visual essay illustration

Graphic Essays and Comics

Overview   |   Recommended Software   |   Student-Made Examples   |   Other Examples   |   Instructional Video

A graphic essay (sometimes called a visual essay) uses a combination of text and images to explore a specific topic. Graphic essays can look like comics, graphic novels, magazines, collages, artist books, textbooks, or even websites. Graphic essays often first take the form of written essays and then have graphic elements added to enrich the reader experience. Unlike infographics, which also combine text and images, graphic essays are often more text-based and usually have a narrative arc or specific reading order.

Comics are a genre used to express ideas through images combined with text or other visual information. Comics can take the form of a single panel or a series of juxtaposed panels of images, sometimes called a strip. Text is conveyed via captions below the panel(s), or speech bubbles and onomatopoeias within the panel(s), to indicate dialogue, narration, sound effects, or other information. Graphic novels are often considered to be a longer form of comics, typically in book form.

A web-based graphic essay can take the form of a blog or a single page website, such as a Microsoft Sway page or an interactive Prezi. For Microsoft Sway and Prezi graphic essays, see the examples below. If you are creating a blog we recommend visiting the Web-Based Projects page .

Graphic Essay Design Tip: Graphic essays can take many forms, so we recommend being creative within the scope of your project! Get some help from DesignLab to brainstorm options and talk through the various tools available!

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Recommended Software

There are many different software programs that can be used to create graphic essays. Below is a list of the software that we recommend for making a graphic essay. We organized the software by category and put the software from top to bottom from best to worst. We recommend using a software you know well or learning the software well enough to establish an easy workflow, so you can spend less time troubleshooting and spend more time on your project. Check out our Software Support page for links to tutorials for all of these programs.

General Graphic Essay Software

Web-Based Graphic Essay Software

Comic-Specific Graphic Essay Software

Student-Made Examples

Print style graphic essay.

Becoming a Witness by Jessica Posnock

Creative Graphic Essay

Virtual Communication by Max Hautala   *Award Winning*

Curb Magazine (2012) by Journalism 417

Web-Based (Magazine) Graphic Essay

Curb Magazine (Current) by Journalism 417

Web-Based (Sway) Graphic Essay

Language Influences Culture, Thoughts, and Identity by Kristen Luckow   *Award Winning*

Dyslexia by Maria Swanke *Award Winning*

Other Examples

Web-based (blog) graphic essay.

Switch It Up: Graphic Essay by Amanda Zieba

Graphic Novel

Graphic Novels in the Classroom by Gene Yang

Instructional Video

How to Write an Illustration Essay: Quick and Easy Guide

How to Write an Illustration Essay: All You Need to Know

Creating an illustrative essay entails more than simply sketching a few beautiful images, even though some might believe that they are easy because they can incorporate drawings into the writing. To excel in this type of work and enhance the visual appeal of your piece, it demands both time and a solid comprehension of the subject matter.

Students can master this academic writing style by consulting guides and examples. So, to acquire comprehensive guidance on crafting an exceptional illustration essay from beginning to end, check out our article to discover the definition, suggested themes, and guidelines for creating an uncontested paper from beginning to end.

Illustration Essay Definition

To give you a clear idea of your first potential question on the concept of - what is an illustration essay - here is a simple definition from our essay writing service : Illustration papers serve as a form of written composition employed to present instances or examples of a particular concept or idea. These essays commonly incorporate visuals and other illustrations to aid in explaining the discussed concept.

Similar to other essay types, this paper typically commences with a thesis statement that establishes the main overarching theme of the work and provides a preview of what readers can expect. Subsequently, a series of examples are presented throughout the essay to support the thesis statement. While illustrative elements can be found in other types of essays, such as argumentative essays, this type of work must avoid presenting claims or personal opinions.

How to Write an Illustration Essay: Steps To Begin

Let's take a journey together with our essay writer to learn how to start writing your paper. By following these steps, you'll be able to bring your illustration essay ideas to life and make a strong impact on your readers.

Step 1: Select a Topic

If you are given the freedom to choose your illustration essay topics, take full advantage of it. Consider selecting a subject you are passionate about, so you will be motivated to explore it further, and the writing process will not feel burdensome.

Step 2. Research

Embrace research as your closest companion. When embarking on your work, refrain from diving into writing before gathering ample material. It is crucial to locate credible sources from which you can extract relevant information. Platforms such as Oxford Academic and Google Scholar prove excellent for conducting your research.

Step 3. Write an Outline

While some students argue that creating an outline is a futile task, it actually serves as a valuable step. When constructing your outline, be sure to incorporate the following components:

• Introductory paragraph: Introduce the topic, provide background information, clarify the significance and relevance of the topic, and present a strong thesis statement.
• Body paragraphs: Present your ideas in a logical and organized manner. Dedicate each paragraph with a topic sentence to discuss a single idea, utilize transitional devices to enhance the flow between paragraphs, and strive for paragraph coherence.
• Conclusion: Restate the thesis statement, summarize the main ideas discussed in the body paragraphs, and provide a concluding statement that wraps up the entire paper.

Step 4. Write Your Ideas

Having completed the necessary steps thus far, crafting an outstanding essay should pose no difficulty. Simply transform your main ideas into concise paragraphs and bolster each one with the appropriate supporting evidence.

Step 5. Review

After completing your essay, it is essential to give it a thorough editing. Take the time to read through it once or twice to identify any grammatical, structural, or contextual errors. Additionally, ensure that your essay is free from any instances of plagiarism.

Step 6. Enjoy Your Perfect Essay

By considering the aforementioned steps, you should now be able to appreciate your perfectly completed essay. Keep in mind that the writing process can be painless when you follow our expert tips (more to come below!), leading to a flawless outcome.

Why Write Illustration Essay: Purpose and Importance 

The primary objective of illustration essays is to facilitate readers in comprehending a concept or argument with clarity by presenting tangible and illustrative examples and evidence. The examples utilized in this type of paper should be pertinent, vibrant, and precise, enabling readers to understand and visualize the topic being discussed.

Illustrative writing can prove advantageous for both the writer and the readers. On the one hand, this type of assignment enhances a student's creativity and comprehensive abilities. On the other hand, it stimulates the reader's imagination as they are required to mentally construct a visual representation.

If you find yourself uncertain about how to start an illustration essay, one approach is to delve into your personal experiences that are relevant to the topic or subject matter. Reflect on real-life examples or incidents that can effectively illustrate the concept you intend to discuss. By drawing from your own experiences, you can provide authentic and relatable illustrations for your essay.

Main Tips For Writing

If you are still unsure about how to write an illustration essay and need additional tips, you've come to the right place! Make the most of the advice provided below.

Collect Evidence - When embarking on your academic essay , refrain from diving into writing before gathering ample material. This type of writing necessitates the inclusion of numerous examples, so acquire a multitude of firsthand examples from professional writers.

Be Concise - Aim for precise and focused illustrations, steering clear of unnecessary elaboration or lengthy descriptions. Keep your examples concise while ensuring they retain clarity and effectiveness.

Provide Concrete Instances - Opt for specific illustration essay examples that vividly depict your points. The inclusion of specific details enhances the clarity and impact of your illustrations, making them more relatable and captivating to readers.

Rely on Reliable Sources - Make use of trustworthy and credible sources when gathering examples and evidence. This approach bolsters the credibility and reliability of your essay. Consider referencing scholarly articles, academic books, reliable websites, or expert opinions to reinforce your arguments.

Ensure Clear Expression - Ensure the clarity and comprehensibility of your illustrations. Avoid ambiguity or confusion by offering ample context and explanation. Take the time to review your essay, ensuring that your examples effectively convey the intended message and provide support for your thesis statement.

Topics for Illustration Essay: Choose The Best One

Presented below are a collection of ideas to ignite your creativity when writing an illustration essay. Feel free to explore and adapt them according to your personal interests and the specific guidelines of your assignment.

• Student Life:

a. The Challenges and Benefits of Balancing Academics and Extracurricular Activities

b. The Impact of Peer Pressure on College Students' Decision-Making

• Personal Development:

a. The Role of Traveling in Broadening a College Student's Perspective

b. The Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation for Stress Reduction in College Life

• Social Relationships:

a. The Influence of Social Media on Interpersonal Communication Skills

b. The Importance of Developing Healthy Boundaries in Friendships and Relationships

• Career and Future Planning:

a. Exploring Alternative Career Paths: Non-Traditional Options for College Graduates

b. The Significance of Internships in Gaining Practical Experience and Building Professional Networks

Feeling Overwhelmed with Writing AN ILLUSTRATION ESSAY on Your Own?

Simply send us your paper requirements, choose a writer and we’ll get it done fast.

Illustration Essay Examples

Exploring our collection of expertly crafted illustration paper examples offers a valuable opportunity to delve deeper into the intricacies of this writing style. Utilize the vivid examples below as a point of reference as you refine your own writing skills.

We also recommend taking a look at our comprehensive guide on a narrative essay , complete with examples.

To wrap up, by thoughtfully selecting enthralling examples, conducting meticulous research, and skillfully presenting them with clarity, your illustration essay has the potential to transform into a captivating masterpiece. Allow your imagination to roam free, infuse your prose with the enchantment of visual storytelling, and embark on an extraordinary odyssey where ideas flourish, and comprehension deepens.

And if you still find it challenging, buy essay from our creative writers who will infuse vitality into your essay through illustrations that invigorate, leaving readers uplifted, enlightened, and yearning for more!

Do You Need an Extra Help With Your ILLUSTRATION ESSAY?

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SVA MFA Illustration as Visual Essay: Selections from Thesis Projects

May 25, 2020 @ 12:00 am - june 20, 2020 @ 12:00 am.

School of Visual Arts presents “Selections from Thesis Projects,” an online exhibition of thesis projects by the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay class of 2020. Curated by David Sandlin, thesis coordinator, the exhibition will be on view from Monday, May 25, through Saturday, June 20, at galleries.sva.edu .

Enjoy a respite from pestilence and fear with a virtual tour that transcends time, borders, cultures and even reality with a multiverse of illustrated narrative possibilities. Visitors will stroll through nostalgic city landscapes; relive the balmy summers of yesteryear with Mister Softee as their guide; explore urban American culture from a Brazilian perspective; and join the survivors of a disaster-wracked metropolis before escaping into the utopian vision of a community of urban skateboarders.

See verdant, flower-filled gardens with florists and botanical experts of field and meadow, and a darker one filled with fantastical misfit creatures; hop over to an island inhabited by quirky, entertaining animals; and take a fantastical trip to rescue some childhood imaginary friends.

Pause in your journey to riffle through an oracle deck of divination cards and a sardonically draconian manual of behavior for children, and examine a “wonder cabinet” of human sentiments, represented by biological specimens and other natural curiosities.

Venture into the interior realms of perception and empathy with metamorphoses—a Kafkaesque transformation triggered by the onset of puberty, and a koan-like parable of a boy who becomes a tiger—and metaphors: surreal dreamscapes of emotions personified and graphic emblems of alienation and social malaise. Against a stark midwestern landscape, join a solitary mouse in his lonely daily routine.

Move toward lightness to explore the many facets of love with a prismatic display of passion in pure form and color, and uncover a mystical connection between an old woman and an alley cat that bridges this world and the next.

The works here represent a fraction of the output generated by this spectacularly talented group of young artists. The persistence and resilience the class of 2020 has exercised to make beautiful and significant work in the face of dislocation, self-isolation and uncertainty is both impressive and inspiring. Their achievements exemplify visual narrative’s power to both provoke reflection and uplift the spirit.

The MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay is designed to maximize students’ opportunities as figurative artists, from the conventional gallery wall to the full range of 21st-century media. The program fuses the development of creative thinking with technical and communication skills. Additional focus is placed on best practices in navigating the visual-art marketplace while empowering students to choose making art as a way of life.

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“We Tell Stories,” 30 Years of Illustration at SVA

• Design + Art

Words by Molly Heintz

Published on November 29th, 2014

In 1986, author Steven Heller wrote the introduction to a Print magazine feature on a new MFA in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts. “The two-year program is designed to encourage artists, be they painters, cartoonists, or illustrators, to expand the boundaries of illustration into the realm of journalism.” Judging by the scads of pages and covers now displayed on what may be the world’s largest magazine rack in SVA’s new show, “ We Tell Stories ,” it’s clear the MFAI has accomplished its mission. And that’s just one wall in an expansive exhibition filling the school’s cavernous Chelsea Gallery.

Today the MFA’s official name is “Illustration as Visual Essay.” The program has taken 20 students per year since its inception 30 years ago, and more than half of those (that’s 300+) are represented in the exhibition. In fact, there’s so much work gracing so many important magazine and book titles that you begin to wonder what the state of illustration was before MFAI, whose progeny appear to be ubiquitous.

Highlights of the main gallery include a vitrine dedicated to Rabid Rabbit , a comic book anthology founded by alums Paul Hoppe and C. M. Butzer featuring an array of artists and as many drawing styles, and Nora Krug’s Shadow Atlas , a compendium of ghosts from around the world rendered in mesmerizing primary colors. Allowed to pick up and peruse volumes on the open shelves, visitors might easily lose track of time.

There are even several instances of artwork leaping off the page and onto the streets. For example, earlier this year Jonathan Bartlett, class of 2010, created a vibrant mural on the exterior of Ralph Lauren, Denim & Supply in Greenwich Village. But most pieces are conceived for publications and relatively small in scale; indeed, some of the work is intended for small-scale readers. One entire gallery, designed as a cozy kids’ lounge by alums Sara Varon and Aya Kakeda, is dedicated to children’s books. Varon’s whimsical characters populate the walls and carpet, and here one finds a few of the program’s best-known graduates, like Stephen Savage, creator of the Where’s Walrus and Polar Bear Morning books. By comparison, the third and fourth galleries, stuffed full of products, packaging, and posters feel less cohesive, if no less comprehensive.

That this MFA formula works is obvious, and it’s a testament to the guiding hand of chair Marshall Arisman, who founded the department in 1984. One of the program’s particular perks is that students can invite their dream advisor to work with them on the second-year thesis project. Take alum Joanna Neborsky, whose thesis guru was acclaimed artist Maira Kalman. Neborsky’s thesis-turned-book, Three Line Novels, is a set of illustrations based on short, grisly news items submitted by Parisian writer Félix Fénéon to the newspaper Le Matin in 1906. Obscure? Yes, but also utterly intriguing. The work feels relevant not because the content is current, but because, like good design of any kind, it communicates.

“ We Tell Stories ” is open through December 17, 2015 at SVA’s Chelsea gallery.

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Did you know?   Savannah College of Art and Design alumni are consistently sought after by leading companies like DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Dreamworks.  Learn more . 

Top 50 Illustration Schools and Colleges in the U.S. - 2021 College Rankings

What are the top illustration schools for 2021?

Our 2021 rankings of the top 50 illustration schools in the U.S. For an explanation of our ranking criteria,  click here .

Founded in 1947, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) began as the Cartoonists and Illustrators school with just three teachers and 35 students—most of whom were World War II Veterans. Today, SVA serves 7,000 students enrolled in 31 programs. Offerings for aspiring illustrators include a BFA in Illustration and an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay. A BFA in Cartooning is also available.

SVA has the largest illustration faculty of any school in America. In addition to employing 69 faculty members, the SVA Illustration Department serves 473 students enrolled in more than 75 courses.

The BFA curriculum consists of 120 credit hours of study) 72 in studio, 30 in humanities and sciences, 15 in art history, and three in elective courses. Course highlights for the program include Bookmaking and Linocut Inventions, Digital Coloring for Cartoonists, Digital Workshop: Music to Your Eyes, Experimental Animation, Fur, Feathers and Scales: Animal Anatomy, Introduction to Puppetry, Photocopy Zines, Pictorial Problems, Realistic and Fantastical Digital Painting, Storyboarding for Animation, and The Gouache Experience.

Students will also complete a number of seminars and workshops, Professional Practice: Illustration, and several Illustration Portfolio courses.

SVA students have landed assignments for The New Yorker , The New York Press , Mad Magazine , and The Village Voice— all before graduating from the program. Students are also frequent winners of the highest awards at the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, and many other industry-based student competitions.

Established in 1984, the MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay is a competitive program that accepts just 20 students per year. Students in the program can expect to complete requirements in Computer Illustration, Creative Writing, Drawing, Painting, Storytelling, and Visual Essay. Students will also complete a number of workshops, an Illustration Business Book Camp, and the course Thesis Project: Visual Essay.

Other highlights for the two-year program include close interaction with faculty, a personal workspace with 24/7 access, and the opportunity to audit classes in animation, film, fine arts and humanities. The program also hosts regularly scheduled guest speakers from the New York professional arts community. Access to working artists, gallery shows, museum exhibitions, and internships are also available.

Graduates of SVA’s Illustration Department have gone on to work on films such as Sleepy Hollow and for designers such as Prada and Van’s.

Founded in 1930, ArtCenter College of Design sits on a hillside campus that consists of 165 wooded acres and a sprawling modernist steel-and-glass structure. The school also has campuses in downtown Pasadena and Los Angeles, and satellite studios in Petersen Automotive Museum (Miracle Mile, Los Angeles) and Berlin, Germany.

Serving approximately 2,335 students, ArtCenter offers 11 undergraduate and seven graduate degree programs in a variety of Applied Arts, Industrial Design, and Visual disciplines. The Industrial Design Program offers a joint MS/MBA in partnership with the Drucker School of Management. Programs for aspiring illustrators include a BFA in Illustration and an Interdisciplinary MFA.

The BFA curriculum “encompasses a wide range of core studies and collaborations with other disciplines that equips students with strong practical skills, as well as substantial business knowledge,” says the school. “After mastering foundations skills such as figure drawing, painting and perspective, students choose from five main areas of specialization: Illustration Design, Illustration/Fine Art, Entertainment Arts, Motion Design and Surface Design.”

Course highlights include Children’s Book Illustration, Composition and Drawing, Digital Illustration, Drawing Projects, Head and Hands Materials of Art and Design, Illustration Design Lab, Illustration Storytelling, and Sketching for Illustration. Students will also take Business and Professional Practices, Notorious or Application Studio, and several Portfolio Design Lab courses.

Graduates of the program have been hired by ArtCenter industry partners such as Apple, Blizzard, DreamWorks, Google, Mattel, Walt Disney, and more.

Notable Illustration alumni include Drew Struzan, Movie Poster Illustrator for Harry Potter, Indiana Jones , the Muppets , Star Wars and others; Mark “Crash” McCreery Creature Designer/Concept Designer for Batman Returns , Jurassic Park , Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ; Phil Hettema, Experiential Designer for The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man, Jurassic Park: The Ride, and Hello Kitty Park; and Rockstar Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park.

Founded in 1877, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is one of the first art and design schools in the U.S. Serving approximately 2,500 students from across the U.S. and 57 other countries, the school has 19 studio majors and leading to bachelor’s or master’s degrees in the Fine Arts, Architecture, Design or Art Education. The school’s most popular programs are Illustration, Film/Animation/Video (FAV), Graphic Design, Industrial Design, and Painting.  

Offered through the Illustration Department, the BFA in Illustration is RISD’s largest major. Like all RISD students, Illustration students will take first-year studios in Experimental and Foundation Studies, followed by a major course of study in a specific Fine Arts or Design discipline beginning sophomore year. “Rigorous courses in Liberal Arts enrich studio learning,” says the school. “Undergraduate students have the option of building on their degree programs to concentrate in one of six additional areas of study beyond a studio major. Concentrations at RISD are similar to “minors” at other colleges and universities. Totally optional, they offer important context and perspective while enriching the overall educational experience both in and beyond the studio.”

Other program highlights include access to computer resources, printmaking studios, software such as AfterEffects, InDesign and Maya, a full roster of visiting artists and art directors, access to ISB Gallery, which hosts a mix of student or curriculum related exhibitions throughout the academic year, and professionals from across the country who offer feedback through annual portfolio reviews.

Course highlights for the program include Advanced Painting, Animalia, Cinematic Storytelling, Digital 3D for Illustrators, Dragon Concept & Character Development, In 3-d Mixed Media, Fantasy Painting: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of, Style & Substance, Merging Worlds, The Magic of Books, Virtual Reality for Palliative Care, Visible Cities, and Word, Images and Ideas. Students will take workshops such as Maya Basics, Pigments & Emulsions, and Zbrush Sculpting and Illustration as well.

Graduates of the art and design programs at RISD work as entrepreneurs or creative professionals at studios such as DreamWorks, Harmonix, and Pixar, and for networks like Fox, HBO, and PBS. Notable RISD graduates include Daniel Sousa, Animator and Director of the Oscar-nominated film Feral, Lance Wilder, Animator for The Simpsons , and Seth Macfarlane, Creator of Family Guy .

Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) was founded in 1931 by Dr. Ludd M. Spivey, president of Southern College (now Florida Southern College) and circus baron, John Ringling. When it opened, the school had just 75 students and 111 course offerings. Today, RCAD serves more than 1,600 students from 45 states, 60 countries, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

This private, not-for-profit college offers BFA degrees in eleven disciplines and BA degrees in two. Students in all programs benefit from RCAD’s “rigorous curriculum” that the school says “employs the studio model of teaching and immediately engages students through a comprehensive program that is both specific to the major of study and focused on the liberal arts.” Students also benefit from visiting artists from major studios such as DreamWorks and Blue Sky Studios, focused internship opportunities, and the chance to work with local businesses on real-world projects.

Program options for aspiring illustrators include a BFA in Illustration with a General Illustration or Visual Development Emphasis. The General Illustration Emphasis covers the fundamentals of color theory, composition, anatomy, and digital and traditional media. Offered in the Illustration Department, the program introduces and familiarizes students with professional industry techniques through exercises, demonstrations, guest speakers, critiques, collaborative projects, internships, recruiter workshops, and interactions with real clients in the area.

The Visual Development Emphasis “focuses on concept art, used by illustrators to convey ideas across the entertainment spectrum in industries including gaming, comics, and graphic novels, film, television (live-action and animated), video, toy design, themed entertainment, publishing, and advertising,” says the school. “Students will learn to visualize and create the art for characters and environments that is later used by modelers, animators, designers, visual effects artists, and other creatives to bring the ideas to life through production.”

Course highlights for the General Illustration Emphasis include 3D Design for IL, Advanced Illustration, Design & Typography, Digital Illustration, Figure Anatomy, Illustration Media, Professional Practices, and Visual Development I-IV. Course highlights for the Visual Development Emphasis include 2D Design, Development of Art and Ideas, Film & Narrative, Professional Practices, Visual Development I-IV, and Writing Studio.

Other highlights for the programs include the opportunity to enter a semester-long exchange program or a four-five week summer program at Studio Arts Center International (SACI), located in Florence, Italy, internship opportunities at major companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Blue Sky Studios, Disney, Hasbro, and Pixar, and participation in The Annual Illustration show , Illest of the Ill —a department juried exhibition curated and coordinated entirely by students.

Students in the programs also have access to two Cintiq labs solely for Illustration, access to three 24-hour Cintiq labs, painting and drawing studios, and a laptop for every student, fully equipped with the latest Adobe Creative Suite software.

Ringling College students have won more wards in the 40-year history of the Society of Illustrators than any other college, and comprise the highest number of accepted entries into the Society’s annual Student Scholarship Competition. Graduates leave the programs with a “comprehensive, cohesive portfolio” that showcases their work.  

Employment opportunities include Advertising Illustration, Animation, Children’s Books, Editorial (book cover art, magazine, and newspaper), Interactive Web Illustration, Medical Manuals, Surface Design for Fashion, Medical Manuals, Technical Art, and Visual Effects.

Graduates of the programs have been hired by American Greetings, Apple, Blue Sky Studios, Cartoon Network, Disney, EA Games, GM, Google, Hallmark, Marvel Comics/Lucasfilm, Riot Games, United Airlines, Walt Disney, Zynga, and many others.

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) was founded in 1978. In addition to the main campus in Savannah, SCAD has locations in Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Lacoste, France. Serving more than 14,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries, the school offers more degree programs and specializations than any other art and design university. SCAD also offers plenty of opportunities to study art and design at domestic and international locations.

Offered through the School of Communication Arts SCAD offers a BA in Visual Communication with a Concentration in Illustration (Atlanta, Savannah), a BFA in Illustration (Atlanta, Hong Kong, Savannah), an MA in Illustration (Atlanta, Savannah, eLearning), and an MFA in Illustration (Atlanta, Savannah, eLearning). Minors include Animated illustration and Publication Design, Scientific Illustration, Illustration for Entertainment, and Illustration for Surface Design. Related degrees include a BFA in Sequential Art (Atlanta, Hong Kong, Savannah).

The Animated Illustration and Publication Design Minor is offered at the Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Savannah campuses. All other Minors are offered at the Savannah campus only. Minor programs are 25 hours and include courses such as Digital Illustration, Illustrative Anatomy and Perspective, Imaginative Illustration: Character Refinement, and Type and Image for Illustrators.

Students in SCAD’s Illustration degree programs will learn to create “fine-art drawings, bringing ideas, characters and personalities to life using both traditional and digital techniques,” says the school. Students will work in a “professional environment through a program structured like a working studio,” and they will “develop a personal style and technique, learning to express their own unique vision while forming a well-rounded perspective on design.”

Students in all programs have the opportunity to study outside of their main discipline by taking courses in Advertising, Graphic Design, Motion Media, Printmaking, and Sequential Art. Course highlights include Contextual Character Design, Directed Projects in Illustration, lllustrating Beyond the Page: The Narrative Experience, Illustration Business Strategies and Entrepreneurship, Illustration Markets, Illustration for Publications, and Materials and Techniques.

The BFA in Illustration has four Concentration options including Animated Illustration and Publication Design, Concept Design for Animation and Games, Illustration for Games, and Illustration for Surface Design. Each Concentration requires four courses, and students have the opportunity to choose from 10 elective hours to enhance their focus.

Graduates of the Illustration Programs at SCAD are prepared to take on careers such as Advertising Illustrator, Animation Character Designer, Art Director, Book Illustrator, Editorial Illustrator, Illustrator for Entertainment Design, Illustrator for Game Design, Storyboard Artist, and Surface Design Illustrator. Graduates have been recruited by A&E, Bento Box Entertainment, Comedy Central, Converse, Game Informer, ImagineFX, Revolver Studios, The New York Times, and Walt Disney Imagineering.

Pratt Institute (Pratt) prepares its nearly 5,000 students for careers in Architecture, Art, Design, Information Science and Liberal Arts, and Liberal Arts and Sciences. Founded in 1887 and situated in the historic Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn, New York, the school, which offers more than 25 undergraduate degree programs and concentrations along with more than 26 graduate degree programs, has additional campuses in Manhattan and Utica, New York. At the main campus in Brooklyn, students are enrolled in programs in the schools of Architecture, Art, Design, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Founded in 2014, the School of Design offers “up to four of Pratt’s oldest and most esteemed disciplines,” says the school. This includes Communications Design, Fashion Design, Industrial Design, and Interior Design. Options for aspiring illustrators include a BFA in Communications Design with an Illustration Emphasis and AOS and AAS degrees in Illustration, and an AAS in Graphic/Illustration offered in the School of Art.

The school says students who select the BFA with an illustration Emphasis “take a series of upper-level studio courses that explore topics particularly relevant to image-based communication such as advanced storytelling, socio-political commentary and authorship. Courses throughout the major encourage experimentation with multiple technologies, platforms and techniques.”

A variety of unique electives “provide opportunities to explore a wide spectrum of contemporary illustration practice including graphic novels, animation and 3D modeling, independent publishing, editorial illustration, children’s books, concept art and illustrated typography.”

The AOS in Illustration is a career-oriented track, which prepares students for careers in the Art and Design professions. The AAS in Illustration is transfer-oriented track, which positions graduates to transfer directly into the junior year of the Pratt BFA Programs in Fine Arts or Communication Design. The AAS in Graphic Design/Illustration follows an art and design curriculum that includes a liberal arts component that prepares students to transfer to Pratt’s BFA in Communications Design or the Fine Arts Department.

Upon completion of the program, BFA graduates are prepared to seek positions in a variety of industries or they may enroll in Pratt Institute’s Graduate School of Arts, which offers an MFA.

Pratt Institute alumni have landed positions at major studios such as Blue Sky, Cartoon Network Studios, Curious Pictures, Digital Domain, DreamWorks Studios, Gameloft, Industrial Light & Magic, Rhythm and Hues, Sony Imageworks, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and more.

Founded in 1826, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is the nation’s oldest independent, continuously degree-granting college of art and design. The College enrolls nearly 3,500 students from just about every state 50+ countries and it attracts more than 175 visiting art historians, critics, designers, poets, and writers from around the world each year.

MICA offers around 80 programs leading to the BFA, MA, MFA, or MPS degree. Study areas include art education, design, electronic media, fine arts, liberal arts, and professional studies. A number of post-baccalaureate certificate programs are also offered.

Undergraduate programs for aspiring illustrators include a BFA in Illustration with Concentrations in Book Arts, Illustration + Humanistic Studies, Sequential Art, and Studio. Interdisciplinary options for Specialized Study include Studio Concentrations in Animation, Book Arts, Graphic Design, and Printmaking. In addition to first-year and liberal arts requirements, undergraduates will complete 54 credit hours in illustration. Course highlights include Illustration I & II, Life Drawing, Studio Drawing, and Professional Development. 

“Seniors are mentored in two semesters of portfolio building work in Senior Illustration I and II to prepare a solid body of work in order to become professional illustrators,” says the School. “Professional Development for Illustrators includes portfolio preparation, business practice, intellectual property, and copyright issues.”

Graduate programs include an MA in Illustration and an MFA in Illustration Practice. The MA is a one-year program for students interested in a career in illustration or in refining their existing illustration practice. The degree culminates in independent work in the form of a capstone portfolio project, exhibition, and review panel. The MFA is a two-year program that attracts “experienced illustrators, advanced students from related disciplines, including writing, design, animation, film, digital media, etc., and students with a cultivated passion for illustration in all its forms.”

Students in the program will develop an independent, second-year thesis project using a medium appropriate to their personal direction and emerging illustration markets, including an exhibition and accompanying case study book.

Graduates of the Illustration Programs at MICA have gone on to land positions as Author and Illustrator of "Nimona," Book Illustrator, Brand Illustrator for Uber, Illustrator and Comic Artist for Random House, and many others. MICA alumni have also continued their education in graduate programs or have successful careers as Freelance Illustrators or with their own studios.

California College of the Arts (CCA) is a private nonprofit institution founded in 1907 by German-born cabinetmaker and art teacher Frederick Heinrich Wilhelm Meyer. The school opened as the California Guild of Arts and Crafts with just three teachers and 43 students. Today, some 100 full-time and 400 part-time faculty members serve 1,850 students from more than 40 states and nearly 50 countries.

Degree options at CCA include 22 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs. This includes a BFA in Illustration and MFA programs in Comics, Fine Arts, and more. A BFA in an Individualized Major is also available.

The BFA in Illustration is taught by “Award-Winning Illustrators” and “digital innovators using the latest technology,” says the school. The curriculum is interdisciplinary, which allows students to explore courses outside the program such as Animation, Creative Writing, Fine-Art Painting, Graphic Design, and Printmaking. The program also provides the opportunity for students to develop as entrepreneurs through courses such as Portfolio, Professional Practice, and Thesis.

Other course highlights include 2D, 3D & 4D, Illustration Studios 1-3, Illustration Tools: Digital Illustration, Illustration Tools: Painting for Illustrators, Literary & Performing Arts Studies, Media History: History of Illustration, and Visual Studies. 

Thanks to the Illustration Program’s “position within a top art and design college” students have “access to cutting-edge software and digital tools, print and painting studios, shops, labs, and a community of thinkers and makers eager to collaborate.”

Graduates of the CCA’s Illustration Program are prepared to pursue positions at magazines, for the entertainment industry, and for books, comics, packaging, posters, products, websites, and more.

The New School was founded in 1896 by American Impressionist William Merritt Chase. Back then, the school was known as The Chase School. In 1904, Arts Educator Frank Alvah Parsons joined the school, later becoming its sole director. Between 1904 and 1910, parsons launched Advertising, Costume Design Interior Decorating Programs.

Today, known as The New School/Parsons (or just Parsons), this art and design college serves 5,100 students enrolled in 130 degree and diploma programs across five schools including the Schools of Art and Design History and Theory (ADHT); Art, Media, and Technology (AMT); Constructed Environments; Design Strategies; and the School of Fashion.

The School of AMT offers a BFA in Illustration that prepares students to work in a range of areas including Animation, Editorial and Advertising Illustration, Graphic Novels, Hand Lettering, Picture Books, Surface and Display Design, and Toy Designs. Course highlights include Drawing/Imaging (Studio), Space/Materiality (Studio), and Time (Studio), and others such as Intro to Visual Culture: Recitation, Language and Letterform, and Objects as History.

Program highlights include the opportunity to work with peers in Collaboration Studio courses and other projects, internships with Parson partners such as AIGA, Apple, Eyebeam, and Red Cross, access to events such as Comic Arts Brooklyn, MoCCA Fest, and more, and the opportunity to connect with New York–based professional organizations such as American Illustration and the Society of Illustrators.

Otis College of Art and Design (OTIS) was established in 1918 by General Harrison Gray Otis—founder and publisher of the Los Angeles Times. The school, which serves approximately 1,100 full-time students, is a private nonprofit institution and national leader in art and design education. “Alumni and faculty are Fulbright, MacArthur, and Guggenheim grant recipients, Oscar awardees, legendary costume designers, leaders of contemporary art movements, entrepreneurs, and design stars at Apple, Abercrombie & Fitch, Pixar, DreamWorks, Mattel, Nike, and Disney,” says the school.

OTIS offers 11 BFA degree programs including Architecture/Landscape/Interiors, Digital Media (Animation, Game and Entertainment Design, and Motion Design), Fashion Design, Communication Arts (Graphic Design, and Illustration), Fine Arts (Painting, Photography, and Sculpture/New Genres), Product Design, and Toy Design. The school also awards an MFA degree in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Public Practice, and Writing, and a variety of Minors and Certificate Programs are available.

Specific programs for aspiring illustrators are offered through the Communication Arts Department. Options include a BFA and a Minor in Illustration. Program highlights include conventions, field trips, student exhibitions, and visiting artists. Students can expect to take foundation courses such as Connections Through Color and Design, Drawing Studio, Form and Space, Introduction to Visual Culture, and Writing in the Digital Age.

Illustration course highlights include Advanced Illustrative Applications, Alternative Materials and Procedures for Illustrators, Entrepreneur 101, Illustration Communication Studio I-IV, and Typography for Illustrators. Students will also take Entrepreneur 101, Practicum I-III, Senior Project/Seminar, and Senior Thesis/Research Paper. A Capstone course is the signature course and culminating expression of the Liberal Arts Program.

Graduates of the Illustration Program at OTIS have been hired at Conde Nast Publications, Disney Consumer Products, Hallmark, Interscope Records, Los Angeles Magazine, Mattel, Ogilvy Worldwide, Sony Music, Twentieth Century Fox, WB Network, Young & Rubicam, and more.  

Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) opened in 1944 with just 100 students on the top two floors of the High School of Needles Trades. Today, as part of the State University of New York (SUNY) System, FIT spans an entire city block and serves more than 10,000 students enrolled in a variety of programs. Just a few include Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing, and Menswear, which are unique to the college, and Fashion Business Management, Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design, and Toy Design, the first of their kind in the country.

Programs are offered in five academic divisions including the Schools of Art and Design, Liberal Arts, and Graduate Studies, Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology, and the Center for Continuing and Professional Studies.

The School of Art and Design offers 17 programs that provide “a practical, hands-on, real world based education,” says the school. Serving approximately 3,322 students, the School of Art and Design houses the Illustration Department, which offers AAS, BFA, and MFA Illustration programs.

Department highlights include a close affiliation with the Society of Illustrators—the industry's top professional organization, 50 award wins by students in highly competitive student art exhibitions, including the prestigious Society of Illustrators Annual Scholarship Competition, and the mentoring by art directors or illustrators who analyze students’ work and offer professional advice and support.

Students will learn the business of illustration and they are required to take a nine-course selection of computer classes (unique to FIT) that will keep them up-to-date in the skills many employers require. Students will also have the option to specialize in either Fashion or General Illustration. An optional Study Abroad course in Italy is also available.

Other course highlights include 2D Computer Animation, Advanced Visual Story Studio, Applying Color to Illustrate the Written Word, Book Illustration, Comic Book Illustration, Digital Illustration Techniques, Illustration Rendering Techniques, Illustrating the Written Word, Mentor/Specialization Projects, Stylistic Illustration, The Business of Illustration, The Illustrator’s Heritage, and Visual Storytelling for Evolving Media I-II.

The Illustration Portfolio Thesis is a final preparation for students entering the illustration business. This three-credit, six lab hours course highlights guest speakers from industry that provide students with insight into business practices, entrepreneurial strategies, and freelance and staff employment. Students present and defend their visual thesis before faculty and peers.

FIT Illustration graduates have gone on to build successful careers at Advertising Agencies such as BBDO, DDB, J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather, and Young & Rubicam, and at corporations such as American Greetings and Hallmark, Magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue , and entertainment companies such as DreamWorks SKG, LucasArts Entertainment, Walt Disney, and Warner Brothers.

Established in 1886, Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) sits on a three-acre campus that shares a block with the Minneapolis Institute of Art—home to more than 90,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history. MCADs more than 800 students have access to creative spaces/classrooms, professional facilities, galleries, student housing complexes, artist studios, and a sculpture garden.

Student also have access to 23 art and design degree programs and undergraduate minors. Degree programs lead to the BFA, BS, MA, or MFA. Program options for aspiring illustrators include BFAs in Illustration or Comic Art.

The BFA in Illustration begins with foundation classes to help develop technical skills and work ethic and progresses to courses that build both conceptual and technical illustration skills. Course highlights include Children’s Book, Digital Illustration, Editorial Illustration, Foundation 2D and 3D, and Illustration and Products.

In the junior and senior years of the program, students will gain real-world experience through a required internship. They will also have the opportunity to study abroad or elsewhere in the U.S., participate in the Emerging Talent Showcase, and share their work with potential employers. Students will “develop and complete a semester-long project to culminate in the Commencement Exhibition,” says the school. The exhibition showcases the work of MCAD graduates.

Comic Art students will experiment with conventional and experimental aspects of comic storytelling, gain foundational skills in a variety of creative media, explore traditional and digital comic formats, and acquire the skills and knowledge for a professional career in comics. Students in this program will also benefit from MCADs required internship and study abroad opportunities.

Over 93% of MCAD alumni are working and more than half (57.1%) are working in their field. Potential careers include Advertising Illustrator, Book Illustrator (one MCAD alum is an illustrator for all of the American Harry Potter books), Children’s Book Illustrator, Comic Illustrator, Concept Artist, Courtroom Illustrator, Editorial Illustrator, Fashion Illustrator, Fine Artist, Freelance Illustrator, Illustration Agent or Representative, Medical or Technical Illustrator, Surface Designer, and many others.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) began as Massachusetts Normal School in 1873. Today, the college is known as “the Commonwealth’s Art and Design School.”

MassArt serves 2,000 undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students enrolled in dozens of programs in areas such as Animation, Film and Video, Glass, Illustration, Industrial Design, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Programs lead to the BFA, MFA, MDES, MAT, or MArch.

The Illustration Department at MassArt offers a BFA in Illustration that “emphasizes the understanding of character development and narrative techniques,” says the school. Students in the program take a variety of Illustration and Liberal Arts courses taught by instructors who are freelance illustrators or illustrators who have their own businesses.

Liberal Arts course highlights include Introduction to Western Art, Literature/Writing/Film, and Thinking, Making, Writing: Using Words with Clarity and Flair. Major course highlights include Advanced Drawing Projects for Illustrators, Black and White Illustration, Book Arts, Color for Illustrators, Digital Illustration, Digital Painting and Techniques, Experimental Illustration Techniques, Human Figure Illustration, Media Techniques, Narrative Illustration, Painting for Illustrators, Professional Illustration, Studio for Drawing, Technical Illustration, Virtual 3D Illustration, and Word and Image.

A Course Assistantship, Independent Study, Professional Freelance Studio, and an Internship are also part of the program.

During the final year of the program, students will complete Illustration Portfolio, Senior Illustration, Studio Electives, and the Thesis Project. Students will present their Portfolio to invited professionals from advertising, corporate, editorial, institutional, and publishing markets.

Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) was established in 1879 as Columbus Art School. Famous visitors to the campus during the school’s early years through the 1930s include American artist Georgia O’Keefe, First Lady Lucy Hayes, and Writer Oscar Wilde. One of the oldest private art and design colleges in the United States, CCAD graduated its first class in 1885 and later added programs such as Advertising, Illustration, and Industrial Design. By 1970, CCAD had produced its first class of BFA graduates.

Today, Columbus College of Art and Design serves more than 1,300 students enrolled in dozens of degree programs, concentrations, and minors. Programs for aspiring illustrators include a BFA in Illustration and an Illustration Minor. Students can add any 15 credit Minor to the program and/or any Concentration. Just a few Minor options include Advertising & Graphic Design, Animation 2D or 3D, Comics & Narrative Practice, Copywriting, Film & Video, Photography, and Social Practice.

Concentrations include Animation/Experimental, Animation/Game, Fine Arts/Ceramics, Fine Arts/Drawing, Fine Arts/Glass, Fine Arts/Jewelry, Fine Arts/Painting, Fine Arts/Printmaking, Fine Arts/Sculpture, Illustration/Entertainment Design/Drawing, Illustration/Entertainment Design/Modeling, and Illustration/Illustrative Design.

Illustration students will “master the latest technology, study under industry leaders, and go on to create beautiful works that tell stories through printed books, motion graphics, or fabric patterns,” says the school. Students will also “grow as creatives in a school and city that embrace comics, through class projects such as Spitball , which pairs artists with professional writers, and Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, which brings together cartoon storytellers, comic makers, and animators for professional panels, lectures, and more.”

Course highlights for the 120 credit hour BFA program include Character and Environmental Design, Digital Design Lab, Digital Media Illustration, Digital Sculpting, Illustration Markets, Illustration Self Promotion, Illustrative Figure Drawing, Motion Illustration, and Traditional Media Illustration. During the final year of the program, BFA students will complete the Illustration Portfolio Project and Illustration Capstone.

CCAD BFA graduates have gone on to a variety of position and fields including Advertising Graphics Designer, Apparel Graphics Designer, Book Illustrator, Character and Asset Designer, Designer for Web and Mobile, Editorial Illustrator, Film Effects Creator, Fine Artist, Freelance Illustrator, Greeting Card Designer, Newspaper Graphic Artist, Poster Artist, Product and Toy Designer, and Video Game Designer.

Companies that have hired CCAD graduates include American Greetings, Cartoon Network, CBS News, DC Comics, Disney Consumer Products, DreamWorks, Hallmark, Hasbro, Marvel Comics, Ogilvy & Mather, Pixar, Sony Pictures, The Wall Street Journal, and many others.

The College for Creative Studies (CCS) traces its roots back to 1906 when a group of local civic leaders formed the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts. The Society members began teaching informal classes in basic design, drawing and woodcarving and in 1911, and they opened a gallery where students and prominent modern artists could display and sell their work.

In 1926, as the Art School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, the Society became one of the first arts and crafts organizations to offer a formal, four-year program in art, with an enrollment of 280 students. Today, CCS is a private, fully accredited college that offers BFA and MFA degrees to more than 1,400 students.

Programs for aspiring illustrators are offered through the Illustration Department. Options include a BFA and a Minor in Illustration. The Minor is 15 credit hours, including nine credits of illustration electives. Students will choose credits from the BFA Program.

The BFA curriculum “emphasizes the fundamentals of image making, visual language and visual storytelling and teaches how to translate various traditional media into digital illustration,” says the school. Course highlights include 2D Design, 2D and 3D Techniques, Anatomical Figure Illustration, Beyond the Portfolio, Concepts & Methods/Visual Culture, Creative Perspective, Digital Fundamentals, Figure Illustration, Future Illustration Media, Illustration Intensive, Illustration Techniques, Junior Illustration Studio, and Visual Narration.

Other BFA program highlights include access to a large network of key industry players via alumni, sponsored projects and a faculty of freelance illustrators, creative directors, art directors and concept and storyboard artists. Students also have the opportunity to complete an internship. Previous internships include Anthropologie, Cartoon Network, Diane von Furstenberg, Disney Consumer, Fisher Price, Insomniac Games, Mattel, Spark, WJBK Fox 2 News, and others.

Students will graduate from the BFA program with experience in traditional methods of illustration, newer digital trends, and with “the understanding of how traditional media translates into the digital illustration workflow process” known as “tradigital.” Career options include Advertising, Illustration, Children’s Book Illustrator, Comic Book Artist, Creative Director, Digital Compositor, Editorial Illustrator, Graphic Novel Illustrator, Illustrator for Video Games/Film,  Motion Illustrator/Designer, Multimedia Designer, Storyboard Artist, Visual Artist, Visual Development Illustrator, Web Designer, and many others.

Graduates of the BFA program may also enroll in any of CCA’s MFA Programs in Color and Materials Design, Interaction Design, Systems Design Thinking (formerly Integrated Design), and Transportation Design.

Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) was established in 1885 as a Sketch Club. Today, the school serves nearly 700 students, enrolled in 13 BFA programs with courses taught by practicing artists, designers, and scholars. The Department of Illustration houses the school’s BFA in Illustration Program.

Program highlights include mandatory collaborative assignments, studio and classroom technology that prepares “students for diverse areas of professional practice,” says the school, and the opportunity to “work in digital and analog environments designed to facilitate creativity and interdisciplinary approaches to image making.” To enhance the degree, students may also double major in Creative Writing and Illustration. A mandatory internship is also part of the program.

KCAI Illustration students have interned at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the American Jazz Museum, The Kansas City Star, Porter Teleo design firm, Boulevard Brewing Company, and other noted businesses in the area.

Courses for the BFA in Illustration Program are taught by Department faculty members who are all “practicing professionals working in the four corners of the illustration field,” including Advertising, Editorial, Institutional and Publishing. Course highlights include Analytical Drawing Systems, Covers and Pages Graphic Form for Illustrators, Illustration Professional Practice, Mechanical Perception, Paper and Ink, Sketchbook: The Cultural Safari, and US: Collaboration, Teamwork and Flexibility.

Students will also complete a several studio courses each year during the sophomore thru senior years. Studios include Sophomore Studio: Organic Perceptions, Sophomore Studio: Image and Form, Junior Studio: Conceptual Problem Solving, Junior Studio: Exploring Narrative Image, Senior Studio: Image and Thesis, and Senior Studio: Image Thesis II.

Potential job opportunities for Graduates of the KCAI Illustration BFA Program include Advertising, Children’s Books, Comic Books, Computer Gaming, Digital Animation, Editorial Illustration, Greeting Cards, Fashion Illustration, Graphic Novels, Magazine and Book Illustration, Movie and Music Posters, Product Design/Branding, Web Design, and more.

Recent graduates can be found working at American Greetings, Hallmark, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nike, and many others. Their work has been featured in many publications such as The New York Times , Wired , and Women’s Day , and numerous children’s books. Some graduates have won awards in publications such as American Illustration, Communication Arts , Print , and the Society of Illustrators .

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was established in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden-Sydney College. This public research university serves around 31,100 students enrolled in more than 200 programs in 13 schools and one college.

The School of Arts (VCUarts) serves more than 3,000 students and it houses 16 departments and programs offering 18 bachelor’s and five master’s degrees. The VCUarts Department of Communication Arts houses the VCUarts Illustration Program. Several options are available: a BFA in Communication Arts OR Communication Arts with a Concentration in Scientific Illustration, and a Minor in Scientific Illustration.

The Minor is 21 credit hours and acceptance to this unique program is based on a portfolio and application review. The BFA in Communication Arts prepares students for careers in illustration for print or digital publishing, comic book art, or a scientific illustration. The program consists of many new and elective courses “designed to reinforce and expand the drawing, design, and illustration components of the curriculum,” says the school. Students will have the opportunity to develop a variety of projects in illustration and complete an internship and/or study abroad experience.

Course highlights for the program include 3D Modeling for Concept Design, Color Theory, Game Design, Theory and Practice, Imagery for Children, Imagery for Science Fiction and Fantasy, and The Figure in Illustration. Program alumni are 3D Modelers and Animators, Editorial Illustrators, Fine Artists, Game Designers, and Interactive Media Designers. 

The BFA in Communication Arts with a Concentration in Scientific Illustration requires 32 credits in the biological sciences and chemistry, in addition to communication major and illustration courses. Students in the program will also have the opportunity to complete an internship and/or study abroad experience. Course highlights include 3D Modeling, Basic Human Anatomy, Digital Drawing, Drawing Studies: The Figure Observed, Environmental Science, General Chemistry, Mixed-Media Illustration, and Scientific Illustration. Program alumni are 3D Modelers and Animators, Concept Artists, Scientific Illustrators, and more.

Syracuse University (SU) established some of the nation’s earliest architecture and fine arts programs. Founded in 1870, the school serves approximately 22,322 students enrolled in more than 200 majors and minors, and 200 advanced degree programs across 13 academic units. Programs are offered at SU’s main campus in Syracuse and at locations in New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.

SU houses the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) School of Art, which offers BFA and MFA degrees in Illustration. Students in the 126 credit hour BFA in Illustration will take classes in “traditional, digital, and alternative media to develop competency and techniques,” says the school. Students will study “conceptual thinking, research methods, and how to communicate narrative while developing familiarity with illustration history and the contemporary field.”

Four focus areas help students explore specific industry specialties. They include Editorial, Product, Sequential, and Visual Development. The Editorial Focus covers magazines, newspapers, book jackets, and online publishing. The Product Focus includes patterning, packaging, and products, while the Sequential Focus covers comics, graphic novels, and children’s books. The Visual Development Focus includes visual and character development for animation and gaming. 

Other program highlights include engagement with nationally and internationally known visiting artists each year, courses taught by practicing illustrators and artists whose work is published and exhibited nationally and internationally, global study opportunities at the SU campus in Florence, Italy or other countries, workshops and lectures, and visits to New York and Los Angeles.

All BFA students will have the opportunity to develop a portfolio that will be shown to Art Directors and Illustrators for feedback.

Alumni from the SU VPA Illustration Program have gone on to work in Illustration for the Advertising industry, Book and Online Publishing, Children's Books, Comics, Gaming, Graphic Novels, Greeting Cards, Licensing, Newspapers, Television, and Visual Development in Animated Films.

The MFA in Illustration requires a three-year residency and 60 credit hours of study. Classes for the program “encourage experimentation, stimulate growth, and ultimately, lead to a focused body of work.” Course highlights for the program include Drawing on Location, Illustration Graduate Studio I-II, Illustration Grad Workshop, Illustration Practice, Licensing from Studio to Market, and Printmaking for Illustration I-II.

Students may also take advantage of special elective travel courses during the Maymester and summer program to gain credits. Courses include Illustration Graduate Summer Intensive (NYC), and LA Illustration Studio. Two Thesis Courses, MFA Thesis I-II, are required as well. The program ends with an MFA Exhibition.

Established in 1857, San Jose State University (SJSU) is known as “Silicon Valley’s Public University.” The school employs nearly 3,600 employees, making it “an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and California,” says the school.

More than 250 areas of study at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels are offered in eight colleges. Programs for aspiring illustrators are offered in the College of Humanities and the Arts, Department of Design. Options include a BA in Design Studies Specializing in Animation/Illustration, a BFA in Animation/Illustration (Professional Degree), and an MFA in Digital Media Art.

The BA in Design is a Liberal Arts degree that provides “basic preparation for entry-level jobs in the entertainment industry.” Optionally, students “can later apply to a graduate program in Animation/Illustration or similar fields of study.”

The curriculum for the BFA in Animation/Illustration combines traditional and innovative educational strategies, including color design, conventional and digital painting, theory, and perspective. Students will also study the principles of traditional and 3D animation, character design, modeling, physics of motion, storyboarding, and visual development. Upper-division classes offer the opportunity for students to specialize in an area of their choice. Students also have additional learning and networking opportunities through the Department’s speaker engagements.

The BFA program has developed tight bonds with industry partners over the last 25 years, giving students the chance to hear from speakers from big name corporations like Bento Box, Blizzard, Blue Sky Studios, Cartoon Network, Disney, DreamWorks, Hallmark, Industrial Light & Magic, Nickelodeon, Pixar, SONY Pictures Animation, Warner Bros., and many others.

The MFA in Digital Media Art is offered in collaboration with the CADRE Institute which “reflects the innovative atmosphere in Silicon Valley,” says the school. Academic programs here emphasize artistic experimentation within a context of historical, cultural, and theoretical study. The program is intended for students with interest in contemporary research. CADRE's diverse community of faculty and graduate students produce artworks involving visualization, simulation, hypertextuality, information, mapping, telepresence, networks, and interactive systems.

Technical facilities include a wide range of computing resources. Students work across the boundaries of computer visualization, animation, digital video, multimedia, electronic sculpture, sound and virtual reality. CADRE supports its own networking environment and offers excellent opportunities to produce internet-based artworks.

Graduates of the Illustration Programs at SJSU have worked on films such as A Bug’s Life , Finding Nemo Monsters, Inc . and Shrek . Graduates have also been hired at more than 135 animation studios, game design companies, film studios, and academic institutions. Just a few include 20th Century Fox, Animation Mentor, Blue Sky Studios, Blizzard Entertainment, Cartoon Network, Cogswell Institute, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Lucasfilm Animation, NBCUniversal Studios, Nickelodeon, Pixar, Sony/Columbia, The Art Institute of Las Vegas, Disney Animation, and Zynga.

Founded in 1882, Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) serves around 600 students from across the country and around the world. The school, which has 15 majors in the Craft, Design, Digital Arts, and Fine Arts, offers BFA degrees in Illustration and Life Sciences Illustration. Students in both programs will enter their major as a sophomore and “spend three intense years building skills and mastering techniques,” says the school.

The BFA in Illustration provides the opportunity to experiment with a variety of traditional materials and techniques, including acrylics, collage, inks, pencils, and oils, “while mastering contemporary digital processes using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator,” says the school. Students in the program will learn to create polished illustrations for all current and emerging markets including Advertising, Entertainment, Gaming, Licensing, Publishing, and Social Expression.

Course highlights include Character Design and Development, Community Projects, Graphic Novels and Sequential Art, Illustration: Advanced Illustration Studio Projects, and Illustration for Publication. Students will also complete a BFA Preparation course, Final Project: Illustration Portfolio, and the Illustration Internship.

Other program highlights include interaction with visiting artists, the opportunity to share the final portfolio with employers, illustrators, and designers who are invited each year to CIA, and a rigorous mandatory Business + Professional Practices curriculum that all CIA students complete. This means, in addition to core courses and small-group seminars, students take a professional writing course and travel out into the field to see artists and designers at work in art studios, advertising agencies, and more.

Graduates of the program “will be prepared to enter the industry as a staff artists, freelance illustrators or creative entrepreneurs.”

The Life Sciences Illustration program is one of only a few BFA degrees of its kind in the United States. The program “combines science and art to create visual solutions for the public and researchers, as they prepare students for graduate education beyond.” Students will work on topics in Biological, Botanical, Zoological, and health sciences while becoming proficient in Animation, Illustration, and Information Design. Students will learn how to blend their “artistic talent with a researcher's intellect, displaying strong visual communication skills.”

Course highlights include 3D Bioforms: Intro to Modeling, Anatomy for the Artists, Cellular + Molecular Illustration, Digital Color: Style + Representation in Science, Educational Media Installation, Life Sciences Illustration: Advanced problems, Concepts, and Media, Information Visualization, Life Sciences Illustration: Forensic Imaging/Modeling, Natural Science and Zoological Illustration, Serious Game Design: Theory + Applications Surgical Illustration, and Veterinary Illustration. Students will complete a Portfolio, BFA Thesis and Exhibition, and an Internship.

Other program highlights include CIA’s Engaged Practice, which provides opportunities to learn through experience by working on real-world projects with external partners or clients, or in the public sphere—all before graduation. CIA has professional partnerships with Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland Clinic, and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Life Sciences Illustration graduates have gone on to land positions such as 3D Animation Artist/Designer, Art Director, Biomedical Illustrator, Illustrator, and many others.

Established in 1961, Laguna Beach College of Art and Design (LCAD) began as Laguna Beach School of Art (LBSA). Inspired by “pioneering cultural ventures” of the early 1900s such as the Laguna Playhouse and the Laguna Beach Art Association, this not-for-profit institution serves more than 700 full-time students today, and it is considered one of the leading colleges of art and design in the U.S.

LCAD offers around 30 degree programs, minors, and specialized minors in areas such as Animation, Experimental Animation, Game Design, Illustration, and Painting. Options for aspiring illustrators include BFAs in Drawing + Painting with an Illustration Emphasis, Graphic Design + Digital Media with an Illustration Emphasis, and Illustration in Entertainment Design. An Illustration Minor is also available.

The Minor consists of 15 credit hours and includes courses such as Computer Imaging, Graphic Illustration, and Illustrative Painting. The Drawing + Painting BFA helps students develop branding, exhibition, and entrepreneurial skills. Students will also “develop as mural artists and learn how to present their work and contributions to city planners, urban developers, and private owners who bring artistic works to large, public audiences on shared visual spaces.”

Course highlights include Applied Art Reproduction, Artistic Anatomy, Digital Photography for Fine Artists, Experimental Drawing, Figure in Environments, Illustration, Illustrative Painting, Mural Painting, Pictorial Design for Illustration, and Rendering.

The Drawing + Painting BFA Program prepares students to work in traditional and mixed-media art, “while honing imaginative, narrative, and design-based aesthetics for commercial and non-commercial pursuits,” says the school.

Classes for the BFA in Graphic Design + Digital Media with an Illustration Emphasis (GD+DM) are project-based and include titles such as Communication Design, Design Drawing, Digital Videography, Fundamentals of Illustration, Rendering, and User Interface Design. Students in the program will have the opportunity to complete a professional portfolio and complete real-world projects with industry partners such as Obsidian Entertainment, OC Art Studios, and Xist Publishing.

Graduates are prepared for careers in 3D, Advertising, Illustration, Motion Graphics, Package Design, Photography and Video, Social Media, User Experience and Interfaces, and Virtual Reality.

Students in the Illustration in Entertainment Design BFA program will learn how to combine art and technology to create live shows, museum exhibitions, themed events, themed restaurants and parks, TV and film productions, and more. The curriculum provides “real-life, hands-on instruction with concept design, model and prop-making, and 3-D digital tools,” says the school. Course highlights include Artistic Environment Design for Entertainment, Art of Costume, Fundamentals of Maya, Pictorial Design for Illustration, and Visual Storytelling for Entertainment.

Graduates of the Illustration programs at LCAS work at a variety of major companies and studios including Blizzard Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, Fox Television, Google, Marvel Entertainment, Microsoft Studios, Obsidian Entertainment, Warner Bros., and many others.

In 1957, California State University Fullerton (Cal State Fullerton or CSU Fullerton) became the 12th state college in California to be authorized by the Legislature. The school serves nearly 41,500 students enrolled in 110 undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate programs. Programs are offered in eight colleges, including the College of the Arts, which houses the Visual Arts Department—home of the Illustration Program. Program options include BFA, MA, and MFA Degrees in Art with a Concentration in Illustration.

The BFA program is designed for students interested in developing skills in a focused area or to prepare them for graduate study. Course highlights for the Illustration Concentration include 3D Computer Animation, Cartooning and Caricature, Digital Narrative Illustration, Elements of Sequential Art, Lettering and Typography, Life Drawing, Special Studies in Illustration, and Visual Development and Background Painting. All students will have the opportunity to complete an internship.

The focus of the MA program “is to deepen the students understanding of craft and visual problem solving skills demonstrated in a portfolio that prepares graduate students to reenter the workforce,” says the school. Students will study “contemporary and historic issues in illustration with an emphasis on story concepts, design, color theory, perspective, theatrical composition and lighting, stylization, further development of the drawing and painting process, visual problem solving, and portfolio presentation.”

The program consists of nine units of required studio courses and at least 12 units in Illustration. Students may also take an additional three to six units in Illustration or other electives. All students will complete a project to exhibit in one of the Department of Arts graduate galleries. Graduates will have the skills needed to reenter the workforce, or enter a program leading to the terminal degree.

The MFA is a “rigorous” studio program that requires 60 units to graduate. Students in the program must take 24 units in the Studio Area of the Illustration Concentration, at least 12 units of electives, and independent study. Students must pass the semiannual comprehensive portfolio review and a studio project is part of the program. The project “constitutes a professional one-person art exhibit. It is installed in one of the department’s graduate galleries and announced for public view by the student as the final phase of the MFA program requirements.”

Graduates of the Illustration programs at CSUF have found employment at major entertainment and publishing companies, such as the Cartoon Network, DreamWorks SKG, Lucas Films Ltd. and Walt Disney Company.

Founded in 1853, Washington University in St. Louis serves nearly 15,000 students enrolled in more than more than 90 fields of study in seven schools. The Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts consists of the College of Art, the College of Architecture, and the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum. Founded in 1879, the College of Art was the first professional, university-affiliated art school in the United States, and is the only art school to have fathered a major metropolitan art museum. The College of Architecture was established in 1910, and has the distinction of being one of the 10 founding members of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum (formerly the Washington University Gallery of Art) was founded in 1881 as the first art museum west of the Mississippi River.

The Sam Fox School, College of Art, offers a BFA in Communication Design with an Emphasis in Illustration, and an MFA in Illustration + Visual Culture. A Design Minor that allows students to mix and match courses in areas such as Communication, Design, and Illustration, and the Illustrated Book Studio, is also available.

The BFA in Communication Design with an Emphasis in Illustration is a collaborative program that combines Graphic Design, Illustration, and Interaction Design. This means, students in the program can choose to focus on illustrating stories, creating comics, and designing printed posters and books, as well as study the history of printed images, advertising, and creating pictures for games and motion graphics.

During their senior year, “students will pursue a capstone project that culminates in an illustrated book, zine, screen-based presentation, graphic novel/mini-comic, or digital experience,” says the school. The final project is displayed in a public exhibition and reviewed by external design professionals.

The MFA in Illustration + Visual Culture (MFA-IVC) is a two-year, fully residential program that combines studio practice in illustration with curatorial training in visual and material culture. The two-year program consists of courses such as Comics and Cartooning: A Survey, Illustration Studio: Artist, Author, Audience, Illustration Studio: Drawing & Voice, Literatures of Drawing, Readings in Visual and Material Culture, and The Illustrated Periodical. Students in the program will also complete an internship.

Graduates of the MFA program are prepared to work as Author-Artists of Graphic Novels and Picture Books, Critical Writers on Popular Culture, Curatorial Staff in Museums, Libraries, and Auction Houses, and Professors of Illustration.  

Established in 1929, Academy of Art University is a family-owned institution that serves more than 7,200 students from 112 countries, making it one of the largest private, accredited art and design schools in the nation. Program offerings range from acting, animation and architecture to visual development, web design, and writing for film and television. Degrees are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and many programs are available entirely online.

The School of Illustration offers five programs for aspiring illustrators. Options include a Certificate and AA, BFA, MA and MFA degrees in Illustration. The degree programs are available entirely online, and some courses for the Certificate in Illustration are offered online.

The AA in Illustration focuses developing skills in the areas of anatomy, figure drawing, rendering, and traditional media including charcoal and paint. The Digital Media component for the program focuses on imagery using both vector and bitmap tools. The BFA program consists of eight semesters of coursework covering areas such as composition and color, drawing, presentation skills, professional development, tools and techniques, and visual problem solving.

Course highlights include Advanced Perspective for Illustration, Analysis of Form, Blogging: Content Creation & Promotion, Editorial Illustration for Apps and Publication, Film & Games, Digital Media 2: Illustrative Imaging, Elements of Digital Painting, Illustration for Consumer Products & Licensing, Interactive and Vector Art, Interactive Illustration, Portfolio Preparation and Self Promotion, Social Media Strategies, and Web Design. Students in the program will also complete a number of collaborative projects, an internship, and a study abroad experience.

The MA and MFA programs prepare students for intermediate to advanced positions in a range of industries. They are also prepared for success as entrepreneurs or freelancers. Sample courses include Head Drawing for Illustrators, Perspective for Characters & Environment, Professional Practices for Illustrators, Skill Enhancement: Advanced Digital Painting, Skill Enhancement: Interactive & Vector Art, and The Rendered Figure. Graduate students will attend a Graduate Seminar in Europe, complete a thesis, and participate in a study abroad experience.

Students in all programs benefit from guest speakers, workshops, and events that the school says help students “create an insider network” that connects them with industry professionals. They have the opportunity to work with WRiTE BRAiN BOOKS, which has been a partner to Academy of Art University for more than half a decade, and to collaborate with “artists, designers, and innovators outside of the classroom.” Internship opportunities are also available.

Graduates of the program are prepared to pursue a career as a Children’s Book Illustrator, Comic Book Artist, Concept Artist, Advertising or Editorial Illustrator, Graphic Novelist, Interactive Illustrator, Storyboard Artist, and many others. Graduates have been hired by Chronicle Books, Marvel, Random House , The Atlantic , The New York Times , Wired , and more.

Founded in 1875 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), Brigham Young University (BYU) serves more than 33,000 undergraduate students—the largest undergraduate enrollment of any private university in the U.S. The school also serves close to 3,000 graduate students enrolled in 64 master's degree programs, and 26 doctorate programs. Around 186 undergraduate majors and 110 undergraduate minors are also offered in dozens of colleges and departments.

The College of Fine Arts and Communications serves nearly 5,700 students enrolled in programs in the Department of Art, the School of Communications, the Department of Dance, the Department of Design, the School of Music, and the Department of Theater and Media Arts. All College of Fine Arts and Communications students “undertake research projects, pursue internships, and participate in study abroad programs across the globe,” says the school.

The Illustration BFA in the Department of Design is a limited enrollment program of 40 students. Students in the program “will learn skills that prepare them to excel in the competitive and evolving illustration market. Courses prepare students in how to manage personal business and marketing work as an illustrator.” Course highlights include Advanced Storyboarding, Bookbinding, Character Design for Illustration, Environment Design, Gesture Drawing for Animation, Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Introduction to Photography and Digital Workflow, Marketing Management, Narrative Illustration, Painting-Mixed Media, Professional Practices for Illustrators, Sketchbook, and Typography.

Students will complete several Senior Illustration Studios, the BFA Capstone Project, and an internship. Study abroad experiences are also part of the program as well as job placement services. Nationally and internationally acclaimed artists are also invited to campus each month to present to students.

Graduates of the program “work in diverse genres and publishing markets,” including Advertising Design, Books, Corporate and Institutional Publications, Editorial, Genre Fiction, Graphic Novels, and Young Adult Fiction. Graduates work as Concept Designers creating characters, environments, vehicles, and other digital artwork for entertainment productions.

Other opportunities involve licensed products, toys and collectibles, online exhibitions, and private commissions. Positions may be in-house with production companies, in design studios, or on a freelance or project basis.

California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) opened on September 28, 1949 in a small converted apartment building under the name Los Angeles-Orange Country State College. The school had 160 students and 13 full-time faculty. Today CSULB employs more than 4,000 professionals serving over 38,000 students.

One of the 23 campuses of the California State University System, CSULB offers more than 300 programs in eight colleges. One of the school’s most popular colleges is the College of the Arts. Made up of six separate academic units, the College houses the School of Art (SoA), which offers a BFA in Art with an Illustration/Animation Option and an MFA in Studio with an Animation/Illustration Track. Certificate in Biomedical Illustration is also available.  

Students in the BFA program may choose the Animation or Illustration Track, but they may take courses in both tracks and work with students in both tracks in the digital lab. Course highlights for the program include Advanced Illustration, Advanced Life Painting, Costumed Figure Drawing, Experimental Animation, Special Studies in Illustration, Storyboarding for Film and Television, and Visual Development.

Workshops presented by faculty and visiting artists are part of the program as well as courses taught by resident illustration faculty comprised of experienced professional artists currently working in the fields of illustration and animation. Internship and study abroad opportunities are also highlighted.

MFA Program “is designed to foster both interdisciplinary and discipline-specific dialogue by engaging students in a set of core department-wide requirements, interdisciplinary opportunities, and discipline- specific courses and curricular “tracks,”” says the school. “Within the MFA degree in Studio Art students develop a personalized program of study within established curricular parameters, and with the consultation and approval of the student’s faculty committee.”

“Students develop a more personalized program of study within curricular tracks reflecting the School of Art’s varied programs in Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Fiber, Illustration/Animation, Metal, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture/4D, Graphic Design, and Wood.” All students will participate in the final MFA Exhibition.

The Certificate in Biomedical Illustration is sponsored by the Art and Biological Sciences Departments. The program is available to students who are presently enrolled in a degree program in the Biological Sciences or in Art at CSULB. Students in the program will take courses such as Anatomy for Artists, Biomedical Illustration, Biomedical Rendering, Computer Animation, Foundation Computer Art, Illustration 2, and Special Studies Illustration. The Certificate Program requires 30 units of study.

Graduates of the Illustration Programs at CSULB are prepared for professional positions as an artist or designer, and for teaching studio art within a selected specialization. Alumni “work in a variety of fields such as film and entertainment (gaming, animation and live action film), advertising, textiles, biomedical illustration, the gift market, educational illustration, architectural illustration, print publications (newspapers, magazines, graphic novels and books) and more.”

Many alumni have also “distinguished themselves in visual journalism, in storyboarding for film and television, and in all aspects of editorial art as well as gallery exhibition.”

Founded in 1909, Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) is a Fine Arts and Design college that offers 12 undergraduate majors in art and design, eight graduate degrees, one Post-Baccalaureate program, and eight minors. Serving 650 students, the school has “Four Core Themes” including Critical Inquiry, Professional Practice, Studio Practice, and World View. Program areas covered include Animated Arts, Graphic Design, Intermedia, and Illustration, to name a few.

The Illustration Program is one of the top undergraduate options at PNCA. A BFA is available as well as a Community Education Certificate. PNCA also offers an MFA program. The BFA in Illustration “combines development of technical skill in traditional studio media and new and emerging technologies,” says the school, along with “conceptual inquiry to empower {students} to create visual messages capable of engaging clients and changing culture.”

Course highlights include 3D Design, Advanced Illustration Studio, Cultural Marketplace, Design & Image, Drawing for Illustration, Exploring Visual Culture, Painting for Illustration, Time Arts, Visual Elements 2-D, Visual Elements: Digital Tools, Visual Elements: Digital Tools, Word & Image, Visual Technique, and Writing in Context. A Thesis is also required.

Other program highlights include mentorship programs, professional practices instruction, portfolio preparation, and internship opportunities. Internships for seniors and recent graduates have taken place at companies such as Dark Horse Comics, Microsoft, Nike, Nintendo, and Wieden+Kennedy.

PNCA students also have the opportunity to show their work at the school’s annual end-of-year showcase hosted by the Illustration Department at a downtown Portland gallery.

Founded in 1974, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) is Wisconsin’s only four-year, private college of visual art and design. The school is also a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD)—a consortium of 39 leading art schools in the United States and Canada.

MIAD serves nearly 900 degree-seeking students, 600 pre-college students, and 250 outreach/special programs students enrolled in five BFA degree programs and more than a dozen minors. Programs include Communication Design, Illustration, Interior Architecture and Design, New Studio Practice: Fine Arts, and Product Design.

Programs for aspiring illustrators include a BFA in Illustration and a 15-credit Illustration Minor. BFA Program highlights include internship and semester-long study abroad opportunities, the opportunity to build a professional portfolio, and networking opportunities through MIAD’s Illustration Seminar, “where a series of workshops are presented by practicing professionals, including MIAD Illustration alumni, representing a cross-section of the field,” says the school.

Course highlights for the program include Computer Studio, Digital 2D, Figure Drawing for Illustration, Illustration Media, Professional Practice for Illustrators, Systems of Drawing, Typography, and Visual Language. Students in the BFA in Illustration program may also complement the degree with a Studio Minor such as Art Management, Book Arts or Digital Media Production. Popular Liberal Studies Minors include Advertising, Copywriting, and Writing.

Graduates of the MIAD BFA in Illustration Program are prepared for positions in everything from Advertising to Publishing to Web Design as in-house Illustrators, Freelancers, or Entrepreneurs.

In 1968, University of Central Florida (UCF) opened in as Florida Technological University with less than 2,000 students. The first graduating class consisted of 423 students, and the school granted its first doctoral degree in 1977. Today, UCF leads all universities in Florida in conferring more than 17,000 degrees a year. Serving nearly 72,000 students, the school is also the largest university by enrollment in Florida and one of the largest universities in the nation.

UCF offers 103 bachelors and 91 master’s degrees, 31 research doctorates, three professional doctorates, and three specialist degree programs in 13 colleges. The College of Arts and Humanities at UCF houses the School of Visual Arts & Design (SVAD), which offers a BA with a Studio Track, a Studio Art BFA, and an MFA Program in Studio Art. UCF also offers a 24 credit hour Minor in Studio Art.

Specializations for the BA and BFA degree programs include Book Arts, Ceramics, Drawing and Illustration, Drawing and Printmaking, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, and Type and Design. The Studio Art BFA with a Specialization in Drawing and Illustration requires more credit hours than the BA with a Studio Track. The BFA is recommended for aspiring illustrators seeking immediate employment in the field or for students who plan to attend graduate school.

“The degree provides a solid foundation in techniques and theory in focused areas of competence,” says the school. BFA students must complete the Portfolio and Exhibit/Seminar courses and BA students must pass the Studio Art Portfolio Review.

Course highlights for the Illustration Programs include Advanced Drawing, Advanced Illustration, Art as Interface, Design Fundamentals-Three Dimensional, Intermediate Illustration, and Screenprinting. Students in all programs have the opportunity to complete an internship and participate in both local and international study experiences.

The MFA program requires 60 credit hours and students will have the opportunity to experiment with Traditional and New Media. Graduates are prepared for leadership positions in Art and Design, Education, Media, Publishing, and more.

Founded in 1958, California State University-Northridge (CSUN) is one of the 23 campuses of the California State University System. Situated on a 356-acre campus in the heart of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, CSUN is a community of 38,310 students and more than 4,000 faculty and staff. Nine colleges provide bachelor's degree programs in 133 disciplines, 84 master's degree options, and doctorates in educational leadership and physical therapy.

The Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication houses the Department of Art, which offers BA, MA, and MFA degrees in Visual Arts with a Concentration Illustration.

Illustration students will “study illustration as both an art form and as a profession,” says the school. “Topics cover historical and contemporary illustration and its evolving styles and technologies.” Professional preparation topics include business and trade practices, goal setting, portfolio and website development, researching employment opportunities, and self-promotion. Students “learn methods for creating new ideas and for the effective visual communication of those ideas. Projects emphasize a wide range of technical skills in fine art and digital media, conceptual problem-solving abilities, composition and design, self-expression and the development of a personal artistic vision.”

Other program highlights include interaction with visiting artists, study abroad experiences, and the opportunity to exhibit illustrations at various showcases. In addition, all Curb College Department of Art students have the opportunity to participate in industry and studio events, organized studio tours, and ongoing collaborative educational partnering with DreamWorks studios and Seoul Institute of the Arts.

Students also participate in industry events and internships with Disney, Film Roman, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., and many other studios.

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) was founded in 1963 by educator and illustrator Philip J. Steele founded Rocky Mountain School of Art. Steele’s mission for this proprietary institution in the foothills of Colorado was to build a “community of creatives” that that would instill in all students a passion for creativity, innovation, and a desire for lifelong learning in the fine and applied arts.

Today, better known as Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD), the school is considered one of the nation’s premier art and design institutions. Serving more than 1,000 students, RMCAD offers 16 degree and certificate programs available in campus/hybrid and online formats.

The school’s offers two programs for aspiring illustrators: the BFA in Illustration and the BFA in Illustrative Design. The BFA in Illustration has three Concentrations including Children’s Book, Concept Art, and Sequential Art. The program covers Composition Theory, Drawing Mastery, Innovative Storytelling, Portfolio Development, Self-Promotion, and Traditional + New Media. Students in the program also benefit from RMCAD’s collaborative environment, flexibility, knowledgeable professors, and small class sizes. The BFA Program may be completed on campus or online.

Graduates of the RMCAD Illustration Program are prepared to seek positions in Children’s Book Illustration, Comic Books and Graphic Novels, Concept Art for Games & Animations, Editorial Illustration, Product Design & Licensing, and Technical & Medical Illustration.

The BFA in Illustrative Design is a 123 credit hour program that “provides students with a hybrid degree” combining the skills learned in Illustration “with the approach to design thinking” learned in Graphic Design, says the school. The goal of the program is to provide students with “the technical, aesthetic, critical and practical skills necessary for career success.”

Areas covered include Innovative Storytelling, Media and Digital Skills Development, Sustainable Practice, and Typography. Students will also learn to solve communication and design problems. The program also emphasizes Portfolio Development.

Graduates of RMCAD’s BFA in Illustrative Design Program are prepared to pursue careers in a variety of design fields. Potential job titles include Art Director, Creative Director, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Motion Designer, Package Designer, and Typographer, to name a few.

The University of the Arts (UArts) was formed in 1876 by the merging of two century-old institutions: Philadelphia College of Art and Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. In 1987, the school was granted university status, making it the largest institution of its kind in the nation. Today, the university says UArts “is the only school in America that makes it possible to work and collaborate across traditional boundaries.”

UArts serves approximately 1,800 students enrolled in more than 40 programs at the University's Avenue of the Arts campus. Twenty-three minors are also available and open to all students. This means, aspiring illustrators can take sculpting classes, creative writers can take classes in illustration, dancers can minor in ceramics, and industrial designers can study guitar. 

Programs are offered through the Schools of Art, Dance, Design, Film, Music, and Theater. The School of Art offers a BFA in Illustration and a Minor in Figurative Illustration. An MFA in Studio Art is also available. The BFA in Illustration blends creative visual problem solving, digital experiences, drawing, figure modeling, illustration, painting, picture making, digital experiences, and graphic design, as well as self-discovery through mentor-student relationships, and history of pictorial image making.

Course highlights include Business and Preparation for Design Practice, Children’s Book Illustration, Comic Creation, Design Studio, Drawing as Thinking, Figurative Interpretation & Personal Voice, Illustration Markets and Promotion, Illustration with Digital Media, Motion-Based Illustration, New Media Illustration, Object & World Building, and Printmaking. Students will also complete Thesis Studio I-II.

Students may also select one option from the following: School of Design Workshop, Illustration Workshop: Personal Viewpoint or the Design Internship. Interns have the opportunity to work at professional venues ranging from individual artist studios to large branding firms such as Anthropologie (Urban Outfitters), Cartoon Network, and Sterling Publishing (Barnes & Noble).

Other program highlights include shared studio spaces, small class sizes, and training in industry-standard digital software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects. Students also receive training in anatomy, integrating typography, experimenting with traditional painting methods, and developing narratives for a well-rounded experience across media.

The focus of the Minor in Figurative Illustration “is on enhancing skills and knowledge related to figurative drawing, painting and general image-making. This is accomplished by working with the figure and the figure in space, and through introduction to various media and picture-making issues.” The program requires 15 credit hours if study including Figure Anatomy, Figure Communication or Figure Painting, Illustration I: Pictorial Foundation, Illustration II: Illustration Methods, and Responsive Drawing.

The MFA in Studio Art is a low-residency, year-round program that consists of an immersive eight-week on-campus summer semester, independent study (fall and spring), and mentoring. This 60 credit hour program “allows candidates to explore in a multitude of artistic disciplines.” Course highlights include Contemporary Topics in Art and Design, Culture Study, Graduate Drawing, Graduate Seminar, Independent Studio, Major Studio, Professional Practices, Studio Topics, Thesis Preparation, and Thesis Writing Project. An MFA Thesis Exhibition is also part of the program.

Graduates of the Illustration Programs at UArts have gone on to create illustrations for ESPN, Fortune, Ralph Lauren, Random House, Rolling Stone , The New Yorker , The New York Times , and many others.

Columbia College Chicago (Columbia) was founded in 1890 as the Columbia School of Oratory. Serving nearly 7,000 students from all 50 states and 60 countries, Columbia offers 150 majors, minors, and graduate programs. Programs for aspiring illustrators include BA and BFA degrees in Illustration.

The BA is a flexible program that allows students to choose a minor or second major. Minor that complement the degree in Illustration include Animation, Creative Writing, Game Art, Journalism, Graphic Design, and Motion Graphics. Second major options that complement the degree include Computer Animation, Game Art, Graphic Design, and Traditional Animation.

Course highlights for the program include Cartooning, Children’s Book Illustration, Design Lab, Design Thinking, Digital Illustration, Drawing the Graphic Novel, Figure Drawing, Freelance Illustration, Illustration Studio I-III, Illustration: Materials & Techniques, and Survey of Typography. A Portfolio course is part of the program as well as a mandatory internship. Both BA and BFA students typically intern at an advertising agency, art gallery or design firm.

The BFA requires more advanced illustration courses than the BA program does, which leaves little time for a minor or a second major. BFA students will also take many of the same courses as BA students will, along with a Portfolio Development course and the internship. Because many illustrators work independently, both the Ba and BFA programs emphasize business skills in entrepreneurship and freelance. Students will learn how to write contracts, talk to clients, complete taxes, and self-promote through branding and identity.

The BA and BFA Illustration Programs at Columbia prepare students for positions in industries such as Advertising, Book and Magazine Publishing, Entertainment/Film, Fashion, and Product Packaging.

Program alumni are Cover Illustrators for The New Yorker , Professional Illustrators and Graphic Artists for HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver , Illustrators for advertising campaigns on films such as Baby Driver, and Illustrators for American Express, TimeOut Magazine , VICE Media, and many others.

Founded in 1928, Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) is a college within Ferris State University. The school serves more than 1,000 students enrolled in around 24 BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and Certificate programs. KCAD offers BFAs in Illustration and Medical Illustration and a 15 credit hour Minor in Illustration.

Launched in the 1960s, the BFA in Illustration focuses on the traditions of illustration, while incorporating a wide variety of media, techniques, and processes—traditional and digital. The “focused study of illustration will be complimented by courses in drawing, digital imagery, art history, and studio electives,” says the school, helping them broaden both their “perspective” and “notions of creative possibility.”

Course highlights for the program include Advanced Inking, Digital Illustration Painting, Graphic Design for the Illustrator, Illustration Life Drawing, Illustration Professional Practices, Illustration Techniques, Narrative Perspective, Natural Science Illustration, Rendering, and Watercolor Techniques for the Illustrator. Students will also have the opportunity to build a Professional Portfolio of their best work.

Program highlights for the BFA in Illustration Program include access to KCAD galleries, labs, and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA), focused study of illustration, and participation in the KCAD Illustration Society. Students also have opportunities to participate in summer travel/study experiences as well as internships during the academic year and summer months.

Graduates of the BFA program are prepared to pursue careers such as Art Director, Cartoonist, Editorial Illustrator, Fashion Illustrator, Freelance Illustrator, Mural Designer, Storyboard Illustrator, and more.

The BFA in Medical Illustration is a three-year program that consists of classes from KCAD, Ferris State University, Grand Rapids Community College, and Michigan State University. “Through a blend of focused artistic instruction and scientific exploration, students learn to transform complex information into compelling visual communication.” Students in the program will take a combination of Art, Communication, and Science courses. Examples include Dialogue and Personality, Digital Illustration Painting, Human Gross Anatomy, Medical Illustration Animation I-II, Medical Illustration Methods I-II, Pathophysiology, Professional Practices for the Medical Illustrator, and Writing.

Medical Illustration students will also complete the Capstone course: Advanced Problems in Biomedical Art. Graduates of the BFA in Medical Illustration Program are prepared to seek intermediate to advanced positions in the field or for further graduate or professional level study.

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) began with the merging of prominent cultural association, the Rochester Athenaeum (est. 1829), and a technical training school known as Mechanics Institute, (est. 1885). The Institute adopted the name Rochester Institute of Technology in 1944 and awarded its first Bachelor of Science degree in 1955. Today, RIT has campuses in Rochester, New York, Dubai, Croatia, Kosovo, and China and it serves nearly 19,000 students majoring in everything from Art and Design to Robotics and Science Exploration.

The College of Art and Design at RIT houses the School of Art, which offers a BFA in Illustration and BFA and MFA degrees in Medical Illustration. Program highlights for all pathways include small class sizes (maximum 16), more than 15 visiting artists each year for in-person or virtual demos and lectures, and the opportunity for students to exhibit their work at least once in one of RIT's gallery spaces.

The Illustration BFA “mixes traditional drawing skills, the latest digital imaging technologies, and sculpted dimensional methods for effective visual communication,” says the school. Course highlights include 3D Applications: The Figure, 3D Design, Anatomical Illustration, Dimensional Illustration, Dimensional Illustration, Drawing II Workshop: Topics, and Illustration I-III.

Students will also complete an Illustration Portfolio and the course—RIT 365: RIT Connections. This course allows students to “participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT.” With an 81% employment rate, graduates of the program also work for Advertising Firms, Corporate Art Departments, and Publishing Companies, as well as create and design concepts for Animation, Cinema, and Games.

“The highly sought-after Medical Illustration BFA is one of only a few offered in the country.” Students in the program will “take complex scientific and medical information and distill it into stunning visual images.” Course highlights include 2D Composition and Color, 3D Animation of Organic Forms, 3D Modeling of Organic Forms, 4D Design, Anatomical Illustration, Computer Applications in Medical Illustration, Contemporary Media I-II, Illustrating Human Anatomy, Scientific Visualization, and Surgical Illustration.

With an 86% employment rate, graduates of the BFA in Medical Illustration Program are prepared to seek positions such as 2D Medical Animator, Exhibitor, Forensics Illustrator, Information Graphics Illustrator, Medical Book/Texts Illustrator, Medical Editorial Illustrator, Medical Interactive/Interface Designer, Medical Legal Illustrator/Litigation Support Specialist, Medical Web Designer, Ophthalmologic Illustrator, Prosthesis Designer/Anaplastologist, and many others.

The MFA in Medical Illustration is one of only five such programs in North America and the only program in the northeast. The program “combines training in human anatomy (with illustration students observing complete cadaver dissection in RIT’s Cadaver Lab), immunology, histology (the cellular structure of organs), and pathophysiology (the study of disease) with extensive training in 2D and 3D digital graphics, interactive media, and animation.”

 Students in the program will learn to “transform complex medical information into visual images that are used in education, research, patient care, public relations, legal cases, and health care marketing.” The MFA in Medical Illustration has a 100% employment rate.  Graduates are ready for a range of leadership positions in Medical and Legal Illustration, Animation, Computer Modeling, Information Graphics, and more.

Established in 1969, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) serves 29,390 students enrolled in 450 undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in 19 distinct schools and colleges. The Herron School of Art + Design offers a BFA in Drawing + Illustration. The school also offers an MFA in Visual Arts.

The BFA is a professional degree that includes access to the latest equipment and technology in the student’s choice of studio space, the opportunity to enhance the degree with a Minor in Book Arts or Design Production, and classes taught by faculty who are working professionals in the field. The curriculum “provides broad exposure to both traditional and contemporary techniques in all media including digital technology,” says the school. “Students develop skills from both fine and applied arts perspectives.”

Coursework, which consists of extensive studio experience in both Drawing and Illustration, includes Advanced Drawing & Illustration, Building & Making, Digital Rendering, Image & 4D Studio, Intermediate Illustration, Narrative Drawing, and Studio Art & Technology.

Graduates of the BFA in Drawing + Illustration Program are prepared to pursue positions such as Animator, Children's Book Illustrator, Comic Artist or Graphic Novelist, Editorial Illustrator, Packaging Designer, Scientific or Technical Illustrator, Set or Exhibition Designer, Storyboard or Concept Artist, or Toy or Product Designer. Some graduates go on to work as freelance artists or designers, while others start their own businesses.

The MFA in Visual Arts is a flexible degree that highlights private studio space, exposure to artists, designers, and industry professionals through Herron's endowed lecture series, and cross-campus and city-wide collaborations and commissions with Herron's and Indianapolis' many cultural institutions, social initiatives, and corporate and government partners—all facilitated by Basile Center for Art, Design and Public Life. Study abroad trips are also part of the program.

Established in 1785, University of Georgia (UGA) is the state’s flagship institution. The university’s 17 colleges and schools enroll more than 38,000 students and offer 370 fields and areas leading to the bachelor’s, master’s, specialist education, professional, or PhD degree.

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences houses the Lamar Dodd School of Art, which offers a BFA in Art with a Concentration in Scientific Illustration. “Students pursuing the BFA degree enter the School of Art as Intended Art majors,” says the school “and will apply to an area of concentration via the School's area portfolio review in the second year of study.”

Course highlights for the program include Advanced Drawing, Advanced Scientific Illustration, Anatomy of the Figure, Digital Narrative Systems, Graphic Systems, Illustration, Intermediate Scientific Illustration, and Special Problems in Graphic Design. The BFA also requires ARGD 3340 Senior Exit, which consists of the Senior Exhibition, Critique, Portfolio, and Evaluation.

Other program highlights include the opportunity to work and learn in dedicated classroom space, facilities and studio and hands-on experience through internships and study abroad experiences. UGA has more than 100 study abroad and exchange programs in 75 countries.

Graduates of the Scientific Illustration Program at UGA work at/for Academic Medical Centers, Advertising Agencies, Associations (trade or society), Federal Government (military), Hospital, Clinics, or Medical Practices, Medical Education Companies, Medical Legal or Law Firm, Pharmaceutical (device or biotech companies), Publishers (books or journals), Research Institutions, Science Communication or Animation Studios, Software/App Companies, Veterinary Schools, and more.

Authorized by the Texas legislature in 1899, Southwest Texas State Normal School opened its doors in 1903. After four name changes, the school became Texas State University-San Marcos, and finally, Texas State University.

Serving nearly 38,000 students, Texas State University offers more than 200 undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in nine academic colleges. The College of Fine Arts & Communication houses the School of Art and Design, which offers a BFA in Studio with a Specialization in Drawing. This 120 credit hour program offers heavy illustration coursework and emphasizes interdisciplinary experimentation and new media integration.

Course highlights include Character Development for Illustration, Color Theory, Digital Illustration, Digitally Handmade for Artists and Designers, Drawing I-II, Editorial Illustration, Expanded Media, Graphic Novels and Zines, Illustration Techniques and Materials, and Studio Art Foundations I-II.

Studio Art students have access to the University Galleries, which are home to yearly program of exhibitions featuring international artists as well as faculty and student work. “Every Summer, two faculty members, one studio and one art history, lead a study-abroad trip to Florence, Italy.”

Every area of specialization culminates in two semesters of Thesis work, a final Thesis Portfolio, and a BFA Thesis Exhibition. The Studio Art Program “serves a wide range of student interests and pursuits, and prepares students for professional careers as artists and arts professionals.”

The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) began as an extension of the University of Colorado Boulder in 1912. The school became an independent campus in 1973 and one of the four campuses of the University of Colorado System. What began in one building in downtown Denver has grown to more than 125 acres and more than 15,000 students enrolled each year.

More than 100 degree and 76 certificate programs are offered in 13 colleges and schools. The College of Arts & Media houses the Illustration Program, which consists of a Fine Arts BFA with an Illustration Emphasis and a Minor Illustration.

BFA students “receive instruction in conceptual illustration, digital illustration, rendering, perspective, painting, exhibition preparation, professional practices, and the use of various artistic and illustration techniques,” says the school. Course highlights include Anatomy for the Artist, Digital painting, Graphic Novel Workshop, Painting, Drawing & the Printed Image, The Business of Art, and Typography Studio.  Students will also take Illustration I: Image Making, Illustration II: Digital Media, Illustration III: Investigative Methods, Illustration IV: Thesis Development, and Illustration BFA Thesis. An internship is also part of the program.

Other program highlights include access to state-of-the art digital labs, sculpture studios, industrial equipment and darkrooms and opportunities at the Denver Art Museum, in galleries across the Front Range, and at digital studios like Pixar.

Graduates of the program are prepared to pursue positions in a “multitude” of fields including Advertising, Animation and Games, Graphic Design, Engineering, Entertainment/Film/Television, Healthcare, Illustration/Medical/Scientific, Marketing, Publishing, and more.

Founded in 1946, University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) serves more than 30,000 students enrolled in over 200 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in nine colleges. The College of Arts + Architecture (COA+A) serves 1,000 student enrolled in 33 degrees and concentrations. The Department of Art and Art History here offers Art Education, Art History, Design and Studio Art programs.

The Department also offers a BFA in Art, Studio Art, with a Concentration in Illustration. Course highlights for the program include Children's Book Illustration, Illustration: Media/Method, Illustration Projects, Illustration Sequence/Story, Interactive Art and Design, Mixed Media Painting, The Figure in Illustration, Topics in Illustration, and Video Art. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in the BFA Illustration Exhibition, and complete a paid internship.

The COA+A has relationships with institutions such as the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte Ballet, Charlotte Symphony, Theatre Charlotte, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, and The Mint Museum. Students may also participate in the UNC Charlotte Study Abroad Program, which houses the recurring Summer Program in Rome, Italy.

The University of Connecticut (UConn) was established in 1881 as Storrs Agricultural School, opening with just three faculty members and 13 male students. Today, the school employs more than 18,000 faculty and staff members serving a coed population of more than 33,600 students (Fall 2020).

Consisting of one main and four regional campuses, UConn offers eight undergraduate degrees in 119 majors, 17 graduate degrees in 88 research and professional practice fields of study, and six professional degree programs (JD, LLM, MD, DMD, PharmD, SJD) in 14 schools and colleges. The School of Fine Arts houses the Department of Art and Art History, which offers a BFA in Art with an Illustration/Animation Concentration.

Students in the program will gain working knowledge of both traditional approaches and new technologies. Illustration courses “stress the creation of images that expand a text,” says the school. “ Text is broadly defined and may include manuscripts, posters, websites, or self-authored works by the illustrator.” Course highlights include Going Pro, Illustration, and Topics in Illustration.

Students will have the opportunity to pursue a wide variety of projects “in both analog and digital environments,” including 2D and Stop Motion Animation, Book, Cartoons, Character and Environment Design, Children’s Illustration, Comics, Design for Products, Editorial, Graphic Novels, Institutional, Self-Promotion, and more. Other program highlights include visiting artists, internship opportunities, and study abroad experiences.

Established in 1885, University of Arizona was the state’s first university. The school serves nearly 47,000 students enrolled in hundreds of bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree, first professional and specialist programs in dozens of colleges and schools. The College of Fine Arts houses the School of Art, which offers BFA and MFA degrees in Studio Art with an Illustration and Design (I+D) Emphasis. Separate Tracks in Illustration and Design are offered to undergraduates.

The I+D program “encompasses a diverse faculty with expertise in graphic design, illustration, letterpress, book arts, visual narratives, animation, motion graphics, information design, and interdisciplinary collaborations with the environmental sciences,” says the school. “These specializations are reflected in a broad array of curricular offerings including: field trips, team projects with community clients, internships, and study abroad programs.”

The Illustration Track provides “rigorous education in constructive anatomy,” says the school. Students will “learn to describe the human form realistically and expressively and find personal methodologies in traditional and digital media.” Graduates will leave the program with a high quality portfolio and a web presence.”

The Design Track “provides a foundation in design principles and methodologies, creative problem solving and digital processes.” As students advance in the program, they will gain “knowledge and skills in professional practice including identity systems, web design, typography, motion graphics, history, contemporary criticism, and theory.” Graduates will leave the program with a professional portfolio and “a broad understanding of the business of design as well as its potential as a medium of critical inquiry and community involvement.”

The MFA is a 60 unit terminal degree comprised of interdisciplinary, graphic design and illustration courses as well as seminars, and independent studies “developing a body of self-authored work that contributes to the broad and expanding field of illustration, design and art.”

“Focused studio and course structures explore the theory, philosophy, and making of contemporary illustration, design and art. The program provides a range of opportunities for focus in visual narratives, community engagement, social practice, environmental projects, and technology, with a firm grounding in contemporary and historical contexts.”

Students in all programs have access to studio spaces, computer labs with Wacom Cintiq Touch screens and animation stations, a digital imaging lab with large format printing, mounting and other services, letterpress equipment, photopolymer platemaking equipment, metal and wood type collections, binding equipment, darkrooms, wood and metal shops, sculpture foundry, and ceramics labs.

Students also benefit from external resources such as a library that houses an extensive book art collection, the Center for Creative Photography, the Poetry Center, and the University Museum of Art.

Founded in 1907 as a teacher training school, East Carolina University (ECU) serves around 28,800 students, making it the third largest university in North Carolina. The school, which offers more than 200 undergraduate, graduate and minor programs, consists of 12 colleges and schools. The College of Fine Arts & Communication houses the School of Art and Design (SoAD), which offers an “umbrella degree” that allows students “to explore the School’s broad variety of disciplines,” says the school.

The BFA in Art offers 11 concentrations from Animation/Interactive Design and Illustration to Sculpture and Textile Design. The BFA is a professional art degree that prepares students for entry-level work in their chosen field. While a portfolio is not required for admission to the program, after two years of study, students are required to apply to their chosen area of concentration.

During the first year of in the SoAD, students will “build a foundation of critical thinking, making, and problem-solving skills. Utilizing the lenses of twelve disciplines, animation/interactive design, ceramics, drawing, film and video production, graphic design, illustration, metal design, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, textile design,” students will “build the art essential competencies and design thinking skills that will propel” them “to the next level of study.”

This innovative approach allows students to interact with faculty from across the skill, learn more about the unique disciplinary perspectives in the SoAD, and try new ways of thinking and making.

Students will complete an internship that will help them gain hands-on experience, and at the end of the program, students will complete a Film, Portfolio, Reel, or Senior Exhibition, depending on the Concentration. “This culminating experience is an important capstone experience that prepares” students to “pursue their professional goals beyond ECU.”

Other program highlights include access to mentors and professional advisors, extensive facilities in Jenkins Fine Arts Center, and the opportunity to apply to the SoAD Living Learning Community (A + D LLC). This residential campus community of undergraduate students focuses on learning more about art and design through exhibitions, field trips, and workshops created specifically for the LLC. Study abroad experiences are also available in locations such as the Krosno, Poland, Tuscany, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Watkins College of Art at Belmont University (formerly Watkins College of Art, est. 1885) merged with Belmont University’s existing art and design programs in Fall 2020. Providing hands-on instruction in a studio setting, Watkins offers BFA degrees in Art Education, Design Communications (Graphic Design), Experiential Design and Studio Art, and BA degrees in Art and Art History. Minors are available in Design Communications, History, Painting, Photography, and Studio Art. Graduate programs include a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Art Education and an MFA in Studio Art.

The Design Communications BFA offers a Studio Track that includes Illustration. During the first year of the program, all BFA students will take the same Core Foundation Studio courses. The sophomore year covers basic design principles, with classes gaining in complexity through the senior year.

Course highlights for the program include 2D: Principles of Color, 3D Design, Advanced Studies in Drawing, Advanced Studies in Figure Drawing, Advanced Studies in Painting, Art History I-II, Creative Visualization, Drawing I-II, Figure Drawing I-II, Figure Drawing: Identity and Branding, Illustration I-II, Interactive DesignNarrative and Advocacy Design, Painting I-II, and Printmaking I-II.

Other program highlights include mandatory attendance at a minimum of five student, faculty and guest exhibits, artist workshops, assemblies and master classes for each semester students are enrolled as a declared major (and two semesters total for all Art Minors), and participation in the Senior Exhibition. Throughout the program, students will work on a Professional Portfolio and upper-division students will have the opportunity to study in a foreign country. Internship opportunities (up to two) are also part of the program.

Students will intern in art related areas such as Advertising or Publishing, or at galleries. In recent years, Watkins students have gained experience at Advent, Anderson Design Group, Prosper Press (San Francisco), The Buntin Group, Vanderbilt University Creative Services, Warner Brothers Nashville, and many others.

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) was formed in 1982 by two U. of I. campuses—the Medical Center campus, which dates back to the 19th century, and the comprehensive Chicago Circle campus which, in 1965, replaced the two-year undergraduate Navy Pier campus that opened in 1946 to educate returning veterans. Today, with more than 33,500 students enrolled, UIC is the largest university in the Chicago area. 

UIC offers 260 degree programs and 66 certificate programs in 15 colleges. The College of Applied Health Sciences houses the MS in Biomedical Visualization (MS BVIS) Program, which is the largest and second oldest of four accredited programs of its kind in North America. A Minor in Life Science Visualization is also available.

The Minor requires 16-17 semester hours of study and includes courses such as Anatomical Figure Drawing, Biological Illustration Techniques, Digital Sculpting for Life Sciences Illustration, and Life Science Animation, Storytelling, and Storyboarding. This program is open to students from any college or major with a sophomore standing.

The MS BVIS Program “integrates medicine, life science, communication technology, visual learning, education science, research and artistic training,” says the school. MS BVIS students will collaborate with Bioengineering, Medicine, and other departments at UIC and gain real world, hands-on experience through UIC’s “close relationships” with other Chicago medical universities, medical advertising agencies, museums, pharmaceutical companies, professional medical societies, animation studios, and software companies.

Course highlights for the program include Advanced Craniofacial Anatomy, Anatomical Visualization, Animation, Biomedical Visualization Techniques, Business Practices, Graphic Design, Human Neuroanatomy, Illustration Techniques, Interactive 3D, Ion Channels Structure, Function Pharmacology and Pathology, Medical Legal Visualization, Modeling, Surgical Illustration, 3D Space, Video Game Design and Development, Virtual Reality and Stereography in BVIS, Visual Learning & Visual Thinking, and Web Development.

Graduates of the program go on to become “highly-skilled science visualization specialists” in Medical Illustration, Animation, Gaming, Haptics, Interactive Media, and Virtual and Augmented Reality.

Founded in 1740, the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) serves 26,552 students enrolled in more than 400 programs in four undergraduate and 12 graduate schools. Since 1929, the school has partnered with Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA), established in 1805 and the first museum and school of fine arts in the U.S. The partnership “provides students with an unparalleled opportunity to pursue their artistic passions and intellectual pursuits in the Ivy League,” says the school.

PAFA BFA students have access to more than 800 courses in 50+ areas of study. Programs for aspiring illustrators include the PAFA/Penn BFA in Illustration and a Certificate Illustration (PAFA). An MFA program is also available. The PAFA/Penn BFA in Illustration combines studio training with a fine arts focused liberal arts education. The program helps students develop skills in storytelling, visual communication, and entrepreneurship.

Course highlights for the program include Business Practices of Art, Digital Drawing and Painting, Digital Print and Web Design, Graphic Narrative, Illustration I-II, Illustration Projects, Letterpress and Book Arts, Narrative and Sequential Drawing, Narrative Projects, Professional Practices, and Visual Narration. Students will also take courses with Master Illustrators such as David Wiesner and E.B. Lewis, and complete the Illustration Portfolio course and Thesis Seminar I-II courses.

Students in both the BFA and Certificate program have 24-hour access to digital facilities and workspaces including two sky-lit painting studios, a number of large painting classrooms, illustration/drawing studios and painting studios, and a rooftop terrace, often used for cityscapes.

Graduates of the PAFA/Penn Illustration Programs are prepared to pursue positions in Advertising and Marketing, Animation, Book and Magazine Illustration, Film and Television, Graphic Design, Graphic Novels, Medical Illustration, Poster and Storyboard Art, and more.

Founded in 1925, University of Miami is a private research university that serves more than 17,000 students from around the world. More than 100 majors and programs are offered in 11 colleges and schools. Founded in 1926, the College of Arts and Sciences is the largest academic unit within the University of Miami, home to over 4,200 undergraduate students, 640 graduate students, and 450 full-time faculty. The College houses the Department of Art and Art History, which offers an MFA in Studio Art.

The MFA degree in the professional practice of studio art is a three-year program that offers the opportunity to Specialize in one of five Concentrations including Ceramics, Digital Imaging-Illustration/Photography, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture.

Students will take 24 credits in the Concentration, 12 elective credits, and nine in Art History. Several seminars are part of the program as well as an Exhibition Preparation course and the Master’s Thesis. “Each student's MFA thesis exhibition will be a solo show at the off-campus departmental gallery in Wynwood,” says the school, or at an alternative location, such as an art space or “commercial gallery that has been arranged by the student and approved by the Thesis Committee.”

Graduates will leave the MFA program with a polished portfolio of their work, which will allow them to seek positions in the professional, studio art world or teach in academic and other environments.

Maine College of Art (MECA) was established in 1882 as part of the Portland Society of Art. The school awarded its first BFA degrees in 1975, following accreditation in 1973 by the National Association of Colleges of Art and Design (NASAD) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Today, as one of just 42 private, nonprofit, degree-granting professional art colleges in the country, MECA awards the BFA in eleven studio majors (including Illustration), the MAT, and an MFA. Launched in 1998, the MFA was the first program of its kind in the country.

MECA serves just over 450 students and more than 1,200 adults and youths annually, in the region, through more than 200 credit and non-credit public courses in its year-round Continuing Studies program.

The school’s BFA in Illustration highlights small class sizes, internship opportunities with Illustration/Animation studios in Portland, and classes taught by “distinguished professional illustrators and artists.” Course highlights include Advanced Techniques Masterclass, Editorial Illustration, Illustration in Context, Illustration Majors Studio, Intro to Ink for Illustrators, Methods and Media in Illustration, Motion Graphics and Animation, Narrative/Sequential Illustration, and Portrait Drawing in Illustration: People and Animals.

During the final years of the program, students will complete 3YR Seminar: Motive, Method, Making (GD & IL), Professional Studio, and Senior Synthesis. Around 63% of program graduates work as professional artists, 23% are employed as Art Directors, Graphic Designers, and Illustrators, and 47% are self-employed, independent contractors, or freelance workers. Nearly 100% of graduates create art in their spare time.

Founded in 1869, Art Academy of Cincinnati serves around 200 undergraduates and 10 graduate students, making it one of the smallest four-year art colleges in the country. The school says the small student body allows for “individualized attention from faculty,” and the freedom for students to “develop their personal vision,” and “carve out their identity.” Degrees granted include the AS, BFA, and MAT.

Art Academy of Cincinnati offers a BFA in Illustration that consists of a trans-disciplinary curriculum that provides the opportunity for students to “learn the language of visual communication,” while experimenting in areas that “integrate animation, drawing, new media, printmaking, photography, painting, design, sound art, motion graphics, digital sculpture, and installation.”

Course highlights include Academy Design Service, Animation 2D and 3D, Artist as Writer, Artist Books, Comic Book Art, Film, Video, and Audio: Motion Graphics, Going Big: Professionalism Workshop, Illustration: Communication, Composition, Narrative, Process and Media, and Special Topics, Social Practice in the Arts, Storyboarding and Compositing, and Storytelling Art for Motion Graphics.

The BFA in Illustration also requires a “rigorous studio thesis and professional practice experience both inside and outside the classroom.”

Around 75% of Illustration graduates are still employed in fields related to their major, compared to the national average of 27%. Today’s graduates are prepared to compete for work in a variety of industries including Advertising, Book and Magazine Publishing, Corporate Branding, Entertainment (Film/Video/TV), Motion Graphics, Packaging, Retail Merchandising, Social Advocacy, Video Games and more.

Notable illustrators who have graduated from Art Academy of Cincinnati include Charley Harper, Chris Sickels, Fahrudin Omerovic, Jahaziel Minor, Julio Labra, and Will Hillenbrand, among others.

Chartered in 1957, University of Hartford (UHart) is a four-year private university that serves 6,600 students from 49 states and 47 countries. Spread across seven schools and colleges, the university offers around 200 programs spanning the Arts, Business, Education, Engineering and Technology, Health Professions, and Humanities.

Serving 310 students, Hartford Art School (HAS) at UHart offers eight studio majors leading to the BFA, a BA in Art History, and three MFA programs. BFA majors include Ceramics, Illustration, Integrated Media Arts, Painting/Drawing, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Visual Communication Design. MFA programs include Illustration, Interdisciplinary Art, and Photography.

The 120 credit hour BFA curriculum is designed to introduce students to the processes and techniques used by illustrators. After the foundation year, the program guides students through a series of independent studios and illustration intensives focused on Advertising, Bookwork, and Editorial using both digital and traditional methods.

The program covers the three primary markets for illustrators: Advertising Illustration, Book Illustration, and Editorial Illustration. Course highlights include Advertising, Book, Digital Illustration, Drawing for Illustration, Editorial, and Illustration I-III (Oil, Acrylic, and Watercolor).

Sophomore and Junior Reviews are part of the program and students will complete Portfolio Prep and the Senior Project course. In the Portfolio course, students learn to prepare their work for professional presentation. “Considerable emphasis is placed on the development of personal style and direction throughout the program,” says the school.

The MFA in Illustration is a low-residency program designed for working adults. The program highlights “intensive, on-campus sessions” in the summer with travel during spring and fall. Fall and spring semesters take place off-campus in places such as Dallas, New York City, Pasadena, San Francisco, and other destinations.

Other program highlights include guest speakers, museum visits, and studio visits to places such as Communication Arts Magazine , Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks Animation Studios, Electronic Arts Entertainment, Lucasfilm, Nickelodeon Studios, the Society of Illustrators, and many others.

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• Published: 31 October 2017

The visual essay and the place of artistic research in the humanities

• Remco Roes 1 &
• Kris Pint 1  

Palgrave Communications volume  3 , Article number:  8 ( 2017 ) Cite this article

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What could be the place of artistic research in current contemporary scholarship in the humanities? The following essay addresses this question while using as a case study a collaborative artistic project undertaken by two artists, Remco Roes (Belgium) and Alis Garlick (Australia). We argue that the recent integration of arts into academia requires a hybrid discourse, which has to be distinguished both from the artwork itself and from more conventional forms of academic research. This hybrid discourse explores the whole continuum of possible ways to address our existential relationship with the environment: ranging from aesthetic, multi-sensorial, associative, affective, spatial and visual modes of ‘knowledge’ to more discursive, analytical, contextualised ones. Here, we set out to defend the visual essay as a useful tool to explore the non-conceptual, yet meaningful bodily aspects of human culture, both in the still developing field of artistic research and in more established fields of research. It is a genre that enables us to articulate this knowledge, as a transformative process of meaning-making, supplementing other modes of inquiry in the humanities.

Introduction

In Being Alive: Essays on Movement, Knowledge and Description (2011), Tim Ingold defines anthropology as ‘a sustained and disciplined inquiry into the conditions and potentials of human life’ (Ingold, 2011 , p. 9). For Ingold, artistic practice plays a crucial part in this inquiry. He considers art not merely as a potential object of historical, sociological or ethnographic research, but also as a valuable form of anthropological inquiry itself, providing supplementary methods to understand what it is ‘to be human’.

In a similar vein, Mark Johnson’s The meaning of the body: aesthetics of human understanding (2007) offers a revaluation of art ‘as an essential mode of human engagement with and understanding of the world’ (Johnson, 2007 , p. 10). Johnson argues that art is a useful epistemological instrument because of its ability to intensify the ordinary experience of our environment. Images Footnote 1 are the expression of our on-going, complex relation with an inner and outer environment. In the process of making images of our environment, different bodily experiences, like affects, emotions, feelings and movements are mobilised in the creation of meaning. As Johnson argues, this happens in every process of meaning-making, which is always based on ‘deep-seated bodily sources of human meaning that go beyond the merely conceptual and propositional’ (Ibid., p. 11). The specificity of art simply resides in the fact that it actively engages with those non-conceptual, non-propositional forms of ‘making sense’ of our environment. Art is thus able to take into account (and to explore) many other different meaningful aspects of our human relationship with the environment and thus provide us with a supplementary form of knowledge. Hence Ingold’s remark in the introduction of Making: anthropology, archaeology, art and architecture (2013): ‘Could certain practices of art, for example, suggest new ways of doing anthropology? If there are similarities between the ways in which artists and anthropologists study the world, then could we not regard the artwork as a result of something like an anthropological study, rather than as an object of such study? […] could works of art not be regarded as forms of anthropology, albeit ‘written’ in non-verbal media?’ (Ingold, 2013 , p. 8, italics in original).

And yet we would hesitate to unreservedly answer yes to these rhetorical questions. For instance, it is true that one can consider the works of Francis Bacon as an anthropological study of violence and fear, or the works of John Cage as a study in indeterminacy and chance. But while they can indeed be seen as explorations of the ‘conditions and potentials of human life’, the artworks themselves do not make this knowledge explicit. What is lacking here is the logos of anthropology, logos in the sense of discourse, a line of reasoning. Therefore, while we agree with Ingold and Johnson, the problem remains how to explicate and communicate the knowledge that is contained within works of art, how to make it discursive ? How to articulate artistic practice as an alternative, yet valid form of scholarly research?

Here, we believe that a clear distinction between art and artistic research is necessary. The artistic imaginary is a reaction to the environment in which the artist finds himself: this reaction does not have to be conscious and deliberate. The artist has every right to shrug his shoulders when he is asked for the ‘meaning’ of his work, to provide a ‘discourse’. He can simply reply: ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I do not want to know’, as a refusal to engage with the step of articulating what his work might be exploring. Likewise, the beholder or the reader of a work of art does not need to learn from it to appreciate it. No doubt, he may have gained some understanding about ‘human existence’ after reading a novel or visiting an exhibition, but without the need to spell out this knowledge or to further explore it.

In contrast, artistic research as a specific, inquisitive mode of dealing with the environment requires an explicit articulation of what is at stake, the formulation of a specific problem that determines the focus of the research. ‘Problem’ is used here in the neutral, etymological sense of the word: something ‘thrown forward’, a ‘hindrance, obstacle’ (cf. probleima , Liddell-Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon). A body-in-an-environment finds something thrown before him or her, an issue that grabs the attention. A problem is something that urges us to explore a field of experiences, the ‘potentials of human life’ that are opened up by a work of art. It is often only retroactively, during a second, reflective phase of the artistic research, that a formulation of a problem becomes possible, by a selection of elements that strikes one as meaningful (again, in the sense Johnson defines meaningful, thus including bodily perceptions, movements, affects, feelings as meaningful elements of human understanding of reality). This process opens up, to borrow a term used by Aby Warburg, a ‘Denkraum’ (cf. Gombrich, 1986 , p. 224): it creates a critical distance from the environment, including the environment of the artwork itself: this ‘space for thought’ allows one to consciously explore a specific problem. Consciously here does not equal cerebral: the problem is explored not only in its intellectual, but also in its sensual and emotional, affective aspects. It is projected along different lines in this virtual Denkraum , lines that cross and influence each other: an existential line turns into a line of form and composition; a conceptual line merges into a narrative line, a technical line echoes an autobiographical line. There is no strict hierarchy in the different ‘emanations’ of a problem. These are just different lines contained within the work that interact with each other, and the problem can ‘move’ from one line to another, develop and transform itself along these lines, comparable perhaps to the way a melody develops itself when it is transposed to a different musical scale, a different musical instrument, or even to a different musical genre. But, however, abstract or technical one formulates a problem, following Johnson we argue that a problem is always a translation of a basic existential problem, emerging from a specific environment. We fully agree with Johnson when he argues that ‘philosophy becomes relevant to human life only by reconnecting with, and grounding itself in, bodily dimensions of human meaning and value. Philosophy needs a visceral connection to lived experience’ (Johnson, 2007 , p. 263). The same goes for artistic research. It too finds its relevance in the ‘visceral connection’ with a specific body, a specific situation.

Words are one way of disclosing this lived experience, but within the context of an artistic practice one can hardly ignore the potential for images to provide us with an equally valuable account. In fact, they may even prove most suited to establish the kind of space that comes close to this multi-threaded, embodied Denkraum . In order to illustrate this, we would like to present a case study, a short visual ‘essay’ (however, since the scope of four spreads offers only limited space, it is better to consider it as the image-equivalent of a short research note).

Case study: step by step reading of a visual essay

The images (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) form a short visual essay based on a collaborative artistic project 'Exercises of the man (v)' that Remco Roes and Alis Garlick realised for the Situation Symposium at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne in 2014. One of the conceptual premises of the project was the communication of two physical ‘sites’ through digital media. Roes—located in Belgium—would communicate with Garlick—in Australia—about an installation that was to be realised at the physical location of the exhibition in Melbourne. Their attempts to communicate (about) the site were conducted via e-mail messages, Skype-chats and video conversations. The focus of these conversations increasingly distanced itself from the empty exhibition space of the Design Hub and instead came to include coincidental spaces (and objects) that happened to be close at hand during the 3-month working period leading up to the exhibition. The focus of the project thus shifted from attempting to communicate a particular space towards attempting to communicate the more general experience of being in(side) a space. The project led to the production of a series of small in-situ installations, a large series of video’s and images, a book with a selection of these images as well as texts from the conversations, and the final exhibition in which artefacts that were found during the collaborative process were exhibited. A step by step reading of the visual argument contained within images of this project illustrates how a visual essay can function as a tool for disclosing/articulating/communicating the kind of embodied thinking that occurs within an artistic practice or practice-based research.

Figure 1 shows (albeit in reduced form) a field of photographs and video stills that summarises the project without emphasising any particular aspect. Each of the Figs. 2 – 5 isolate different parts of this same field in an attempt to construct/disclose a form of visual argument (that was already contained within the work). In the final part of this essay we will provide an illustration of how such visual sequences can be possibly ‘read’.

First image of the visual essay. Remco Roes and Alis Garlick, as copyright holders, permit the publication of this image under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Second image of the visual essay. Remco Roes and Alis Garlick, as copyright holders, permit the publication of this image under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Third image of the visual essay. Remco Roes and Alis Garlick, as copyright holders, permit the publication of this image under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Fourth image of the visual essay. Remco Roes and Alis Garlick, as copyright holders, permit the publication of this image under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Fifth image of the visual essay. Remco Roes and Alis Garlick, as copyright holders, permit the publication of this image under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Figure 1 is a remnant of the first step that was taken in the creation of the series of images: significant, meaningful elements in the work of art are brought together. At first, we quite simply start by looking at what is represented in the pictures, and how they are presented to us. This act of looking almost inevitably turns these images into a sequence, an argument. Conditioned by the dominant linearity of writing, including images (for instance in a comic book) one ‘reads’ the images from left to right, one goes from the first spread to the last. Just like one could say that a musical theme or a plot ‘develops’, the series of images seem to ‘develop’ the problem, gradually revealing its complexity. The dominance of this viewing code is not to be ignored, but is of course supplemented by the more ‘holistic’ nature of visual perception (cf. the notion of ‘Gestalt’ in the psychology of perception). So unlike a ‘classic’ argumentation, the discursive sequence is traversed by resonance, by non-linearity, by correspondences between elements both in a single image and between the images in their specific positioning within the essay. These correspondences reveal the synaesthetic nature of every process of meaning-making: ‘The meaning of something is its relations, actual and potential, to other qualities, things, events, and experiences. In pragmatist lingo, the meaning of something is a matter of how it connects to what has gone before and what it entails for present or future experiences and actions’ (Johnson, 2007 , p. 265). The images operate in a similar way, by bringing together different actions, affects, feelings and perceptions into a complex constellation of meaningful elements that parallel each other and create a field of resonance. These connections occur between different elements that ‘disturb’ the logical linearity of the discourse, for instance by the repetition of a specific element (the blue/yellow opposition, or the repetition of a specific diagonal angle).

Confronted with these images, we are now able to delineate more precisely the problem they express. In a generic sense we could formulate it as follows: how to communicate with someone who does not share my existential space, but is nonetheless visually and acoustically present? What are the implications of the kind of technology that makes such communication possible, for the first time in human history? How does it influence our perception and experience of space, of materiality, of presence?

Artistic research into this problem explores the different ways of meaning-making that this new existential space offers, revealing the different conditions and possibilities of this new spatiality. But it has to be stressed that this exploration of the problem happens on different lines, ranging from the kinaesthetic perception to the emotional and affective response to these spaces and images. It would, thus, be wrong to reduce these experiences to a conceptual framework. In their actions, Roes and Garlick do not ‘make a statement’: they quite simply experiment with what their bodies can do in such a hybrid space, ‘wandering’ in this field of meaningful experiences, this Denkraum , that is ‘opened up’: which meaningful clusters of sensations, affects, feelings, spatial and kinaesthetic qualities emerge in such a specific existential space?

In what follows, we want to focus on some of these meaningful clusters. As such, these comments are not part of the visual essay itself. One could compare them to ‘reading remarks’, a short elaboration on what strikes one as relevant. These comments also do not try to ‘crack the code’ of the visual material, as if they were merely a visual and/or spatial rebus to be solved once and for all (‘ x stands for y’ ). They rather attempt to engage in a dialogue with the images, a dialogue that of course does not claim to be definitive or exhaustive.

The constellation itself generates a sense of ‘lacking’: we see that there are two characters intensely collaborating and interacting with each other, while never sharing the same space. They are performing, or watching the other perform: drawing a line (imaginary or physically), pulling, wrapping, unpacking, watching, framing, balancing. The small arrangements, constructions or compositions that are made as a result of these activities are all very fragile, shaky and their purpose remains unclear. Interaction with the other occurs only virtually, based on the manipulation of small objects and fragments, located in different places. One of the few materials that eventually gets physically exported to the other side, is a kind of large plastic cover. Again, one should not ‘read’ the picture of Roes with this plastic wrapped around his head as an expression, a ‘symbol’ of individual isolation, of being wrapped up in something. It is simply the experience of a head that disappears (as a head appears and disappears on a computer screen when it gets disconnected), and the experience of a head that is covered up: does it feel like choking, or does it provide a sense of shelter, protection?

A different ‘line’ operates simultaneously in the same image: that of a man standing on a double grid: the grid of the wet street tiles and an alternative, oblique grid of colourful yellow elements, a grid which is clearly temporal, as only the grid of the tiles will remain. These images are contrasted with the (obviously staged) moment when the plastic arrives at ‘the other side’: the claustrophobia is now replaced with the openness of the horizon, the presence of an open seascape: it gives a synaesthetic sense of a fresh breeze that seems lacking in the other images.

In this case, the contrast between the different spaces is very clear, but in other images we also see an effort to unite these different spaces. The problem can now be reformulated, as it moves to another line: how to demarcate a shared space that is both actual and virtual (with a ribbon, the positioning of a computer screen?), how to communicate with each other, not only with words or body language, but also with small artefacts, ‘meaningless’ junk? What is the ‘common ground’ on which to walk, to exchange things—connecting, lining up with the other? And here, the layout of the images (into a spread) adds an extra dimension to the original work of art. The relation between the different bodies does now not only take place in different spaces, but also in different fields of representation: there is the space of the spread, the photographed space and in the photographs, the other space opened up by the computer screen, and the interaction between these levels. We see this in the Fig. 3 where Garlick’s legs are projected on the floor, framed by two plastic beakers: her black legging echoing with the shadows of a chair or a tripod. This visual ‘rhyme’ within the image reveals how a virtual presence interferes with what is present.

The problem, which can be expressed in this fundamental opposition between presence/absence, also resonates with other recurring oppositions that rhythmically structure these images. The images are filled with blue/yellow elements: blue lines of tape, a blue plexi form, yellow traces of paint, yellow objects that are used in the video’s, but the two tones are also conjured up by the white balance difference between daylight and artificial light. The blue/yellow opposition, in turn, connects with other meaningful oppositions, like—obviously—male/female, or the same oppositional set of clothes: black trousers/white shirt, grey scale images versus full colour, or the shadow and the bright sunlight, which finds itself in another opposition with the cold electric light of a computer screen (this of course also refers to the different time zones, another crucial aspect of digital communication: we do not only not share the same place, we also do not share the same time).

Yet the images also invite us to explore certain formal and compositional elements that keep recurring. The second image, for example, emphasises the importance placed in the project upon the connecting of lines, literally of lining up. Within this image the direction and angle of these lines is ‘explained’ by the presence of the two bodies, the makers with their roles of tape in hand. But upon re-reading the other spreads through this lens of ‘connecting lines’ we see that this compositional element starts to attain its own visual logic. Where the lines in image 2 are literally used as devices to connect two (visual) realities, they free themselves from this restricted context in the other images and show us the influence of circumstance and context in allowing for the successful establishing of such a connection.

In Fig. 3 , for instance, we see a collection of lines that have been isolated from the direct context of live communication. The way two parts of a line are manually aligned (in the split-screens in image 2) mirrors the way the images find their position on the page. However, we also see how the visual grammar of these lines of tape is expanded upon: barrier tape that demarcates a working area meets the curve of a small copper fragment on the floor of an installation, a crack in the wall follows the slanted angle of an assembled object, existing marks on the floor—as well as lines in the architecture—come into play. The photographs widen the scale and angle at which the line operates: the line becomes a conceptual form that is no longer merely material tape but also an immaterial graphical element that explores its own argument.

Figure 4 provides us with a pivotal point in this respect: the cables of the mouse, computer and charger introduce a certain fluidity and uncontrolled motion. Similarly, the erratic markings on the paper show that an author is only ever partially in control. The cracked line in the floor is the first line that is created by a negative space, by an absence. This resonates with the black-stained edges of the laser-cut objects, laid out on the desktop. This fourth image thus seems to transform the manifestation of the line yet again; from a simple connecting device into an instrument that is able to cut out shapes, a path that delineates a cut, as opposed to establishing a connection. The circle held up in image 4 is a perfect circular cut. This resonates with the laser-cut objects we see just above it on the desk, but also with the virtual cuts made in the Photoshop image on the right. We can clearly see how a circular cut remains present on the characteristic grey-white chessboard that is virtual emptiness. It is evident that these elements have more than just an aesthetic function in a visual argumentation. They are an integral part of the meaning-making process. They ‘transpose’ on a different level, i.e., the formal and compositional level, the central problem of absence and presence: it is the graphic form of the ‘cut’, as well as the act of cutting itself, that turns one into the other.

Concluding remarks

As we have already argued, within the frame of this comment piece, the scope of the visual essay we present here is inevitably limited. It should be considered as a small exercise in a specific genre of thinking and communicating with images that requires further development. Nonetheless, we hope to have demonstrated the potentialities of the visual essay as a form of meaning-making that allows the articulation of a form of embodied knowledge that supplements other modes of inquiry in the humanities. In this particular case, it allows for the integration of other meaningful, embodied and existential aspects of digital communication, unlikely to be ‘detected’ as such by an (auto)ethnographic, psychological or sociological framework.

The visual essay is an invitation to other researchers in the arts to create their own kind of visual essays in order to address their own work of art or that of others: they can consider their artistic research as a valuable contribution to the exploration of human existence that lies at the core of the humanities. But perhaps it can also inspire scholars in more ‘classical’ domains to introduce artistic research methods to their toolbox, as a way of taking into account the non-conceptual, yet meaningful bodily aspects of human life and human artefacts, this ‘visceral connection to lived experience’, as Johnson puts it.

Obviously, a visual essay runs the risk of being ‘shot by both sides’: artists may scorn the loss of artistic autonomy and ‘exploitation’ of the work of art in the service of scholarship, while academic scholars may be wary of the lack of conceptual and methodological clarity inherent in these artistic forms of embodied, synaesthetic meaning. The visual essay is indeed a bastard genre, the unlawful love (or perhaps more honestly: love/hate) child of academia and the arts. But precisely this hybrid, impure nature of the visual essay allows it to explore unknown ‘conditions and potentials of human life’, precisely because it combines imagination and knowledge. And while this combination may sound like an oxymoron within a scientific, positivistic paradigm, it may in fact indicate the revival, in a new context, of a very ancient alliance. Or as Giorgio Agamben formulates it in Infancy and history: on the destruction of experience (2007 [1978]): ‘Nothing can convey the extent of the change that has taken place in the meaning of experience so much as the resulting reversal of the status of the imagination. For Antiquity, the imagination, which is now expunged from knowledge as ‘unreal’, was the supreme medium of knowledge. As the intermediary between the senses and the intellect, enabling, in phantasy, the union between the sensible form and the potential intellect, it occupies in ancient and medieval culture exactly the same role that our culture assigns to experience. Far from being something unreal, the mundus imaginabilis has its full reality between the mundus sensibilis and the mundus intellegibilis , and is, indeed, the condition of their communication—that is to say, of knowledge’ (Agamben, 2007 , p. 27, italics in original).

And it is precisely this exploration of the mundus imaginabilis that should inspire us to understand artistic research as a valuable form of scholarship in the humanities.

We consider images as a broad category consisting of artefacts of the imagination, the creation of expressive ‘forms’. Images are thus not limited to visual images. For instance, the imagery used in a poem or novel, metaphors in philosophical treatises (‘image-thoughts’), actual sculptures or the imaginary space created by a performance or installation can also be considered as images, just like soundscapes, scenography, architecture.

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Illustration Styles - The Definitive Guide

Illustrations are the visual representation of an idea or concept. They can communicate concepts aesthetically and informatively.

Illustrations come in many styles, like cartoons, caricatures, comic books, and many more.

The style you choose will depend on the project’s purpose, audience, medium, cultural & social context, functionality, and trends, to name a few.

In this definitive guide to illustration styles , we’ll explore and understand eleven different illustration styles.

If you are a beginner learning digital illustration , this guide will provide you with a comprehensive overview and broaden your understanding of the art form. Others can use this article as a reference.

Cartoons are whimsical, exaggerated drawings of characters and environments with a focus on creating an entertaining story. They often feature bold line work, bright colors, and humorous compositions.

Lighting and shading play an integral role in making illustrations look captivating. If you want to master these skills, take our course on “ Mastering Lighting and Shading .”

The most important quality of cartoon-style illustrations is their ability to transport viewers out of reality and into another world. They can explore new ideas or escape mundane day-to-day life in this world.

Cartoon-style illustrations are also perfect for conveying humor, sarcasm, irony, satire, and other expressions that would be difficult to express without the help of other visuals.

They can also simplify complex concepts or topics, making them easier for children or novice audiences to understand.  

Cartoons are often confused with comic-style illustrations. However, there is one key distinction between the two.

Cartoons can communicate an entire thought process or story arc in just one or a few frames. In contrast, comics focus on storytelling through a series of panels.

Overall, cartoon-style illustrations have become one of the most effective ways for creators to connect with their audiences in meaningful ways. If you want to learn to draw cartoons check out the course “ Drawing a Cartoon ” on 21 Draw.

The Caricature style of illustration is a visual representation of an individual, usually in the public spotlight, emphasizing and exaggerating certain facial or physical features to create a comical or satirical effect.

Usually featuring large heads and small bodies, caricature art captures key physical features of the subject and distorts them to produce a humorous mocking or parodic effect.

By doing this, the artist can communicate their feelings about their subject without writing a lengthy essay explaining it.

Caricature illustrations typically focus on political personalities and figures in authority due to their effectiveness as a form of biting commentary. 

The exaggerated facial expressions in caricatures also make it easier for viewers to process quickly and help them remember the message contained within the artwork.

Given these qualities, caricature art has become an invaluable tool for satire. Even though it is meant to be lighthearted, caricature can also be used to highlight social injustices or draw attention to public figures.

As such, this illustration style can be quite powerful when used correctly.

Check out our course “ Drawing Caricatures ” to learn this wonderful art form.

Fantasy illustrations can transport viewers to a world of fantasy and imagination. They are characterized by vivid colors, intricate detail, and fantastical elements that help bring stories to life.

It takes the imagination of its illustrators to new heights, creating vivid images of supernatural and fantastical scenes, objects, creatures, and characters. These characters are designed with unique features that add even more depth and dimension to the artwork.

If you also want to design some fantastic characters check out our courses, “ Dark Fantasy Character Design “, “ Character Design Made Easy “, “ Monster Mashup “, and “ Fundamentals of Character Design .”

Fantasy illustrations often depict mythical figures, creatures, and landscapes from far-off lands or futuristic spaces. Through visual symbolism, fantasy illustrations can evoke emotions ranging from awe and wonder to fear and dread.

This illustration style is commonly used by game developers, authors, filmmakers, and many other creative outlets.

Overall, fantasy illustrations are captivating visual works that engage viewers and provide an escape from reality into a world full of imagination and wonderment.

The anime-style illustration is widely recognized for its highly stylized approach to depicting characters. It invokes a sense of romanticism and expresses a wide range of emotions.

The most defining feature of anime-style illustrations is their character design. They feature characters with exaggerated physical proportions, like bulky masculine men or hyper-feminine female figures with lithe bodies. 

The characters often have large, expressive eyes, articulated hairstyles, emotive mouths, and subtle facial expressions. Clothing and design elements are also used to express the characters’ emotions. 

If you’re interested in creating fantastic anime characters, check out our courses “ Introduction to Stylized Characters ” and “ Drawing Character Poses with Personality .” These courses will help you develop your skills in creating unique and captivating characters. 

The colors in anime illustrations can range from bright and vibrant to subtle earth tones, depending on the mood or atmosphere the artist wishes to create.

In addition, many anime illustrations use dramatic lighting effects that add depth and atmosphere to the artwork.

Furthermore, many anime styles contain visual metaphors that viewers interpret differently based on their cultural backgrounds and experiences. This allows for multi-layered interpretations that make anime illustrations even more alluring.

Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Comic Book illustration style is characterized by its vibrant, cartoon-like visuals, imaginative storylines, and humorous dialogue.

The comic book format consists of individual scenes, or “panels,” arranged in a grid pattern to tell a story. Each panel contains a narrative, and the dialogue is usually presented in distinctive speech bubbles.

Comic books can be funny, dark, or even surreal and provide a unique expression for illustrators to explore. 

If you want to create comic-style illustrations and capture the essence of this art form, our courses, “ Telling a Story Through Illustration “, “ Stylized Anatomy for Comics “, and “ Draw Manga Characters From Scratch ” are perfect for you.

By taking these courses, you’ll be able to express yourself through dynamic characters and captivating stories that will bring your work to life.

Graphic novels are another type of illustration that is similar in style but often contains much more detailed illustrations and longer story arcs than traditional comics.

Exploring graphic novels and comic book illustrations can benefit illustrators interested in this art style. By doing so, they can discover exciting ways to portray characters and expand the range of storytelling possibilities.

Fashion Illustration

Fashion illustration is a type of art that communicates the ideas of a designer’s collection. It is usually in the form of drawings, either as sketches or more refined renderings with intricate details.

It captures the design and aesthetics of clothing, shoes, and accessories to create an image that conveys the message behind the collection. 

The illustrator must clearly understand the human form and how clothing fits to display the look created by a designer accurately.

This includes understanding the fabric and showing how it drapes on a person to draw clothes realistically. Fashion illustrators also pay attention to other elements like hairstyles, makeup, and accessories to make illustrations more vivid.

You can check out our courses “ Fundamentals of Drawing ” and “ Gesture Drawing ” to understand the basics of anatomy and human form to draw illustrations perfectly.

With its ability to tell stories through visuals alone, fashion illustration has become essential for any fashion house looking to promote its collections successfully.

Book Illustration

Book Illustration is a form of art that brings stories to life through imagery. It helps readers understand the text better and adds another layer of creativity and imagination.

This type of art can take on many forms, ranging from detailed, hand-painted illustrations to bold graphic design or modern digital artwork.

An illustrator often works directly with the author and publisher to create artwork that captures the essence of the story while still being visually appealing.

Different illustration styles are often used in different genres, such as cartoons in children’s books or realistic depictions in historical fiction.

Overall, book illustration is essential to the publishing world. It helps readers engage with the story and makes books come alive.

Line art is an illustration style that emphasizes form rather than intricate details. It is defined by its use of rudimentary lines, shapes, and colors that are generally free from complex backgrounds.

The main elements in line art include direction, curves, weight, type of line, hatching, and crosshatching. The illustrator can apply these basic strokes skillfully to create expressive images with layers of texture and emotion. 

The forms presented by line art can vary from two-dimensional to three-dimensional depending on what is necessary for the artwork.

Combining all these factors, an illustrator can create realistic-looking illustrations without adding unnecessary detail.

Line art can be used for concept drawings or preliminary sketches that either stand on their own as a finished product or develop into fully realized designs later. It has become popular among graphic designers specializing in logos and web design.

Line art is a great way to convey ideas quickly. It allows viewers to decipher what they are looking at quickly and easily with minimal distraction from excessive detail.

Realism is a style of illustration that focuses on accurately recreating the real world in precise detail. These illustrations seek to capture the physical appearance and characteristics of subjects, objects, and landscapes as they appear in reality.

Illustrators often use a combination of observation and interpretation to create realistic-looking artwork. The technique employed in creating a realistic image stems from the artist’s ability to capture subtle nuances and layers of detail.

They include things like texture, lighting, anatomy, and composition. These components combine to create illustrations that capture physical characteristics and convey emotion and atmosphere.

Overall, realist art does not rely on exaggeration for its effects. Rather, the visual impact comes from how it represents objects and scenes realistically.

It has been used in many different contexts, including book cover art, fine art painting, film plates, landscape painting, advertising illustrations, and more. It can also be used with other formats like photography or animation for special effects or enhanced visuals.

Concept Art

Concept art is a form of illustration that captures the defining characteristics of design and sets the visual style of a project.

Concept art can be used in various mediums, such as films, video games, animations, and advertisements. Through concept art, an artist can create an entire world for their project or develop ideas for characters through sketches and drawings.

A concept artist should be able to take abstract concepts from producers and developers and turn them into visually stimulating artwork that captures the viewer’s attention. 

Flat Illustration

The flat illustration is a visual communication style that relies on using two-dimensional visuals rather than detailed, three-dimensional graphics.

This technique often creates a dynamic and eye-catching look by utilizing unique perspectives and movement to create an illusion of depth and life in the design. 

Flat illustration typically consists of simple geometric shapes filled with flat color, which gives the image character without overpowering it with too much detail. It also allows the designer to be more creative by playing around with different shapes and shading techniques to give their work a more dynamic feel.

Flat illustrations are useful in creating visuals for digital and print content, such as apps, websites, editorial pieces, logos, banners, advertisements, flyers, and more. It is a great way to communicate ideas clearly while conveying energy and emotion simultaneously.

3D Illustration

The 3D illustration is a type of visual art that creates an illusion of depth and volume in an image. It utilizes various techniques, including lighting, shadows, texture, and perspective, to create a realistic three-dimensional effect.

Adding these elements gives viewers an idea of how something might look in real life rather than just a flat image on paper.

This form of illustration is used widely in many industries, such as product design, animation, architecture, advertising, and gaming.

The use of 3D illustrations provides an effective way for designers and illustrators to represent their ideas in digital spaces accurately. By embracing this technique, they can offer their clients complete visuals that bring their visions closer to reality.

Vintage and Retro 

Vintage and Retro style Illustration draws on the styles of past decades to evoke nostalgia or delight. It often incorporates unique design elements such as bold colors, vintage fonts, retro patterns and shapes, and other classic effects. This creates an effect that transports viewers back in time.

This type of illustration is prevalent for themes based on specific eras, such as the ’80s or the Roaring Twenties.

To create this illustration style, the illustrator should be familiar with the nuances and details that make each era unique. 

These illustrations can also be used as powerful visual metaphors for current events, such as referencing historic movements during times of social change or celebrating classic designs from decades ago.  

Ultimately, vintage and retro illustration takes inspiration from timeless styles and translates them into unique works that reflect our past but can still speak to who we are today.

The Difference Between Digital & Traditional Illustrations

Technology or medium is the key difference between traditional illustrations and digital illustrations .

Traditional illustrations are created using physical materials such as pencils, pens, paints, markers, and other physical mediums. These mediums are manually manipulated to create artwork that can be presented in various ways, including on paper and canvas. Some of the traditional illustration styles are:

• Charcoal illustration
• Ink illustration
• Woodcut illustration
• Watercolor illustration
• Pencil illustration
• Collage illustration
• Acrylic illustration

On the other hand, digital illustration uses computers or tablets and digital art software such as Adobe Photoshop and Procreate to create art.

Digital media is more flexible when it comes to making changes or manipulating images.

It also allows artists to experiment with different textures and colors more freely than they could with traditional media.

For these reasons, many artists prefer digital illustration over traditional.

Read more about digital illustration in our comprehensive guide on digital illustration .

We hope this article inspired you to experiment with different techniques and find the style that best suits your message and audience.

Whether you’re looking to create fashion or children’s book illustrations for a publisher, having a good grasp of illustration styles can help take your artwork to the next level.

If you’re getting started as a digital illustrator, feel free to experiment with different styles until you find ones that click.

Our courses “ Mastering Lighting and Shading ” and “ Fundamentals of Drawing ” will help you learn all the basic skills required to create eye-catching illustrations.

If you want to create digital illustrations, check out the courses “ Digital Drawing in Procreate for Beginners ” and “ Digital Illustration for Beginners .” These courses provide a comprehensive introduction to the basics of digital illustration and offer guidance on how to use software such as Procreate and Adobe Photoshop.

Whether you’re interested in freehand digital illustrations or vector graphics, these courses will give you the perfect start. You can also check out the collection of our online art courses to improve your artistic skills and find the perfect illustration style for your projects.

Thank you. This helped me decide what I needed. :)

hey!! muchas gracias por compartir; muy concreto.

Sirve de gran ayuda! Muchas gracias.

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50+ Visual Arts Extended Essay Topics for IBDP

Table of contents

• Writing Metier

Finally, this is our exploration of Visual Arts Extended Essay topics. As you set out on this creative path, you’re about to enter a world where art meets identity, emotion intertwines with nature, and spirituality dances with performance. 

Suppose you’re fascinated by how artists express their cultural roots, intrigued by the emotional power of expressionism, or curious about the role of art in fashion. In that case, this article is your gateway to many inspiring topics. 

With the help of IB experts from Writing Metier, we’ll venture into the realms of art conservation, examine the interplay between art and performance, and even delve into the ethical considerations of art restoration. 

Art and Identity

• Cultural Identity : Exploring how artists express cultural identity through their work.
• Personal Identity : Investigating the role of art in shaping and reflecting personal identity.
• National Identity : Analyzing how art is used to construct and communicate national identity.

Art and Emotion

• Expressionism : Exploring how expressionist artists convey emotion through their work.
• Art Therapy : Investigating the therapeutic effects of art on mental health.
• The Sublime in Art : Analyzing the concept of the sublime and its emotional impact in art.

Art and Nature

• Land Art : Exploring the relationship between land art and environmentalism.
• Botanical Illustration : Investigating the scientific and artistic aspects of botanical illustration.
• Animal Representation : Analyzing the symbolic and aesthetic representation of animals in art.

Art and Spirituality

• Sacred Art : Exploring the role of art in religious and spiritual practices.
• Mysticism in Art : Investigating the influence of mysticism on artistic expression.
• Art and Meditation : Analyzing the use of art as a meditative and contemplative tool.

Art and Performance

• Performance Art : Exploring the evolution and significance of performance art.
• Theatre Design : Investigating the role of visual art in theatre production and design.
• Dance and Visual Art : Analyzing the intersection of dance and visual art in interdisciplinary performances.

Art and Fashion

• Fashion Illustration : Exploring the artistic techniques and impact of fashion illustration.
• Art and Haute Couture : Investigating the relationship between art and high fashion design.
• Street Art and Fashion : Analyzing the influence of street art on contemporary fashion trends.

Art Conservation and Restoration

• Art Conservation Techniques : Exploring the methods and challenges of art conservation.
• Restoration Ethics : Investigating ethical considerations in the restoration of artworks.
• Preserving Digital Art : Analyzing the strategies for preserving and archiving digital art.

These categories offer a broader range of topics for an Extended Essay in Visual Arts, allowing students to delve into various aspects of the subject and contribute to the understanding of complex artistic issues.

Each category offers a unique lens through which to view the vibrant tapestry of visual arts. 

So, grab your palette and brush (or pen and paper) as we set the stage for a journey into the heart of artistic exploration.

IB VA EE Topic Ideas and RQs

Our team has carefully compiled a diverse range of ideas spanning various artistic mediums, cultural contexts, and conceptual frameworks. In this block, you will find three topics and research questions for each category for an IB Visual Arts Extended Essay:

 In “Art and Identity,” we’ll dive into the fascinating ways artists express themselves and their cultural, personal, and national identities through their art. It’s all about exploring how art can be a mirror reflecting who we are and where we come from.

Cultural Identity

• Research Question: How have contemporary Australian artists incorporated indigenous art elements to express cultural identity?
• Research Question: How did African American artists during the Harlem Renaissance use art to express and shape their cultural identity?
• Research Question: How does calligraphy function as a tool for expressing cultural identity in Islamic art?

Personal Identity

• Research Question: How does Frida Kahlo use self-portraiture to explore and express her personal identity?
• Research Question: How do émigré artists represent the impact of migration on their personal identity through their artwork?
• Research Question: How do contemporary artists use visual art to explore and express gender identity?

National Identity

• Research Question: How do Canadian landscape paintings reflect and shape the national identity of Canada?
• Research Question: How has postcolonial art contributed to the construction of national identity in India?
• Research Question: How did propaganda art in Soviet Russia shape and reflect national identity during the 20th century?

Here, we’ll uncover how artists channel their feelings into their creations , from the raw intensity of expressionism to the healing power of art therapy. Let’s delve into the emotional depths of art and its impact on our hearts and minds.

Expressionism

• Research Question: How does Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” embody the principles of expressionism and convey emotion?
• Research Question: How do expressionist artists use color to convey emotion in their paintings?
• Research Question: How does Egon Schiele’s portraiture reflect expressionist themes and the human psyche?

Art Therapy

• Research Question: How effective is art therapy as a treatment for anxiety disorders compared to traditional therapies?
• Research Question: How does art therapy facilitate trauma recovery and emotional healing in children?
• Research Question: How does art therapy contribute to enhancing mental well-being and reducing feelings of loneliness in elderly populations?

The Sublime in Art

• Research Question: How do Romantic landscape paintings, such as those by Caspar David Friedrich, depict the concept of the sublime?
• Research Question: How do contemporary digital art installations create a sense of the sublime for viewers?
• Research Question: How does the concept of the sublime influence the emotional impact of Mark Rothko’s color field paintings?

In “Art and Nature,” we’re going to explore the beautiful interplay between the natural world and artistic expression.

From land art that harmonizes with the environment to botanical illustrations that capture nature’s details, this section is all about art’s green side.

• Research Question: What is the environmental impact of Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty,” and how does it interact with its natural surroundings?
• Research Question: How has land art been used as a tool to promote environmental awareness and conservation?
• Research Question: How does Andy Goldsworthy’s use of site-specific natural materials in his sculptures enhance the viewer’s connection to the environment?

Botanical Illustration

• Research Question: How did botanical illustration in the 19th century contribute to scientific knowledge and artistic expression?
• Research Question: How have botanical illustration techniques evolved from traditional media to digital media, and what are the implications for scientific accuracy and artistic expression?
• Research Question: How can contemporary botanical illustration be used as a tool for environmental education and promoting biodiversity conservation?

Animal Representation

• Research Question: How are animals symbolically represented in indigenous art, and what cultural meanings are associated with them?
• Research Question: How has wildlife photography contributed to conservation efforts and public awareness of endangered species?
• Research Question: How does anthropomorphism in children’s book illustrations influence children’s perceptions of animals and nature?

Here, we’ll delve into the sacred side of art, exploring how it intersects with religious practices, mystical experiences, and meditative contemplation. It’s a journey into the soulful dimensions of artistic expression.

• Research Question: How does iconography function in Christian sacred art to convey theological concepts and spiritual experiences?
• Research Question: How are Hindu deities represented in Indian temple architecture, and what is their significance in religious practices?
• Research Question: How is art used in Buddhist meditation practices to enhance spiritual experiences and understanding?

Mysticism in Art

• Research Question: How are mystical experiences represented in medieval art, and what do they reveal about the spiritual beliefs of the time?
• Research Question: How do Kandinsky’s artworks reflect his interest in theosophy and mystical concepts?
• Research Question: How is Sufi symbolism expressed in Persian miniature paintings, and what does it convey about Sufi mystical teachings?

Art and Meditation

• Research Question: How are mandalas used in art therapy and meditation to promote mental well-being and spiritual growth?
• Research Question: How does the practice of Zen calligraphy serve as a form of artistic expression and mindfulness meditation?
• Research Question: What are the therapeutic effects of engaging in the creative process of art-making on mindfulness and stress reduction?

“Art and Performance” is where we’ll dive into the dynamic world of performance art, theatre design , and the interplay between dance and visual art. Get ready to discover how artists bring their visions to life on stage and beyond.

Performance Art

• Research Question: How has performance art evolved in the 20th century, and what are the key themes and innovations that have shaped its development?
• Research Question: How has performance art been used as a medium for feminist expression and activism?
• Research Question: How does audience participation impact the meaning and experience of performance art?

Theatre Design

• Research Question: How does set design influence audience experience and immersion in theatrical productions?
• Research Question: How is digital technology integrated into contemporary theatre design, and what are its implications for storytelling and audience engagement?
• Research Question: What are the sustainable practices being implemented in theatre design and production, and how do they impact environmental sustainability?

Dance and Visual Art

• Research Question: How do collaborations between choreographers and visual artists influence the creation and interpretation of dance performances?
• Research Question: How do visual elements such as costumes, lighting, and set design contribute to the aesthetics and narrative of contemporary dance?
• Research Question: How has dance been represented in visual art throughout history, and what does this reveal about the cultural significance of dance?

In this section, we’ll explore the stylish intersection of art and fashion, from the creativity of fashion illustration to the haute couture runway.

>via GIPHY

Let’s unravel the threads that weave together the worlds of art and fashion.

Fashion Illustration

• Research Question: How have fashion illustration techniques evolved from traditional methods to digital media, and what are the implications for the fashion industry?
• Topic: The Role of Fashion Illustration in Brand Identity
• Research Question: How does fashion illustration contribute to the development and communication of brand identity in the fashion industry?
• Research Question: How has the rise of social media platforms influenced the style, visibility, and relevance of fashion illustration?

Art and Haute Couture

• Research Question: How have specific art movements, such as Art Deco or Surrealism, influenced the design and aesthetics of haute couture collections?
• Research Question: How do collaborations between contemporary artists and fashion designers impact the creative process and final designs in haute couture?
• Research Question: How does haute couture contribute to the preservation and innovation of traditional artisanal techniques in fashion?

Street Art and Fashion

• Research Question: How has street art influenced urban fashion trends and the development of streetwear brands?
• Research Question: How is graffiti used in fashion design and branding to convey urban identity and cultural messages?
• Research Question: How do collaborations between street artists and fashion brands impact the artistic value and commercial appeal of fashion collections?

“Art Conservation and Restoration” is all about the science and ethics behind preserving art for future generations. We’ll dive into the techniques used to conserve and restore artworks, and the challenges faced in keeping art alive and authentic.

Art Conservation Techniques

• Research Question: What are the challenges in conserving contemporary art, and what innovative techniques are being used to address them?
• Research Question: How is technology being used to enhance art conservation practices and extend the lifespan of artworks?
• Research Question: What ethical considerations arise in the conservation of cultural heritage, and how are they addressed by conservators?

Restoration Ethics

• Research Question: What are the ethical debates surrounding the restoration of damaged artworks, and how do different approaches impact the integrity of the original piece?
• Research Question: How does the restoration process affect the authenticity and historical value of paintings?
• Research Question: What ethical dilemmas arise in the restoration of religious artifacts, and how are they navigated by conservators and religious communities?

Preserving Digital Art

• Research Question: What are the challenges in preserving digital art, and what strategies are being developed to ensure its longevity?
• Research Question: How are museums adapting their conservation practices to accommodate and preserve digital media art?
• Research Question: What methods are being used to archive and document digital artworks to maintain their accessibility and integrity over time?

All these topics and research questions are designed to inspire IB Visual Arts students to engage in meaningful and manageable research projects that contribute to their understanding of various aspects of art while meeting the IB Extended Essay criteria.

Final Thoughts

At WritingMetier, we firmly believe that the Visual Arts extended essay is a transformative experience that nurtures critical thinking, creativity, and a deeper appreciation for the boundless realms of artistic expression. 

As you peruse through this list, allow your curiosity and passion to lead the way, and remember that the true essence of the extended essay lies in your ability to articulate your unique artistic vision and contribute to the ever-evolving discourse within the Visual Arts community. 

If you need further assistance in finding the perfect topic or even require a custom-written IB Visual Arts extended essay, WritingMetier is here to help . Our team of experts can guide you through the process, ensuring your extended essay is well-researched, engaging, and aligns with all the IB’s requirements .

So, let your creativity flow, and set out on this artistic voyage with confidence and enthusiasm. Your journey through the visual arts is bound to be as colorful and dynamic as the subjects you choose to explore. 

Free topic suggestions

Vasy kafidoff.

Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

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IUP Celebrating Graphic Arts Program, Students, Alumni Connections With Slenkfest 2024

Indiana University of Pennsylvania will celebrate the connections and career successes of graphic design alumni—including a presentation by an award-winning Marvel film artist and an exhibition by a nationally known illustrator and designer, both originally from the Pittsburgh region—as part of the first, to-be-annual, “Slenkfest” April 11 to 13.

Slenkfest, named in honor of the late Robert “Bob” Slenker, IUP’s first graphic design professor, “is all about connecting alumni in the industry with current students and with one another,” associate professor and coordinator of IUP’s Graphic Design and Illustration program Tony DiMauro said.

In addition to Burig’s presentation and Ritter’s exhibition, more than 60 artists—including 40 alumni of the graphic design and illustration program—will be part of an Alumni Open House, which offers networking and the opportunity for alumni to review student portfolios and for students and alumni to share their work.

“Slenkfest, at its core, is a celebration of the program and the relationships between our alumni and our students, which are key to the ongoing successes of the graphic design and illustration program,” DiMauro said.

“There’s so much demand for graphic artists, and our program prepares our talented students to be career-ready,” DiMauro said. “Our enrollment continues to grow, and in fact, has been identified as a program with potential to grow even larger,” he said. “It’s a very exciting time for our program.”

“One of the things that makes our program unique is our alumni, who hold top positions in the graphic design field and who are actively involved in helping our students and graduates find meaningful career opportunities,” DiMauro said. “Our alumni stay connected to the program and to one another, and are always offering opportunities to our students and graduates,” he said.

“As we started talking about our experiences, we realized the incredible interconnectedness of our alumni, and how instrumental they continue to be in helping our students along their career paths,” Ritter said.

“We also realized how impactful Robert Slenker was for us and for hundreds of students, and his critically important role in shaping the program and encouraging the close connections and relationships between alumni and IUP,” he said. “It just felt right to recognize the foundation that he laid for the program and alumni success—including my own success—by naming the event in his honor.”

The Slenkfest events are free and open to the community.

Slenkfest Events

• “From IUP to the MCU: The Secret World of Graphic Design for Filmmaking,” presented by Susan Burig, April 11, 6:00 p.m. McVitty Auditorium in  Sprowls Hall . Burig will discuss her career as a lead graphic designer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A Guardians of the Galaxy director’s chair will be given away at the conclusion of her presentation.
• “Energy and Color, Thirty Years of Illustration by John Ritter,” an exhibition in the IUP University Museum, located on the first floor of Sutton Hall . The opening reception for the exhibit is April 12 at 7:00 p.m. The show closes on May 3.

About Susan Burig

She has almost 60 feature films to her credit, including Avengers: Infinity War; Avengers: Endgame; Guardians of the Galaxy II; Captain America: Winter Soldier; The Amazing Spiderman; Ant-Man; Austin Powers; The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift; Transformers: Dark of the Moon; and Django Unchained. She also has done design for the television series She-Hulk.

As a film designer, Burig designs many elements in every film, from large details to small, from billboards and posters to books and matchbooks. Elements in films that are highly visible but are accepted as real such as the “Smart Tech” store logo in The Forty Year-Old Virgin,  the Pym Tech logo in Ant-Man , the ESD (Earth Space Defense) logo in Independence Day: Resurgence , all of the huge neon on the planet Contraxia in Guardians of the Galaxy II , and the Amazing and Painless Dr. King Shultz Dentist’s horse-drawn wagon as well as all of the wanted posters in Django Unchained.

She is a member of the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars).  Academy membership is a privilege offered to only a select few within the global community of filmmakers who have achieved excellence in the field of motion pictures. S he won an Art Directors Guild Award in 2019 for Excellence in Production Design for Endgame after being nominated twice before for earlier work.

She is an avid horsewoman and is currently producing a docuseries involving equestrian show jumping.  

“I’m incredibly honored to be invited back to IUP for the Distinguished Alumni Award celebration, and so excited to talk with students about my work and my career,” Burig said.

“IUP was a great experience, not only for the strong foundation it provided, but for the people that I met—mentors like Robert Slenker, who helped me to think outside the box of ‘traditional’ art; James Nestor, my sculpture teacher, who helped me to really look at and feel art in a more personal way;  my classmate John Ritter, who continues to inspire me with his talent, unwavering passion, and strength to move to California and pursue his art; and my classmate Scott Blasey, lead vocalist for the Clarks, who believed in my talents and pushed me to pursue my dreams.

“I’ve continued to draw on this foundation and inspiration throughout my life. This is the message that I want to share with students, that we are a community that supports one another. I’m very impressed with the growth of the graphic design and illustration program at IUP, and I want to support it in any way that I can. I’m really looking forward to Slenkfest 2024.”

About John Ritter

Ritter, raised in Export and now a resident of Indiana and Ligonier, is a nationally known illustrator and designer. The show is a comprehensive exhibition of his 30-year editorial illustration career. He has created award-winning artwork for the New Yorker, Time, Harper’s, Oprah, Smithsonian, National Geographic , Honda Motor Company, and Rolling Stone and was a designer for Adobe Systems, Inc.

He was an invited artist-in-residence at IUP for the 2021 academic year before joining the university’s Marketing and Communications Office as the senior graphic designer.

Outside of his professional studio practice, Ritter’s personal work explores the intersection of photography, digital technology, and traditional printmaking techniques through large-scale works on paper and canvas. Throughout his career, he has also had the rewarding experience of teaching and mentoring others.

About Robert Slenker

He was a well-known artist in western Pennsylvania and an active exhibitor with the Pittsburgh Society of Artists, the Community Art Center of Cambria County, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh, Community Arts Center of Johnson, Associated Artists of Butler, and US Bank Gallery. His work is part of numerous private, university, and corporate collections; he is best known for his unique creations which he called assemblages, made from a variety of found objects assembled into a framed work of art.

About Tony DiMauro

DiMauro is a 2006 graduate of IUP; prior to his current work as a professor, he was a graphic designer and art director at a design agency in New York City. He joined the IUP faculty in 2012.

His clients included Rolling Stone Magazine, the New York Times, Dungeons and Dragons, Chicago Magazine ,  t he  Deal Magazine LLC,   and major video game companies such as Capcom and Square Enix. His work has appeared in international juried publications such as Communication Arts, American Illustration, 3x3 Magazine, and the Los Angeles Society of Illustrators,  as well as major exhibitions across the United States.

He continues to work as an entrepreneur and freelance designer while teaching at IUP.

In addition to his IUP degree in art with a minor in art history, DiMauro graduated from the MFA: Illustration as Visual Essay program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

About IUP’s Graphic Design And Illustration Program

IUP’s Graphic Design and Illustration program is part of the Department of Art and Design .

With a focus in both graphic design and illustration, the program is designed to provide students with a diverse, marketable portfolio as a creative professional. IUP’s faculty are working designers and illustrators with real-world experience.

The program includes about 80 undergraduate majors.

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White Women in Danger Syndrome: A Visual Essay of this Effective Rightwing Tactic

For over a hundred years, reactionaries, racists, and imperialists in the Western world have been cultivating the image of a white woman in peril as a means to an end: maintaining white privilege and supremacy. In 2004, the late Gwen Ifill from PBS coined the term “Missing White Girl Syndrome” ( www.theguardian.com/... ). The military term for influencing people through perceptions or propaganda is called PSYOP (Psychological Operations). In America, this well-worn PSYOP tactic of white women in peril was used to justify the ethnic cleansing of indigenous people, seizing land or overseas possessions, and promoting Jim Crow laws.

This year to energize their white electorate, the GOP is cynically castigating dark-skinned foreigners or immigrants as murderers of white American women and only by voting Republican can they save the country (please see the 31 March 2024 diary of  Mel Leonor Barclay   and   Barbara Rodriguez ,   The 19th ). Similarly in 1988, the GOP had unleashed the notorious Willie Horton ads against Democratic Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis:  www.history.com/...  

This fear- and hate-mongering meme has been effective with a large portion of the American population because the incessant, permeating, subtle (and not so subtle) trope of the “Other” has been vigorously and sub-consciously reinforced in the minds of white people for well over one hundred years: Non-whites present a danger to white women and only white men can save them.  

As if Americans weren’t angry enough by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941, the US Office of War Information (OWI) produced hundreds of inflammatory racist posters portraying Japan as a simian danger to white women, as well as a vermin-like threat to the US. This horrendous meme facilitated the massive FBI detention of 120,000 innocent Japanese-Americans into concentration camps. 

In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist. Angela Davis

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Beyoncé Asks, and Answers, a Crucial Question in Her Latest Album

By Tressie McMillan Cottom

Opinion Columnist

Beyoncé released a genre-bending country album, “Cowboy Carter,” last week. After listening to it in all the requisite settings — on a walk, in a car and on a plane — I finally understand what Beyoncé, a notoriously enigmatic pop star, wants to say to the world. She wants to be more than popular. She wants to be legendary. But first, she isn’t through taking everyone who has doubted her to the woodshed.

In outlaw country tradition, “Cowboy Carter” settles scores with haters and with history. Beyoncé has trilled, growled, marched, stepped, sweated and sung her heart out for almost 30 years. It is, this album argues, in conjunction with the others in her in-progress three-act “Renaissance” oeuvre, time for a little respect, for Black artists generally but also for her specifically.

Just by being Black, a woman, popular and impervious to country music’s gatekeepers, Beyoncé has made a political album. Puzzling over who is country enough to sing love songs to wheat fields and big trucks only seems prosaic. Big Country — the Nashville-controlled, pop-folk music that commodifies rural American fantasies — is the cultural arm of white grievance politics. In 1974, President Richard Nixon described the genre as being “as native as anything American we could find.” That must have been a shock to actual Native Americans. But the message was not for them. It was for the white Southern voters Nixon needed to win over amid massive resistance to Black enfranchisement. Today’s Republican Party continues that tradition. Embracing country music is a loyalty test for conservative politicians and right-wing pundits whose career ambitions align with white identity politics. Beyoncé singing country music in this political climate was always going to cause a stir.

I went into this album release expecting, like many cultural critics, that the biggest question would be: Is it country? She is from Texas, which should be enough. She also has that voice — not her singing voice, but her speaking voice. It is molasses slow and heavy-toned like Southern humidity. Doubting Beyoncé’s country bona fides is like insisting that the realest Americans can only be found in small-town diners. It is a convenient shorthand for dismissing people you would rather not think about.

“Ameriican Requiem” is a solid opening track that addresses anyone who discounts Beyoncé’s Southern résumé. Big Country produces a stylized set of tropes that artists, producers and marketing executives slather on top of meter and rhythm. In good hands, those tropes can be signposts for a road trip through a sonic postcard. In lazy hands (and so many of the hands are lazy these days), they are paper dolls of cheap sentiment. You name your small town for legitimacy. You gesture to your family for kinship to rural America’s fictive family tree. Then you sprinkle in your proprietary mix of trucks, dogs, sunsets and beer for distinction.

Beyoncé takes on these tropes in “Ameriican Requiem.” Her identity gives them weight. She sings that her small-town roots are by way of “folks down in Galveston, rooted in Louisiana.” As the “grandbaby of a moonshine man” she has a right to sing the white man’s blues, because as a Black Southern woman she can legitimately claim the blues. Turning back to the audience of doubters, she sings: “Used to say I spoke ‘too country’/And the rejection came, said I wasn’t country ’nough/Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but/If that ain’t country, tell me what is?” Given the pedigree she has just laid out, the only honest answer is that country music is everything she sings about minus the Black woman singing it.

The song seems to be aimed squarely at the reception Beyoncé received at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards. She performed with the Chicks for a genre mash-up of her first country record, 2016’s “Daddy Lessons.” The moment was heavy with signification. The Chicks were the proverbial prodigal son — white feminist country icons, cast out for their politics, returning to the fold. Beyoncé, the mega pop star, brought the sheen of Black excellence and crossover appeal. The duet should have ended in a multiracial kumbaya for a notoriously homogeneous industry. Instead, the audience of almost all white record executives, country singers, radio programmers and Nashville elites looked alternately stunned and dismayed throughout the performance. Some of them yelled racist comments at the stage. Viewers complained it was not real country. Black artists have long complained — often silently, for fear of being blackballed — that the country music industry is hostile to them. The C.M.A. debacle proved their point. Big Country decides what is country by policing who is country.

“Cowboy Carter” is a Rosetta Stone for the hidden racial politics in country’s aw-shucks exclusion that the C.M.A. performance put on display. Beyoncé mocks the idea of genre and by extension those obsessed with its boundaries. In an interlude, she uses a recording of Linda Martell coyly questioning the deceptive simplicity of musical genres to make a deft critique. Martell is often credited as modern country’s first commercially successful Black woman artist. Her album “Color Me Country” charted in 1970. Look at how long the sanctity of genre has been used to erase artists like me, Beyoncé seems to say.

In another interlude Beyoncé turns up the heat, asking who has the power to transcend genres. The sound of a radio dial flips through songs, including Chuck Berry’s 1955 classic “Maybellene.” The song helped inspire a young white guy named Elvis Presley to make rock ’n’ roll music. When white artists inject themselves into other cultures’ genres, including blues and soul and R. & B. and rock ’n’ roll, they become legends. Why, Beyoncé asks, are Black artists beholden to genre’s dictates?

Beyoncé answers that question with layered textual references, interludes, samples and copious visual art that gestures toward the obvious answer (uh, racism). This artistic tease has become a hallmark of Beyoncé’s post-“Lemonade” output. Sometimes the gestures are too heavy for her variable songwriting to carry. They work on “Cowboy Carter” because country music is so resistant to the most obvious questions about its politics that even a gesture goes off like a bomb.

If country music is about being from the South, she playfully rejoins , why isn’t Houston’s gritty “chopped and screwed” style sufficiently country? If country music is about murder ballads that romanticize the darkest, most transgressive human desires, why isn’t it romantic when a Black woman is the one doing the killing? If country music is about defending hearth and home for the love of a good woman, she taunts, why aren’t her stoic Black father and her young daughter an American family worth fighting for? The only way for Big Country to answer these questions honestly is to talk about race and gender, racism and sexism, history and power. But these subjects are all verboten.

That sucks for country music. The genre’s most successful artists trend toward apolitical pablum because they can’t or won’t say anything interesting. Their loss is this album’s gain. Beyoncé can ask these questions of country music because she is not an insider. As one of the biggest stars in the world, she can take the heat that comes with disrupting country’s white noise problem. When country music performers are mostly white, the genre can pretend it’s one big family. That is easy to fake when it controls who is considered family. But the sound becomes inbred. New blood highlights the difference. Country music’s self-consciousness about its status as real or cool music is its own fault. You cannot create art without getting something more substantial than mud on your tires.

Beyoncé is not afraid to get dirty in her artistic choices. Even when they don’t work, they aren’t boring. Her interpretation of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” is an example. The song is one of the great folk songs of the 20th century, written and performed by a celebrity who has become something of a secular saint. A cover would have been easy. Instead, Beyoncé shows artistic vision by choosing not to remake the song but to reinterpret it.

Her version is forgettable, but her choice to interpret it through her own identity is important. The original, from 1973, weeps with vulnerability. Parton is begging redheaded Jolene not to take her man. This did something really powerful for the time. It ascribed the balance of power in a heterosexual marriage not to the husband but to another woman, appealing to her moral compass instead of judging her unethical flirting. That vulnerability works because Parton represented the kind of woman who was allowed to be vulnerable. Even more, a white woman from the Appalachia region of the United States in the 1970s needed her man, not just for love but also for economic security. When Parton asks Jolene not to take her man, she’s asking Jolene not to take the very roof over her head. But Beyoncé is not fighting for her economic survival. She is fighting for her status as a wealthy wife. That is a position of social dominance over other women. Her version of the song sounds more like a rich wife’s “ Fist City ” than a down-on-her-luck housewife from a poor town because Beyoncé knows who she is. That is integrity.

I worried about that songwriting integrity when this album was announced. No matter how it sounded, a Beyoncé country record would be culturally important. But for it to be good in a country-folk soundscape, the album would also have to talk to the audience.

At its best, country music is a lyrically driven storytelling genre that elevates the mundane to the universal. Beyoncé’s songwriting has been spotty, even if her conceptual vision has been exceptional. I don’t think she has ever had a mundane experience in her life, so that’s a nonstarter. Even more challenging is that almost a decade ago, Beyoncé mostly stopped talking to her audience. Rarely giving interviews is a perk of being a mega celebrity. However, it has created a vacuum. We know Beyoncé makes hits and amazing visuals, but can any of us say that we know what Beyoncé wants?

Playing with the political fault lines of genre opened up Beyoncé’s storytelling. On “ 16 Carriages ,” she makes a clear artistic statement that echoes in the silence she has created. “For legacy, if it’s the last thing I do/You’ll remember me ’cause we got something to prove.” Legacy requires legibility. It is almost imperative for a pop artist to do a bit more than gesture toward the textuality in her work if she wants that text to be legible. When she doesn’t, the audience fills in the gaps. They faithfully decode her gestures (especially her popular visuals) on social media. That is smart fan service in a hypercompetitive attention economy. It also buffers Beyoncé from the blowback that comes from saying clearly who she is and what she wants to say. But for someone fixated on legacy, letting fans litigate your artistic statement in this fragmented media culture leads to a chaotic message.

Beyoncé is ultimately the author of her legacy, not the Grammys or the C.M.A.s or most of the gatekeepers at this point. But she will have to do more than gesture to her legacy for us to help her fulfill it.

I am convinced that the right way to think about this album is through the lens of legacy. “Renaissance” was labeled Act One and this album is Act Two. Speculation abounds that a third act will complete a three-album volume of Black musical reclamation. Instead, with the genre deconstruction of “Cowboy Carter,” the idea of an album trilogy feels like a playbook for cementing Beyoncé’s legacy.

Another historic trilogy comes to mind. Stevie Wonder’s 1970s run of albums include some of the most important popular music ever recorded. Three of them — “Innervisions” (1973), “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” (1974) and “Songs in the Key of Life” (1976) — won Grammy Awards for album of the year. These albums were the rare mix of commercially successful and critically acclaimed. They were also a carefully constructed creative statement. Stevie Wonder was a child star, a prodigy. He made successful pop music. The albums he released in the 1970s marked his transition to Stevie Wonder, the legendary artist. He also played with genre, most notably by mainstreaming the then-novel synthesizer in popular music. He could still pen a classic love song, but he also turned his creative vision to the politics of our mundane lives. Along the way, he did more than gesture to his art. He guided the public’s musical tastes through his evolution.

In retrospect, Beyoncé began her own break from youthful stardom with “Lemonade” in 2016. Although that album focuses on a marriage that I would frankly be happy to hear less about, it is a definitive break from her pop-lite image. On “Renaissance,” Beyoncé expanded her breadth of sounds much in the same way Wonder did with the synthesizer. (Wonder played harmonica on Beyoncé’s version of “Jolene.”) On “Cowboy Carter” she slows down enough to tell a story that all listeners — close or casual — can receive.

I am more than fine with signing on to the Beyoncé legacy project, which promises to reclaim Black art across genres that have erased Black contributions. That is noble. But she has also worked really hard to elevate a very specific era of a young female singer’s career — that sanitized expression of girlhood — into something more expansive. She chose to do that through Black art, leaning into her Southernness, her accent, her lower vocal range, instead of choosing to become a more palatable post-racial pop star. On this album she makes a case for why, instead of simply embodying the latent politics of pop, house and country, she’s choosing to transform them into something else. The result is an eminently enjoyable album with some imperfections but an indication of what could be possible if more artists follow her lead.

Beyoncé cannot sing authentically about growing up poor or making ends meet. (She grew up upper middle class.) But she can reinscribe a genre’s latent politics. When she sings another genre in her body, she interprets that genre through her identity. The result can make you dance, but it can also make you reckon with your complicity in that genre’s policing of who is and is not legitimately American.

Reinscribing pop music’s history on a Black female Southern artist expands a vision of America’s cultural politics. It is not multiracial in the facile sense. Beyoncé’s ambition is to right the crooked room of American pop music, one that has tilted toward hidden racial politics and commodified inclusivity. She may not be innovating with new instruments or a singular new sound, as previous pop music legends have done. She does not need to. She has a singing voice that is a fine instrument. If she would turn her speaking voice to the audience and narrate her vision, the public work of reimagining genre could become the legacy project she so clearly wants.

Tressie McMillan Cottom (@ tressiemcphd ) became a New York Times Opinion columnist in 2022. She is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science, the author of “Thick: And Other Essays” and a 2020 MacArthur fellow.

Source photograph by Adrienne Bresnahan via Getty Images.

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