Syllabus

ILL 261- INTRODUCTION TO ILLUSTRATION
Syllabus - Fall 2011



Course information: ILL 261, Rm. 208 Shaffer
            Sec. 001, Thursday, 8:00am. - 12:30pm.
            Sec. 004. Thursday, 1:30pm. - 6:00pm.


Instructor:        Steve Ellis
            347 Shaffer
            Office hours: Thursdays, 12:30pm. - 1:30pm.
            (by appointment)
            Office phone: 315.289.5771
            Studio phone: 315.289.5771(please leave name & number)
            e-mail: steve@hypersteve.com
            Mailbox in main office (102 Shaffer)


Course Description and Rationale:

Illustration is an art of visual communication. It is a delivery system for ideas and feelings and stories. It engages our minds, our hearts and reflects our culture and the time we live in even as it sets us in history.

At it’s heart, illustration is the visual representation of story. Whether that story is a recent event in the news, a science fiction adventure, a birthday greeting or a children’s tale doesn’t matter so much as the fact that they all share a common source in story.

In this class we will explore how to take our skills as artists and apply them to the idea of story while building up those very skills to enable us to achieve that effectively. We will look at how others in the past have achieved effective and affecting work, and how contemporary illustrators continue to reflect the stories of our world.

Through weekly Demonstrations, Critiques, lectures and visual presentations we will introduce the methods that illustrators have used throughout the history of the field. Through assignments students will be expected to experiment, share, take risks and grow as artists over the course of the class. Beginning the development of an individual voice as an artist and illustrator is the eventual goal of this class.

Course Materials:
     Materials you will need will be introduced throughout the semester. Try out as many different materials as you can comfortably get your hands on and see what materials will best suit you. Unless specified, purchase them from any source you wish. SU Bookstore, Syracuse Blueprint, and Commercial Art Supply are a few local providers. Online Art catalogues such as Blick are also a good source where bargains may be found, but it may be difficult to arrange timing of assignments with shipping.

Assignments:
    Assignments will be a weekly occurrence. There will frequently be a critique of a final assignment in the same class as a discussion of sketches for the next assignment. The art of survival as an illustrator is one of juggling projects and clients while making each client believe that they are your only one. Treat your assignments with care, follow the instructions for size, timing and deadline. The skill of taking care of your teacher is similar to the skill of taking care of a client.


Sketchbook:

    A big objective of this class is for you to begin to use drawing as a way of entering, inhabiting and describing your world. 

    Drawing is the most important skill for an illustrator and the human ( or anthropomorphized object/animal) is the single most important element of 99% of the illustration work out there. The only way to improve your drawings is to draw all the time in your sketchbooks notebooks, textbooks, napkins at restaurants, everywhere. Draw people, plants animals, anything you can get your hands on.  It’s like a muscle, if you work out and train, the bigger stronger and more honed you get. Look around the world and observe and draw everything: Be a sponge soak in as much as you can. The more you understand and know about the world the more you will be able to draw.

Never be frustrated by a bad drawing…just draw over it and keep moving.

 I would suggest you also use your sketchbook as a visual diary, and a storehouse for your ideas.

These will serve to help you create the visual vocabulary necessary to be able to create works of your own. They can also be an extremely useful storehouse of sketches, reference and notes for assignments and classes.

Your sketchbook should be at the very least, the size of a Moleskine Sketchbook. Any smaller is too small to use for anything. Try out the paper in the sketchbook before you just grab one. The texture and tooth of the paper will change the quality of your drawings.



Resources:
     1. Get to know Jan Mackay, our lab technician, on the 3rd floor (service window business hours are Mon. - Fri. 9:00am. - 5:00pm.). She is responsible for use of the computer clusters and print-outs. You must pay for services there with a blue "chit", which may be purchased in the Schine Student Center

    2. You may also use the computer cluster in Rms.329. See the posted schedule for times.

    3. Three spray booths are available in Rm.341 for spray-fixing and airbrushing.

    4. Bird Library has a wealth of visual resources on the 4th floor including a plethora of visual information relevant to our field. Illustration is a research field. Get to know what’s available to aid you. Don't ignore the Moon Library at SUNY ESF (behind the Carrier Dome). The main city library, in the downtown Galleria Mall, has an extensive scrap file, design and illustration annuals, an excellent children's section, videos, art books, and visually oriented books which can help immensely.


    Attendance:
Attendance is required. One absence for the semester will be tolerated; however, you are still responsible for turning in assignments on time! (See "Grading") Two absences, for any reason, will lower your final grade by one letter grade. You will FAIL the course in the event of a third absence! Mechanical failures (alarm clocks, car failure, etc.) are not valid excuses.

        You are expected to arrive on time and remain until the end of class. If you are bored or have nothing to do, you have come unprepared and should probably consider switching to a class in which you have some interest. Lateness of an hour or more will count as an absence. Chronic lateness or skipping out early will also count towards an absence and will lower your grade.

Grading:

Grading is based on assignments, attitude, work in class, participation, attendance, and final review. Sketches, reference and the following of instructions can be as powerful to a grade as the final piece. The presentation of assignments reflects attitude and is part of the grade.
Grades are not given. They are earned and recorded according to your efforts. The final grade will be an average of all grades earned during the semester. If you have any concerns about your progress at any time during the semester, please contact your me.

Attendance at your final review is required to pass the course. All assignments must be completed to pass the course.



Incompletes:
     Incompletes will be granted only in extenuating circumstances. If you have a valid medical excuse or family emergency, and you've completed the bulk of course work for the semester, an incomplete is possible. You are responsible for initiating the paper work for an incomplete.


Copyright Infringement: Please see university policy on plagiarism, but the policy in here, is that if the work does not significantly deviate from a reference it could be deemed as copyright infringement or plagiarism and will not be tolerated.


Needs:
     Any student who needs special consideration in the course due to a disability of any sort, please make an appointment to discuss accommodations.

Students who are in need of disability-related academic accommodations must register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS), 804 University Avenue, Rm.309, 315/443-4498. Students with authorized disability-related accommodations should provide a current Accommodations Authorization Letter from ODS to the instructor and review those accommodations with the instructor.