Overview of Illustration

Maryland Institute College of Art

Illustration is all around us, conveying literary content, expressing political ideas, promoting products, and interpreting cultural content. It is art for the public realm, and it embraces every medium and approach to artmaking. The expressive work of illustrators, created using traditional or digital media, or combining the two, can be seen on book jackets, children’s books, magazines, advertisements, theater posters, CD covers, graphic novels, corporate publications Web sites, gaming, and animation. This range of opportunities and the energy generated by a community of artists motivated to see their work in the public eye have made illustration one of the most popular majors at MICA.

The study of illustration at MICA fosters an understanding of this dynamic field today—and urges students to help shape its future direction. Students who major in illustration at MICA learn to create work with a personal voice that resonates with contemporary culture. The curriculum of the major, combined with MICA’s emphasis on the liberal arts and strong foundation in art, prepares illustrators who are both visually and intellectually literate. As an illustrator at MICA, you’ll gain an understanding of the history of illustration—which is the history of all narrative art.

Successful illustration students at MICA have strong drawing skills, motivation to network, and awareness of contemporary culture. Your sophomore year courses will help you develop your observational drawing, written, and verbal communication skills, and help define who you are as an artist. In the junior year, you’ll focus on problem-solving, collaboration, and development of ideas with insight and originality. Illustration electives let you focus on specific areas of illustration and enhance your skills in various media. You can also use your open electives to pursue a studio concentration that will enhance your portfolio and deepen your technical skills—in book arts, animation, graphic design, and printmaking, for example.

In your senior year, you’ll be mentored in an independent thesis combined with seminar research work to prepare for professional practice. Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to state-of-the-art equipment to realize your creative ideas. Your class experience will be enhanced by critiques, slide presentations on historical and contemporary illustration, visiting artists who are shaping the field today, technical demonstrations, off-site sketching, and field trips.

Preparing for a Career in Illustration

Career preparation is woven into the illustration curriculum from sophomore through senior year. Networking, marketing, portfolio preparation, copyright issues, and studio practices are all covered in the senior seminar. You’ll also have a range of opportunities to connect with designers, creative directors, and other clients. Students learn from faculty who are experienced professionals the ins and outs of the business as well as the art of illustration—from contract negotiations to presenting and marketing your work. Faculty have helped students land internships at DC Comics and the studio of Kent Williams. The result of this focus on making connections and promoting yourself? MICA students land coveted internships and freelance assignments and regularly publish their work while they’re still students. MICA illustration students have also received recognition in American Illustration Annual and Communication Arts Illustration Annual, both professional level competitions. An unusually high number have won the Society of Illustrators’ student competition—15 in the last 5 years alone, with several students winning multiple times.

A Sampling of What Young Alumni are Doing

Faculty & Visiting Artists

Faculty in illustration are practicing professionals who bring the experience of their award-winning careers to the classroom. Their work is regularly published and exhibited nationally and internationally. Noted guest speakers regularly come to the department to critique student work and discuss their careers, techniques, and the practice of illustration. Recent visiting artists have included: R. Gregory Christie, two-time American Library Association Coretta Scott King Honor Award for Illustration; cartoonists Peter Kuper, David Sandlin, David Mazzucchelli, Ted Stern, Jonathon Rosen, and Renée French; and Henrik Drescher, illustrator/installation artist.