Visual Narrative Courses

VIS711 Storyboarding

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This studio course explores the first step in visual storytelling to facilitate the passage from verbal text to visual communication. Students will learn techniques in structuring ideas to communicate stories. This course will help students address various aspects in visual narration such as design, pacing, style and balance in word/image relationships. This course will be taught through a series of projects and critiques that include storyboarding or visually organizing a story for a variety of contexts.

Learning Outcomes:

• Structure ideas into communicative stories
• Translate scripts into visual outcomes
• Analyze researched contexts for visual narratives
• Design storyboards that consider composition, pace, style and verbal/visual balance

VIS721 Narrative Writing

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This course explores various writing assignments and close readings of classic literature, essays, graphic novels, and plays. It focuses on dialogue and scriptwriting. Emphasis is placed on students as authors of visual narratives. The course involves determining the characters, preparing the plot, setting the location, time frame and formatting a script. This course will be taught through lectures, discussions, research and writing.

Learning Outcomes

• Interpret various examples of narrative writing
• Analyze the basic components of a script
• Develop a script

VIS722 Drawing Strategies for Visual Narrative

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This course focuses on building a solid foundation in advanced drawing skills through observation. It explores the formal underpinnings of visual narratives and an overview of tools and techniques. Weekly assignments will challenge students to create clear and compelling visual narratives.

Prerequisite: VIS731 History of Visual Storytelling

Learning Outcomes:

• Use various tools and techniques for narrative drawing
• Practice advanced drawing skills
• Translate drawn observations into clear and compelling visual narratives

VIS731 History of Visual Storytelling

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course is a survey of the history of visual narrative. It reviews the diverse media that visual narration encompasses. Approaches to telling a story with words and images will be explored in relation to both local and international contexts. The evolution of visual narrative in a range of context will be examined and analyzed. The material for this course will be covered through lectures, discussions, research and screenings.

VIS741 Character Development

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This course explores the creation of characters within visual narrative contexts. Focus is placed on establishing character personalities conceptually and visually. Various artistic and illustrative styles are addressed. Anatomy, proportion, perspective, construction and appeal are emphasized. This course will be taught through a series of projects and critiques that include character development and contextualization.

Prerequisite: VIS711 Storyboarding

Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate designs that consider anatomy, proportion, perspective, construction and appeal
• Use various artistic and illustrative styles
• Create character with personalities that are conceptualized and visualized

VIS742 Advanced Illustration Techniques

[2–2, 3 cr.]

Centered on the individual student’s unique talent, this course is designed to develop and solidify personal style, strong concepts and clear execution of ideas. How to approach an illustration job with an understanding of the type of work a student wants to create will be explored. Assignments will be done using a variety of mediums including gouache, colored pencil, pen-and-ink and watercolor. Students are encouraged to work traditionally yet digital methods may be combined.

Prerequisite: VIS711 Storyboarding

Learning Outcomes:

• Establish a personal style in illustration
• Compose illustrations based upon strong concepts and a clear execution of ideas
• Create illustrations through both traditional and digital methods
• Outline approaches towards creative and fulfilling job opportunities in illustration

VIS743 Advanced Digital Illustration Techniques

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This advanced digital studio course focuses on creating a series of related illustrations. By creating a character and repeating colors and other visual elements through a series of scenes in addition to advanced techniques in creating 3D objects, lighting effects and placing them in perspective on a plane. The students will develop proficiency in drawing or tracing using illustration software.

Learning Outcomes:

• Design a series of related digital illustrations
• Create 3D objects and lighting effects in perspective on a plane as part of a visual narrative
• Draw and trace proficiently using illustration software

VIS751 Professional Practices

[2–2, 3 cr.]

Students are introduced to career paths available to illustrators, comic artists and visual narrators as they prepare to enter the professional arena. By assembling a portfolio and creating promotional materials they learn how to market themselves as illustrators. Students learn the vernacular of the publishing industry and are instructed on their creative rights.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify various career paths available to illustrators, comic artists and visual narrators
• Create a portfolio and promotional materials
• Recognize the vernacular of the publishing industry and their creative rights as artists

VIS752 Selling Your Story

[2–2, 3 cr.]

The proliferation and advancements in technology and mobile media have redefined how narrative art is created. The objective of this course is to give students an understanding of how they can make their work visible on various social media networks and other platforms. The evolution of storytelling from analog to digitized new media and the future of storytelling will be reviewed.

VIS761 Letters and Image

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This is an advanced course that focuses on the history, form, and use of word and image in visual narratives. Through a variety of projects, students explore relationships between ideas, language, form, and communication. This courses addresses possibilities in hand lettering and typography within visual narration. The students will amplify, through letters the stories they aim to tell visually. Students will be encouraged to develop new uses and functions for word and image based storytelling that go beyond current models of publishing.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognize the history, form, and use of word and image in visual narratives
• Analyze relationships between ideas, language, form, and communication
• Use letters as a key component in visual storytelling
• Develop new uses and functions for word and image based storytelling

VIS771 Children’s Book Illustration

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This is an advanced course in illustration for children’s books from concept to character development, drawing to design, and media application to finished execution. Students in this course develop drawing and design skills in order to interpret and communicate words and ideas through imagery for children. Characterization, pacing, text interpretation and format are all emphasized in assignments that include illustrating stories for children. In the process, students work with a wide range of media, from watercolor, acrylic and gouache to collage and mixed media.

Learning Outcomes:

• Interpret and communicate words and ideas through imagery for children
• Experiment with a wide range of media
• Create a children’s book

VIS781 Advanced Printing Techniques

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This course integrated new media and traditional media printing techniques for illustrated narratives. This is a highly explorative course: from traditional media in printmaking, current practices to pushing the boundaries of printed media. This course provides a creative opportunity to use a variety of print techniques towards the creation of visual narratives.

Learning Outcomes:

• Use new and traditional media printing techniques for illustrated narratives
• Experiment with traditional media in printmaking
• Create visual narratives that push the boundaries of printed media

VIS791 Japanese Animation

[2–2, 3 cr.]

This course is a study in Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga). Students in this course are introduced to the history, development and cultural significance of Japanese animation and comics. This course examines various examples and then leads into explorations in drawing, storytelling and motion as a reflection of as students gain hands on expressive techniques to draw and animate within various genres of Japanese anime and manga.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognize various key historical and contemporary works in Japanese animation and comics.
• Analyze drawing, storytelling and motion within Japanese animation and comics
• Draw using expressive techniques of Japanese animation and comics

VIS795 Field Trip and Visitors

[1–4, 3 cr.]

This course is a weekly seminar where guest artists, authors and illustrators are invited to talk about a wide array of tools and techniques and their own approach to their work. This class also includes field trips to local and international locations that support Illustration, comic art and visual narrative initiatives such as visiting artists, studios, publishers, print shops, and museums.

Learning Outcomes:

• Discover the works of artists, studios, publishers, print shops, and museums in relation to visual narration
• Analyze current practices in the field of visual narration

VIS799 Thesis Project

[3–3, 6 cr.]

In this course students formulate a yearlong project that builds upon the skills acquired in their first year. This class involves research and creating a preliminary proposal to present to a thesis committee. A thesis advisor will coach each student. Once the proposal is approved, the student may explore a range of media in the creation of a visual narrative work. Emphasis is placed upon conceptualization, communication, technique and production. This course cumulates in the curating and/or publishing as an advanced visual narrative work.

Prerequisites: VIS722 Drawing Strategies for Visual Narrative / VIS741 Character Development / VIS742 Advanced Illustration Techniques

Learning Outcomes:

• Propose a thesis project based upon extensive research
• Conceptualize a visual narrative thesis project
• Examine a range of media in the creation of a visual narrative work
• Curate and/or publish an advanced visual narrative work