Illustration

AIB has a long history of training successful, intelligent, innovative illustrators. Our graduates' work has graced the pages of The New York Times, Atlantic, Random House, and Scholastic. They have authored their own graphic novels and illustrated books for children and adults. Recent publications include Jenny Mattheson's No Bows, Jeff Newman's Hippo! No, Rhino, and Annette LeBlanc Cate's The Magic Rabbit.

Our comprehensive BFA program covers a wide range of illustration markets, including children's book, sci-fi, editorial, comics, and more. At AIB, you'll have the chance to focus on the area that interests you while exploring other disciplines.

The curriculum stresses drawing skills as the basis for communicating ideas, and as the foundation for all techniques. It focuses on a variety of approaches, from traditional materials to new media. In short, we help master the technical skills you need to develop as a visual thinker with a distinctive personal style distinguishing your work.

The program begins with a thorough grounding in the basics of drawing, composition, color, and history. The Foundation Year curriculum will open you up to art in all its iterations. Coursework helps you become adept in your drawing and conceptualization abilities. As you develop in the program, you will grow in sophistication as you explore a host of areas from illustration techniques to the art of visual storytelling to client-artist relationships. Depending on your interest, you can choose from electives including Open Picture Book, Games Illustration, Obsessions and Phobias, and Advanced Computer Illustration.

Our size makes it possible for you to work closely with our talented teachers. Our nationally recognized faculty includes working illustrators from diverse backgrounds representing a variety of viewpoints, techniques, and styles of work. This group brings knowledge of current developments in the field and real-world professional skills to their classroom. Our visiting artist program gives you the chance to learn from—and exchange ideas with—some of today's foremost illustrators.

In addition to traditional mediums such as watercolor, painting, and acrylic paints, you can hone your skills in our state-of-the-art digital illustration labs, and our Boston location means you will never run out of interesting ideas to pursue, characters to sketch, and stories to tell. 

Illustration & Animation Blog

Alumni

Cynthia von Buhler BFA 1991

Renee Kurilla BFA 2004

Julia Denos BFA 2005

Liz Siegel BFA 2006

Ellen T. Crenshaw BFA 2007

Adam Ellis BFA 2008

additional alumni

Illustration BFA
123 credits

First Semester
Visual Thinking
Drawing Intensive
Conceptual Development I
Foundation Seminar Lecture I
English Composition
Art of the Western World I

Second Semester
Conceptual Development II
Foundation Seminar Lecture II
Choice of Foundation Drawing Elective
Principles of Illustration
Digital Elective
Writing & the Literary Arts
Art of the Western World II

Third Semester
Anatomy and Figure Drawing
Techniques I - Color and Composition
Experimental Illustration
Digital Trio [Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign]
History Elective
Math Requirement

Fourth Semester
Sequential Projects
Techniques II – Demos
Web Promotion
Typography I
Illustration Survey
Liberal Arts Elective

Fifth Semester
Op-Ed Projects (or) Editorial Illustration
Illustration Drawing Elective
Illustration Major Elective
Media Elective
Science Requirement
General Elective

Sixth Semester
Junior Studio
Business of Illustration
Illustration Major Elective
Studio Elective
Art History Elective
Liberal Arts Elective

Seventh Semester
Senior Studio I
Illustration Drawing Elective
Internship
Advanced Art History Elective
Liberal Arts Elective

Eighth Semester
Portfolio for Illustration / Senior Jury
Illustration Drawing Elective
Studio Elective
Social Science
General Elective

Additional program:
Illustration APC
Advanced Professional Certificate
58 Credits | learn more...

Current students may search course listings within the LOIS WebAdvisor system and visit Academic Advising to download program requirement worksheets, including those for the Bachelor of Fine Arts five-year double major in Design/Illustration or Illustration/Fine Arts.

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