ARTS 332 Vector Illustration

This course will provide an overview of vector illustration software and illustration creation. Students will use the design process and technical expertise to create vector graphics for a variety of media. Conceptual thinking and visual problem-solving will be encouraged through a series of exercises and projects designed to enhance software mastery and concept development.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Vector illustrations are a staple in nearly all forms of visual media. Any student wishing to pursue a creative visual career can benefit from the ability to create custom, scalable vector illustrations.

Textbook readings, lecture presentations, and tutorials

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be at least 200 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 75 words. Each thread must be supported with at least 1 scholarly citation in current MLA format. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in current MLA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last 5 years. Acceptable sources include the course textbook, the Bible, and LinkedIn Learning.

Exercise: Master Copy Assignment

This assignment will help the student implement and practice the Illustrator skills he/she has been learning in the course. The student will select an existing illustration from Canvas and copy it exactly using the Illustrator skills he/she has learned. Before beginning, the student will need to reflect on his/her chosen illustration and evaluate what tools may have been used in Illustrator and how the illustration might have been broken down and organized with appropriate layers.

Exercise: Icon Set Assignments (2)

The student will create a cohesive, flat design icon set based on a chosen theme. The idea generation of this assignment is the preliminary design process: topic selection, brainstorming, visual research, and sketching. The Vector Creation of the assignment will be the digital rendering of the creative ideas. A successful creative project will require the student to spend a substantial amount of time on the preliminary process.

Project: Pattern Collection Assignments (2)

The student will create a collection of 3 patterns that include: Hero, Secondary, and Blender patterns. The assignment will challenge the creativity of the student and will help develop his/her creative process. The Idea Generation part of this assignment is the preliminary design process: topic selection, brainstorming, visual research, and sketches. The Vector Creation part of the assignment will be the digital rendering and presentation of the patterns.

Project: Infographic Assignments (2)

This assignment will help the student implement and practice the Illustrator skills he/she has been learning in the course. The assignment will also challenge the understanding of design principles and creativity of the student and will help develop his/her creative process. The student will create a Process/How-To type of infographic illustrating a 5-step process without using text. The student will use knowledge of simple illustration design and layout to communicate the necessary information. The Idea Generation part of this project is the preliminary design process: topic selection, brainstorming, visual research, and sketches. The Vector Creation part of the project is the digital rendering and presentation of the infographic.

Project: Monster Assignments (3)

This assignment will help the student implement and practice the Illustrator skills he/she has been learning in the course. The assignment will also challenge the understanding of design principles and creativity of the student and will help develop his/her creative process. The student will create and develop his/her own unique monster and will creatively tell a story through illustration. The goal is to utilize all of the skills learned throughout the course to create a monster that has depth and is integrated with the background, creating a strong composition. There are 3 parts to this project: The Story and Research part of this project is story development and visual research. The Idea Generation part of the project is idea generation and digital rendering drafts. The Vector Creation part of the project is adding dimension and context to finalize the monster.

Quizzes (8)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the module in which it is assigned. Quizzes will be open-book/open-notes, and contain multiple-choice, true/false, and short-answer questions.