The styles of art illustration and design majors studying abroad in Britain and the United States are quite different. Many art students who want to apply for illustration and design majors studying abroad should prepare a collection of illustration and design works studying abroad according to their own characteristics. So, what are the requirements for applying to American art colleges for art study?
Illustrations, in Latin, originally meant "to illuminate". It was originally used to increase the interest given by the text in the journal, so that the text can be more vivid and vivid in the hearts of readers. In today's various publications, the importance of illustration has far exceeded the foil position of "illuminating words". It can not only highlight the theme of the idea, but also enhance the appeal of art.
Illustration is an art form. As an important form of visual communication in modern design, it occupies a specific position in modern design with its intuitive image, real sense of life and beauty appeal. It has been widely used in many fields of modern design, involving cultural activities, social public utilities, commercial activities, film and television culture, etc.
Compared with quality education in China, illustration education in foreign countries is more closely integrated with the market, and the training methods are more diversified and practical, among which American art schools are the most popular.
Requirements for illustration design works:
Undergraduate art students studying abroad for illustration
The illustration design major of the New York Institute of Visual Arts, which ranks first in the US in illustration design study abroad, requires students to learn to express and explain their ideas artistically. It attaches great importance to the source of design inspiration, and is also a school that attaches great importance to research and display.
In addition to a large number of sketching works, undergraduate art students also hope to see the works that students can show using color, which can be displayed through gouache, propylene, oil painting, printing and other media. We also hope to have other cross media works, such as collages.
When making an illustration design portfolio, you must give yourself plenty of time and find the fun in it. Don't wait until the last minute, and do enough work in advance, so that you can integrate and edit the best collection of overseas art works. Therefore, I still recommend that applicants prepare a collection of overseas works for illustration majors at least 1-2 years in advance.
In general, the application for illustration design of undergraduate art students studying abroad shows their strong hand drawing skills as much as possible, whether it is sketch, color, or comprehensive materials, of course, they should try their best to incorporate their creativity. In addition to early preparation, it is worth noting that the idea of the collection of overseas art works should be clear, and you should choose the place that best reflects your concept for in-depth expression. The whole set of illustration design works should cover many aspects. Your purpose is to show your abilities in all aspects to the jury. In addition, typesetting, that is, the way of presentation, is also very important. The speed of reviewing and browsing a work is extremely fast, so we should catch their eyes at the first time.
Some foreign art schools attach great importance to the development process of your design, so keep your sketches, because inspiration in the design process is more important than the result!
Art graduate students studying abroad for illustration
The application of art graduate students for studying abroad requires a more professional and systematic display of an illustration design work for studying abroad.
In the collection of works of art graduate students studying abroad, the creativity and ideas of illustration are particularly important. Painting skills are no longer the main criteria to be judged. When applying, more attention is paid to the ideas of works and how to express them. Everyone's hand painting skills can be consolidated through practice, but their inspiration and opinions on illustration design are different, thus creating different styles of illustration.
In the portfolio of art graduate students applying for studying abroad, you need to use words to describe your illustration, including the theme, creative ideas, creative process, painting media, etc. If you have a school you really want to go to, you must do enough homework before doing the illustration design collection, that is, deeply investigate the students' style and preferences in the school, and then start to make the collection.
Put an end to plagiarism and may ban the exam for life if found.
Choose the painting style and expression method that you are good at, try not to use too many painting methods that you are not good at, and let the works show their advantages to the greatest extent.
As a deep part of the pure art field, the major of illustration design is loved by foreign art students. Do you know which university in Britain and America has the best illustration major? The following Natural Light Art Study Abroad Editor selects six top British and American illustration schools from British and American schools. They are the United Kingdom: Edinburgh College of Art, Camberwell College of Art, Kingston University, the United States: New York School of Visual Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, Maryland College of Art. Here is a detailed analysis of the style differences between British and American illustration majors and how to prepare art study collections for their respective characteristics.
Recommended by British illustration design schools:
Rich visual images, derived from profound context and continuous professional training
The purpose of ECA is to promote critical discussion through academic research, learning and education of creative practice.
In the process of studying abroad, students will:
Choose to study illustration and you’ll learn the language of drawing and image-making. As you harness a wide range of techniques and methodologies,we’ll guide you through an inspirational exploration of visual language.
you’ll focus on combining practical studio work with theoretical written work.This will include taking part in a range of live projects that will prepare you for professional practice and a seminar series that will examine the wider context of your studies.
Compared with other art colleges, Edinburgh's illustration major pays more attention to the comprehensive strength of students, which not only includes solid painting skills, but also students need to provide theoretical support for their own creation. At the same time, they constantly try to stimulate their imagination, insight, open their eyes, and have rich cultural and historical knowledge in a large number of practice processes.
Portfolio Tips:
Discovery&excavation: transform the inspiration&events that can be seen everywhere in life into creative themes, and promote the continuous development of creative projects in combination with their own experience, emotion and world outlook, so as to fully show the story that students want to give to their works.
Skills and methods: When students finally present the portfolio project, they need not only to show excellent painting skills and rich media means, but also to reflect the complete creative process and show their mastery of the methodology of illustration creation.
To be critical
When it comes to British learning, it is true that to be critical will be mentioned for thousands of years. This critical is like a queen waiting for a long time, and has long been loved by the British academic community.
Camberwell College of Arts takes an innovative, experimental and critical approach to the broad practice of illustration.
In addition, Camberwell added a few words:
Our students are encouraged to challenge the position of the illustrator within commercial,social,political and cultural contexts.
Camberwell is more open in this view. It encourages students to try to do design background research from the perspective of business, society, politics and culture. This also gives some directions and references for students who want to be admitted to Lunyi Camberwell Design College in the creation of work collections.
Portfolio Tips：
It is suggested that students should focus on their ability to observe and find problems from a realistic perspective in their own works. Because the school has suggested that it will train students to try to find the possibility of creation in several aspects existing in reality, it can be properly reflected in the works.
In addition, you can try to use different ways to reflect the different forms of expression of the same theme and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each one in the process of making the project of the work collection. It is also best to fully reflect this in the research.
The combination of illustration and animation at Kingston University
In Kingston's illustration design course, in addition to the clich é of critical, Kingston also values the integrity of students' art study abroad collection:
idea development, Observation and research, image and content relationships
Compared with Camberwell, who pays more attention to the idea of finding creative inspiration from reality, Kingston may focus more on in-depth exploration in some aspect of the designer's own interest and presenting his design ideas through different ways of expression, and it may pay more attention to the mastery of techniques and the ability of relative application in works. (Drawing, animation,digital crafts,presentation techniques,life drawing.)
In addition, the name of this major is "Illustrational Animation", so in fact, students will learn a lot of animation design knowledge in addition to illustration in the learning process of BA, which is interdisciplinary learning and application.
Portfolio Tips:
Students applying for Kingston can choose to add animation design professional elements in the project of illustration design overseas works collection, and review their illustration creation with reference to some animation professional creation ideas.
Recommended by American illustration design schools:
New York School of Visual Arts (SVA) Illustration Design:
Extremely strong requirements for brain cavity and comprehensive application ability
First, let's take a look at SVA's description of illustration:
visual artists must do more than deliver slick gimmicks—they must develop a real sensibility and create work that transcends trends.
New York Institute of Visual Arts At the beginning of the introduction, it gave us a very precise description: we are visual artists, and the things we design are not meant to be sensationalism; What we need to do is creative design that can really resonate and lead the trend.
At the same time, they also said:
We not only inspire and encourage a student’s imagination, but also teach the art of interpretation.Our students develop sophisticated and complete oeuvres.
We will not only cultivate students' imagination and creativity, but also require students to learn to express and explain their ideas artistically. Our students will eventually complete a complete set of their own works and master the ability to express complex ideas in a diversified way in this process.
As the No. 1 illustrator in the United States, SVA has high requirements for its students' works:
“unlike the“patch-work portfolios”produced by many other art schools, which consist of students’scattered responses to a variety of assignments,and don’t especially reveal their true personalities.”
In addition, SVA is a school that attaches great importance to the source of design inspiration, and also attaches great importance to research and display. In view of this situation, the minor editor gives the following suggestions for the production of works collection:
SVA attaches great importance to ideas, and works should dig deeply into human nature! The works should not only be superficial, but also be avant-garde and in-depth. It is recommended to read the literature in an interdisciplinary way, study more, refer to and try some ways of visual expression, and must reflect the integrity of the collection of works. What you put together is certainly not good. After all works are completed, you must re-examine the logic.
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) illustration design
Form is not the key, the essence of illustration design is the purpose
Compared with SVA's emphasis on human nature, avant-garde and avant-garde, Rhode Island School of Design may be a little freer and less demanding on content, but it will pay more attention to students' diversified expression of ideas:
As a creative discipline illustration at RISD is broadly defined—by purpose,not media.
As long as your illustration can convey special meaning and information, all ways can be tried. In the process, whether it is pure art oil painting, video photography, film animation, graphic design, or interdisciplinary design, you can use it.
At Rhode Island Design Institute, which is famous for its preciseness and academic style, RISD has expressed its attitude towards the curriculum framework and academic purpose of illustration:
“Since the tools and media illustrators use are constantly evolving, our objective is to offer a broad-based curriculum aimed at coaxing from our students really dynamic and evocative message-making.”
It is precisely because of the evolution from tradition to digital media that the transmission mode of visual information is also changing. We should also widely adapt to this changing rhythm while designing illustrations and make people feel more meaningful when conveying information.
Portfolio Tips：
When applying for RISD, the portfolio can make more efforts in demonstrating diversified design techniques. For example, Kang Shishi also mentioned in the illustration and visual communication summer camp held by his employer: students can use the pure art installation design method to do the preliminary design from the perspective of 3D, and then turn to 2D processing and improvement.
In addition, don't think that illustration is just a drawing on paper, and it is excellent to try and process various design expressions in the works.
Illustration Design of Maryland Institute of Arts (MICA)
The most artist atmosphere professional illustrator training zone
MICA Maryland College of the Arts The major of illustration has an innovative curriculum system, free and open teaching mode, advanced teaching facilities, and world-class teachers. In MICA, students have the most avant-garde and independent creative space. While giving full play to their individuality, they can contact business through tutors and research topics to understand what kind of works are more suitable for the market and consumers.
Illustration department is distinct from other majors at MICA in that it is not defined by a specific medium. Illustrations can be created by hand(drawing,painting,collage,assemblage,sculpture,printmaking,etc...),digitally(Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator,Corel Painter,Autodesk 3ds Max,Softimage and Maya,etc....)and increasingly a combination of both.
The language of Illustration is symbolic and narrative, rooted in the traditional codes of Western Art,but constantly affected by diverse contemporary and non-Western aesthetics.
Illustration majors learn to create work that is based on personal vision and aware of the shifts in markets and culture.
In terms of media, MICA mainly uses two types of expression techniques:
Manual works: including painting, installation, collage, sculpture, installation, printing, etc
Digital: including PS, AI, 3d Max, Maya, etc
In terms of language, MICA pays attention to the narrative and symbolic nature of pictures
From the perspective of creation, MICA emphasizes the combination and transformation between individuals and culture&market
Portfolio Tips：
It is suggested that students should not only show their solid foundation, but also pay special attention to the narrative and visual symbols of the works, clarify the creative ideas of the works, and organically integrate the pictures with clear logic and story.
If you want to apply for studying abroad in illustration design, please feel free to ask for natural light art to study abroad if you have questions about school selection and the style of British and American illustration design collections.
Analysis of British illustrators applying for illustration major
Illustration Tutorial - Theme, Preliminary Research, Inspiration Transformation, Hand drawn Illustration Tutorial Steps
Through the definition and requirements of SVA and UAL on illustration design works, we can see the difference between British and American universities.
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