Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration Major

Bachelor in Illustration Major

All our majors commence upon completion of our Foundation Year requirements.

In the rapidly changing art and design landscape, Illustration is a key form of visual communication. Illustrators need the ability to think critically and innovatively, and must have the versatility and the dexterity to engage diverse audiences in a variety of contexts. Our illustration courses explore varied technical approaches and a broad range of pictorial strategies, while cultivating the ability to collaborate and adapt to diverse opportunities, from contemporary art exhibitions to careers in mass-media.

Our program views all forms of illustration, from editorial to narrative, as opportunities for cultural inquiry. The position of Illustration within the Audain Faculty of Art underscores the potential of the practice to challenge prevailing conventions, ethics and expectations. By firmly situating illustration practice in contemporary art culture, students are encouraged to question rather than follow, and to seek out new possibilities in the professional field.

FOUNDATION

15 CREDITS PER SEMESTER

• FNDT 108 Creative Processes
• FNDT 165 Core Interdisc & Studio
• Foundation Studio Elective

Choose ONE of:

• FNDT 160 Core Media Studio I
• FNDT 161 Core Design Studio I
• FNDT 164 Core Visual Arts Studio I
• HUMN 100 Academic Core I
• HUMN 101 Academic Core II

SECOND YEAR

5 CREDITS PER SEMESTR

• ILUS 201 Illustration Methods/Materials
• ILUS 206 Illustration Ideation/Sequence
• Studio Elective 200/300/400 level
• Elective, any subject/level

Choose 6 credits from:

• AHIS/DHIS/MHIS 200level
• HUMN 205 Perp. in the Crit. Humn.
• SOCS 201 Intro to Cultural Theory
• SOCS 202 Ecological Persp. In Design
• SOCS 217 Ergonomics I

THIRD YEAR

15 CREDITS PER SEMESTER

• PRAX 300 Dialogues with:
• Studio Elective 300/400 level
• Studio Elective 200/300/400 level
• Elective any subject/level
• AHIS/HUMN/MHIS/SICS/SCIE 300/400 level

FOURTH YEAR

15 CREDITS PER SEMESTER

• ILUS 400 Illustration Senior Studio
• ILUS 401 Illustration Pro Applications
• VAST 410 Senior Studio
• Studio Elective 300/400 level
• SOCS 411 Professional Practices
• AHIS/HUMN/MHIS/SOCS/SCIE 300/400 level

Your studies will focus steadily in this field over the last three years of your four year degree. Upon completion you will achieve the undergraduate degree and designation, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Majoring in Illustration (BFA, Illustration). See the Admissions section about application information for undergraduate, international, transfer, and aboriginal students.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts, Illustration Major aims to:

• equip students with the necessary critical, theoretical, research, and studio practices to become engaged citizens through the fine art of illustration;
• impart advanced knowledge of illustration practice, application, and exhibition within visual arts culture;
• foster conceptual and technical knowledge through a studio-based education reflecting the diversity and complexity of the illustration genre;
• prepare students with a contextual understanding of illustration as an art and a skill within the creative and commercial sectors so you may enter these competitive knowledge-based economies;
• foster a dynamic illustration and communications culture and community within Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada, as well as strengthen it regionally and globally.

We offer flexible continuing studies programs for anyone that wants to learn new creative skills, build their portfolio, and advance their career path. Choose from dozens of individual courses and workshops, or sign up for one of our full or part-time certificate programs.

Undergraduate students are also welcomed to expand their breadth of learning by taking Continuing Studies courses outside their degree program. To get started, browse our available programs online today.

Inspiring job titles of our graduates

Comic Book Illustrator, Concept Artist, Interior Designer, Costume Designer, Project Coordinator, Owner/Designer, Illustration Historian, Project Specialist, Mural Artist

Dynamic employers that have recruited our graduates

Radical Entertainment, Noise Digital, PwC, West Elm Market, Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Nerdcorps Entertainment, Klei Entertainment, The Georgia Straight, City of Vancouver