Illustration is perhaps the oldest form of artistic expression. From the time of the Lascaux cave paintings, it has reached to the core of human communication. The fine arts/illustration curriculum encourages students to develop self-expression by building a symbology of form, texture, color, and line. A variety of media and techniques are explored to perfect the skill of converting three-dimensional perception into comprehensible two-dimensional form.

Fine artists and illustrators rely on the techniques of their craft and an understanding of their subject to document cultural traditions, social customs, and the physical world. Students learn to translate coded personal concepts into expressive images through the visual language of color, texture, and form. The suitability of materials for a variety of communication media is examined, with a focus on techniques of construction and composition, material handling, and interpretation of theme.

Sculpture demands a unique vocabulary of responses in giving full-blown expression to the three-dimensional form. Figure sculpture and three-dimensional design are examined in a variety of expressive media, including wood, metal, clay, and stone. Students gain experience in the traditional concepts of shaping, modeling, and constructing while exploring more contemporary and experimental vehicles of self-expression.

Instruction in printmaking and photography emphasizes the mechanical rendering of images onto a variety of surfaces. Numerous printing and registering techniques are explored as students learn to blend inks, prepare surfaces, and guide the physical tools needed in their particular media. The basic production techniques prevail across a broad range of finished products--from rough, hand-hewn images to elegant photographic representations.

Fine arts/illustration majors complete the following courses during the fall and spring semesters: