ART 101

The Language of Drawing (3 Cr.)

Prerequisites: None

Description: This course explores the nature of drawing as a language skill and the use of drawing by production artists and animators. Applied drawing goals and critical thinking skills will be given special consideration. Students will be introduced to basic professional habits in drawing practice, drill, and play. Design principles, basic research, and the design process will be introduced and applied to a series of practical problems. This course also explores basic drawing materials, drawing strategy, drawing sequence, linear drawing methodology, practice, and theory.

ART 115

Art and Technology (4 Cr.)

Prerequisites: None

Description: This course provides an overview of art history from Paleolithic times until the modern day. It traces the technological advances of society and art and considers the interplay between art and technology. Classical art materials and methods will be examined, and students will explore how art has historically impacted society. This course has a worldwide scope and is not limited to just European and Western traditions.

ART 125

Tone, Color, and Composition (3 Cr.)

Prerequisite: ART 101

Description: This course continues to build upon students’ abilities to draw by exploring the nature and use of tone, color, and composition in drawing. It emphasizes methods of creating tone, using luminance as an organizational element, and critical thinking. Additionally, the course will introduce students to a variety of classical tonal systems and tonal illusions including atmospheric perspective, sculptural modeling, basic direct lighting, lighting position relative to viewpoint, light intensity, local value, and reflectivity. Students will then explore the artistic use of color. The course will cover systems and traditions of organizing hue and saturation and will examine methods of building from tonal preliminary studies. Students will also explore classical forms of compositional organization such as symmetry, asymmetry, golden mean, and figure-ground relationships.

ART 151

Basic Life Drawing (3 Cr.)

Prerequisite: ART 101

Description: This course introduces students to the challenges of drawing the human form for animation. Students will examine life drawing for animation in addition to methods for attaining these goals. The course will emphasize capturing skeletal structure, muscle form, emotion, and gesture. Using clothed and nude models of both genders, students will learn to apply lessons in anatomy to the figure, significantly expanding their understanding of human kinetics and structure. Additionally, students will practice extrapolating basic human life drawing strategies to other animals.

ART 155

Basic Life Drawing and Anatomy (3 Cr.)

Prerequisite: ART 101

Description: This course introduces students to the challenges of drawing the human form for animation. Students will examine the goals of life drawing for animation, and the instructor will demonstrate methods for attaining these goals. Additionally, students will study human skeletal and muscular anatomy and learn to apply this knowledge to drawing. The course will emphasize capturing skeletal structure, muscle form, emotion, and gesture. Using clothed and nude models of both genders, students will learn to apply lessons in anatomy to the figure and will significantly expand their understanding of human kinetics and structure. Finally, they will practice extrapolating basic human life drawing strategies to other animals.

ART 201

Advanced Life Drawing (3 Cr.)

Prerequisites: ART 125, ART 151

Description: This course builds upon the anatomy and drawing courses students have already taken. Students will continue to improve their ability to capture kinetics in humans and animals. By engaging in a series of exercises designed to enhance their visual memory, students will build the foundation for drawing accurate figures from their imagination. They will also explore putting the figure into an environment, figurative composition, and introductory sequential figurative composition.

ART 205

Character and Environment Design (3 Cr.)

Prerequisite: ART 155

Description: Students will apply their drawing and anatomy knowledge to the creation of animation characters. The course will introduce traditions of character design and the basic structural strategies for creating animation characters. Students will explore simplification gradients relative to human, animal, and inanimate object-based characters. The course will also cover issues of costume, personality, and story interaction. Additionally, students will learn to place these characters into appropriately designed environments. The curriculum will emphasize professional applications, techniques, and standards of quality.

ART 210

Art Appreciation (2 Cr.)

Prerequisites: None

Description: This introduction to art will provide students with a better understanding of the artistic influences upon our modern culture. Along with the history of art, students will study the meanings, purposes, styles, elements, and principles of art and the various media used to create works of art. In helping students gain basic awareness, knowledge, and enjoyment of the visual arts, the course will provide the groundwork for further personal study in the arts. In turn, this will influence the development of their creativity.

ART 225

3D Design and Sculpture (3 Cr.)

Prerequisite: ART 201 or ART 155

Description: This course introduces students to the principles of 3D design using both traditional and digital tools. Students will become acquainted with additive, subtractive, and cast sculpture. They will consider the basic concepts of architectural space, interior design, landscape design, surface interplay with light, lofted forms, and skinning systems. The course will emphasize using modern polymer clays and building an animation maquette.

ART 230

Painting (3 Cr.)

Description: This course explores ideas and various techniques related to painting. The use of color and the representation of space will be emphasized. Students will explore masterworks, studio painting and painting "en plein aire." Technical and social problems related to painting will be explored using portraiture, still life and environment/landscape. A portable field easel and appropriate painting supplies will be required. The course will culminate in a group show of student projects. (Note: This course is outside of the current Animation curricula and will not count towards graduation requirements. This course is for personal growth and will be offered on a Pass/Fail basis.)

ART 251

Character Design (3 Cr.)

Prerequisite: ART 201

Description: Students will leverage their drawing and anatomy knowledge to the creation of animation characters. This course introduces student to the traditions of character design and the basic structural strategies for creating animation characters. Students will explore simplification gradients relative to human, animal, and inanimate object-based characters. They will consider issues of costume, personality, and story interaction. The course will emphasize professional applications, techniques, and standards of quality. The work completed in this course will serve as pre-production design for PRJ 300, PRJ 350, or ANI 300.

ART 255

A.A.A. Portfolio (3 Cr.)

Prerequisites: ART 205, PRJ 205

Description: Students will use this course to compile the elements of their professional portfolio. The course will introduce them to the marketing campaign needs of modern animation portfolios including visual continuity, business documents, traditional still art portfolios, process and practice samples, digital portfolios, web sites, demo reels, and promotional items. They will use this knowledge to assemble their own portfolios. The course also covers related information regarding job interviews, trade shows, professional standards, and contract negotiation.

ART 300

Perspective, Backgrounds, and Layouts (3 Cr.)

Prerequisites: ART 225, ART 251

Description: This course explores the animation pre-production skills of background and layout art. Students will review classical depth cue and perspective systems and apply this knowledge to the creation of animation backgrounds and layouts. Additionally, students will explore means of using drawing to create camera lens illusions, architectural space, theatrical sets, level design, matte painting, and surface texture. The course will emphasize professional applications, techniques, and standards of quality. The work completed in this course will serve as pre-production design for PRJ 300, PRJ 350, or ANI 300.

ART 350

Storyboards (3 Cr.)

Prerequisites: ART 300, ENG 115, FLM 200

Description: This course explores the animation pre-production skills of storyboard art. Students will leverage their knowledge of drawing, storytelling, and cinematography to create both production and presentation storyboards. They will also explore means of using drawing to create story flow, character development, mood, time, and place. The course will emphasize professional applications, techniques, and standards of quality. The work completed in this course will serve as pre-production design for PRJ 300, PRJ 350, or ANI 300.

ART 400

Drawing Fundamentals (2 Cr.)

Prerequisites: None

Description: The development of strong drawing skills is of extreme importance since they are essential tools for expressing ideas, particularly during the pre-production stages of an animation project. Therefore, this course presents the basic elements of drawing and graphic design in order to improve the student’s practical ability to draw with skill and imagination. It will cover methods of observing, describing, and organizing forms using various mediums such as pencil, charcoal, and color pencils.

ART 401

Conceptual Illustration and Visual Development (3 Cr.)

Prerequisite: ART 350

Description: This course explores the animation pre-production skills of conceptual illustration and visual development. Students will apply their knowledge of drawing, storytelling, and composition to create speculative drawings for animation. They will review compositional systems, design process, and illustration techniques. Additionally, students will explore means of using drawing to visually explore story and character ideas from both existing and original story materials. They will also consider adaptation, stylization, and visual variety. The course will emphasize professional applications, techniques, and standards of quality. The work completed in this course will serve as pre-production design for PRJ 300, PRJ 350, or ANI 300.

ART 410

Mechanical Drawing (3 Cr.)

Prerequisites: None

Description: Traditional and digital skills in drafting are key components of an engineering career. This course introduces students to the basic skills of mechanical drafting including layout and formatting conventions, typographic traditions, and classical drafting tool usage. Students will apply these skills to actual problems in traditional mechanical drafting. They will then be exposed to modern digital tools in mechanical drafting. The course will explore subjects such as interface conventions, usage strategies and output options. Students will work with a CAD program and complete a variety of exercises designed to establish foundational skills. The course will pay special attention to addressing how professionals use these skills in production and prototyping.

ART 450

Portfolio (3 Cr.)

Prerequisites: ART 401, PRJ 400, FLM 250

Concurrent Courses: ANI 400, PRJ 450

Description: Students will use this course to compile the elements of their professional portfolio, which will serve as their B.F.A. thesis. Additionally, this course will introduce students to the marketing campaign needs of modern animation portfolios including visual continuity, business documents, traditional still art portfolios, process and practice samples, digital portfolios, web sites, demo reels, and promotional items. They will use this knowledge to assemble their own portfolios. The course will also cover related information regarding job interviews, trade shows, professional standards, and contract negotiation.