ILG-5010

Critique I

Fall semester: 1.5 credits

The morning session of this course is structured to emphasize the relationship between fine art and commercial art in dealing with the visual essay. Students will begin the process of developing visual essays in a limited form. There will be weekly assignments dealing with a variety of subjects related to contemporary concerns. Students will begin to incorporate the material from HCG-5050, Creative Writing Workshop I, with their artwork. The afternoon is conducted primarily as a studio session in which a wide range of media is investigated, and various approaches to composing an image will be explored. Tools and methods will be introduced for both ongoing projects initiated in the studio and unexpected workshop situations.

ILG-5015

Critique II

Spring semester: 3 credits

A continuation of ILG-5010, Critique I, this course will focus on the production of a one-of-a-kind book that includes text and image. Individual meetings and class critiques are ongoing throughout the semester.

ILG-5020 / ILG-5025

Drawing I and II

Two semesters: 3 credits per semester

The development of drawing ability with a concentration on discovering a unique personal voice is the focus of these courses. Through drawing from models in the studio and going out on location, students will also study and interpret the relationships between subjects and their environment, and expand their drawing vocabulary beyond the use of a two-dimensional reference. By keeping sketchbooks and compiling interviews, students will explore receptive observation, risk-taking, spontaneity, drawing from intuition and sketching from the energy and unpredictability of being on location. At least one narrative series assignment will be completed over the course of the year.

ILG-5040

Book Seminar

Fall semester: 3 credits

Students will experiment and create a body of work based on the short story. Although the course title is Book Seminar, students are not confined to the book format; however, a series of objects or an installation is encouraged. Students will outline their ideas in a thesis statement prior to the start of the course, which they will present and discuss in the first session. This written statement will serve as a point of departure and later as a point of reference while the work evolves to its final stages. The project will explore technical, aesthetic and conceptual interests while looking into professional directions and specializations.

HCG-5041 / HCG-5042

Writing Workshop I and II

Two semesters: no credit

These support courses for the creative writing workshop will focus on writing fundamentals (grammar, sentence and paragraph logic, idea development, organization and essay structure).

HCG-5050

Creative Writing Workshop I

Fall semester: 3 credits

This workshop is structured to develop writing skills in prose and fiction through readings and discussions. The goal is to explore personal expression through writing that reflects artistic concerns.

HCG-5055

Creative Writing Workshop II

Spring semester: 3 credits

A continuation of HCG-5050, Creative Writing Workshop I, this semester will focus on poetry, writing for the theater and songwriting.

ILG-5060

Perpetual Appetizers

Fall semester 1.5 credits

This hands-on studio course introduces new tools, techniques and ingredients with the goal of expanding an individual visual vocabulary unique to each student. To grasp the concept that the search for creativity is not always a linear, forward movement—more often it is a series of experiments, a desire to enter unchartered territory while recognizing an accident can open opportunities more often than the safety of stagnation.

ILG-5090

Computer Illustration Portfolio

Fall semester: 3 credits

Digital tools have become mainstream in the design and printing fields, and the Internet has evolved into a medium that enables illustrators to create interactive animations and globally accessible projects. This course will touch upon several aspects of digital technology, from advanced Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator techniques for print to all facets of web design production as well as interactive Flash animation. Understanding the fundamentals of computer illustration will aid students in preparing professional projects and personal portfolios.

ILG-5100

The Digital Book

Spring semester: 3 credits

Our desire to tell stories always has, and always will adapt to and define new mediums. The storybook is as old as writing systems themselves; its evolution is bound to that of mankind. Today, the proliferation of tablets and e-book readers is beginning to redefine storytelling and characters. The digital revolution introduced the storybook to hypertext and interactivity—with the Internet came social interaction and data-driven narrative. As perceptions regarding digital media shifts from desktop to multi-touch tablet computers, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that reading, storytelling, animation and interactivity are standing on the precipice of an artistic revolution.

ILG-5120

Seminar

Spring semester: 3 credits

Through lectures by noted guest illustrators, political satirists, art directors and graphic designers, this seminar will explore the many specialized areas of visual commentators. The course will also include portfolio reviews from professionals working in the field.

ILG-6010

Thesis Project: Visual Essay I

Fall semester: 6 credits

Students will choose a New York City artist as their thesis faculty advisor to work with on an individual basis, and establish a schedule to research, write and visualize the thesis project. Emphasis will be on topics with visual essay interest such as graphic novels, comics, illustrated books, children’s books or a series of paintings.

ILG-6015

Thesis Project: Visual Essay II

Spring semester: 6 credits

A continuation of ILG-6010, Thesis Project: Visual Essay I, this semester will focus on the completion of thesis projects. Students will participate in a group exhibition at the end of the semester.

ILG-6020

Studio Workshop I

Fall semester: 3 credits

Studio Workshop I will develop concepts and finished artwork in relation to the thesis project. Student work will be critiqued regularly by visiting professionals (illustrators, art directors, artists and gallery directors).

ILG-6025

Studio Workshop II

Spring semester: 3 credits

A continuation of ILG-6020, Studio Workshop I, this semester will focus on refining and completing thesis projects. There will be individual and group critiques; visiting professionals will continue to view and discuss student projects.

ILG-6040 / ILG-6045

Thesis Review I and II

Two semesters: no credit

Thesis Review is a series of individual meetings with the department chair for review and critique of the thesis project. The meetings will supplement the ongoing work in ILG-6010 and ILG-6015, Thesis Project: Visual Essay I and II.

ILG-6050

Painting I

Fall semester: 3 credits

With an emphasis on figurative painting techniques, this course will focus on the uses of form, color, composition, light, proportion and perspective. Contemporary and classical approaches to oil painting will be explored. The goal is to provide a solid foundation in oil painting techniques.

ILG-6055

Painting II

Spring semester: 3 credits

This course will focus on an advanced approach to the concepts and techniques of figurative painting in oil, including direct, sustained observation of the human form. Emphasis is placed on a more fully developed or visualized painting process.

ILG-6070

History of Storytelling: Comics

Fall semester: 3 credits

This course provides an introduction to graphic media in North America, from the beginning of the newspaper comic strip through the development of comic books, the growth of graphic novels, and current developments in electronic media. Focusing on its history and aesthetics, we will compare developments in the United States, Mexico and French Canada, as well as the social and cultural contexts in which comics are created and consumed. The first half of the semester will concentrate on early comic strips and the development of the comic-book form through the 1940s. The remainder of the semester will focus on changes that affected comics in the 1950s and ’60s, the development of a comic-book subculture from the 1970s to the 1980s, and contemporary electronic media developments.

ILG-6200

Illustration Business Boot Camp

Spring semester: 3 credits

Illustration Business Boot Camp is based on intensive critique and instruction sessions. The course focuses on three main goals: The solid understanding of the professional illustration environment; the review of existing work and its transformation into a presentable and cohesive body of work; the development and application of each student’s brand and identity tools in different mediums for communicating, showcasing and promoting that work.

Curriculum