This course provides an introduction to the verbal/visual relationship of the illustrator's creative process. Students will gain an understanding of the history of illustration as it relates to the contemporary marketplace and the key practitioners of the art form. Self-expression and experimentation are placed within the context of illuminating information through pictures and symbols.
Illustration is an art of illuminating ideas. This course provides the groundwork for developing the ability to communicate effectively through image content. Multiple ways of expressing a visual solution are investigated while working with a variety of contemporary and historical themes and ideas. In addition to the student gaining the conceptual skills needed as an illustrator, technical skills and processes in a number of key media areas will be explored and developed.
This is a painting class. This class explores the possibilities for self-expression and story-telling with color and composition. Students will build on their knowledge of color theory and composition gained in the Foundation classes, further exploring color systems and how color and texture can be used as compositional elements. Students will gain techniques and knowledge of mediums used with watercolor and acrylic paint. The first part of this class will focus on correct color mixing and understanding of formal elements of composition. In the second part, students will be asked to apply that understanding by manipulating the color and compositional elements in front of them to achieve different effects. The final part of this course is an independent final project proposed by the student, giving him/her an opportunity to apply the skills and techniques learned over the semester to their own choice of subject matter and conceptual content.
This class explores modes of digital-image making, placing an emphasis on integrating analog and digital illustration processes, working between multiple image-making platforms and applications that incorporate both raster and vector thinking with the goal of developing unique and original processes that stretch the limits of the programs. Multiple ways of expressing a visual solution are investigated through a combination of analog techniques (i.e. drawing, painting, composition, perspective, light, value, and color) and digital tools (i.e. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator).
This course builds upon basic drawing skills to extend technical and conceptual range. Differing from Experiments in Drawing, in that it is directed primarily towards the practice and consolidation of observational drawing. These tools include analytical seeing, gesture, measuring, value/volume, linear perspective, composition and varied mark making. This course is intent on tackling varying traditional and non-traditional tactile media less commonly explored in the painting curriculum. Each semester will begin with simple vine charcoal and pencil extending to other media such as watercolor, gouache, pastel, oil pastel, conte and colored pencils. Since each semester highlights a different medium or type of media, this course may be taken singly or out of sequence. This course includes supervised studio work and working from live models, critiques aimed at strengthening compositional skills by examining the coherence of the effects within each composition, possible field trips to outside exhibits or off-campus drawing sites. Work outside of class will be assigned to build skills rehearsed in class.
This course will explore advanced digital image making methodologies in the vector-based application Adobe Illustrator and raster-based application Photoshop, as well as Procreate and Clip Studio. Students will be exposed to a broad range of digital and analog image-making techniques with an emphasis on shape-based image building processes, design thinking, collaborative ideation, and ultimately starting to develop individual voice, style, and workflow through digital and analog experimentation. This class will serve as a project incubator and focusing on student driven projects and strategic design solutions. Digital production, printing techniques (both analog and digital), and file management will also be covered.
Special topics courses are approved to take advantage of timely subjects, the expertise of a faculty member, or to test student interest in a topic which may later be added to the curriculum.
The illustration world has historically been client-directed; however, as markets shift and disciplinary lines blur, it is more important than ever for illustrators to hone their personal creative voices. In this advanced studio, students will examine the intersection of existing markets, their voice, and their desired audience to forge an entrepreneurial path. The primary goal of this course is the development of a capsule collection - a small but comprehensive series of products that are linked conceptually and stylistically. Students will sharpen their analytical and conceptual skills to produce work that pushes beyond surface-level aesthetics and continues to build upon their unique visual language. Through the creation of a pitch, they will research their audience and trends to clarify their goals and lay the groundwork for the semester. Students will then balance a self-driven practice with targeted art direction in order to concept and produce full color and limited color applications of their work for this collection.
This course is an investigation into the format and creation of picture books from the perspective of illustrators. Picture books are a unique medium that appeal to audiences of all ages, and we will be discussing and creating work not only for children but also for teens and adults. Particular attention will be paid to the unique relationship between words and images in picture books. The culmination of the term will be focused on students creating a mini-book. Students will choose a short text and reinterpret it in a uniquely personal way.
This class covers the fundamentals of perspective (atmospheric, 1,2,3 and 4 point), lighting and cast shadows to create interior, exterior and environmental images. Although the emphasis will be on conceptualization and exploration of your ideas for use in the visual development of assets for use in the game and entertainment industry, the class will also be invaluable for anyone interested in learning perspective to create realistic settings and illustrations. Assignments will include the study of historical, contemporary and futuristic settings, effective research and use of reference materials, and the creation of naturalistic environments which convey a strong sense of mood, narrative and location.
This course introduces the fundamentals of visual storytelling in the medium of comics and then builds on that foundation through process and experimentation. The course will have a strong focus on three core elements: 1.) Developing and telling a strong story, 2.) Process and creative problem solving 3.) Having the following elements - concept, drawing, design, staging, pacing, and acting - come together in a cohesive way to serve that story. By focusing on a series of smaller narratives, students will develop their storytelling skills, as well as their own narrative voice. They will learn that how one tells a story can be as unique and stylistic as the image or the writing. Practical considerations such as designing and drawing for black and white, the final product, publishing, and professional practices will also be addressed.
Every memorable character is composed of an intriguing visual stew; gestural tells, expressions, behavioral beats and archetypal rhythms. A vast set of visual ingredients, visual histories essential to their emotional impact, empathy and longevity. This course will help conjure your Characters by mixing and juxtaposing those visual ingredients, finding inventive ways to focus and cultivate your own visual cues, while exploring my Studio practices to bring them to Light. With the use of weekly word association challenges from Creating Characters with Personality by Tom Bancroft, guest interviews with Industry Professionals, and a series of lectures and projects, we will design a memorable cast of characters that will strengthen both your traditional and digital skill sets.
This is a visual development course where students will explore a real-life simulation of what a concept artist in the game, animation or film industry would go through from ideation to final illustration. All project-based assignments done throughout the course are directly linked to their client brief report at the start of the term. The client brief report blueprint should include the company's history, the style hierarchy, the targeted audience, the expected message behind the designs and the over perimeters expected from both the client and the student/concept artist through the entire process. Students are expected to present their work weekly for open discussions and feedback and meet with the instructor individually.
This class examines the effects and impacts of a new form of illustration-the non-static image-where static images are designed to move in the digital realm. The non-static image, the animated GIF, motion illustrations have all developed to create a space where illustrations come alive, loop, or change in such a way as to increase the emotional, conceptual, or visual impact of the image. The field continues to grow slowly but has made an enormous impact on an industry that continues to find greater amounts of opportunities for illustrators in the digital realm. Over 16 weeks, the class will investigate how and why GIFs affect modern cultures, their popularity in culture and forecast their potential impact on the illustration industry in the future. Students will create unique and singular illustrations that utilize movement, action, and cycle to create moments of unexpectedness that support a narrative, an emotion, or a concept. These unexpected moments can be quiet, loud, frightening, heartwarming. They can also convey the clearest ideas succinctly and powerfully. And while they are mistaken for easy, they are one of the most challenging experiences to create for a viewer.
A mature, well-developed personal vision is central to the contemporary illustrators practice. This course focuses on the development of a personal artistic voice bridging the gap between the boundaries of the commercial marketplace and the highly personal act of making art. In this course, the student will interact with a dynamic variety of themes placed in the context of art direction and time constraints. Refining the highly relational creative process of concept sketch to finished art will be stressed.
Contemporary culture and the illustration marketplace are fluid and ever changing. It is essential that today's illustrator is equipped to function within this dynamic and competitive landscape. This course takes the student into the current marketplace, exploring each of the key areas of creative opportunity including digital media, games, entertainment, editorial, publishing, advertising, and product development. Each student, while continuing the development of a personal artistic vision, will investigate projects relating to the professional marketplace.
In Design + Image students will engage in the vital disciplinary crossover between illustration and graphic design. Through incorporation of drawing, painting, photography, typography, and digital media, students will encounter the countless creative possibilities that hybrid techniques make available to the contemporary illustrator. The class will place special emphasis on the practice of fusing the compositional and conceptual elements of an image. In the end, students should appreciate why Illustrators who understand design are far more likely to create powerfully resonant, compelling images than those who do not.
This course sets the work of the visual artist in an enriching context of writing, ideas and story. The course combines writing, reading and illustration in order to explore the confluence of visual and verbal art, while addressing the need for the modern illustrator to be a multi-dimensional communicator with a strong personal vision. The two disciplines inform and augment each other in bifocal artistic practice. The graphic novel will be explored as a pertinent example of how these skills can work in concert. Through a process of self-expression and experimentation, students are encouraged to develop their own visual vocabulary by studying the work of writers and artists, and practicing personal creation in both realms. Some technical skills will be addressed including reading comprehension, grammar and the writing process. Students will gain fluency in using writing to discover and articulate visual tropes and using images to sharpen, deepen and refine their writing.
Special topics courses are approved to take advantage of timely subjects, the expertise of a faculty member, or to test student interest in a topic which may later be added to the curriculum.
Advanced Picture Book will build on the skills established in Picture Book 1. Students will choose a text and will spend the full term illustrating it. The end goal will be a 32-page picture book dummy that is submission-ready. Time will also be spent discussing and dissecting picture books to determine the illustrator's intent and decisions for the book as a whole and each individual image. There will be regular discussions of industry standards, issues, and next steps in submitting dummies.
This advanced class builds off the foundation of narrative tools developed in The Graphic Novel. It provides an opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities working on a singular, self-contained, longer format (8-10 pages) project. This project can also serve as a springboard for students who choose to continue pursuing comics in either their independent studies or thesis work. Process, editing, and reworking will be a strong focus of the class. We'll also be diving much more into specifics of professional practice such as publishing, markets, self-publishing, printing, representation, and the economic realities of pursuing cartooning as a career.
The PNCA Center for Design is a working design studio with real clients and projects, operating with the safety net of our learning environment. Center for Design students from illustration and design majors are exposed to all aspects of a professional creative practice-from initial client meetings, strategy development, and creative briefs; to scheduling, concept development, presentation, and final execution. We'll turn the superpowers we learn working in a design studio setting towards a range of viable work, from commercial projects to values-driven initiatives and Design for Good. Members of the studio will collaborate in student-led and student-driven teams, working in project management, art direction, and production in addition to design and illustration as fits each project.We'll supplement collaborative client work with studio visits from different industry perspectives, brand building work for the studio, and we'll develop tools for you to take into your future practice. We'll work collaboratively, but with space for each team member's unique voice and individual contributions to shine. This studio gives the hands-on experience of an internship and the opportunity to add work that lives in the real world to your portfolios.
The advanced studio allows the senior student to apply technical skill and an understanding of the contemporary marketplace to the creation of a body of work related to their own personal vision. Professional work processes will be employed and art direction will be central to this creative process as each student begins the creation of professional level projects related to their chosen area of focus. This 16-week studio course works in close proximity with the Illustration Senior Project, allowing for a broader context leading towards a completed senior portfolio.
The advanced studio allows the senior student to apply technical skill and an understanding of the contemporary marketplace to the creation of a body of work related to their own personal vision. Professional work processes will be employed and art direction will be central to this creative process as each student begins the creation of professional level projects related to their chosen area of focus. This 16-week studio course works in close proximity with the Illustration Senior Project, allowing for a broader context leading towards a completed senior portfolio.
Our program combines development of technical skill in traditional studio media and new and emerging technologies with conceptual inquiry to empower you to create visual messages capable of engaging clients and changing culture.
Willamette University