ILLUS200 Illustration 1

Students are introduced to the "rhythm" of assignment and response. They are encouraged to attune themselves to the reactions of others - classmates, not just teachers. They are given a sampling of the range of illustration possibilities and exposed to examples of illustration by others. Exercises in drawing and painting with an emphasis on the development of a unique visual language - hand created and understandable to a wide audience - is an important part of the class. All techniques, traditional to experimental, are explored to enrich the developing visual vocabulary. Assignments familiarize the student with the use of photography as reference, research on factual subjects, location and setting, personal point of view and opinion as topic, character design, fantasy and "mental apprenticeship" - learning from the example of a studied master. Issues of originality, clarity, "reading" the picture, maintaining concentration over extended work periods and professional procedures are investigated. Theoretical basics and the essential nature of seeing are discussed too.