
CRITIQUES
Each student will present his/her/their work for critiques 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 vocabulary 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 a 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.
ART SUPPLIES * suggested brands I like
• Sketchbook – Moleskin, Handbook, or other brand 8” x 5” or larger,
preferably 8”x10”
• Drawing pencils-HB, 2B, 3B, etc.
• Ruler and/or triangle
• Erasers
• Graphite transfer paper or lightbox/lightable
• Brush pens (SAKURA Pigma and PENTEL recommended)
• Brushes for ink (Sizes #0 #1, #2 and #3 ) Princeton Select Artiste.
• Waterproof black ink (I recommend Dr. Martens ink)
• empty water jars or dixie cups for ink
• Felt pens, a few sizes (Pigma Micron or Staedtler Pigment Liner black fineliner pens)
• Bristol Board (Strathmore, Canson, or ther brands 11”x17”)
• Heavyweight large drawing paper (Strathmore, Canson, or ther brands 11”x17”)
• cloud storage/drop box
• scanner or digital camera
• Adobe Photoshop
• Drawing Tablet is helpful but not required
• artist tape
• Additional color materials, not required but useful
(watercolor, color pencils, paper, acrylic, etc.)
GRADED ASSIGNMENTS
1. Project 1 – Product Illustration
2. Project 2 – Editorial illustration
3. Project 3- Narrative Illustration
4. Weekly sketchbook assignments
5. Mid-term
6. Writing Asssignments
7. Final Project/Presentation
*Work should be presented neatly. Think of yourself as an artist hanging your work in
a gallery setting. White walls, clean edges, no smudges, etc
*Always label artwork when sending digital files. For example a project might be labled as this.
ex: project1_dschoenbrun_sk.psd
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