ILL 360: Project Planning and Creative Workflow
Expand your workflow for creative illustration projects
What kind of illustrator do you aspire to be? In collaboration with your faculty mentor you will review and analyze your current portfolio, research industry trends, identify the type of work you want to create during the remainder of your program of study that could be for commercial use or fine art imagery, and enhance your creative workflow while producing new portfolio pieces. This multi-faceted course has been developed to provide a path for your academic and professional success.
About This Course
Project-Based Learning
This course will set the stage for a student's success in the remainder of the BFA degree program and beyond. Students will assess their career and portfolio goals, and develop a customized education plan to get the most out of the program. For the creative project in this course they will enhance their workflow with insights on art making and story telling from a professional perspective.
What Skills Will I Develop?
Students in this course can expect to learn to:
- Examine your illustration/artwork portfolio to identify areas of opportunity to enhance existing work as well as a develop a plan to create additional pieces aligned with your career and creative goals.
- Explore and research multiple illustrations genres, industry trends, and the work of exceptional illustrators and/or sequential artists and/or fine artists who rely on narrative and/or pictorial work.
- Professionally present research in alignment with the course content, assignment criteria, and presentation guidelines.
- Actively participate in class discussions/meetings, constructively assess the work of your peers, and enhance your creative work based upon feedback.
- Demonstrate effective and efficient use of traditional materials and/or digital strategies to create compelling images with consideration of lighting, proportion, perspective, color, composition, art/design principles, and point of view in alignment with the course content and assignment criteria.
- Effectively conceptualize and produce artwork based upon research and by applying your creative process/workflow that could be utilized when producing commercial work and/or fine art imagery.
- Begin the process of preparing for the upcoming internship course by developing a list of potential employers and/or clients to work with and contact.
What Software and Supplies Do I Need?
- Computer with Internet connection.
- Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator CC (InDesign optional).
- Drawing and art supplies may be required depending on your choice of project.
Course Instructor(s)
The course is taught by the following instructor(s):
Jordon Schranz
Jordon Schranz is an audio/visual artist and designer whose work has been exhibited internationally in New York, Chicago, El Paso, Berlin, Bogotá, and Ciudad Juárez.
Course Outline
Assessing Your Portfolio and Career Goals
Let's discuss how we will use this course to assess your portfolio, identify your career goals, create your educational plan, and prepare for your internship.
In the Beginning
There was nothing. So, we'll examine how to get started in your creative project, discussing how to use organizing systems, research, category, plot sketches, recycling and project format to channel your ideas.
Writing a Story
Writing your story is every bit as important as drawing it. In this section, we will explore approaches to story structure and thematic development.
The Design Phase
We'll get down to the business of creating artwork: how to create templates, construct characters and iterate their poses and costumes, think about skin and costume color, research sets and props, and think about panel composition.
Production
To prepare you for finalizing your artwork we will explore the application of lighting and color when producing comic art.
Epilogue
We will conclude with some thoughts on ways to promote your artwork, at the conclusion of this class or in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Do The Courses Work?
Our courses are project-based and instructor-led. In each course you’ll complete a series of lectures, projects, discussions, and critiques designed to stretch your creative skills. Weekly assignment deadlines keep you on track, so you can build your studies around your schedule. Two live Zoom meetings in this course provide the opportunity to work 1to1 with your instructor.
Who Are The Instructors?
Our courses are developed and taught by our industry-leading faculty of creative professionals. This means that you’ll learn in-demand skills, get feedback on your work, and build a portfolio of creative work. View our Student Gallery for featured student projects.
When Can I Start?
Classes start January, April, and August, and this course is completed in a 15-week term. This course is part of a Bachelor's Degree program at Sessions College.
How Do I Register?
To register for a program, complete our program application. This course is not available for individual enrollment; it can only be taken as part of a program.
Is Sessions College Accredited?
Yes. Since 2001, Sessions College has been accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).