Concept Art Syllabus

IL 247.01 Concept Art

Colin Campbell

colincampbellstudios@gmail.com


Course Description:

This semester we’ll be exploring the field of Concept Art. A strong emphasis of the class will be on thumbnailing and sketching before beginning final pieces. There will be a few finished pieces students will be expected to complete, as well, but plan on spending a great deal of time developing ideas in the sketching stage. We’ll be working with a variety of media and approaches.

We’ll be exploring the nature of concept art for the entertainment industries and thus many of the projects will be commercial in nature. There will still be a great deal of creative freedom involved, and students will be expected to push themselves conceptually.

Grading Standards:

Projects will be graded on conceptual strength, quality of craftsmanship, effort, and presentation. Preliminary work – sketches, research, roughs – take equal part in grading for a project. Work must be well-printed (if digital) and completely ready for presentation at the beginning of the class for which it is due.

Class participation in group critiques and demos will also figure strongly in grading. Our guests aren’t paid to visit, and are doing so in a heartfelt desire to help, so please welcome them and give them your attention and respect.

Assignments must be posted to the blog before the beginning of the class for which it is due. Any assignment not posted to the blog at this time, or not printed at the beginning of class, will be considered late.

Attendance Policy:

This course follows the school’s policy of attendance and class participation. The accumulation of more than three absences will result in the student’s automatic failure for the class. Two instances of lateness count as one absence.

4:01 is late.

Demos:

Many weeks we’ll have a guest artist come in for a demo or to help with the critique. Many weeks Colin will also be doing demos.

Text Book:

We’ll be using the book “The Skillful Huntsman” as our text book. This is a very particular kind and style of concept art, but the process is very sound.

You’ll be expected to have this textbook by class on February 2^nd.

http://www.amazon.com/Skillful-Huntsman-Visual-Development-College/dp/0972667644

Sketchbook:

You’ll be asked to start a unique sketchbook for this class. I’ll be looking through this sketchbook as part of your midterm and final grades, as well as individually for certain assignments. It should be separate from your personal sketchbook.

Class work:

Between critique days we will have in-class work days. You will be expected to use this time wisely. On these days we will also have demos, slide-presentations, and smaller critiques and meetings with Colin.

Come prepared to work to every class. Even on critique days, if we finish early we’ll use the remaining time to begin the next project. This means come prepared with sketching supplies or any other media you would like to use in the projects, as well as any outside reference.

Turning in work/Class Blog:

· Unless otherwise noted, all assignments should be at least 8” x 10” and 300 dpi and printed to acceptable quality by the start of the class for which they are due. We won’t look at work on a computer screen.

· There is a class blog that students are expected to update weekly - http://mica2011springconceptart.blogspot.com/

· It is very important that you tag each of your blog entries with your full name. I’ll use the blog for looking at your work for midterms and finals. Tagging your work means I won’t think you didn’t complete something.

· Even if you are out or class is canceled, projects are expected to be posted on the blog before the class time for which they would be due.

MICAmail: It’s important that you check your MICA email regularly. Often, important class updates will be emailed there.

Important Dates:

Midterm Critiques – March 9^th

Final Critiques – May 4^th

Suggested Materials:

Pencils

Primacolor markers (grayscale)

Sharpies

Ballpoint pens

ANYTHING

ADA Compliance Statement

The LRC recommends the following statement for use on course syllabi:

Learning Resource Center ADA Compliance Statement Any student who feels s/he may need

an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately

to discuss specific needs. Please contact the Learning Resource Center at 410-225-2416, in

Bunting 458, to establish eligibility and coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional

information please refer to: http://www.mica.edu/LRC

Health and Safety Compliance

From the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)

It is the responsibility of faculty and students to practice health and safety guidelines

relevant to their individual activities, processes, and to review MICA's Emergency Action

Plan and attend EHS training. It is each faculty member's responsibility to coordinate

with the EHS Office to ensure that all risks associated with their class activities are

identified and to assure that their respective classroom procedures mirror the EHS

and Academic Department guidelines. Each of these policies and procedures must be

followed by all students and faculty. Most importantly, faculty are to act in accordance

with all safety compliance, state and federal, as employees of this college and are

expected to act as examples of how to create art in a way to minimize risk, and reduce

harm to themselves and the environment. Faculty must identify, within each art making

process, and require personal protection equipment use, by each student for each class,

when applicable. Students are required to purchase personal protection equipment

appropriate to their major. Those students who do not have the proper personal protection

equipment will not be permitted to attend class until safe measures and personal

protection is in place.