The Illustration BFA program at ArtCenter College of Design (ArtCenter) has six different tracks that allow students to train for careers in everything from children’s publishing to VFX. Options include Illustration Design; Entertainment Arts; Surface Design; Fine Art Painting; Motion Design; and Entertainment Arts- Consumer Products.
Illustration Design prepares students for careers ranging from Storyboard Artist to Scientific Illustrator to Children’s Book Illustrator.
In Entertainment Arts, students develop animation skills and product development for the entertainment industry (films, TV, and video games).
In Surface Design, students develop the skills needed to pursue careers in Textile Design and Graphic Illustrated Imagery. Fine Art Painting focuses on craft and technique as a precursor to the conceptual process. Motion Design prepares students for success in the fields of Advertising, Film, VFX, Music Videos, and Public Service Announcements (PSAs).
Students in Entertainment Arts-Consumer Products will develop product development, animation, graphic design, and children’s book illustration skills, among others.
The ArtCenter Illustration BFA (with track), consists of 120 credit hours. Illustration Design students will take courses such as Digital Illustration; Children’s Book Illustration; and Illustration Design Lab. Key courses for the Entertainment Arts track include Storyboarding; Visual Development; and Composition for Film. Surface Design features courses such as The Art of Fashion’ Introduction to Textile Design;’ and Craft Techniques.
Fine Art Painting students will take courses such as Wet Paint; Painting Projects; and Re-Presentation: Narrative and Bodies. Motion Design includes courses such as Sequential Design 3; Advanced Motion Studio; and Type 5 Motion. And finally, Entertainment Arts-Consumer Products focuses on courses such as Character Design; Graphic Design for Entertainment Arts; and Introduction to Maya and 3D Animation. Note that many tracks have overlapping coursework, so have the opportunity to study across tracks.
Graduates of the Illustration BFA program at ArtCenter College of Design may continue their studies by enrolling in the school’s Interdisciplinary MFA program. This option allows students to customize the degree to support any medium. Other program features include individual studio spaces; access to state-of-the art facilities, software, galleries, and project studios; and study abroad opportunities in Paris, Berlin, Mexico City, and Cologne.
ArtCenter partnerships with major companies and studios across the U.S. have also provided opportunities for BFA and MFA students to intern with or establish salaried employment at places such as Microsoft, Riot Games, Mattel, Blizzard Entertainment, Nike, DreamWorks, Walt Disney Imagineering, Netflix, Apple, Ford, WB, Facebook, BMW, Amazon, and Google.
ArtCenter Illustration students have also worked with clients such as Pictures Animation, The New Yorker, Wieden+Kennedy (Tokyo), Marvel Studios, Nike, Los Angeles Times, Adidas, Smithsonian Magazine, and Wildlife Conservation Society.