Our Mission:
The Illustration minor prepares students to enter a world where boundaries between artistic disciplines are constantly changing and art is activated in the service of multiple audiences, in diverse venues and across existing and emerging markets. This minor provides a curriculum emphasizing strong concepts, proficient skills, and civic mindedness to support the communication needs of a variety of contexts, including client-led publications, merchandise, and self-directed exhibitions. A balance of conceptual, historical, and technical instruction helps students locate their own style, voice, and conceptual foothold to meet the rich opportunities afforded by today’s shifting creative landscape.
Participating Departments:
Animation
Animation: Motion Design
Fashion
Fine Arts: Painting
Fine Arts: Photography
Fine Arts: Sculpture/New Genres
Game and Entertainment Design
Graphic Design
Illustration
Product Design
Toy Design
Program Learning Outcomes
Otis College Interdisciplinary Studies: Illustration Minor Program Learning Outcomes are action words describing our approach to learning, and what we commit to our students.
Illustration Minor Students Will:
Illustration Minor student work will demonstrate:
- Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills • Audience-Focused Research, Historical Context, and Field-Specific Discourse
Proficient knowledge and skills in illustration including historical precedents, observational drawing, narrative and storytelling, color theory, and composition to create compelling images that respond to specific briefs, prompts, and audiences. - Proficiency in Industry-Standard Skills, Technologies, and Processes
The ability to create professional-level illustration projects using current industry software and hardware tools, successfully execute production workflows across both physical and digital media, and demonstrate adaptability by mastering emerging technologies as they're introduced to the field. - Cross-Disciplinary Awareness and Practice
Developed practice grounded in two or more disciplines.
Illustration Minor student work will demonstrate:
- Innovation • Experimentation and Play • Challenge to the Status Quo • Bravery in their
Work and their Interactions with Others
Capacity to combine aspects of illustration with work in one's major and/or push the boundaries between each field.
Illustration Minor student work will demonstrate:
- Capacity to Communicate (Orally, Written, and/or Visually) about their Practice
Ability to clearly articulate the relationship between their work in illustration and their major and how these studies will help them achieve personal and professional goals. - Analysis of Both Ethical and Aesthetic Impacts of Art and Design
Analysis of the ethical and aesthetic impacts their work has on their fields of study as well as society, culture and the environment.
Illustration Minor student work will demonstrate:
- Awareness of Positionality – in the World, their Field, their Communities. • Integration
of Skills and Concepts:
Successful integration of skills, information and concepts between their majors and Illustration minor, while understanding and articulating their positionality in their chosen fields.
Illustration Minor student work will demonstrate:
- Ability to define aspirations, future goals and their role within the creative economy.
Defined aspirations, future goals and their role as an interdisciplinary creative within the creative economy. - Awareness of audience • Compelling presentation and exhibition skills, through Annual
Exhibition, Capstone, and portfolios.
Successful completion and presentation of original work in illustration (a portfolio and/or online presence) that highlights your proficiency with media, personal conceptual vision, communication style and connection to potential illustration markets.
Course Requirements
Illustration Minor Required Courses: 15 credits of Illustration courses
This can be 5 studio courses or 4 studio courses + 1 LAS course.
Students select courses based on guidance from the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies, Minor Area Heads and Academic Advisors and must follow prerequisites when applicable. For the full list of courses that will count for this minor, along with recommended courses to take first, see the Minors Course Lists on the Registration page of the Dashboard (my.otis.edu). Students are advised to take minor classes in place of studio electives (or in place of one LAS elective), or for majors without electives by taking one extra class in each of 5 semesters spread out between sophomore and senior year.