Illustration Course of Study
Our multi-track curriculum prepares students to blend creative excellence with business acumen to develop an understanding of illustration’s impact on contemporary culture.
Curriculum is subject to change.
For students entering Fall 2026 and Spring 2027
Illustration Design Track
| TERM 1 | |
| Writing Studio OR Writing Studio: Intensive | 3 |
| Perspective | 3 |
| Illustration Now | 3 |
| Drawing 1 | 3 |
| Design 1 | 3 |
| TERM 2 | |
| Drawing Concepts 1 | 3 |
| Composition and Painting | 3 |
| Drawing 2 | 3 |
| Design 2: Structure and Color | 3 |
| TERM 3 | |
| Intro to Modernism | 3 |
| Drawing for Illustration | 3 |
| Type 1: Foundation | 3 |
| Materials of Art and Design | 3 |
| Digital Illustration | 3 |
| TERM 4 | |
| History of Art 1 OR History of Art 2 OR History of Art 3 OR Graphic Design History 1 OR History and Theory of Media and Technology OR History of Illustration | 3 |
| Sketching for Illustration | 3 |
| Image and Idea | 3 |
| 4th Term Review | 0 |
| RE-Presentation: Narrative & Bodies OR Media Experimentation | 3 |
| Color Theory | 3 |
| TERM 5 | |
| Intro to Printmaking OR Printmaking | 3 |
| Illustration Design OR Type 2: Structure OR Painting Concepts OR Comic Studio | 3 |
| Drawing Projects | 3 |
| Illustration Design Lab | 3 |
| TERM 6 | |
| Illustration Strategies | 3 |
| Illustration for Publishing OR Type 3: Context OR Children’s Book Illustration OR Wet Paint OR Painting Projects OR Illustration for Publishing | 3 |
| TERM 7 | |
| Notorious OR Application Studio OR Senior Projects OR Illustration for the NYT OR Archetype Press OR Consumer Products | 3 |
| TERM 8 | |
| Business 101 OR Business and Professional Practice electives | 3 |
| Portfolio Design Lab | 3 |
| ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS | |
| Humanities and Sciences electives: | |
| Humanities | 3 |
| Social Sciences | 3 |
| Science and Technology | 3 |
| Business and Professional Practice | 3 |
| Any of the above | 21 |
| Studio Electives | 3 |
| TOTAL | |
| Total H&S Units | 45 |
| Total Studio Units | 75 |
| Total Required Units | 120 |
Entertainment Arts Consumer Products Track
| TERM 1 | |
| Writing Studio OR Writing Studio: Intensive | 3 |
| Perspective | 3 |
| Illustration Now | 3 |
| Drawing 1 | 3 |
| Design 1 | 3 |
| TERM 2 | |
| Viscom Fundamentals 1 | 3 |
| Composition and Painting | 3 |
| Digital Life OR Photoshop Painting Fundamentals | 3 |
| Drawing 2 | 3 |
| TERM 3 | |
| Intro to Modernism | 3 |
| Analytical Figure Drawing | 3 |
| Creative Perspective | 3 |
| Photoshop Painting Fundamentals OR ILL-277 Digital Life | 3 |
| Drawing for Illustration | 3 |
| Dynamic Sketching for Illustration | 3 |
| TERM 4 | |
| Sketching for Illustration | 3 |
| Sketching for Entertainment | 3 |
| Image and Idea | 3 |
| Inventive Drawing OR Inventive Costume | 3 |
| 4th Term Review | 0 |
| TERM 5 | |
| History of Illustration OR History of Art 1 OR History of Art 2 OR History of Art 3 OR Graphic Design History 1 | 3 |
| Entertainment Strategies | 3 |
| Character Design 1 | 3 |
| Graphic Design for Entertainment Arts | 3 |
| Visual Development | 3 |
| TERM 6 | |
| Consumer Products 1 | 3 |
| Color and Story OR Design and Color for Animation | 3 |
| TERM 7 | |
| Style OR Children's Book Illustration | 3 |
| TERM 8 | |
| Business 101 OR Business and Professional Practice electives | 3 |
| Portfolio Design Lab Entertainment Arts | 3 |
| ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS | |
| Humanities and Sciences electives: | |
| Humanities | 3 |
| Social Sciences | 3 |
| Science and Technology | 3 |
| Business and Professional Practice | 3 |
| Any of the above | 21 |
| Studio Electives | 3 |
| TOTAL | |
| Total H&S Units | 45 |
| Total Studio Units | 75 |
| Total Required Units | 120 |
Entertainment Arts Track
| TERM 1 | |
| Writing Studio OR Writing Studio: Intensive | 3 |
| Perspective | 3 |
| Illustration Now | 3 |
| Drawing 1 | 3 |
| Design 1 | 3 |
| TERM 2 | |
| Viscom Fundamentals 1 | 3 |
| Composition and Painting | 3 |
| Drawing 2 | 3 |
| Design 2: Structure and Color | 3 |
| TERM 3 | |
| Intro to Modernism | 3 |
| Analytical Figure Drawing | 3 |
| Photoshop Painting Fundamentals OR Digital Life | 3 |
| Creative Perspective | 3 |
| Dynamic Sketching for Illustration | 3 |
| TERM 4 | |
| Intro to Maya & 3D Animation | 3 |
| Sketching for Entertainment | 3 |
| Image and Idea | 3 |
| Inventive Drawing OR Inventive Costume | 3 |
| 4th Term Review | 0 |
| TERM 5 | |
| History of Art 1 OR History of Art 2 OR History of Art 3 OR Graphic Design History 1 OR History of Illustration | 3 |
| Action Analysis | 3 |
| Character Design 1 | 3 |
| Visual Development | 3 |
| Background Painting/Animated Films 3 OR Comic Studio OR Design and Color for Animation | 3 |
| TERM 6 | |
| Storyboarding for Animation | 3 |
| 3D Layout | 3 |
| Graphic Design for Ent Arts OR Composition Painting and Film | 3 |
| TERM 7 | |
| Style OR Children's Book Illustration OR Illustration for Publishing OR Storyboarding 2 OR Entertainment Arts Project Studio | 3 |
| TERM 8 | |
| Business 101 OR Business & Professional Practice electives | 3 |
| Portfolio Design Lab Entertainment Arts | 3 |
| ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS | |
| Humanities and Sciences electives: | |
| Humanities | 3 |
| Social Sciences | 3 |
| Science and Technology | 3 |
| Business and Professional Practice | 3 |
| Any of the above | 21 |
| Studio Electives | 0 |
| TOTAL | |
| Total H&S Units | 45 |
| Total Studio Units | 75 |
| Total Required Units | 120 |
Fine Arts Painting Track
| TERM 1 | |
| Writing Studio OR Writing Studio: Intensive | 3 |
| Perspective | 3 |
| Illustration Now | 3 |
| Drawing 1 | 3 |
| Design 1 | 3 |
| TERM 2 | |
| History of Art 1 OR History of Art 2 | 3 |
| Drawing 2 | 3 |
| Composition & Painting | 3 |
| Design 2: Structure and Color | 3 |
| Materials of Art & Design | 3 |
| TERM 3 | |
| Intro to Modernism | 3 |
| Drawing Concepts 1 | 3 |
| Painting Concepts | 3 |
| Image and Idea | 3 |
| Media Experimentation | 3 |
| TERM 4 | |
| Re-Thinking Art | 3 |
| Drawing Projects | 3 |
| RE-Presentation: Narrative & Bodies | 3 |
| 4th Term Review | 0 |
| Color Theory | 3 |
| TERM 5 | |
| Studio Practice | 3 |
| Intro to Printmaking OR Printmaking | 3 |
| Painting Projects | 3 |
| TERM 6 | |
| Senior Projects | 3 |
| Take 3 credits of studio electives | 3 |
| TERM 7 | |
| History of Art 3 | 3 |
| Wet Paint | 3 |
| Take 3 credits of studio electives | 3 |
| TERM 8 | |
| Professional Practices for Artists OR Business 101 | 3 |
| Portfolio Design Lab | 3 |
| Studio Elective | 3 |
| ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS | |
| Humanities and Sciences electives: | |
| Humanities | 3 |
| Social Sciences | 3 |
| Science and Technology | 3 |
| Business and Professional Practice | 3 |
| Any of the above | 18 |
| Studio Electives | 0 |
| TOTAL | |
| Total H&S Units | 45 |
| Total Studio Units | 75 |
| Total Required Units | 120 |
Motion Track
| TERM 1 | |
| Writing Studio OR Writing Studio: Intensive | 3 |
| Perspective | 3 |
| Illustration Now | 3 |
| Drawing 1 | 3 |
| Design 1 | 3 |
| TERM 2 | |
| Drawing 2 | 3 |
| Photoshop Painting Fundamentals | 3 |
| Type 1: Foundation | 3 |
| Design 2: Structure and Color | 3 |
| TERM 3 | |
| Intro to Modernism | 3 |
| Motion Design 1 | 3 |
| Image and Idea | 3 |
| Drawing for Illustration | 3 |
| RE-Presentation: Narrative and Bodies | 3 |
| TERM 4 | |
| History of Illustration OR History of Art 1 OR History of Art 2 OR History of Art 3 OR Graphic Design History 1 | 3 |
| Communication Design 2: Information & Context OR Intro to Printmaking OR Printmaking OR Archetype Press OR Sketching for Illustration | 3 |
| 3D Motion Graphics | 3 |
| Sequential Design 1 | 3 |
| 4th Term Portfolio Review | 0 |
| Type 2: Structure | 3 |
| TERM 5 | |
| Type 3: Context | 3 |
| Drawing Projects OR Communication Design 3: Narrative & Scale OR Illustration Design Lab | 3 |
| Motion Design 2 | 3 |
| Sequential Design 2 | 3 |
| TERM 6 | |
| Communication Design 4: Identity Systems OR Motion Design 2 OR Composition Painting and Film | 3 |
| Sequential Design 3 | 3 |
| TERM 7 | |
| Type 5 Motion OR Composition Painting and Film OR Advanced Cinematic Motion OR Sequential Design 3 OR Advanced Motion Studio 8 | 3 |
| TERM 8 | |
| Business 101 OR Business and Professional Practice electives | 3 |
| Portfolio Design Lab OR Portfolio and Career Preparation | 3 |
| Advanced Motion Studio 8 OR Type 5 Motion OR Advanced Cinematic Motion | 3 |
| ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS | |
| Humanities and Sciences electives: | |
| Humanities | 3 |
| Social Sciences | 3 |
| Science and Technology | 3 |
| Business and Professional Practice | 3 |
| Any of the above | 21 |
| Studio Electives | 0 |
| TOTAL | |
| Total H&S Units | 45 |
| Total Studio Units | 75 |
| Total Required Units | 120 |
Surface Design Track
| TERM 1 | |
| Writing Studio OR Writing Studio: Intensive | 3 |
| Perspective | 3 |
| Illustration Now | 3 |
| Drawing 1 | 3 |
| Design 1 | 3 |
| TERM 2 | |
| Composition and Painting | 3 |
| Drawing 2 | 3 |
| Digital Illustration | 3 |
| Design 2: Structure and Color | 3 |
| TERM 3 | |
| Intro to Modernism | 3 |
| Drawing for Illustration | 3 |
| Painting Concepts | 3 |
| Craft Technique Surface Design | 3 |
| Materials of Art & Design | 3 |
| TERM 4 | |
| Image and Idea | 3 |
| Intro to Textile/Surface Design | 3 |
| 4th Term Review | 0 |
| Creative Text | 3 |
| Media Experimentation OR Foundation | 3 |
| TERM 5 | |
| History of Art 1 OR History of Art 2 OR History of Art 3 OR Graphic Design History 1 OR History of Illustration | 3 |
| Intro to Printmaking OR Printmaking | 3 |
| Sewing Lab | 3 |
| Consumer Products | 3 |
| Color Trend for Surface Design | 3 |
| TERM 6 | |
| Application Studio OR Viscom for Wearables OR Illustration Internship | 3 |
| TERM 7 | |
| Business 101 OR Business and Professional Practice electives | 3 |
| Makers Lab Workshop | 3 |
| Paperchase Consumer Products 1 | 3 |
| TERM 8 | |
| Portfolio Design Lab OR Portfolio Design Lab Surface Projects | 3 |
| ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS | |
| Humanities and Sciences electives: | |
| Humanities | 3 |
| Social Sciences | 3 |
| Science and Technology | 3 |
| Business and Professional Practice | 3 |
| Any of the above | 21 |
| Studio electives | 3 |
| TOTAL | |
| Total H&S Units | 45 |
| Total Studio Units | 75 |
| Total Required Units | 120 |
