Foundation Curriculum

Course Title 1: Form and Figure (CRN: 100)
This course provides a comprehensive study in drawing from observation. Students begin by learning to draw a simple geometrical form, progressing to rendering objects within a compositional setting and drawing the entire human figure based on an investigation of its anatomical structures. Students will develop an awareness of the playful, rhythmic relationships between various components of a compositional setting and the human form, constructing drawings which reflect their unique vision. Drawing techniques such as perspective and isometric projection facilitate successful form generation. Skills of relational measurement, compositional organization, and the accurate placement of form in space, will inform all drawing activities such as drawing objects, figures, and environments, which will enhance students’ perceptual abilities.

Course Title 2: Design and Color (CRN: 101)
Students will create innovative and impactful designs by learning and applying essential elements including, line, shape, color, texture, space, balance, contrast, and rhythm. Utilizing digital and analog tools, students will engage in diverse design challenges, enhancing their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as developing their visual literacy and communication abilities. Through this course, students will learn fundamental concepts relevant to today’s creative industries, laying a solid foundation for further explorations.

Course Title 3: Contemporary Studio + Creative Action (CAIL 102)
Students explore the built environment, analyzing its physical, spatial, and temporal elements. This course introduces students to art and design fundamentals, including scale, material, measurement, context, and function. They will explore innovative and sustainable solutions using fabrication, technology, studio labs, and joint activities with other classes. This course includes the Creative Action & Integrated Learning (CAIL) component, which encourages engagement with the city of Los Angeles. Students will participate in site visits, lectures, and relevant readings that highlight cultural, social, political, ecological, or economic aspects of responsive design. Throughout the course, students will also develop professionalism and collaboration skills.

The Expanded Studio courses offer students the opportunity to choose two individual classes from topics in three areas of focus: Drawing, Dimensional Studies, and Transmedia. These classes forge connections between disciplines and techniques. Students will deepen their inquiries into creative problem solving, critical thinking, and conceptual development, along with advancing core proficiencies, as they tailor an individualized educational experience that prepares them for future success.

Course Title 1: Expanded Studio Drawing (CRN: 103)
These courses are designed to support students in preparation for their chosen majors. Students will experiment with various materials and mediums while exploring a broad spectrum of approaches to drawing as an active form of thinking, seeing, and understanding.

Course Title 2: Expanded Studio Dimensional Studies (CRN: 104)
Dimensional Studies explores the tangible world, built environment, and object making. Courses are offered in a variety of mediums and investigate a range of topics including spatial analysis and thinking, material experimentation, form design, digital fabrication, hand skills, and building strategies while creating in 3 dimensional and 4-dimensional space.

Course Title 3: Expanded Studio Transmedia (CRN: 105)
Transmedia explores strategies for visual communication. A range of cross-disciplinary studio courses investigate multi-model applications for conveying bold ideas through form. Courses invite innovative approaches to contemporary media, strengthening fluency in design principles and cultural literacy.

Expanded Studio Drawing

Dynamics of Color and Space (FNDT103A)
In this course, students will explore color, composition, and various drawing materials through working from direct observation. Our unique and exciting compositional setups within the classroom will provide the students with the arena to investigate color relationships, compositional strategies and complexities of ideas. Students will acquire research skills and examine modern and contemporary approaches to cityscape and landscape by experimenting with a wide range of drawing media, and students will begin to shape their personal artistic vision.  

Figure: Design + Composition (FNDT103B)
Structural drawing, perceptual and conceptual approaches, and figurative drawing skills are expanded through the study of the figure’s relation to design, composition, environments, draping, and movement. Students discover personal approaches to drawing and mark-making by experimenting with a variety of traditional and contemporary methods, media, and techniques.

Expanded Studio Drawing (CRN: 103D) - Drawing and Concept Visualization
Visualization Students will build on acquired drawing skills and learn to communicate concepts from ideation to object, using drawing as a language. Projects can include working from specific concepts to working from imagination or memory. Courses will be speculative, critical, and design focused. These projects can range from rendering a single object or a figure to building a whole environment and narrating a story.

Expanded Studio Dimensional Studies

Body By Design (FNDT104A)
This course explores art and design for and about the human and more-than-human body. By focusing on the scale and interaction, the coursework will Investigate making objects in relation to the body. It will incorporate elements such as silhouette, scale, textiles, fibers, sculpture, wearables, time, while considering topics such as disability access, social and political dimension of body and identity, post-humanism, cyborg, anime. Research themes could deal with fashion, ergonomics, participatory/performance art. (open media, clay, or fiber).

Expanded Studio Dimensional Studies (CRN: 104C): Materials and Fab-lab
This material studies course will explore the principles and elements of 3D design while offering an introduction to basic 3D modeling software skills. Students will engage in exercises to learn about the political, eco-logical, and historical implicattion of materials while working from concept through iteration to a final product using the model shop and expanding on their existing hand building skills.

Expanded Studio Transmedia

Design Cultures (FNDT105A)
This course explores design principles in visual communication across cultural contexts and contemporary media. Students will engage in projects, critiques, and discussions that focus on the relationship between media, platforms, technology, and society. Emphasis is placed on collaborative problem-solving, innovative thinking, and the exploration of media.

Expanded Studio Transmedia: Design for Change (CRN: 105C)
This course explores intersections of photography, imaging, language, graphic design, print and digital media in service of sharpening the designer’s liberatory voice. Students explore visual language and compositional strategies across image-text fields that lead to innovative design solutions with a focus on social justice and design/publishing’s revolutionary potential.