ILLU326 Atmospheric and Environmental Illustration

Perspective and constructive drawing techniques are essential when creating compelling narrative illustrations. Through research and practices, students illustrate building interiors, exterior environments, vehicles and other objects from different perspectives and in a variety of locations and atmospheric conditions.

 

Course Introduction

This course is designed to help artists develop a better understanding of environments and atmospheric conditions and the effect use and benefits in illustrations. Students will explore a variety of environments and weather and climate conditions using an assortment of techniques including depth, water vapor and moisture, light and color, and both real and imagined atmospheres. Exploration through sketchbook and in-class exercises help student learn and utilize a wide range of effects and styles to develop more dynamic and emotional illustration techniques, methods and assets. The end results will be numerous portfolio quality final illustrations.

 

The Importance of Sketchbook

The Artist's Sketchbook is an integral part of developing unique creative ideas and a means to continue to grow artistic talents and skills, while exploring visual storytelling. During this course, I recommend every student keep a Sketchbook with regular entries of content and mediums.. Sketchbook entries are open to interpretation and I encourage you to be creative - any medium - any style - be creative!

I suggest a 9" x 12" spiral sketchbook with 100 pages. Use a variety of mediums and techniques and the standard sketchbook paper will work fine.

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In Class Swatches

These exercises give the students an opportunity to sharpen skills in color, rendering and composition while receiving immediate feedback and assessment. Subjects can include: Weather, buildings, landscapes, perspective, scale, composition, color, creativity and concepting, textures, moisture, organic and man made.

Assignment One

Tropical

Utilizing structure, environment and atmosphere – create individual and composite structure - site-based reference content – could include Mayan/Aztec/Tai culture - environment, atmosphere and background – depth, realistic conditions and content, and lighting effects - Hot - Humid - Steamy - Mysterious - Lush

 

Assignment Two

Village

Based on a village with structural content - Cultural, Location and Historical time frame of village is your choice - Utilize two and three point perspective – including interior and exterior – create individual and composite structure - site-based reference content – environment, atmosphere and background - Friendly - Warm - Inviting - Rural - Sunny

 

Assignment Three

Frozen Conceptual Futuristic Complex

Utilize two and three point perspective – including interior and exterior themes -   Utilizing a contemporary theme, content and components - create individual and composite structure - site-based reference content – environment, atmosphere and background -Etheral - Apocalyptic - Other World - Evening - Blade Runner-like - Weather conditions should include ice and snow!

 

Assignment Four

Arid/Desert

The emphasis here is a desert planet - hot - dry - abandoned civilization - only thing that remains is structures and vehicles - sand - dunes - mirage - void of life - yet mysterious and deathly -atmoshere is sun-like - crematorium - water is hot and toxic

 

Due Dates

Mar 26 - Pre Quarter - DUE - beginning of class

Mar 28 - Assignment One - Tropical - Thumbnails - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Mar 28- Swatches #1 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Apr 2 - Assignment #1 - Tropical - Color Comps - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Apr 9 - Assignment #1 - Tropical - Final Art - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Apr 11 - Assignment #2 - Village - Thumbnails - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Apr 11 - Swatches #2 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Apr 16 - Assignment #2 - Village - Black and White Comps - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Apr 16 - Swatches #3 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Apr 23 - Assignment #2 - Village - Color Comps - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Apr 30 - Assignment #2 - Village - Final Art - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

May 2 - Assignment #3 - Conceptual Futuristic Complex - Thumbnails - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

May 2 - Swatches #4 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

May 7 - Assignment #3 - Conceptual Futuristic Complex - Color Comps - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

May 14 - Assignment #3 - Conceptual Futuristic Complex - Final Art - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

May 16 - Assignment #4 - Arid/Desert - Thumbnails - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

May 16 - Swatches #5 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

May 21 - Assignment #4 - Arid/Desert - Color Comps - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

May 30 - Assignment #4 - Arid/Desert - Final Art - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

 

Required Textbooks

Roberston, S. & Bertling, T. (2013). How to draw: Drawing and sketching objects and environments from your imagination. Culver City, CA: Design Studio Press. ISBN-13: 978-1933492735
Montague, John (2013). Basic Perspective Drawing: A Visual Approach (6th Ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN- 13:978-1118134146.

 

Archiving Your Work

Preparing each Final Illustration File.

Digital files (PDFs, animation stills, storyboards, comic panels, sequential art, etc.):

  • All native files, fonts and supporting links contained in a single folder

  • All final submission folders compressed as a zip file

  • All zipped folders named in a manner that includes the campus, year, quarter, program abbreviation, the student's first and last names, and the title of the artwork. This information also needs to be embedded in the metadata so Full file naming guidelines are attached.

    • CAMPUS_Quartercode_DEPT_FirstnameLastname_title

    • Sample: SAV_201910_ACCE_AidanBarrow_snapbelt

  •  All images submitted as JPEGS at 300dpi, JPEG quality 12, Adobe RGB1998.

Disclaimer - All content on this page is protected by the artists who created the work. The purpose for showing their artwork on this page, is for educational purposes only. The owner of this site does not claim any artwork on this page as his own. All rights are protected and considered copyrighted. ©2019