In this course students explore the fundamentals of animated movement, timing, and materials through various animation techniques, including working directly on film, drawing on paper, pixilation, cut-out animation, and modified-base processes. Over the course of the semester, students will create six short animations and a wide range of animated films will be studied to augment the student's understanding of the field.

Please contact fav@risd.edu for permission to register. Preference is given to FAV and Illustration Students.

Elective

This course is designed to help students find their way to the professional marketplace utilizing the best tool available - the portfolio. Be it the freelance advertising, editorial or children's book markets, an animation or gaming studio, a publishing house, gallery or other venue, this course will introduce the components of the portfolio necessary for success. It includes development of both a traditional and online presence, discussions on specific industries, copyright issues, client contracts and pricing guidelines. Each student will create new work to augment their existing portfolio, as well as business cards, a resume, a contact list, invoice and letterhead. The course will also include visiting guest lecturers from a variety of industries. The focus will be to complete a portfolio that serves as a professional tool most suited to each individual's talent and aspirations.

Enrollment is limited to Senior Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

This course is designed to help students find their way to the professional marketplace utilizing the best tool available - the portfolio. Be it the freelance advertising, editorial or children's book markets, an animation or gaming studio, a publishing house, gallery or other venue, this course will introduce the components of the portfolio necessary for success. It includes development of both a traditional and online presence, discussions on specific industries, copyright issues, client contracts and pricing guidelines. Each student will create new work to augment their existing portfolio, as well as business cards, a resume, a contact list, invoice and letterhead. The course will also include visiting guest lecturers from a variety of industries. The focus will be to complete a portfolio that serves as a professional tool most suited to each individual's talent and aspirations.

Enrollment is limited to Senior Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

This course is designed to help students find their way to the professional marketplace utilizing the best tool available - the portfolio. Be it the freelance advertising, editorial or children's book markets, an animation or gaming studio, a publishing house, gallery or other venue, this course will introduce the components of the portfolio necessary for success. It includes development of both a traditional and online presence, discussions on specific industries, copyright issues, client contracts and pricing guidelines. Each student will create new work to augment their existing portfolio, as well as business cards, a resume, a contact list, invoice and letterhead. The course will also include visiting guest lecturers from a variety of industries. The focus will be to complete a portfolio that serves as a professional tool most suited to each individual's talent and aspirations.

Enrollment is limited to Senior Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

This course is designed to help students find their way to the professional marketplace utilizing the best tool available - the portfolio. Be it the freelance advertising, editorial or children's book markets, an animation or gaming studio, a publishing house, gallery or other venue, this course will introduce the components of the portfolio necessary for success. It includes development of both a traditional and online presence, discussions on specific industries, copyright issues, client contracts and pricing guidelines. Each student will create new work to augment their existing portfolio, as well as business cards, a resume, a contact list, invoice and letterhead. The course will also include visiting guest lecturers from a variety of industries. The focus will be to complete a portfolio that serves as a professional tool most suited to each individual's talent and aspirations.

Enrollment is limited to Senior Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

This course is designed to help students find their way to the professional marketplace utilizing the best tool available - the portfolio. Be it the freelance advertising, editorial or children's book markets, an animation or gaming studio, a publishing house, gallery or other venue, this course will introduce the components of the portfolio necessary for success. It includes development of both a traditional and online presence, discussions on specific industries, copyright issues, client contracts and pricing guidelines. Each student will create new work to augment their existing portfolio, as well as business cards, a resume, a contact list, invoice and letterhead. The course will also include visiting guest lecturers from a variety of industries. The focus will be to complete a portfolio that serves as a professional tool most suited to each individual's talent and aspirations.

Enrollment is limited to Senior Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

This course is designed to help students find their way to the professional marketplace utilizing the best tool available - the portfolio. Be it the freelance advertising, editorial or children's book markets, an animation or gaming studio, a publishing house, gallery or other venue, this course will introduce the components of the portfolio necessary for success. It includes development of both a traditional and online presence, discussions on specific industries, copyright issues, client contracts and pricing guidelines. Each student will create new work to augment their existing portfolio, as well as business cards, a resume, a contact list, invoice and letterhead. The course will also include visiting guest lecturers from a variety of industries. The focus will be to complete a portfolio that serves as a professional tool most suited to each individual's talent and aspirations.

Enrollment is limited to Senior Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

This course is designed to help students find their way to the professional marketplace utilizing the best tool available - the portfolio. Be it the freelance advertising, editorial or children's book markets, an animation or gaming studio, a publishing house, gallery or other venue, this course will introduce the components of the portfolio necessary for success. It includes development of both a traditional and online presence, discussions on specific industries, copyright issues, client contracts and pricing guidelines. Each student will create new work to augment their existing portfolio, as well as business cards, a resume, a contact list, invoice and letterhead. The course will also include visiting guest lecturers from a variety of industries. The focus will be to complete a portfolio that serves as a professional tool most suited to each individual's talent and aspirations.

Enrollment is limited to Senior Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

This course is designed to help students find their way to the professional marketplace utilizing the best tool available - the portfolio. Be it the freelance advertising, editorial or children's book markets, an animation or gaming studio, a publishing house, gallery or other venue, this course will introduce the components of the portfolio necessary for success. It includes development of both a traditional and online presence, discussions on specific industries, copyright issues, client contracts and pricing guidelines. Each student will create new work to augment their existing portfolio, as well as business cards, a resume, a contact list, invoice and letterhead. The course will also include visiting guest lecturers from a variety of industries. The focus will be to complete a portfolio that serves as a professional tool most suited to each individual's talent and aspirations.

Enrollment is limited to Senior Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

A one month basic introduction to Maya for 3D image-making. The class will introduce polygonal modeling, UV-mapping and normal-map generation, texturing, lighting, and advanced shader options, the Mental Ray renderer, and some particle, fluid and atmospheric simulators. Animation will not be taught beyond basics required for particle and other effects.

Students must register for workshops during the registration period and add/drop regardless of start date of class.

Elective

A one month basic introduction to Maya for 3D image-making. The class will introduce polygonal modeling, UV-mapping and normal-map generation, texturing, lighting, and advanced shader options, the Mental Ray renderer, and some particle, fluid and atmospheric simulators. Animation will not be taught beyond basics required for particle and other effects.

Students must register for workshops during the registration period and add/drop regardless of start date of class.

Elective

This one-month workshop will explore the creative potential of ZBrush, the 3-D sculpting application from Pixologic. With so many uses, it's difficult to cover ZBrush completely, but by the end of the class you will have a solid understanding of the program, all its component tools and how to customize them and use them in your workflow, whether it's sculpting for game detail, animation, visualization, or rapid-prototyping. This workshop is a one-credit course that emphasizes skills and techniques. This class is part of a group of offerings by the departments of Illustration, Industrial Design and Graphic Design that are offered on Friday afternoons and are open to all students to facilitate cross-departmental enrollment.

Students must register for workshops during the registration period and add/drop regardless of start date of class.

Elective

This one-month workshop will explore the creative potential of ZBrush, the 3-D sculpting application from Pixologic. With so many uses, it's difficult to cover ZBrush completely, but by the end of the class you will have a solid understanding of the program, all its component tools and how to customize them and use them in your workflow, whether it's sculpting for game detail, animation, visualization, or rapid-prototyping. This workshop is a one-credit course that emphasizes skills and techniques. This class is part of a group of offerings by the departments of Illustration, Industrial Design and Graphic Design that are offered on Friday afternoons and are open to all students to facilitate cross-departmental enrollment.

Students must register for workshops during the registration period and add/drop regardless of start date of class.

Elective

This course is a short introduction to the use of game engines for the production of realistic interactive environments-- whether for architecture, industrial design, VR, or animation. The class is intended for people who are already comfortable with 3D modeling and texturing and will cover the basics of scene creation, modeling, the particular requirements of PBR texturing, animation, and simple interactivity through the use of blueprints. Topics will include basic setup; import of 3D assets, including materials, animations, polygonal models, and custom hit-detection meshes; setup of input methods, lighting, sky-boxes, and atmospherics; and output to various devices. Professional workflow considerations and naming conventions will be covered, as well as an overview of useful third-party software for modeling and texturing.

Students must register for workshops during the registration period and add/drop regardless of start date of class.

Elective

This course is a short introduction to the use of game engines for the production of realistic interactive environments-- whether for architecture, industrial design, VR, or animation. The class is intended for people who are already comfortable with 3D modeling and texturing and will cover the basics of scene creation, modeling, the particular requirements of PBR texturing, animation, and simple interactivity through the use of blueprints. Topics will include basic setup; import of 3D assets, including materials, animations, polygonal models, and custom hit-detection meshes; setup of input methods, lighting, sky-boxes, and atmospherics; and output to various devices. Professional workflow considerations and naming conventions will be covered, as well as an overview of useful third-party software for modeling and texturing.

Students must register for workshops during the registration period and add/drop regardless of start date of class.

Elective

This workshop will familiarize students with basic principles of graphic design while using Adobe InDesign as its formal playground. Exercises will be centered around the confluence of type and image, with a particular focus on editorial/publication contexts. The workshop will help students better understand the designerly contexts in which illustrated material often exists, how typography critically impacts those contexts and how the illustrations within them are perceived as a result. Assignments will range across a variety of print applications such as publication/editorial spreads, posters, zines, brochures, etc, in the form of guided in-class exercises that will familiarize them with layout design principles while training them in the technical use of InDesign. They will gain hands-on experience with InDesign’s key features—including master pages, typographic styles, grids, export settings, etc—to build print-ready layouts. The course will also place emphasis on print production literacy—introducing students to the technicalities of preparing files for print—color profiles, scale, resolution, paper stock, binding, large-format printing etc— and the logistics of working with print technicians. Students will be required to engage with the RISD Print Center to develop fluency in the practical processes and constraints of producing their own print-ready work, demystifying production workflows early in their academic careers. 

Note: students will need a laptop with RISD-provided Adobe InDesign installed for this workshop.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $0.00 - $50.00

Elective

Illustrators increasingly contribute to packaging and object-based design contexts, becoming powerful conveyors of brand vision and personality. This workshop will introduce students to the fundamentals of package design, with a focus on developing both technical proficiency and contextual sensitivity in designing for three-dimensional printed surfaces. Centered on Adobe Illustrator as the primary tool for vector-based design and professional production workflows, the course provides students with hands-on training in creating artwork for packaging across various formats and materials. Students will learn to think beyond flat compositions, exploring how illustration can activate, enhance, and interact with physical form. The workshop will be structured in the form of in-class guided exercises that involve creating dielines, applying artwork to 3D mockups, exploring surface design and patterning, and considering the relationship between illustration, graphic design, and interactivity. It will also compel them to conceptualize packaging in a holistic manner—understanding shelf appeal, incorporating regulatory content, creating typographic hierarchy, or considering nested artefacts like leaflets/instruction manuals. In addition to design development, the course will emphasize production constraints such as material selection, scaling and dimensioning, color fidelity, and the logistics of working with print vendors. The workshop will also require students to engage with the RISD Print Center to develop fluency in print-ready production. By the end, students will have produced a range of physical packaging prototypes for different contexts/objects, gaining appreciation for the relationship between illustration, graphic design and print production. 

Note: students will need a laptop with RISD-provided Adobe Illustrator installed for this workshop.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $0.00 - $50.00

Elective

This workshop introduces Illustration students to the fundamentals of branding and visual identity, with a focus on the illustrator’s role in shaping and supporting brand expression. The course demystifies industry terminology around branding and identity design—tone of voice, brand values and mission, audience positioning—offering hands-on experience in developing illustrated brand elements that are cohesive and responsive to a brand’s identity. The workshop will be structured in the form of in-class, guided exercises that revolve around real and fictional brand briefs, teaching them how to understand and adapt to a brand guideline and work across a range of sectors and tonal profiles—from playful to serious, minimalist to expressive. Using Adobe Illustrator as our primary tool, the workshop will place a particular emphasis on illustrating for logos and brand marks—students will learn how to create vector-based logos and supporting brand elements that are scalable, versatile, and visually aligned with a brand’s mission and personality. Many exercises will also include designing for print production, and students will be required to engage with the RISD Print Center. At the end of the workshop, students will have adapted to a variety of identity design contexts—logos, printed stationery/merchandise, web, social media, etc—that will sensitize them to the practical constraints of scalability and legibility when it comes to producing branded artefacts. 

Note: students will need a laptop with RISD-provided Adobe Illustrator installed for this workshop.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $0.00 - $50.00

Elective

The first core studio in the program is centered on an investigation of the mechanics of articulating meaning in an image. Through a variety of projects, students will investigate the efficacy of various strategies in traditional and new media, and engage in perceptual experiments in order to study the intersection of art and visual psychology.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $25.00 - $150.00

Major Requirement | MFA Illustration

This seminar addresses key critical theory and socio-political aspects of illustration practices from a historical perspective. Reading, discussion, and meaningful integration of ideas into studio writing and activity are goals of the course. Class will meet two times per week including supported research times in various special collections and the library. Faculty determine the content of the seminar each term, balancing attention to issues defined by the expertise and interests of the graduate cohort and subjects of relevance to the field and professional practice. Theorists of special concern to contemporary illustration practice will be highlighted; statistics and technical information about communication media will illuminate how art objects have circulated in their own eras. Critical reading, writing, and presentation will be assessed.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $50.00 - $75.00

Major Requirement | MFA Illustration