Illustration
As an Illustrator you can look forward to rich and diverse professional opportunities. Faculty will help you explore a variety of media and styles to find your best professional fit. Our alumni work in areas as varied as magazines, book covers, children’s books, website design, advertising, clothing design, greeting cards, educational materials, social/political advocacy, animation, and gallery work. Students interested in pursuing an emphasis in Illustration must participate in a secondary admissions review after completion of the Foundations Review. Students may pursue a B.F.A. in Studio Art in this emphasis.
Degree Options
Students may pursue a B.F.A. in Studio Art in this emphasis. The B.F.A. in Studio Art is designed for students interested in a professional degree in art or design. This degree will prepare students for a career as a professional illustrator. Aside from Illustration, eight other Emphasis Areas are available to choose from in the B.F.A. degree.
- Transitional Advising Guide to New and Previous Studio Art BFA Degree
- Illustration - Checklist (Previous)
- Illustration - Detailed 4-year plan (Previous)
Learning Environment
Student in Illustration discuss their work with faculty
Only illustrators with broad-based knowledge, good business sense, superior research skills, technical facility, and sustained commitment will succeed. The illustration curriculum for this emphasis is designed to help students become adept in these areas and to help them learn to balance historical perspectives of the field with an awareness of contemporary practices. In addition, majors are encouraged to balance aesthetic sensitivity with professional practicality and traditional craft with individual creativity.
Faculty
Durwin Talon
Assistant Professor
Guin Thompson
Assistant Professor, Area Coordinator
Students' Works
Course Catalog
ART 212 - Graphic Design For Illustrators
An introduction to printing methods, typography, layout, and paper
choices as they relate to creating self-promotional materials
and illustrations which print successfully.
Offered winter semester.
Credits: 3
ART 280 - Introduction to Illustration
An overview of the illustration field covering historical and
contemporary perspectives, aesthetic sensitivity, and professional
practicality.
Offered fall and winter semesters.
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite: Admission to Illustration.
Credits: 3
ART 381 - Intermediate Illustration I
Fundamentals of illustration with an emphasis on digital imaging
methods.
Offered fall and winter semesters.
Prerequisites: ART 280.
Credits: 3
ART 382 - Intermediate Illustration II
Fundamentals of illustration with an emphasis on realistic
representation.
Offered fall semester.
Prerequisites: ART 381.
Credits: 3
ART 413 - Portfolio
Refinement and development of a body of work constituting a
professional portfolio.
Offered fall semester.
Prerequisites: ART 382.
Credits: 3
ART 415 - Senior Project: Graphics/Illustration
Development of a body of work focusing on a specific aspect of
graphic design or illustration in which the student wishes to
specialize. The work will be shown along with the student’s portfolio
as the senior show.
Offered fall and winter semesters.
Prerequisites: ART 483.
Credits: 3
ART 482 - Advanced Illustration I
Development of a personal style of illustration supported by an
examination of historical trends. Offered fall semester.
Prerequisites: ART 382.
Credits: 3
ART 483 - Advanced Illustration II
Development of personal styles of illustration supported by an
examination of contemporary trends. Offered fall semester.
Prerequisites: ART 482.
Credits: 3
Facilities
Classes in the illustration program are held in the illustration and painting studios as well as computer labs in Calder Art Center. These diverse facilities help students cultivate the technical proficiency necessary to develop their individual artistic focus and personal approach to the field. Many students in the illustration emphasis have personal studio spaces in a common room that encourage informal discussions between peers.
Professional Networking
SIGIL Illustration Club
Student Interest Group Illustration (SIGIL) is a GVSU based illustration group open to all art and non-art majors, including university alumni. SIGIL is Grand Valley's very first organization for students who enjoy drawing and sharing their artwork with others. We meet weekly and make art, sell art, and bring new resources to Grand Valley's artistic community.
Visit Us
Prospective Students are invited to attend one of the High School Student Receptions, held throughout the academic year. Receptions follow the Laker Experience Days.
Request Information
For questions about the Illustration area, please contact:
Durwin Talon
Illustration Coordinator
1108 Calder Arts Center
(616) 331-3576
[email protected]
Other Areas
Art Education — Art History — Ceramics — Film & Video Production — Graphic Design — Illustration — Jewelry and Metalsmithing — Painting — Photography — Printmaking — Sculpture — Visual Studies