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.

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.

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Assignment One

Tropical

Utilizing structure, environment and atmosphere – create individual and composite structure - site-based reference content – 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

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

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Due Dates

Sept 11 - Pre Quarter - DUE - beginning of class

Sept 13 - Assignment One - Tropical - Thumbnails - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Sept 13 - Swatches #1 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Sept 18 - Assignment #1 - Tropical - Color Comps - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Sept 25 - Assignment #1 - Tropical - Final Art - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Sept 27 - Assignment #2 - Village - Thumbnails - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Sept 27 - Swatches #2 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

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

Oct 2 - Swatches #3 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Oct 9 - Assignment #2 - Village - Color Comps - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Oct 16 - Assignment #2 - Village - Final Art - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Oct 18 - Assignment #3 - Conceptual Futuristic Complex - Thumbnails - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Oct 23 - Assignment #3 - Conceptual Futuristic Complex - Color Comps - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Oct 25 - Swatches #4 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Oct 30 - Assignment #3 - Conceptual Futuristic Complex - Final Art - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Nov 1 - Assignment #4 - Arid/Desert - Thumbnails - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Nov 6 - Assignment #4 - Arid/Desert - Color Comps - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.

Nov 6 - Swatches #5 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Nov 13 - Swatches #6 - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before end of class.

Nov 15 - 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.

1. All Final Artwork must be archived, both for Department and the college for promotional reasons; the Illustration Department will select student works for large full color prints to be displayed in the hallways of Hayman's Hall, for entries to be entered into various important competitions, the department's Illustrious Magazine, etc.

2. Each file must use the Department file naming convention and other pertinent/required information placed in the Metadata area.

3. Scan all work or be sure all finals are 300dpi and saved as JPG or PSD.

4. Be sure to flatten each image, please add a white 1/4" - 1/2" border to each final, clear guides and resize so that no side is longer than 18". Be sure that the image size is no smaller than 8" x 10".

5. Naming Convention: 'Save As' using the Department's Naming Convention; use TA2, TA3 and so forth or use ProjectA, ProjectB; no need to enter title of work here. Title of Work must be entered in the Metadata area and 'untitled' or TA2 or ProjectA is not acceptable.

Example: Doe-J-07Win-ILLU200-Foerster-A1.jpg

6. Metadata; Metadata is information that is embedded in your image file. This data will be used by the faculty when completing competition entry forms and for giving you credit for your work when published, so it is imperative that you include all requested information.

Start by opening your file in Photoshop, go to File>File Info....click there and a new window will open. This is the window to enter the information for the Illustration Department and for the college.

7. Setting the correct color profile: To set the correct color profile, when your illustration is opened in Photoshop, go to Edit, near bottom of the Window, look for 'Convert to Profile' click on that link. A new window will open and look for 'Profile' and using the drop down menu select Adobe RGB (1998), click OK. Then save or save as to complete the task.