Introduction

Please click here to see general Visual Arts information.

The Illustration emphasis integrates fine art, mixed media and digital practices with conceptual thinking, research and storytelling in the production of creative work. As a practice, Illustration focuses on skills and concepts in the professional development of a student's individual vision and approach to illustrative arts. Marketing, business and design practices prepare students to discuss and view their work in a design context and for particular commercial markets and galleries. Courses are taught in state-of-the-art drawing and computer labs using the Adobe software suite alongside hands-on studio facilities. Illustration students gather skills to easily work across multiple artistic media--including design, drawing, painting, printmaking, and 3D media for the development of motion and spatial projects.

Students gain the ability to establish freelance illustration studio practice, as well as multi-faceted professional skills and flexibility in working with designers, creative directors, and art directors. Graduates are prepared to write and illustrate concepts and stories in preparation for studios, and the editorial, publishing and advertising markets.

Students in the illustration emphasis receive instruction in conceptual illustration, digital illustration, rendering, perspective, painting, exhibition preparation, professional practices and the use of various artistic and illustration techniques. In preparation for a professional illustration career, the course work allows students to master numerous essential digital and traditional tools and work to successfully bring the two together in ambitious and innovative illustrative work.

Program Delivery

• This is an on-campus program.

Declaring This Major

• Click here to go to information about declaring a major.
• Students who are applying for entrance into the illustration emphasis must submit a portfolio of work for faculty review, as described below. The illustration emphasis accepts applications once a year during the Spring semester. Students who meet the requirements and are accepted go on to take upper-division illustration courses.

Eligibility

 The student has completed, or is in the process of completing, the following courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
FINE 1100	Drawing I	3
FINE 1400	Two Dimensional Design	3
FINE 1500	Three-Dimensional Design	3
FINE 2020	Drawing II	3
FINE 2155	Introduction to Digital Photography	3
FINE 2200	Painting I	3

A minimum cumulative fine arts/art history GPA of 2.0

Portfolio Review Requirements

Students applying to the illustration emphasis submit a portfolio and unofficial transcript(s) from CU Denver and all previous post-secondary educational institutions via an online submission portal. Portfolios are due April 1st and will be reviewed by Illustration faculty during the first two weeks of April. Portfolios must be formatted and presented according to the specifications listed on the Portfolio Review page. There is no fee to apply.

Transfer Students

Questions

For general inquiries see the Illustration Program page here. For Portfolio review questions see the Portfolio Review page here.

General Requirements

To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.

• CU Denver General Graduation Requirements
• CU Denver Core Curriculum
• College of Arts & Media Graduation Requirements
• Click here for information about Academic Policies

Program Requirements

1. A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required for each course applied toward a College of Arts & Media major, minor or certificate requirement. A grade of C- (1.7) or lower will not fulfill a major, minor or certificate requirement. A grade of S is acceptable only for courses in which the grading basis is S/U. No more than 6 semester hours of P+/P/F is allowed in any given semester. No more than 12 semester hours may be elected as P+/P/F toward the degree.
2. All upper-division visual arts courses must be taken at CU Denver unless approved otherwise by Department of Visual Arts faculty.
3. At least 27 semester hours of visual arts credits (at any level) must be taken at CU Denver.
4. At least 24 semester hours of total visual arts courses must be upper-division.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Pre-Portfolio
Take all of the following Pre-Portfolio courses:
FINE 1100	Drawing I	3
FINE 1400	Two Dimensional Design	3
FINE 1500	Three-Dimensional Design	3
FINE 2020	Drawing II	3
FINE 2155	Introduction to Digital Photography	3
FINE 2200	Painting I	3
Lower-Division Visual Arts
Take one of the following lower-division Visual Arts courses:		3
FINE 2405	Introduction to Digital Design
FINE 2406	Introduction to Digital Art & Imaging
Take all of the following lower-division Visual Arts courses:
FINE 2600	Art History Survey I	3
FINE 2610	Art History Survey II	3
FINE 2030	Life Drawing	3
FINE 2415	Typography Studio	3
Illustration Emphasis
Take all of the following Illustration Emphasis courses: 1
FINE 3010	Illustration I: Image Making	3
FINE 3410	Illustration II: Digital Media	3
FINE 4000	The Business of Art	3
FINE 4001	Illustration III: Investigative Methods	3
FINE 4002	Illustration IV: Thesis Development	3
Upper-Division Visual Arts
Take all of the following upper-division Visual Arts courses:
FINE 3014	The Graphic Novel Workshop	3
FINE 3030	Media of Drawing	3
FINE 3450	Digital Painting	3
FINE 4990	Contemporary Art: 1960 to Present	3
Electives
Take three semester hours of Pre-20th Century Art History elective.		3
Take twelve semester hours of Visual Arts electives. 2		12
Capstone
Take the following Capstone course:
FINE 4003	Illustration BFA Thesis	3
Total Hours		78

¹

To be taken after gaining acceptance to emphasis via portfolio review

²

These may include studio, lecture, internship or art history courses.

Please contact the College of Arts & Media at CAM@ucdenver.edu for course sequencing, any prerequisite updates and for lists of approved electives and more information about this emphasis.

To review the Degree Map for this program, please visit our website.