Illustration
The Illustration department encourages the combination of fundamentals and technical skills with your original ideas, to prepare you for work across multiple creative industries.
The illustration elective course options form pathways in Visual Development, Publishing, Fashion Lifestyle and Licensing, Comics and Sequential, or Gallery Artist. Through these pathways, you will develop a portfolio specific to your career goals and creative interests.
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Illustration students integrate the fundamentals of visual storytelling, figure drawing, color, composition, and perspective with industry-relevant coursework.
Our pathways will help you create a focused portfolio for freelance or studio-based careers in illustration, and that combined with our business-centric courses and optional Creative Entrepreneurship minor will prepare you for work in a studio or opening your own.
Visual Development is for artists interested in the creative advancement of characters and environments for the animation industry. Gain an in-depth understanding of the industry pipeline and gain hands-on animation production experience- both feature and series length- all while building a portfolio project specifically geared toward industry placement.
Publishing is for students who are interested in the various paths within print and digital publishing, like editorial, book cover and interior illustration, children’s picture books, and posters. Students will develop a focused portfolio and gain in-depth knowledge of industry practices, and trends within this well-known area of the illustration industry.
The fashion, lifestyle and licensing pathway combines illustration with design on a variety of surfaces and products. Emphasis is placed on cutting-edge market and trend research utilizing industry-standard databases and resources. The Fashion, Lifestyle, and Licensing illustration markets are major growth areas in the Illustration industry, and our course content evolves with it.
Students use visual storytelling skills for both self-published ‘zines and mainstream comics and graphic novel markets as well as storyboarding for television and film, in the Comics and Sequential pathway. Students will develop technical drawing skills alongside storytelling skillsets like acting, film theory, and script interpretation.
The gallery artist pathway balances classical skillsets with personal voice development and conceptual theory. Coursework includes more extensive figure painting and students’ resulting portfolio will be ready to submit to galleries and for solo and group exhibitions.
Bachelor of Arts Transfer Pathway
Designed for transfer students who already hold an associate degree, our Illustration Bachelor of Arts (BA) Completion Degree is designed to respect the work you’ve already done, and allow you to graduate from CCS in just two years.
You’ll earn 60–61 credits directly at CCS to finish your degree on a fast, focused timeline. Because this is a true completion program, you only pay tuition for four semesters. It’s an efficient, affordable way to level up your education, maximize your transfer credits, and join the ranks of our talented alumni.
This program trains students to think across disciplines, building technical skills in their chosen area while developing the analytical and communication abilities that employers and graduate schools actively seek.
Program learning outcomes focus on:
- Narrative picture-making skills building
- Workflow management
- Intellectual property protection
- Contract licensing
- Defending the ethical value of human authorship versus algorithmic systems
This pathway is built for curious, ideas-driven students who want their art and Illustration to connect to history, society, and culture, as well as those who see creativity as a lens for understanding the world.
- Creative Industry Management
- Arts Administration
- Education
- Publishing
- Curation
- Communications
- Graduate Studies
Your Future, In Motion
With our extensive industry connections spanning over a century, we ensure that the active learning our students engage in aligns with industry needs, preparing them for careers.
Cutting-Edge Spaces for Creative Minds
Enjoy unlimited access to industry-standard facilities that prepare you for real-world production.
Internationally, nationally and right here in Detroit, Illustration graduates pursue multiple avenues upon graduation
*Note: This information was gathered using Lightcast Labor Market Analytics and includes the median salary for the lifetime of a career in these specific professions. CCS alumni outcomes may vary.
Possible Career Choices
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