TEMPLATE pub Catalog 2023-24 UG GRAD FACULTY LIST 05-31-23 InProgress-updated (1).xlsx

PNCA2023‐24COURSECATALOG

2023-24 COURSE CATALOG

PNCA campus - 511 NW Broadway, Portland OR, 97209

Contents

Course descriptions pg. 2 - 45

Curriculum requirements - Undergraduate - Graduate pg. 46 - 64

Undergraduate minors pg. 65 - 67

Faculty list (PNCA) pg. 68 - 74

Tuiton and Fees pg. 75 - 77

Academic Policy pg. 78 - 87

University Accreditation pg. 87

PNCA2023‐24COURSECATALOG

FIRST YEAR FOUNDATION & LIBERAL ARTS

Crs# Course Name Description Credit

FD100 First Year Seminar This course is designed to help first year students make a successful transition to PNCA. Through presentations, hands-on

projects, discussions, and field trips, students will develop the skills and habits to be successful in a new social and

academic setting. Strong emphasis will be placed on building unity and connecting students to resources that can enhance

their studies and creative practices.

FD101 Visual Elements: 2D This semester long course introduces students to the basic elements and principles of 2D design and color theory with an

emphasis on compositional strategies and creative and conceptual thinking. Students will develop a stronger visual

language for communicating their ideas through problem solving, materials exploration, and critical discussion. This course

allows students to develop organizational control in visual structures, and to improve their ability to manage complex design

problems in a variety of disciplines.

FD102 Visual Elements: Digital Tools This semester long course introduces students to the fundamentals of digital imaging as a tool for design. Students

develop the use of line, shape, value, mass, texture and pattern and learn to apply this knowledge to achieve certain

effects: harmony, contrast, balance, symmetry, rhythm, movement, perspective and space illusion. These concepts will be

explored through the three basic types of applications used in contemporary digital design: vector programs, raster

(bitmapped) programs and to a lesser extent, page layout programs.

FD105 Drawing This semester long course focuses on the fundamental components of drawing. It will explore the use of line and value to

create and manipulate form, volume, composition and space on paper. The underlying formal principles of drawing will be

closely examined, and numerous mark making techniques employed. The structure of the course will guide the student

through a process of seeing, investigating, and realizing the visible world on a two-dimensional surface. This course will

also build on observational drawing skills through projects with expanded parameters. Issues and ideas that inform and

influence the function of drawing and the decision-making process will also be discussed.

FD111 3-D Design Three-dimensional design is a broad discipline and can be thought of in terms of sculpture, industrial design, architecture

and the creation of any space. This course introduces the fundamentals of three-dimensional design techniques and

concepts such as space, mass, form, volume, texture, material, and structure. Spatial problems are investigated through a

variety of traditional and non-traditional materials and methods to develop skills, as well as contexts for their expression.

FD112 Time Arts Time Arts introduces the concepts and practical study of space, sound and time as they relate to both sequential and non-

sequential narration, movement, timing and interactivity. Students will work both individually and collaboratively to explore

these concepts through a variety of media including video, sound, performance, books (flipbooks, comic books, artist

books), and other narrative and non-narrative structures.

LA122 Writing in Context This course provides a writing-based introduction to a particular field of study in the liberal arts, ranging from literature to

political thought and from film to environmental studies. It is a reading-intensive course taught by Liberal Arts faculty of

many disciplines, and draws on both the expertise of the instructor and a broad sampling of texts relevant to the course

topic. Foundation Writing and Writing in Context classes introduce students to various approaches to textual interpretation,

critical thinking, and writing. In both semesters, the instructors model and teach students how to use citations, appropriate

and employ quotations, summarize text, and to build relevant bibliographies. Students learn to read critically, to discuss the

material with classmates and with the instructor, to conduct relevant and documented research, and to shape and present

informed ideas in a variety of writing formats that demonstrate clarity, coherence, intellectual force, and stylistic control.

AH125 Exploring Visual Culture This introductory course explores the relationship between art, design, and our current global culture. We will look at varied

examples of contemporary art and design in order to better understand the theories, methods, trends, and histories that

shape the production and reception of art and design today. This course will generate ideas and vocabulary that will

facilitate

our abilit

to discuss

our work and the work of others. It will foster an understandin

of how

our creative work fit

into a larger social, historical, and cultural context.

PNCA2023‐24COURSECATALOG

ANIMATED ARTS

Crs# Course Name Description Credit

AA231

nimation I: Materials, Methods

& Motion

The first of a two-semester sequence, this studio course will explore the relationship of sound and moving image from the

frame-by-frame perspective of fine art animation. Students with diverse interests within and across, painting and drawing,

sculpture, illustration, music, and performance will obtain a basic formal and conceptual knowledge of animation principles,

cinematic vocabulary and experimental structures. Animation is investigated through projects, lecture/screenings on

historical and contemporary works and ideas, discussion of readings, visiting artists, research and writing, hands-on

experiences, and collaborative projects. In the first semester students will experiment with a variety of production methods

and materials using LunchBox Sync and iStop Motion for capturing. Students will be encouraged to explore a range of

alternative approaches to creating the illusion of movement as well as to see animation as a nuanced medium for self-

expression across various media platforms that communicate within and outside the traditional movie house.

Prerequisites: May complete FD-112 concurrently. - Recommended to be taken either prior to or at the same time as this

course, but is not required.

AA232

nimation II: H

brid Movin

Image

The second of a two-semester sequence, this studio course expands on the frame-b

-frame perspective and h

brid movin

image making skills using digital software. Students with diverse interests within and across, painting and drawing,

sculpture, illustration, music, and performance will obtain a basic formal and conceptual knowledge of animation principles,

cinematic vocabulary and experimental structures. Animation is investigated through projects, lecture/screenings on

historical and contemporary works and ideas, discussion of readings, visiting artists, research and writing, hands-on

experiences, and collaborative projects. In the second semester students will apply principles of timing and pacing as they

learn composite software: After Effects, Flash and Painter. Students will be encouraged to explore a range of alternative

approaches to creating the illusion of movement as well as to see animation as a nuanced medium for self-expression

across various media platforms that communicate within and outside the traditional movie house.

Prerequisites: AA231.

AA235 Animated Arts Special Topics Special topics courses are approved to take advantage of timely subjects, the expertise of a faculty member, or to test

student interest in a topic which may later be added to the curriculum. Prerequisites: AA231-232.

AA236 Character and Identity Character Design has its roots in industry animation where a fixed set of shapes allowed studios to employ any number of

animators to work simultaneously. Character & Identity assumes audiences can relate to and engage with a character

without the maker having to dilute or amplify to arrive at a superficial representation of a type. The course seeks to contrast

the usual reductive approaches in thinking about “character” by investigating the pitfalls of classifying and stereotyping.

With a starting focus on media literacy as a disruption to the usual introduction of “character,” students will engage in a

variet

of research methods aimed at

atherin

specifics rather than

eneralizations to inform visual development. How can

one use the typical character types as a departure point rather than a destination? How are the traditional ways of

categorizing and developing character effective and in what ways do they fail to reflect the fluidity and complexity of

humanity? With the goal of designing original characters, students will collect and assemble a personal visual reference

library to support their findings and challenge their own preconceptions. Students will do field work where they would go out

and actively study and document real people as a way of researching when developing their designs that seek out and

celebrate specifics rather than generalizations. Students will conduct interviews with people and look for all the subtleties in

selfpresentation, dress, cadences of speech and physical vocabulary as well as consider how people move in different

spaces, bodies, and states of mind. Actin

or improv se

ments and drawin

from life will hone observational skills. Students

will assemble a personal visual reference library to support their findings and challenge their own preconceptions.

AA237 Beginning Stop Motion This course builds upon basic animation principles with a focus on the puppet/object as a character. Open to any student

who completes the pre-requisite of Beginning Animated Arts I, this course introduces the camera and lighting and applies

principles of animated motion to 3D objects and puppets utilizing various materials from paper cut-outs to ball & socket

armatures. The practice and craft of Stop Motion animation is investigated through lecture-demonstrations, screenings of

historical and contemporary works, visiting artists and industry professionals, and guided technical sessions in our stop

motion suites. Throughout students will be encouraged to use animated movement: timing, pacing, and gesture to

communicate a range of nuanced expressions that create visual narrative. The course culminates in an individual final

project suitable for portfolio and reel.

AA238 Puppet Fabrication Puppet Fabrication provides students with foundation skills in character puppet fabrication designed for stop motion

animation. In hands-on workshops, students will be introduced to multiple

material handling techniques including wire armature construction, clip foam body shaping, direct sculpt head build,

costuming, and wig construction, culminating in a functional stop motion puppet. As a part of the curriculum, a spectrum of

stop motion media will be shown and discussed in class to illustrate the diverse paths this medium takes. Students are

given support to evaluate, experiment, apply and re-imagine puppetry while developing techniques as it relates to their

personal voice.

PNCA2023‐24COURSECATALOG

ANIMATED ARTS (cont.)

Crs# Course Name Description Credit

AA301 Animated Documentary This course is designed to apply media theory to moving image practice. Throughout academia, binary positions that pit

moving image as “art” against moving image as “documentary” now seem largely artificial. Regardless, for many the terms

animation and documentary can conjure an odd pairing. This course examines how hybridized digital film - or animation as

defined by Lev Manovich – shifts and broadens how the real can be depicted. Beginning with definitions of documentary by

Bill Nichols and Julia Lesage, this course explores, through the lens of theorist Annabelle Honess Roe, how - absent

indexical relationship between live action and reality – animation’s material difference and a keen emphasis on soundtrack

can provide a combination that both lacks and exceeds the visual indexical bond between image and reality. From Winsor

McCay’s 1918 classic “The Sinking of the Lusitania” through a host of educational and social guidance films to Dennis

Tupicoff’s His Mother’s Voice (1997), to It’s Like That by the Southern Ladies Animation Group (2003) to Marjane Satrapi’s

2007 Oscar nominated Persepolis, animated documentary exposes as false the old ultimatum: either artistic or didactic,

either aesthetic or political. Emphasis is placed on advanced skills in critical thinking, oral and written communication, and

studio work in order to investigate how, within contemporary ethnography, animated documentary can be used to bring

breadth and depth to representation of ‘the other’.

AA331 Animated Short Film Animated Short Film. This upper division hybrid media studio extends the principles of animation – the pacing of sequential

images, the tension between stillness and movement, and the hybrid compositing practices that define digital filmmaking –

in the creation of innovative, upper division work constructed from a frame-by-frame perspective. Animated Short Film -

Topics include: digital film and hybrid moving image, gestures and languages of movement, rotoscoping and the loss of the

index, and the architecture of animated space. The course is structured by individual and collaborative projects, critiques,

lectures and screenings on historical and contemporary animated art forms, discussions of theoretical readings, research

and writing, and field work to support in-depth investigations tied to non-traditional contexts, interdisciplinary investigations

and a range of display platforms. Prerequisites: AA231

AA332 Animated Installation Animated Installation. This upper division studio course builds upon the principles of animation – while pushing

the idea of ‘screen’ beyond the traditional single rectangular experience. Course topics

address both concepts and production to include: experiencing spatial form/moving

image in spaces, spectacle & poetics, and considerations for multi-channel projections.

The course includes individual and collaborative projects, equipment demonstrations

and hands-on technical experimenting, critiques, field trips, and lectures/screenings on

historical and contemporary installations and projections. Students will be asked to

participate and lead discussions of theoretical readings and engage in upper division

practice-based research to support in-depth investigations leading to the creation of

work designed for range of display platforms and audiences. Final projects will culminate

in a public exhibition. Prerequisites: AA231.

AA333 Narrative Strategies This upper division course will investigate narrative construction, both implied and explicit, through the frame of literature,

film and critical theory with a focus on understanding and developing animated narratives for short form platforms. Through

applied exercises, lecture/screenings, critiques and discussions of readings, participants will explore how the particular

language of animation can be used to create original and challenging work in single and multiple channels. Projects will

address associative thinking, visualization, narrative events, event analysis, and structural processes with direct reference

to traditional narrative forms, documentary and experimental practice. Through collaborative, provocative, and spirited

investi

ations of a variet

of historical and contemporar

approaches, students will en

e in advanced critical thinkin

as a

means to investigate narrative structures and creative practice within moving image arts. Prerequisites: AA231-232.

AA335 Animated Arts Special Topics Special topics courses are approved to take advantage of timely subjects, the expertise of a faculty member, or to test

student interest in a topic which may later be added to the curriculum. Prerequisites: AA231-232.

AA336 2D to 3D Animation

Production

This upper division studio course is for animators and designers interested in understanding concepts and applications of

2D/3D software in a creative environment. Students will explore the relationships between 2D and 3D toolsets. Beginning

with the 2 ½ D aspects of After Effects we will move into concepts of 3D software including MoGraph, a toolset in Cinema

4D. Then we will roundtrip our work back into After Effects to learn some advanced compositing techniques and polish up

our images. With the potential of utilizing hand drawings, photos, collages, and even video, this course helps you find a

unique voice in computer graphics. Hands-on instruction in Photoshop, After Effects and Cinema 4D will bring students to

an intermediate level in the software. A series of short assignments coupled with screenings of a range of animated work,

pertinent analysis of work and on-going critique support both exploration and problem solving. This course is a 300 level

elective for Graphic Design and Animated Arts.

AA435 Animated Arts Special Topics Special topics courses are approved to take advantage of timely subjects, the expertise of a faculty member, or to test

student interest in a topic which may later be added to the curriculum.

AA436 Animated Arts Project Incubator Prerequisite: AA331 Intermediate Animated Arts. AAPI is a fully functioning incubator for media work meant to bridge the

gap between individual creative practice and practical work experience. The course provides a supported studio

environment where students have opportunities to work with community partners while receiving art direction and

production support faculty instructors, visiting professionals, and their MAPI cohort. This class is intended to give students

professional experience through concept development, methods to understand audience within a cultural context,

strategizing the ‘pitch,’ art design and direction, and time management for project completion. Projects will vary and can be

independently lead or produced for clients outside of PNCA. Partners may include local non-profits, gallery co-ops, content-

based competitions and other possibilities. Potential commissioned pro

ects with stipends could include creation of a PSA, a

short film, a web series pilot, or a research-based collaborative project. Within the actual supported studio environment,

students are able to sharpen their skills, gain confidence and have practical work experiences relevant for future

employment, grant funding and a heightened media profile.

PNCA2023‐24COURSECATALOG

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Crs# Course Name Description Credit

FD 200 First Year Design Studio In this Design Studio, First Year students are introduced to the processes of illustration and graphic design. While both

disciplines have distinct characteristics and functions, they are closely linked historically and in contemporary creative

practice. This course offers students a strong technical and conceptual framework for a major in Graphic Design or

Illustration. In weekly experimental studio sessions, students will explore various principles and methodologies from graphic

design and illustration, exploring their intersections in contemporary client-based practice. Through incorporation of

drawing, typography, painting, collage, and digital media, students will encounter new creative possibilities and find

exposure to the dynamic opportunities available to the contemporary illustrator & designer.

GD241 Desi

n Studio I: Si

ns and

Symbols

This course introduces the student to the structure of visual languages and how these structures are used consciously and

unconsciously in design. The course begins by exploring modes of signification and the ideological roles of media in

contemporary culture. Key strands in critical theory such as mythology and ideology will be introduced. Students will

examine the transmission of meaning in our visual culture. In particular, students will be asked to judge for themselves the

truth of old certainties relating to the techniques and the very purposes of Graphic Design. Computer skills and

compositional skills will be stressed and enhanced.

Prerequisites: All Foundation studio courses.

GD242 Desi

n Studio I: Ps

cholo

Seeing

This course focuses on the roles that human perception and cognition play in the world of design. As such this studio

course examines the notion of locating the individual in the sphere of cultural production and consumption. The aim of the

course is to discover how notions of the unconscious affect the decision-makin

patterns of consumers in our visual culture.

Students are introduced to various psychological principles that facilitate our understanding of how humans are motivated

to action or behavior in design and advertising. Technically, the course will rely heavily on page layout, color response, and

typography.

Prerequisites: All Foundation studio courses.

GD245 Typography I Typographic skills and concepts are applied to situations involving the use of type in layout, illustration, and time-based

applications. The emphasis is not only on style and composition, but also on formal and semantic issues as these are

influenced by project function and technological criteria. Students will be able to understand the history and evolution of

typography, and to discuss and analyze the physical aspects and nuances of type and typographic measurements. Some

key concepts in type design will be explored as well. Projects will explore a variety of solutions to design problems that

require both expressiveness as well as an understanding of the practical uses of type in Graphic Design.

Prerequisites: All Foundation studio courses.

GD246 Typography II Typography II is a continuation of systems and ideas explored initially in Typography I. This course includes historical and

contemporary lectures mixed with studio time for experimentation, research, and personal application of concepts. This

course is intended to give you a further understanding and appreciation of type as a tool for the designer. During this

course, typographic skills and concepts are applied to situations involving the use of type in digital and manual applications.

Prerequisites: GD241 and GD245.

GD247 Production This course provides an understanding of the scope and correlation of design, pre-press preparation and the production

process. Fundamentals of computer hardware/software management and the importance of time management and project

planning will be stressed.

Prerequisites: All Foundation studio courses.

GD251 Fundamentals of Interactive

Media

Fundamentals of Interactive Media is first in the series of two interactive design courses, is offered in the Spring semester,

and is required for GD students. This course serves as an introduction to interactive design with user experience and user

interface methodologies. Basic principles of design for digital platforms are discussed, as well as interaction design

concepts such as app/web, augmented and virtual reality, ocular/voice recognition, environmental/experience design, etc.

Students will develop the background needed to understand how audio, video, animation and motion graphics affect user

interaction and experience within digital media.

Prerequisites: All Foundation studio courses.

GD310 GD Design Special Topics Special topics courses are approved to take advantage of timely subjects, the expertise of a faculty member, or to test

student interest in a topic which may later be added to the curriculum.

GD341 Desi

n Studio II: Culture and

Audience

This course begins to prepare the student for understanding the audience that design always addresses. As a means to

understand audience, we investigate where that is found - a cultural context. Borrowing ideas from anthropology and

political economy, students explore Graphic Design from the perspective of total communication - from the larger issues

confronting a society to the discreet objects and messages contained therein. Projects include identity and collateral,

produce and brand development, as well as publication design.

Prerequisites: GD 241-242, GD 245 and GD 246, or Instructor permission.

PNCA2023‐24COURSECATALOG

GRAPHIC DESIGN (cont.)

Crs# Course Name Description Credit

GD342 Desi

n Studio II: Rhetoric &

Persuasion

The use of Graphic Design in shaping history, scholarly discourse, the media and even genres such as film and literature,

seems transparent. This class will link to the traditional aims of rhetoric (developing a good argument), with becoming a

perceptive interpreter. We will investigate the integral role of building solid visual arguments and developing the rhetorical

skills to defend a position. Students will be asked to develop an argument on a complex issue and advance that argument

through the use of design media such as posters, websites, billboards, etc. Prerequisites: GD241-242, GD245, GD246 and

GD341, or Instructor permission.

GD344 Marketing & Branding This class is an overview of basic marketing principles and their relevance to the advertising art director and Graphic

Designer. Students will be exposed to product development, pricing, distribution and promotion, merchandising and public

relations in consumer and industrial markets and comparing various media, their selection and use.

Prerequisites: LA121-122 and GD241-242, or Instructor permission.

GD350 Interface & Structure This course serves as an introduction to front-end design and development. Students will cultivate their developmental

abilities for the web by focusing on the core technical languages of HTML and CSS. Exploration of current web trends,

techniques, and best practices will be emphasized with special attention paid to the role of the modern day professional as

a hinge position between aesthetic sensitivity and programmatic rigor.

Prerequisites: GD241-242, GD251 or Instructor permission.

GD351 Motion Graphics This final course in the web sequence explores the conceptual mash up of art direction and heuristics, visual affordance,

narrative, technology, and data. Production values will be stressed and usability concerns will be addressed. Students will

create desire with interactive design following the constructs unique to the digital medium and investigate parallels in other

design sectors. A variety of design techniques will be taught to challenge aesthetic approaches. Students will become

versed in technology, and explore dynamics of project collaboration, client relationships, and principle driven design.

Prerequisites: GD241-242, GD251, GD350 or consent of instructor.

GD410 Graphic Design Special Topics Special topics courses are approved to take advantage of timely subjects, the expertise of a faculty member, or to test

student interest in a topic which may later be added to the curriculum. Prerequisites: Senior standing or Instructor

ermission.

GD443 Graphic Desi

n Advanced

Studio

Running concurrently with the Practicum and Thesis, students use the opportunity to share their experiences, projects and

evaluations. This exchange of information and insight benefits all class members.

Prerequisite: Senior standing.

GD444 Graphic Desi

n Advanced

Studio

Running concurrently with the Practicum and Senior Project, students use the opportunity to share their experiences,

projects and evaluations. This exchange of information and insight benefits all class members.

Prerequisite: Senior standing.

GD441 Design Arts Internship Design Arts students with junior or senior standing are placed with cooperating employers for approximately 9 hours per

week. Employers include designers, design firms, advertising agencies and other creative firms. Within the actual creative

environment, students are able to sharpen their skills, gain confidence and have practical work experiences that are

invaluable.Before registering, students must apply directly to an internship site and receive confirmation of acceptance.

Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing or consent of Department Chair.

GD445 Center for Design The PNCA Center for Design is a working design studio with real clients and projects, operating with the "safety net" of our

learning environment. Center for Design students from illustration and design majors are exposed to all aspects of a

professional creative practice-from initial client meetings, strategy development, and creative briefs; to scheduling, concept

development, presentation, and final execution. We'll turn the superpowers we learn working in a design studio setting

towards a range of viable work, from commercial projects to values-driven initiatives and "Design for Good." Members of

the studio will collaborate in student-led and student-driven teams, working in project management, art direction, and

production in addition to design and illustration as fits each project. We'll supplement collaborative client work with studio

visits from different industry perspectives, brand building work for the studio, and we'll develop tools for you to take into your

future practice. We'll work collaboratively, but with space for each team member's unique voice and individual contributions

to shine. This studio gives the hands-on experience of an internship and the opportunity to add work that lives in the "real

world" to your portfolios.

PNCA2023‐24COURSECATALOG

ILLUSTRATION

Crs# Course Name Description Credit

FD 200 First Year Design Studio In this Design Studio, First Year students are introduced to the processes of illustration and graphic design. While both

disciplines have distinct characteristics and functions, they are closely linked historically and in contemporary creative

practice. This course offers students a strong technical and conceptual framework for a major in Graphic Design or

Illustration. In weekly experimental studio sessions, students will explore various principles and methodologies from graphic

design and illustration, exploring their intersections in contemporary client-based practice. Through incorporation of

drawing, typography, painting, collage, and digital media, students will encounter new creative possibilities and find

exposure to the dynamic opportunities available to the contemporary illustrator & designer.

IL251 Word & Image This course provides an introduction to the verbal/visual relationship of the illustrator's creative process. Students will gain

an understanding of the history of illustration as it relates to the contemporary marketplace and the key practitioners of the

art form. Self-expression and experimentation are placed within the context of illuminating information through pictures and

symbols. Prerequisite: All Foundation studio courses.

IL252 Visual Techniques Illustration is an art of illuminating ideas. This course provides the groundwork for developing the ability to communicate

effectively through image content. Multiple ways of expressing a visual solution are investigated while working with a variety

of contemporary and historical themes and ideas. In addition to the student gaining the conceptual skills needed as an

illustrator, technical skills and processes in a number of key media areas will be explored and developed.

Prerequisite: IL251.

IL253 Painting for Illustration This is a painting class. This class explores the possibilities for self-expression and story-telling with color and composition.

Students will build on their knowledge of color theory and composition gained in the Foundation classes, further exploring

color systems and how color and texture can be used as compositional elements. Students will gain techniques and

knowledge of mediums used with watercolor and acrylic paint. The first part of this class will focus on correct color mixing

and understanding of formal elements of composition. In the second part, students will be asked to apply that

understanding by manipulating the color and compositional elements in front of them to achieve different effects. The final

part of this course is an independent final project proposed by the student, giving him/her an opportunity to apply the skills

and techniques learned over the semester to their own choice of subject matter and conceptual content.

IL254 Digital Media Strategies 1 This class explores modes of digital-image making, placing an emphasis on integrating analog and digital illustration

processes, working between multiple image-making platforms and applications that incorporate both raster and vector

thinking with the goal of developing unique and original processes that stretch the limits of the programs. Multiple ways of

expressing a visual solution are investigated through a combination of analog techniques (i.e. drawing, painting,

composition, perspective, light, value, and color) and digital tools (i.e. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator). Prerequisites: All

Foundation studio courses.

IL255 Drawing for Illustration This course builds upon basic drawing skills to extend technical and conceptual range. Differing from Experiments in

Drawing, in that it is directed primarily towards the practice and consolidation of observational drawing. These tools include

analytical seeing, gesture, measuring, value/volume, linear perspective, composition and varied mark making. This course

is intent on tackling varying traditional and non-traditional tactile media less commonly explored in the painting curriculum.

Each semester will begin with simple vine charcoal and pencil extending to other media such as watercolor, gouache,

pastel, oil pastel, conte and colored pencils. Since each semester highlights a different medium or type of media, this

course may be taken singly or out of sequence. This course includes supervised studio work and working from live models,

critiques aimed at strengthening compositional skills by examining the coherence of the effects within each composition,

possible field trips to outside exhibits or off-campus drawing sites. Work outside of class will be assigned to build skills

rehearsed in class.

Prerequisite: All Foundation studio courses.

IL256 Digital Media Strategies 2 This course will explore advanced digital image making methodologies in the vector-based application Adobe Illustrator and

raster-based application Photoshop, as well as Procreate and Clip Studio. Students will be exposed to a broad range of

digital and analog image-making techniques with an emphasis on shape-based image building processes, design thinking,

collaborative ideation, and ultimately starting to develop individual voice, style, and workflow through digital and analog

experimentation. This class will serve as a project incubator and focusing on student driven projects and strategic design

solutions. Digital production, printing techniques (both analog and digital), and file management will also be covered.

Prerequisites: DMS 1

IL257 Illustration: Special Topics Special topics courses are approved to take advantage of timely subjects, the expertise of a faculty member, or to test

student interest in a topic which may later be added to the curriculum.

IL258 Capsule Collection The illustration world has historically been client-directed; however, as markets shift and disciplinary lines blur, it is more

important than ever for illustrators to hone their personal creative voices. In this advanced studio, students will examine the

intersection of existin

markets, their voice, and their desired audience to for

e an entrepreneurial path. The primar

oal of

this course is the development of a capsule collection – a small but comprehensive series of products that are linked

conceptually and stylistically. Students will sharpen their analytical and conceptual skills to produce work that pushes

beyond surface-level aesthetics and continues to build upon their unique visual language. Through the creation of a pitch,

the

will research their audience and trends to clarif

their

oals and la

the

roundwork for the semester. Students will then

balance a self-driven practice with targeted art direction in order to concept and produce full color and limited color

applications of their work for this collection.

IL259 Picture Book This course is an investigation into the format and creation of picture books from the perspective of illustrators. Picture

books are a unique medium that appeal to audiences of all ages, and we will be discussing and creating work not only for

children but also for teens and adults. Particular attention will be paid to the unique relationship between words and images

in picture books. The culmination of the term will be focused on students creating a mini-book. Students will choose a short

text and reinterpret it in a uniquely personal way.

PNCA2023‐24COURSECATALOG

IL260 Environments & Architecture This class covers the fundamentals of perspective (atmospheric, 1,2,3 and 4 point), lighting and cast shadows to create

interior, exterior and environmental images. Although the emphasis will be on conceptualization and exploration of your

ideas for use in the visual development of assets for use in the game and entertainment industry, the class will also be

invaluable for anyone interested in learning perspective to create realistic settings and illustrations. Assignments will include

the study of historical, contemporary and futuristic settings, effective research and use of reference materials, and the

creation of naturalistic environments which convey a strong sense of mood, narrative and location.

IL261 Flora and Fauna This course covers advanced observation methods, representational drawing, and conceptual visualization through a focus

on biological subjects. Projects and new techniques will pull inspiration from the disciplines of scientific illustration, nature

journaling, and data visualization. Through this course, students will gain a better grasp of plant and animal anatomy as it

pertains to illustration, will learn to create more informed representational works, and discover ways to apply these skills to

their existing and developing illustration practices.

IL262 Graphic Novel This course introduces the fundamentals of visual storytelling in the medium of comics and then builds on that foundation

through process and experimentation. The course will have a strong focus on three core elements:

1.) Developing and telling a strong story

2.) Process and creative problem solving

3.) Having the following elements - concept, drawing, design, staging, pacing, and acting - come together in a cohesive way

to serve that story.

By focusing on a series of smaller stories, students will develop their storytelling skills, as well as their own narrative voice.

They will learn that how one tells a story can be as unique and stylistic as the image or the writing. Practical considerations

such as designing and drawing for black and white, the final product, publishing, and professional practices will also be

addressed.

IL263 Intro to Game Development This is an introductory course in game design, history, criticism, and current market trends with a specific focus on video

games. Students will work to create multiple small games as they learn the skills of prototyping, playtesting, and iteration.

This is a hands-on course with an emphasis on creating 2D games without code using visual scripting. As an overview of

the games industry, this course consists of lectures, guest speakers, videos, discussions, in-class exercises, and hands-on

game play and analysis.

Game minor requirement

IL264 Character Design Every memorable character is composed of an intriguing visual stew; gestural tells, expressions, behavioral beats and

archetypal rhythms. A vast set of visual ingredients, visual histories essential to their emotional impact, empathy and

lon

evit

. This course will help con

ure

our Characters b

mixin

and

uxtaposin

those visual in

redients, findin

inventive

ways to focus and cultivate your own visual cues, while exploring my Studio practices to bring them to Light. With the use of

weekly word association challenges from Creating Characters with Personality by Tom Bancroft, guest interviews with

Industry Professionals, and a series of lectures and projects, we will design a memorable cast of characters that will

strengthen both your traditional and digital skill sets.

IL265 Visual Development This is a visual development course where students will explore a real-life simulation of what a concept artist in the game,

animation or film industry would go through from ideation to final illustration. All project-based assignments done throughout

the course are directly linked to their client brief report at the start of the term. The client brief report blueprint should include

the company's history, the style hierarchy, the targeted audience, the expected message behind the designs and the over

perimeters expected from both the client and the student/concept artist through the entire process. Students are expected

to present their work weekly for open discussions and feedback and meet with the instructor individually.

IL266 The Moving Image This class examines the effects and impacts of a new form of illustration—the non-static image—where static images are

designed to move in the digital realm. The non-static image, the animated GIF, motion illustrations have all developed to

create a space where illustrations come alive, loop, or change in such a way as to increase the emotional, conceptual, or

visual impact of the image. The field continues to grow slowly but has made an enormous impact on an industry that

continues to find greater amounts of opportunities for illustrators in the digital realm.

Over 16 weeks, the class will investigate how and why GIFs affect modern cultures, their popularity in culture and forecast

their potential impact on the illustration industry in the future. Students will create unique and singular illustrations that utilize

movement, action, and cycle to create moments of unexpectedness that support a narrative, an emotion, or a concept.

These unexpected moments can be quiet, loud, frightening, heartwarming. They can also convey the clearest ideas

succinctly and powerfully. And while they are mistaken for easy, they are one of the most challenging experiences to create

for a viewer.

IL351 Visual Vocabulary A mature, well-developed personal vision is central to the contemporary illustrators practice. This course focuses on the

development of a personal artistic voice - bridging the gap between the boundaries of the commercial marketplace and the

highly personal act of making art. In this course, the student will interact with a dynamic variety of themes placed in the

context of art direction and time constraints. Refining the highly relational creative process of concept sketch to finished art

will be stressed.

Prerequisite: IL251 Word and Image, IL254 DMS:Photoshop, IL255 Drawing for Illustration or permission of Dept. Head.

IL352 Cultural Marketplace Contemporary culture and the illustration marketplace are fluid and ever changing. It is essential that today's illustrator is

equipped to function within this dynamic and competitive landscape. This course takes the student into the current

marketplace, explorin

each of the ke

areas of creative opportunit

includin

ital media,

ames, entertainment, editorial,

publishing, advertising, and product development. Each student, while continuing the development of a personal artistic

vision, will investigate projects relating to the professional marketplace. Prerequisite: IL251 Word and Image, IL254

DMS:Photoshop, IL255 Drawing for Illustration or permission of Dept. Head.

IL354 Design + Image In Design + Image students will engage in the vital disciplinary crossover between illustration and Graphic Design. Through

incorporation of drawing, painting, photography, typography, and digital media, students will encounter the countless

creative possibilities that hybrid techniques make available to the contemporary illustrator. The class will place special

emphasis on the practice of fusing the compositional and conceptual elements of an image. In the end, students should

appreciate why Illustrators who understand design are far more likely to create powerfully resonant, compelling images than

those who do not. Prerequisite: IL251 Word and Image, IL254 DMS:Photoshop, IL255 Drawing for Illustration or permission

of Dept. Head.

ILLUSTRATION (cont.)

PNCA2023‐24COURSECATALOG

IL356 Narrative Image This course sets the work of the visual artist in an enrichin

context of writin

, ideas and stor

. The course combines writin

reading and illustration in order to explore the confluence of visual and verbal art, while addressing the need for the modern

illustrator to be a multi-dimensional communicator with a strong personal vision. The two disciplines inform and augment

each other in bifocal artistic practice. The graphic novel will be explored as a pertinent example of how these skills can work

in concert. Through a process of self-expression and experimentation, students are encouraged to develop their own visual

vocabulary by studying the work of writers and artists, and practicing personal creation in both realms. Some technical skills

will be addressed including reading comprehension, grammar and the writing process. Students will gain fluency in using

writing to discover and articulate visual tropes and using images to sharpen, deepen and refine their writing. Prerequisite:

IL251 and IL252.

IL358 Illustration: Special Topics Special topics courses are approved to take advantage of timely subjects, the expertise of a faculty member, or to test

student interest in a topic which may later be added to the curriculum. Junior Level.

IL359 Advanced Picture Book Advanced Picture Book will build on the skills established in Picture Book 1. Students will choose a text and will spend the

full term illustrating it. The end goal will be a 32-page picture book dummy that is submission-ready. Time will also be spent

discussing and dissecting picture books to determine the illustrator's intent and decisions for the book as a whole and each

individual image. There will be regular discussions of industry standards, issues, and next steps in submitting dummies.

Junior level standing.

IL362 Advanced Graphic Novel This advanced class builds off the foundation of narrative tools developed in The Graphic Novel. It provides an opportunity

to explore the challenges and opportunities working on a singular, self-contained, longer format (8-10 pages) project. This

project can also serve as a springboard for students who choose to continue pursuing comics in either their independent

studies or thesis work. Process, editing, and reworking will be a strong focus of the class. We’ll also be diving much more

into specifics of professional practice such as publishing, markets, self-publishing, printing, representation, and the

economic realities of pursuing cartooning as a career. Junior level standing.

IL445 Center for Design The PNCA Center for Design is a working design studio with real clients and projects, operating with the "safety net" of our