Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): None
This course combines the application of color theory and introductory design principles. The function of traditional design principles incorporating color perception and color psychology give students a strong understanding of basic visual communication elements. Digital and traditional methods in design, color issues, and media manipulation are covered, along with designing for an ethnically diverse international audience.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): none
Is drawing a gift that has to come naturally? It is actually a skill like any other. This course will demonstrate how easily it can be learned. Drawing is as much about learning how to see and think about form and space as it is about technique. The drawing part itself is just marks on paper. Those marks come together to tell the viewer something about the world that the artist experienced. Drawing also gives one a deeper understanding of the subject being captured. As students progress through the exercises in this class, they will develop a better understanding of the forms being observed and become more skillful in representing them. Improving drawing skills on paper can improve digital drawing skills. ART121 is an introduction to basic drawing concepts and provides a basic foundation in drawing. The course emphasis will be on traditional compositional theory, drawing principles, fundamentals of observing and describing form. Students will gain a strong understanding of tonal and dimensional perspective.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): ART111
This course introduces the student to industry-standard game art for video games. Students will recognize, differentiate and analyze game art for 2D and 3D video games art and design. Topics include video game art and design history. Video game art assets concepts are illustrated using 2D Art assets made in Adobe Photoshop. Students learn to create art assets that are used in a 2D and 3D final game project. Areas of emphasis include 2D and 3D video game art and design history, as well as 2D and 3D video game animation loops, and the techniques used for game art like box modeling, UV mapping, 0-to-1 texturing, color map, bump map, normal map, specular map, Alpha channels, decals, sprites, backgrounds and foregrounds, layer and palletize, fonts and color theory.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): none
This course is an overview of the primary industry software tool (Adobe Photoshop) used in the creation of 2D computer graphics. Students will learn the commands and interfaces of industry-standard raster graphics software applications in order to create and manipulate 2D images.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): ART121
Life doesn’t stand still, and neither should art. This course further explores the drawing techniques established in Beginning Drawing. Students will concentrate on increasing drawing skills with respect to lighting, texture and spatial interpretation, and infusing the "smoking gun" aspect of lifelike action in compositions. Students will learn how to use color in drawing and to make images come to life. Individual drawing assignments and the development of a final portfolio and sketchbook will be emphasized. The Wacom Tablet will be introduced in the latter part of this course.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): ART111, ART121
Students will learn to sketch, prototype and design functional creations before committing to their actual development. Concept art is a critical skill in increasing the quality and speed of production. Students will learn to craft, present and refine humanoid, animal, biological and environmental concept art that becomes the foundation for future assets.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): ART121
This course unveils the art of visual storytelling. Storyboarding is an important skill for beginning directors to develop to pre-visualize shots and sets. It is also a critical skill in creating animation sequences and is important to the multimedia developer in planning the needs of a project. Students apply storyboarding techniques to scripts by accurately showing camera angles, placement of the actors, etc. Emphasis is placed on accuracy and presentation.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): ART121
Recommended: BIO210
This course explores a full range of techniques and artistic viewpoints to animate drawings. Emphasis will be on learning to sketch the human and animal forms in both stick and geometric figures studies. Students will learn the skeletal and muscular make up of the figures. Studies in the form of homework assignments will be required as well as in class work. Long and short poses will be interspersed with exercises specifically designed to allow artists to heighten perceptions. Students will practice using the formulas for making character sketches more realistic by understanding the volumetric description and underlying structure of the human form. This course provides the most thorough experience drawing from live models.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): MTM101
This class will explore modeling with polygons, patches, NURBS and subdivision surfaces, and will discuss when each is appropriate. Students will study organic and hard surface modeling. Topics will also include a review of the history of 3D computer graphics, an overview of the current state of the 3D industry, an introduction to the current technology being used and a survey of the skills needed to work in today’s industry. This course is an introduction to Maya Unlimited. Students will model using polygons, subdivision surfaces, patches and NURBS. Areas of emphasis include sculpting tools, extruding, Boolean, lofting, revolving and deformers. Students will complete exercises that build toward a final project. This class will also introduce basic lighting, texturing, rendering and animation techniques.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): DVA210, DVA231
Recommended: DVA130, THE230
This course introduces the student to industry-standard 3D techniques used to animate objects and characters. Students will learn fundamental character animation principles. Topics include key frame animation, motion blending, motion capture, interpolation, storytelling and basic cinematography. Concepts are illustrated using animated footage. Students animate 3D objects and characters for exercises that build toward a final project. Areas of emphasis include inverse kinematics, constraints, deformers, custom attributes and lip sync. Students will also explore expressions, particle systems and dynamics.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): ART236
Recommended: BIO210
This course will take students through a complete character design, starting with conceptual sketches and concluding with multiple representations of their artistic creation. Topics covered include drafting a backstory and personality history, determining proportions, relative size, range of motion and creating a turnaround (front, back and 3/4 view) and action poses. Students will be expected to work in both traditional and digital media.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): ART111, ART231, ART236
Environmental design requires combining theories of architecture, landscape design and the cinematographer’s eye to create environments with dramatic lighting, mood-setting characterizations, compound perspectives and a mix of functionality and aesthetics. By applying principles of design and flow to existing knowledge of tools and techniques, students will create immersive and interactive environments that aren’t merely background noise, but a part of the complete experience.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): ART355
This class will call upon all of the knowledge learned from all of the prerequisite classes as we begin to create characters for game and animation designs. The course will go into great detail in the total movement of the figure and stress anatomical correctness at every stage. Work will be completed and explored in both the traditional and the digital media. Characters (human, animal, insect, reptile and avian) will show complete movements and views from every angle. This is a class that will challenge artistic and creative skills to the highest degree.

Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite(s): ENG055 or equivalent
This course is designed to present effective techniques in organizing, developing and revising academic essays that reflect collegiate-level critical and logical thinking skills. Students will write a minimum of four essays, directed toward audiences with specific rhetorical situations, that stress descriptive, analytical, evaluative and persuasive/ argumentative writing. Students will also develop their critical reading skills: analyzing, evaluating and critiquing the claims and evidence used by various authors.

Credits: 3.00
(GE, Humanities)
Prerequisite(s): ENG101
ENG102 is designed to introduce students to the essential language, theories and strategies of argumentation and research. The purpose of the course is to provide students with the tools necessary to develop arguments for specific audiences within specific rhetorical situations. Students will also develop their critical reading skills: analyzing, evaluating and critiquing the claims and evidence used by various authors. Finally, students will learn proper research skills and write an in-depth research essay/project.