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ILLUS 3704-01
PRINTMAKING TECHNIQUES FOR ILLUSTRATORS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course surveys a wide range of effects possible through versatile printmaking methods including monotype, relief printing and drypoint. The emphasis is on experimentation rather than editioning prints.
Elective
ILLUS 3706-01
THE LARGE WOODCUT
SECTION DESCRIPTION
As the world's first print technique, woodcut had a profound affect on the development of all printing -especially the Japanese woodblock process which has influenced so many artists. It uses minimal technology, requiring only a sturdy table, a few simple cutting and inking tools, and a wooden spoon to print the block. Despite the simplicity of the medium, resulting prints are as individual as the artist who makes them. An artist is able to make many identical prints of their image, which makes woodcut a great tool for experimenting with your ideas. Whether you enjoy work with a bold graphic quality or a delicate organic line, woodcut is an ideal medium for those that enjoy the physicality of materials. The class will cover the basics of woodcut prints to gain an understanding of the three components of this process: color separation, carving, and printing. Participants will learn about the required materials and tools, how to safely and effectively cut an image into the woodblock, and how to print it. The class will focus on how to organize and print large scale, complex, nuanced multicolored woodcuts. Reduction and multi-block techniques will be shown as a means of developing personal imagery. This one-of-a- kind course gives students a traditional printmaking skill that is environmentally friendly, can be done at home, on any scale.
Elective
ILLUS 3722-01
DIGITAL + ANALOG
SECTION DESCRIPTION
With the wave of new technology, it's easy to forget what we can do with our hands, putting pencil to paper and utilizing traditional materials. There is no question that digital tools are integral to the illustrator, but in addition to mastering the technical functions of a program and using it directly to create images, they can open up new possibilities in what we already do with traditional materials. This course will create a dialogue between the handmade and the digital through in class exercises combining age old techniques, including linocut, collage, drawing/painting, with modern tools such as the risograph and photoshop. We will explore different ways digital methods can help with workflow and use the computer to facilitate the steps involved in creating an illustration. This course will challenge students to think beyond the realm of digital brushes and filters, with projects touching on the ways image making can be applied in the real world of design, advertising and publishing.
This course fulfills the Illustration Computer Literacy requirement for Illustration majors.
Elective
ILLUS 3728-01
MIXED MEDIA
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course focuses on the exploration of combining a variety of media with the expectation of discovering a new, personal approach to creating images. Students are initially taught the specific properties and use of watercolor, gouache and acrylic and then invited to explore combinations of these media adding pastel, colored pencil, inks, collage material, charcoal, or found objects. There will be discussion on and experimentation with various techniques and finishes possible through these materials. Students will work in class from set ups, photo references and the model, and will develop images using the techniques and media combinations explored in class in weekly homework assignments.
Elective
ILLUS 3736-01
WATERCOLOR: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MEDIUM
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course will present the transparent watercolor medium to students in a manner both logical and painless. Students will explore the broad uses for watercolor through still life, figure painting, and outdoor landscape painting. Guest critics and demonstrations may augment class discussions.
Elective
ILLUS 3772-01
3-D ILLUSTRATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
While most illustrations are flat, working in three dimensions allows for the engagement of a whole new range of material and conceptual possibilities. Whether using traditional materials or digital technologies, sculpture is enormously nuanced in what it can suggest. In this class we will examine how objects and various sculptural strategies can be used to convey complex concepts and ideas. A survey of contemporary sculpture and 3D illustration will provide plenty of conceptual, process and material exploration. The class is offered in conjunction with RISD CoWorks to promote experimentation, interdisciplinarity, and access to advanced technologies. Projects are structured to introduce you to a variety of materials and methods of working, including paper manipulation, box making, character design, model-making, 3D printing, and laser-cutting. Additionally students will learn how to light and photograph three-dimensional work for reproduction or portfolio. The class promotes development of personal expression, strong conceptual solutions, excellent craftsmanship and good design.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $100.00
Elective
ILLUS 3778-01
MOVABLE ARTISTSBOOKS: SHAPE SHIFTERSAND TRANSFORMERS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
There is something magical about opening a seemingly ordinary book only to see a gloriously three dimensional structure burst forth from its pages. Upon closing the book, the large, complex sculptural form folds seamlessly back into flatness. In this studio students will learn to create such structures: movable artists books that pop up, unfold, transform into sculptures, theaters, installations, interactive experiences. Students will learn the basics of paper engineering and experiment with various pop-up structures as they create their own original, movable artists books. Even though our exploration will begin with structural, material, and formal investigation, students will be encouraged to treat form and content as an interdependent whole, as they envision their increasingly complex independent projects. Demonstrations, hands-on in-class work and homework, independent projects, discussions, research, introduction to digital fabrication; historic and contemporary examples in the expanded field from movable books to large scale art installations; artists talks, visits to RISD CoWorks, Nature Lab, and the Special Collections of Fleet Library will be part of our inquiry.
Elective
ILLUS 3904-01
JOURNALISTIC ILLUSTRATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
In this course, students take on the role of the reportage illustrator and visual essayist by developing a series of images in a sketchbook journal, on site, with emphasis on observation, documentation and investigation of non-fiction subject matter. Finished art will be created for a number of the investigative assignments as well as a completed stand-alone visual essay of a self-generated topic. The long tradition of reportage (illustrative reporting) will be examined and discussed, as will the contemporary manifestations of journalistic art in print and in digital formats. Emphasis is placed on authorship, concept, and drawing skill development afforded by working on site are also a focus.
Elective
ILLUS 3920-01
SCIFI AND FANTASY ILLUSTRATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course will be a short introduction to Science Fiction and Fantasy illustration in the form they are most frequently seen--book covers. Subjects will include (besides the usual aliens, futuristic looking machinery, and dragons) materials and techniques, reference gathering, working with a manuscript, working with the paperback format, etc...The goal of the course is to familiarize the interested student with the means and methods of producing a realistic illustration of an unreal scene.
Elective
ILLUS 3924-01
CREATURE LAB
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This class is designed to train students in the art of creature creation/design. Students will study animal anatomy and physiology with a focus on adaptions to meet specific environments. Following a structured process to design beasts for a variety of genres, the class will explore the genres of fantasy, science fiction and horror. Also featured will be class discussion regarding the psychological implications of different aesthetic choices using existing creatures from film and literature as case studies.
Elective
ILLUS 3934-01
A BEAUTIFUL CORNER
SECTION DESCRIPTION
How does one artfully navigate a creative landscape in CG character and environment design despite the deluge of derivative art and industry homogeneity? This class challenges students to swim against the current, to create a character and setting design that is unique and amazing. Sessions will be a balance of critical thinking, through ZBrush instruction, studio work and class critique. Critiques will focus on the inventiveness of the character and environment, the credibility of essential form, legibility of the designs and their suitability to the narrative outline.
This course fulfills the Computer Literacy requirement for Illustration majors.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $25.00
Elective
ILLUS 3936-01
CHARACTER CREATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
In this course we will explore the process of designing characters as well as the objects they possess and the environments they inhabit. Through a series of projects that emphasize conceptual thinking and functional design, students will learn the problem solving skills used in design as a means of supporting a narrative. Full color works in variety of media will be critiqued on their clarity of vision and strength of presentation. This course is a continuation of the ideas presented in Character Design, and will serve both students who have taken that class and students new to this subject matter.
Elective
ILLUS 3944-01
COMICS, MANGA & BANDES DESSINEES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Sequential art is a thriving global art form whose recent history is grounded in three artistic, linguistic and publishing traditions: Comics, Manga, and Bande Dessinee. This course offers an intensive introduction to their creative possibilities. It will present storytelling and technical approaches that will enhance your ability to work as a writer and artist in the comics industry, as well as in other narrative driven fields. Assignments will take the shape of short form comics (1-8 pages) but students will also learn about writing, developing and pitching longer works such as graphic novels. During class discussions, we will engage in comparative study, identifying unexpected connections with other arts (literature, music, film, animation) while revealing the unique expressive potential of this medium.
Elective
ILLUS 3945-01
DEEP DIVE VISUAL DEVELOPMENT
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Each of us are walking, talking, living stories. From the time we wake up in the morning to tell ourselves what our day will be like to the moment we remember who we've been and who we want to be, we are telling ourselves the stories of our life. Storytelling is a fundamental human act that crosses cultures, ages, ethnicities and genders. Artists often think in pictures, so this course will explore the act of storytelling through the exploration of the visuals in concert with the creation of the words. This course will start with an exercise in multiple iteration of character ideas, story development from the visual, and an investigation of additional characters who provide the foundation for environments and a series of illustrations for a story concept. Ideation, composition, color, discussion of media, style, format, expression of narrative and materials will be reviewed through lecture, guest lecturers in the field, and discussion-both individual and group centered. The format of the course will explore research, mood boards, character development, facial expressions, turn arounds, character interactions, asset creation, thumbnails, color studies and finished illustrations. The focus of the course will be a deep dive into stories that resonate and reflect idiosyncratic and personal interests expressed in any medium that best suits the storytelling.
Elective
ILLUS 3956-01
CINEMATIC STORYTELLING
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Previsualization is an essential tool in both animation and live action filmmaking. Whether it is a feature film or a commercial, a television show or a short film, it's critical that storyboarding is the first directorial step of translating the written word to the screen. In a medium where collaboration is the norm, a story artist inherently becomes one of the most influential figures in a film's production, as every department builds upon the foundation of their work. In this course, we will go over the building blocks of visual storytelling and traditional filmmaking, culminating in a final project at the end of the semester. Lectures and screenings will explore the tenets of story structure, visual language, film grammar, and performance, all of which will be integrated into weekly assignments that exercise tried and true techniques of storyboarding method. The lessons in this course will give you a firm understanding of the art of storyboarding as it applies to the film and animation industry, and also a greater understanding of how to visually communicate with a level of clarity that you had not known before.
Elective
ILLUS 3960-01
ANIMATION PRACTICES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
In this course students explore the fundamentals of animated movement, timing, and materials through various animation techniques, including working directly on film, drawing on paper, pixilation, cut-out animation, and modified-base processes. Over the course of the semester, students will create six short animations and a wide range of animated films will be studied to augment the student's understanding of the field.
Please contact fav@risd.edu for permission to register. Preference is given to FAV and Illustration Students.
Elective
ILLUS 4402-01
WKSHP: MAYA BASICS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
A one month basic introduction to Maya for 3D image-making. The class will introduce polygonal modeling, UV-mapping and normal-map generation, texturing, lighting, and advanced shader options, the Mental Ray renderer, and some particle, fluid and atmospheric simulators. Animation will not be taught beyond basics required for particle and other effects.
Students must register for workshops during the registration period and add/drop regardless of start date of class.
Elective
ILLUS 4404-01
WKSHP: ZBRUSH SCULPTING AND ILLUSTRATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This one-month workshop will explore the creative potential of ZBrush, the 3-D sculpting application from Pixologic. With so many uses, it's difficult to cover ZBrush completely, but by the end of the class you will have a solid understanding of the program, all its component tools and how to customize them and use them in your workflow, whether it's sculpting for game detail, animation, visualization, or rapid-prototyping. This workshop is a one-credit course that emphasizes skills and techniques. This class is part of a group of offerings by the departments of Illustration, Industrial Design and Graphic Design that are offered on Friday afternoons and are open to all students to facilitate cross-departmental enrollment.
Students must register for workshops during the registration period and add/drop regardless of start date of class.
Elective
ILLUS 4406-01
WKSHP: INTRODUCTION TO GAME ENGINES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course is a short introduction to the use of game engines for the production of realistic interactive environments-- whether for architecture, industrial design, VR, or animation. The class is intended for people who are already comfortable with 3D modeling and texturing and will cover the basics of scene creation, modeling, the particular requirements of PBR texturing, animation, and simple interactivity through the use of blueprints. Topics will include basic setup; import of 3D assets, including materials, animations, polygonal models, and custom hit-detection meshes; setup of input methods, lighting, sky-boxes, and atmospherics; and output to various devices. Professional workflow considerations and naming conventions will be covered, as well as an overview of useful third-party software for modeling and texturing.
Students must register for workshops during the registration period and add/drop regardless of start date of class.
Elective
ILLUS 501G-01
GRADUATE ILLUSTRATION STUDIO I: PERCEPTION AND THE ART OF COMMUNICATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
The first core studio in the program is centered on an investigation of the mechanics of articulating meaning in an image. Through a variety of projects, students will investigate the efficacy of various strategies in traditional and new media, and engage in perceptual experiments in order to study the intersection of art and visual psychology.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $25.00 - $150.00
Major Requirement | MFA Illustration