Game Art Course Listings

An introductory course exploring the art and architecture of Mesoamerica from the rise of the Olmec in 1500 BCE to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in 1521, Mesoamerican Empires will focus on how changes in visual culture have reflected larger religious and political transformations in Mesoamerica. Issues of cultural memory and myth will be examined to understand indigenous conceptions of art, history, cosmology, and social hierarchy. Forging links with the present day, students will learn to identify and contextualize Mesoamerican iconography in contemporary media including the creative expression of lowrider culture, tattoos, fine art, and fashion. Students will be required to demonstrate their understanding of the material through visual (art) projects, a formal writing assignment, and their participation in class discussions. No prerequisites.

This course is an exploration of art and visual culture from the Asian continent. Focusing on art works as historical, cultural, and social documents, we will examine how art was commissioned, collected, and used by royalty, the elite, popular audiences, and religious communities in both rural and urban settings. Different themes discussed include art as an instrument of power and propaganda, as a tool for social and religious ritual, an expression of status and prestige, a medium for social protest, as well as a product for the marketplace. Beginning with Bronze Age objects for ritual purposes, subsequent artforms include scroll paintings in the Song Dynasty, women’s painting and printed books, Japanese secular emaki scrolls and ukioy-e art, the luxury of Mughal art in India, and true-view landscape painting in Korea. Students are required to do class readings and engage actively in class discussion, complete two papers, create a final project, and make a final presentation. No prerequisites.

If consciousness is shaped by our history, then where are we, collectively, if we’ve lost faith that a shared historical commonality among cultures ever existed? To the people who thrived in the strange and beautiful empires of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, religious and cultural differences found in one’s neighbors weren’t unusual, confusing or frightening—they were part of everyday life. In short: normal coexistence. In the class Egypt, Greece, Rome—we’ll explore the commonalities and shared experiences found among these three remarkable civilizations, as well as follow the cultural fault lines exploited by those in power which eventually forced these empires to dissolve. Together, we’ll explore three millennia of artefacts, objects, architecture, writings, as well as cultural and religious practice to see how these civilizations evolved, ran alongside one another, then overlapped and overcame one another to lay the foundations of modern western society. Through lecture, images, discussions, essays, and close readings, students will learn to identify, decode, understand and describe artworks and objects from the past, translating them from visual to verbal and textual language. In addition, in an effort to gain insight into the ancient state of mind, students will reconstruct a piece of history with a hands-on laboratory project and a small, original artwork of their own. No prerequisites.

The Middle Ages were a time of knights and ladies... or maybe brutal Viking warlords... or a clash of civilizations between Christians and Muslims... and maybe there were dragons? A lot of what we “know” about the medieval world comes from fantasy, pop culture, and from old nationalist scholarship that mostly invented origin myths. So, how can we know what the Middle Ages were really like? In this class, we’ll go back and try to get a more accurate picture by looking at things medieval people made: manuscripts, sculptures, buildings, weapons, clothing, etc., all in tandem with reading primary sources by the people who were there. Starting with the collapse of the western Roman Empire, we will uncover a different picture of how two related cultures arose out of the wreckage of the ancient world: Christendom and Dar al-Islam. Along the way we’ll learn that the “barbarians” weren’t that barbaric, that some Vikings converted to Islam, that trade and cooperation across the Mediterranean were far more common than Crusades, and that the medieval world was more diverse, cosmopolitan, and queer than you may have been led to believe. No prerequisites.

Nature in Art explores the rich and varied traditions of artistic expression unique to the regions of Japan, Korea, and Tibet, from prehistoric indigenous practices through the mid-19th century. Looking closely at Japan, the Korean renaissance, and the coded art of Tibetan Buddhist culture, we will uncover the distinct artistic heritage found in each, noting particularly the sharing and transmission of art practices and ideas as they cross geographical and cultural boundaries.
Working chronologically, this course will identify intersections of spirituality and nature, then examine artistic expressions of such concepts through lacquer, ceramic, ink, paper, stone, bamboo and ivory, among other media. Both two- and three-dimensional art forms are considered, from calligraphy, wood-block prints and landscape painting to festivals, garden design, poetry, and tea ceremonies. The objects and sites studied in this course will reflect how concepts of beauty and aesthetics are achieved through the practice of “harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.” The course is conducted as a hybrid seminar-lecture style course, with instructor led lectures and video, student presentations, research, writing, culinary experiences, as well as hands-on exploration of the traditional processes of historic art production in these regions. This class requires a visit to the USC Pacific Asia Museum to see art in person from each of the regions studied in this class. No prerequisites.

People often wonder exactly when, throughout history, women first started to become active in society? Of course, the answer is: Always. Even though women’s efforts have been overshadowed by that of their male contemporaries in the chronicling of official histories, women have always participated in every facet of life, from rich to poor, north to south, east to west, and from the ancient period to the present. In this course, we will examine the lives and creative pursuits of the many women who contributed to the arts, sciences, and humanities throughout history, particularly focusing on artists & craftspersons, writers & poets, healers, pharmacists, natural philosophers, and rulers, with a few warriors included for good measure. Students will conduct close readings, originate research, formulate short essays, and in an effort to gain insight into the state of mind of historical women, reconstruct a piece of history with a hands-on laboratory project and a small, original artwork placing themselves in the environment of a chosen historical female. Prerequisite: AH210, or one course from the Ancient Civilizations category. This course can be taken concurrently with one class from the Medieval Worlds in Motion category. 3 units.

“Force yourself to imitate Michelangelo in everything.” These were the words expressed by Michelangelo’s biographer to a remarkably self-aware generation of artists in 16th-century Florence, Rome, and Venice. However, whether rival artists wanted to, or even imagined they could succeed in imitating Michelangelo’s work is another question—one among many we’ll explore in The Age of Michelangelo, 1450-1550. In consultation with a range of visual, historical, and literary materials, we’ll delve into the spirit of the age, looking at drawing, painting, sculpture, furniture and garden design, food, weaponry, architecture, and urban planning, as well as people. We’ll tap into the players and personalities of the times—Leonardo, Giorgione, Raphael, Sofonisba Anguissola, Titian—as well as Isabella d’Este, the Della Rovere, and the Medici families who sought to shape their immediate world through power, imagination, and the artistry of their times. Students will conduct close readings, originate research, formulate essays, and in an effort to gain insight into the Renaissance state of mind reconstruct a piece of history with a hands-on laboratory project and a small, original artwork of their own. Prerequisite: AH210, or one course from Ancient Civilizations category (AH100 series). This course can be taken concurrently with Medieval Worlds in Motion category (AH200 series).

For centuries, earthly creatures, charmed animals and otherworldly beings conjured by artisans, magicians, folklorists, natural philosophers, and physicians, have inspired both wonder and delight as well as revulsion, alarm, and terror in the hearts and minds of otherwise thinking persons. Considering beasts and beings of all sorts, both earthly and divine, this course seeks to investigate the origin stories of such creatures and inquire as to what motivations compel an individual or society to conjure such creatures. From the Classical World to Medieval Scandinavia, from the Americas to Slavic Europe, this course explores how art and monstrosity intersected in the cultural imagination to both delightful and devastating effect. In consultation with a range of visual and literary primary materials, including the Great Chain of Being, the Malleus Maleficarum (the Witches Hammer), and Della Porta’s How We May Produce New and Strange Monsters, students will conduct close readings, originate research, formulate essays and create original artwork of their own in an effort to gain insight into earlier states of mind as well as open avenues into wholly new creations. All readings for the course will be in English, although international and graduate students may be asked to give additional reports on texts written in other languages.

This course chronicles the history and evolution of game design while reflecting on its immediacy through the Internet and game culture trends. Students examine the social and artistic influences in computer-mediated communications, and consider game theory principles while examining the motive, strategy, competition, and psychology of the game.

Los Tres Grandes explores the Mexican Muralist movement of the 1920s from its beginnings under the post-Mexican Revolution government to its present-day influence on Chicanx and Street artists. Utilizing a curricular framework centered on Los Tres Grandes (the big three), Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros, our studies will then expand to include further influential figures such as Frida Kahlo and Rufino Tamayo among others. Students will be required to demonstrate their understanding of the material through visual (art) projects, a formal writing assignment, and participation in class discussions. Prerequisite: One course from Ancient Civilizations category (AH100 series) and one course from either Medieval Worlds or Renaissance Worlds in Motion category

This course examines a diverse array of art created by different ethnic groups in West Africa from pre-colonial through the 19th century and beyond. Through the lens of both spiritual and cultural traditions, we will consider a wide range of styles and materials, and ask how meaning is derived from objects and practices, keeping in mind particular challenges that emerge when studying art that is both permanent and impermanent. The significance of oral traditions will be studied, as well as the roles of ancestor spirits, mythical creatures, divination and initiation rites, and how music, dance, and masking function in establishing power, status, political, and social conventions. Objects created exclusively for performative and ritual uses, art in service to royalty, sculpture, utilitarian objects, architecture, performance, and the body as subject and site of adornment will form the core of our studies. Materials studied will include metal, wood, textiles, mud, ivory, beads, bone, dung, and blood/bodily fluids. While important, this class does not intend to cover present-day political crises, border disputes, or changing social constructs in West Africa. This course is conducted with instructor led lecture, film, guided reading and discussions, student presentations based on independent research, and other exploratory exercises. A visit to the UCLA Fowler Museum is required for this class. Students will experience textile creation and the development of personal symbolism in a hands-on project. Prerequisite: One course from Ancient Civilizations category (AH100 series) and one course from either Medieval Worlds or Renaissance Worlds in Motion category (AH200/AH300 series).

This course will examine the relationship between visuality and technology as expressed by photographers of the 19th- and 20th-centuries. Materials and readings for the course will focus on the roles and development of photography primarily in India, Afghanistan, China, and Japan, and the alterations it engendered in the perception and depiction of the world. We will examine the use of photography in the service of journalism and news reporting, ethnographic studies and geographical awareness, science, propaganda, tourism, entertainment, and of course, art. Beginning with Western photographers’ images of a distant “Orient,” this course will conclude with the uses of photography in contemporary Asian art, looking particularly at themes of national and personal identities as well as commentary on traditions. Students are required to do class readings and engage actively in class discussion, complete two papers, submit one individual project related to the course apparatus, and make a final presentation. Projects deriving from other time periods or regions are welcome, for example, photography from Imperial Russia or the Ottoman Empire. Prerequisite: One course from Ancient Civilizations category (AH100 series) and one course from either Medieval Worlds or Renaissance Worlds in Motion category (AH200/AH300 series).

Los Angeles, not known for being a bastion of either culture or liberalism during the early twentieth century, was—for a time—both a cradle of high-modernism and a refuge from the charnel house of European fascism. Icons such as poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht, Marxist philosopher Theodor Adorno, noir filmmakers Fritz Lang and Billy Wilder, composers Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinski, novelists Thomas Mann and Aldous Huxley, and architects Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler, many of whom had fled the Nazis, made their homes in Los Angeles. In this course, we will examine the lives and major works of the many refugees and exiles who transformed LA’s intellectual and aesthetic culture in the 1940s, as well as look closely at three critical aspects of their enduring legacy. First, the transnational exchange of aesthetic and intellectual history between Europe and the United States; Second, the effects of fascism on aesthetics and its implications; and Third, the degree to which the creative output of European émigrés provided survival strategies in the wake of such genocidal and illiberal ideologies. What, in other words, can we glean from Brecht’s poetry, from Adorno’s “reflections from damaged life,” from Fritz Lang’s deeply expressionistic noir films, from Huxley’s Brave New World? Through the consumption of text and images representing this history students will create a project utilizing this aesthetic and intellectual history of art (and artists) as a means of strategizing survival in today’s climate. Prerequisite: One course from Ancient Civilizations category (AH100 series) and one course from either Medieval Worlds or Renaissance Worlds in Motion category (AH200/AH300 series).

Since 1954 when the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the people of the United States have been engaged in a series of “culture wars” concerned primarily with identity—particularly race and gender—and a grappling with its morally ambiguous past. This deep and alienating sense of polarization and clashing of identities—some voluntary and others forced upon us—has only intensified over the years, coming to an explosive climax in the chaotic and tragic years of 2020-21. Everything from the anti-mask movement and “cancel culture” to the fate of Confederate Statues and defunding the police falls under the rubric of a longstanding, and increasingly tribal culture war in the United States. In this course we will look at the broad historical context of the 1960s from which these battles emerged and trace them through the present. In doing so, we will pay close attention to the ways in which the expansion of rights, freedoms, and liberties for historically marginalized groups has elicited conservative reactions seeking to roll back those gains through an often sectarian vision of American culture and history. This course will focus on flashpoints or sites of contestation—Roe v. Wade, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the rise of “Alt-Right” groups such as the Proud Boys, recent controversies about “Big Tech” censorship, the fate of civil rights, Black Lives Matter protests, and the violent denouement of the Trump Administration. Students will produce written responses to the readings and also formulate a final project determining the role of art and the artist in meeting this particular historical moment. Prerequisite: One course from Ancient Civilizations category (AH100 series) and one course from either Medieval Worlds or Renaissance Worlds in Motion category (AH200/AH300 series).

This course will introduce students to current theoretical and real-world applications of exhibition design operating today in museums, galleries, and contemporary art spaces, both real and virtual. Through weekly in-person exploration of cultural sites in and around Orange County and Los Angeles, students will observe and critique aesthetic and practical decisions made by professional curators and exhibition designers, with particular emphases on structural layout, cultural themes, the curation and arrangement of objects, and how artworks interact with one another in outdoor and indoor spaces. In doing so, students will sharpen their perceptive skills, strengthen their discourse specific to the fields of art production, curation, collecting, and museum studies, and pursue theoretical examples of design brought to life within the rich artistic landscape of Southern California. Students produce written journal entries, participate in discussions, produce directed reading responses to museum catalogues, articles, and other didactic material, as well as participate in oral presentations and collaborative hands-on projects. Prerequisite: One course from Ancient Civilizations category (AH100 series) and one course from either Medieval Worlds or Renaissance Worlds in Motion category (AH200/AH300 series).

Set primarily in Paris, this course traces the development and public reception of modern
art in Europe from the mid-19th century through the early years of the 20th century. The
main focus of this course is the Post-Impressionists, artists working in diverse styles
during the years 1880-1900. In order to better understand the radical approaches to art
undertaken by these artists, the course will include a brief investigation of the cultural,
political, and artistic trends which led up to the period known as Post-Impressionism. Thus,
students will gain familiarity with the major art movements of the 18th and 19th centuries:
Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, and Impressionism. This course will be framed by
the theories of “bohemian” poet Charles Baudelaire, whose close friendship with many
artists helped shaped the trajectory of modern art. Encircled by other likeminded writers,
these artists spurred the creative process and championed one another. Van Gogh,
Toulouse-Lautrec, Munch, Mucha, and Klimt are among the artists examined in this class.
Through close analysis of the artists’ own words, students will explore the psyche of the
modern artist as they sought to create an expressive art imbued with feeling, originality,
and innovation. This course requires a museum visit, independent research, analysis of
primary sources (artist letters and essays), and the creation of an artwork related to course
content.

This course teaches fundamental art and design concepts, as well as technical software understanding applied to the creation of art intended for video game use. Emphasis is placed on strong foundation skills, compelling conceptual ideas, and technical knowhow. Class time will be spent creating game art elements, as well as learning new tools to achieve results in an effective and efficient manner. This course will not focus on a single element, but rather it will attempt to give a broad overview into the role that art and design play in the creation of games.

This course introduces students to the basic principles and techniques of 3d modeling, UVW unwrapping, texturing, and software comfortability. The course is designed with the absolute beginner to 3d in mind, with a complete overview of the most commonly used tools and techniques used with current game industry standards in mind. Students will become familiar with the complex interface of the software, as well as to best practices of the game industry. The course allows students the opportunity to work inside of a game engine, allowing them to realize the basic pipelines of taking an asset from "start to finish" as would be expected when working at a game studio.

This course is an introduction to drawing the human form. Students work from the draped and undraped model. Emphasis is on accurate representation of the figure utilizing observation with the elements of gesture, measurement, construction line, volume, proportion, and surface anatomy. Materials include graphite and charcoal.

This course is designed to introduce the student to three-dimensional thinking and composition as it applies to the human form. Students will learn to render form using effective visual observation and measuring techniques, while working from live models. The use of linear and volumetric proportional systems is stressed, as is the construction and understanding of form. Technical procedures of clay modeling, basic use of tools, and proper use of the armature (its orientation in relation to the model) will be addressed. Materials used: plasticine clay.

Fundamentals of Digital Painting will cover use and creation of custom brush sets, general painting techniques, good organization of layers, color theory, composition, and proper usage of Photoshop tools. _The goal of the course is to enable the student to learn to create paintings from life and imagination. The course will include demos, lecture, and in class exercises & critique coupled with homework.

Drawing and Perspective for Game focuses on representing the construction of a 3D object in a 2D image. The class covers one point perspective, two point perspective, and introduces three point perspective. Other topics covered are: Camera lenses and field of view, the importance of camera placement, and placing shadows based on light sources.

The Sophomore Review is a second portfolio to check in on how students are progressing through the major and make sure they have a strong foundation to move forward with. Each student submits work to be reviewed based on key classes from the first three semesters. The work is reviewed and the student either passes, or is given revisions to complete before their next submission to the review. If a student does not pass advancement review, they will not be able to enter their senior classes.

Digital Analytical Figure Drawing is designed to provide the student with structural and analytical knowledge of the figure and Portrait /Life Painting is design to apply that knowledge with traditional skills to the specifics of portraiture and life painting for the purpose of quick information gathering. The course will utilize information gathered from the model in GA 211 and apply that information to do extended studies on facial structure and then move into quick sketch life painting. This course investigates gesture, movement, spatial relationships, foreshortening, anatomical studies, light and shade, composition, color harmony, and the figure in environment. Students learn to make visual and artistic decisions in the context of historical and contemporary figure drawing and painting styles.

This course will utilize information gathered from the model created in GA 211 and apply that information to do extended studies on facial structure and then move into quick sketch life painting. This course investigates gesture, movement, spatial relationships, foreshortening, anatomical studies, light and shade, composition, color harmony, and the figure in environment. Students learn to make visual and artistic decisions in the context of historical and contemporary figure drawing and painting styles.

This course focuses on storytelling with pictures. Students learn the relationship between character and story development, and how to compose images and arrange them in sequence to present a coherent and emotionally effective story. Students also work on public speaking skills by

This class is designed to teach the fundamentals of character design for video games. Students will learn the basics in character exploration, designing, honing, and publishing visually stunning characters. There will be heavy focus on solidifying each students understanding of gesture, construction, and anatomy, and its application of knowledge to character design. Students will gain an understanding in how to sketch and paint digitally using the Wacom tablet, gain traditional drawing mmileage, and create a visually compelling character design portfolio.

The creation of game play and visually stimulating assets, sprites and environments for 2D games. Game play will be explored for a better understanding and creation of small games and their components. Students will be divided into teams to create playable games for both fun and learning.

A focus on digital drawing, rendering and designing as it pertains to vehicles, spaceships and robot designs for the entertainment industry. Emphasis is on building finished portfolio pages and high-level design and presentation skills. Each student should have a clear understanding of how to design vehicles and/or robots using a variety of rending techniques, gestures, shapes, forms, storytelling and color application. Students will learn the importance of time management, and will be expected to work efficiently as individuals as well as in teams. Our primary tool will be Photoshop and the Wacom tablet. The course will include lectures, demonstrations, class discussions and critiques.

A blended learning class studying the natural anatomy of biped and quadruped to bring a realistic foundation to creatures, aliens and monsters. Students will explore how to adapt bone and muscle masses to reach believable anatomy for imaginative figures. Shape language, color composition and foundational understanding of anatomy will bring together scientific rendering into a cohesive design.

This course aims to focus students on the thought process behind creating solid concept art, reinforce the fundamental elements that underscore good painting (composition, use of color and form), and give them the wherewithal to exploit digital media's strengths. Two approaches will be taught: jpeg-bashing (an approach that tilts in favor of photo-manipulation) and "traditional" painting (building a work from thumbnail to final as if it were real media). This course will also address texture painting for 3D.

This course will help the student record ideas into a sketchbook in such a way that the book itself becomes a portfolio piece. The focus is on the preplanning and pre-visualization process with an emphasis on thumbnail sketches to develop ideation relevant to the industry.

The purpose of this course will be to instruct students in the construction of game levels.

This course will allow students to become comfortable with the complex interface of 3DMax so that they may have an easier time grasping the design and digital sculpting in their major. The focus is on the creation of forms to be integrated into a game. Aesthetics, construction, communication, light and form and quality of work are stressed.

This class introduces students to the interrelated specialties of character animation and rigging for modern video games and their impact on other departments within the game art pipeline. Students will learn the principles of animation as they apply to simple objects and fully articulated characters as well as create sophisticated custom rigs that can be tailored to specific animation needs. Emphasis is placed on acquiring practical, industry-relevant strategies for creating effective assets, the ability to prioritize goals and techniques in order to achieve results within time and budgetary constraints, and building a solid foundational knowledge of the crafts involved.

Conceptual designers for the game industry skillfully illustration and design unique and compelling environments, vehicles and props for all kinds of stories and eras. This requires a dynamic understanding of industrial design and illustration skills to cohesively understand how things are built; to visually communicate this through drawings and show narrative aspects of the design. This new course offers an introduction to the conceptual process of Environment Design for video games. Students will create original design solutions through silhouettes, sketches and renderings to support a comprehensive story. Students will obtain a solid understanding of how to create original environments utilizing the Wacom tablet, create layouts digitally, and put together a visually compelling Environment Design Portfolio.

A first course in programming for games stressing fundamental programming principles. Students are introduced to computer programming logic with hands on game development projects using an industry standard game engine. This course will cover the logic structures and design paradigms that allow for fundamental interactions in a visual and object oriented environment. No previous computer programming experience is required.

With the rapid growth of the video games industry, the desire for skilled video game artists is increasing at a steady rate. This course will prepare students for the artistic and technical requirements necessary for the success in this unique discipline. Using 3D studio Max, students will learn to create 3D models for use in games. Students will gain valuable skills related to modeling, texture creation and application, and animation for video games. The course will also make use of a level editor which will give students the opportunity to test and further their skills by using a real world application.

In this course learn the skills to texture and light objects and characters as well as model more efficiently and accurately. Students will use texture editing systems to adhere and manipulate textures onto form. Students learn to model in polygons as well as model within the surfaces offered within software (i.e., subdivision surfaces).

This course explores different creative and conceptual approaches as students incorporate literature, comics, and ther new creations as a foundation for their game world. This course looks first at the landscape and urban centers of the world design with specific emphasis on 2D ideation and then on 3D development and modeling as it relates to the game. A secondary aspect will be looking at societal substructures and how they impact and react with the created world. The student will give consideration to the exploration of culture and the society within the world, examining how the balance between the inhabitants and environment emotionally reflects on game play.

The tool of imagination comes to light as unique living and non-living forms take shape in 2D development of creatures. Starting with ideation skills and building with the understanding of the world, the student will create creatures and focus on their mobility, attitude, skin and texture, and scale as they visually impact our psyche within their world. The student's 2D development work will be followed by 3D modeling to finish with one complete and moveable portfolio piece.

Zbrush is a 3D Digital modeling and/or sculpting class. With the use of this tool a student will be able to create detailed textures and complex characters or structures that can then be used in a poly-budgeted environment for real-time games.

This course will cover efficient modeling and rendering for games. Students will create 3D worlds with an emphasis on mood and effects in current standard game engines to display that it's not how you model something, but, how you light it. The class will cover quick modular modeling and texturing techniques in a 3D application and set a mood with proper lighting and effects in a game engine.

This course is designed to provide a foundation in historical period design style as it relates to architecture. The student will explore and visit period styles through drafting and architectural renderings. The class will begin with 2D orthographic projections and summarize the semester in 3D architectural visualization.

In this course, students will use their accumulated skills of character, environment, and prop design to focus on world-building and IP creation. The goal of the class is to become familiar with the general design pipeline that is followed by most game studios. This course will lean heavily towards design guided by narrative, but will be mindful of game-play. Students will have the choice of story, style, and influence that will stay consistent throughout the term. Thus, each student will have a body of work that represents their project in portfolio form by the end of the term.

_Plein Air to ConceptÓ will be a dynamic class, taking location painting into concept development. Not unlike the companies that send their artists around the world to inspire, inform, and understand geographical context, Plein Air to Concept will take students on location to replicate changing lighting conditions and landforms, as they relate to the concept development assignments. The goal is to enhance visual world building and in addition, 3D textures skills for mapping. The class will explore three to five eco systems off campus and then apply study information to better understand lighting and location aesthetics as it is applied to world development in game.

FD164, GA309

In this course, students explore the art of costume. The course is, essentially, a short journey through period history as it applies to costume. Students examine the rendering of draped, multi-textured fabric; pattern repeats in textile art; structural fit and accessories as they apply to the character and to the cultural impact on the world of which the character is a part.

This class focuses on animation in games and implementing dynamic interactions in a modern game engine. Students will implement animation principles into animation trees to create their own movement logic for characters and props. Emphasis is put on creating interactive scenes and current industry techniques for breathing life into a game world. Acquiring efficient and practical techniques is at the core of this class in order to give artists strong skills that they can bring into their field.

With the ever-changing and growing nature of the video game industry, the desire for skilled 3D character artists is increasing for such a competitive field. This course will prepare students both artistically and professionally for the role of a 3D character artist, focusing on both the art and technical side required for this discipline. This course utilized 3D Studio Max for building geometry through fundamental principles of polyflow, topology, and poly budget specifically for characters, as well as UV unwrapping this geometry to cover the professional ways in which character models are unwrapped. Programs such as Photoshop and 3D-Coat will be used for texturing. The goal of this course is to educate students on the demanding and intricate modeling techniques necessary for creating clean, cohesive, and polished character models that would be considered ideal as an in-game asset.

Advanced Drawing for Game will further a student's drawing skills as they apply to figure or environment. Through the use of compositional breakouts, language of line, color theory, lighting and shape language, students will broaden their understanding of human form and/or landscape as an informational sketch tool. The class can be taken traditionally or digitally or a combination of the two based on instruction.

3D Max is the leading software in the game industry for creation of assets and environments. It is very difficult to teach such an expansive program in a few short semesters. This course will allow students to become comfortable with the complex interface so that they may have an easier time grasping the design and digital sculpting in their major. The focus is on the creation of forms to be integrated into a game. Aesthetics, construction, communication, light and form and quality of work are stressed.

In collaboration with partnering schools and graduate programs, students work with development teams that mirror the industry. The teams are established to create demos and vertical game slices. This multi-university opportunity allows artists to work with designers and engineers, creating a greater understanding and awareness of the game creation process in a team environment. Instructor of record will act as producer and project manager until students have enough experience to handle the role themselves. 180 hours are required successful completion of the course.

Conceptual Designers for the Game Industry and Film Industry skillfully illustrate and design unique and compelling environments, vehicles and props for all kinds of stories and eras. This requires a dynamic understanding of industrial design and illustration skills to cohesively understand how things are built; to visually communicate this through drawings and show narrative aspects of the design. This new course offers an introduction to the conceptual process of Environment Design for video games. Students will create original design solutions through silhouettes, sketches and renderings to support a comprehensive story. Students will obtain a solid understanding of how to create original environments utilizing the Wacom Tablet, create layouts digitally, and put together a visually compelling Environment Design Portfolio. Environment Design for games will showcase a step-by step process from raw form and thumbnails to fully finished illustrations. Specializing in video game ideation, Environment Design will be a digital class, using Adobe Photoshop CS3, Google Sketch up, and Autodesk Maya. This class will function as an efficient problem solving tool for game creation and will help to formulate personal process for creating strong workflow.

This course takes digital painting into advanced and specialized areas of the production pipeline. Photoshop's powerful masking and color-manipulation tools will be thoroughly explored. Techniques for manipulating photographic material into elaborate matte paintings and skyboxes will also be investigated.

With the rapid growth of the video games industry, the desire for skilled video game artists is increasing at a steady rate. This course will prepare students for the artistic and technical requirements necessary for the success in this unique disipline. Using 3D studio Max, students will learn to create 3D models for use in gtames. Students will gain valuable skills related to modeling, texture creation and application, and animation for video games. The course will also make use of a level editor which will give students the opportunity to test and further their skills by using a real world application.

Students are challenged in their skills of character and creature production. With an emphasis on using ZBrush, students will be working with their own designs to create compelling and complex characters. The goal is to expand existing skillsets using additional software such as Maya, Substance Painter, and Marvelous Designer.

In this course the first semester senior will have the opportunity to work on real-world projects either directly with industry in the field, or on projects for industry in a team-based project. This project will have an end product applicable for a competitive job in either some aspect of game art, modeling, concept art, or effects. With consideration to the students' area of concentration they will have the opportunity to focus their work as it applies to the field. This experience allows for hands-on utilization of theories received in the classroom, skills practiced in the studio and the students' creative energy in a professional setting.

This course is a continuation of Senior Portfolio 1. In this course, students will continue to develop their portfolio or reel, focussing on presentation of their final project as it applies to the job market.

This course pairs students with industry mentors who work in the student's area of interest. The objective is to give students a specialized skill set not offered within the curriculum. This allows the student to specialize in either concept or modeling as it relates to characters, environments or advanced technology packages. Students are encouraged to seek out mentors in the field in order to learn networking skills. If students cannot find a mentor, one will be assigned.

Following the fundamental principles of 3D character modeling taught in GA325, this course focuses on the more intensive expectations of what the industry would consider to be an adequate and functioning character model. Students will be put under a rigorous pipeline in order to complete a number of 3D character models, which will undergo multiple passes of intensive critique in order to further build up each students' skill set for modeling characters for video games. This course also reviews the fundamental principles necessary to master for 3D character modeling, and stresses the importance of those skill sets with continued rigorous practice.

This course will examine diverse ways of optimizing students experience in college. Different aspects of the student and human experience will be covered, acclimating students to and improving the nature of the learning community. Guest experts will visit to discuss specialized aspects of the course content, and several classes will be devoted to putting the lessons into active practice via “lab” sessions.

"Directed Research and Writing" (Course numbers LA103, 203, 303 & 403 for Liberal Arts) will be able to be taken 1-3 units at a time, depending on the student's needs. These courses are not designed to teach an existing LA or AH course on an independent study basis. Rather, they will be similar to the graduate-level model, where we allow for specifically designed intensive studies in the student’s desired areas of interest. A student must be in good academic standing, have a mentor instructor who agrees to direct the study, and present to the mentor a proposed focus for the units earned; this then need then needs to be approved by both the instructor and chair. If approved, the instructor will craft the specifics re: assignments, workload, and learning outcomes for that semester’s study. Three units of credit would require roughly 5 books read and 5000-7000 words written over the course of the semester. Some of the writing could take the form of journals and more informal reflections, however a formal academic written analysis of some kind must be part of the writing produced. Also, museum visits or personal tours of artifacts, et al, may stand in lieu of some of the readings. We would let the instructor determine the balance, depending on the materials and areas of study; each case would be unique.

This course is the first leg of a full-year writing requirement and focuses on exploratory writing and methods of rhetoric. The goal is to provide the groundwork for the more sophisticated writing and thinking that is required later in their academic careers, as well as to help students reach a level of expository prose writing deemed appropriate for the university level. Classes are conducted in a workshop setting where students explore issues of craft as it relates to the process of writing.

This course prepares students for the writing, reading, and analysis required in their undergraduate education by learning various methods of argumentation, logic, and inquiry. Students practice their reasoning skills in writing assignments and discussions that demand analysis via critical reasoning. Assigned readings focus on basic philosophical questions and issues facing thinkers in all academic disciplines. This course helps students discover that writing is a natural, creative, and meaningful activity that helps them learn about themselves and the world. Students also learn the importance of questioning and critiquing the words and ideas of others. Ultimately, students experience first-hand how critical reasoning enables them to become informed and educated citizens of the world, with the abilities to affect change via their own words and actions. Successful completion of this course is a prerequisite for all Liberal Arts & Art History courses.

This course provides an introduction to the human body structure and its functions. Skeletal, muscular, circulatory, nervous, and reproductive systems are studied. Projects are intended to prepare students for their studio experiences in life-drawing and life-painting. No other course may be substituted.

William Carlos Williams suggests, "It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there." In this class, nobody dies. Through lecture, discussion, and writing exercises, students address the following topics: rhythm, image, form, diction, metaphor, condensed language, denotation, and connotation -- all keys to not only not dying but rather living a meaningful life.

Taking place either in New York City (with excursions to surrounding areas) or The West Coast (San Francisco mainly, with perhaps Oregon and Washington hops). 10-14 nights in June-July; cost approx. $4,600 for airfare and hotel (with all taxes and surcharges included), transportation between cities, all museum/gallery/event entrance fees, several dinners, a few tours, meet-and greets with established authors, and tuition for the 3-unit class. Likewise, this class could be taken by any student to fulfill the Liberal Arts elective, or applied to a Creative Writing minor.
As the literary counterpart to ?The New York Scene? Art History course, we?d study the writing generated from each area visited, but assignments would be mainly student?s own creative writing, inspired by the writing, art, and culture of each place. New York is the literary and publishing capital of the world, so there would be lots to do and see and write about there?from the legendary reading series at the 92nd Street Y and bookstores galore, to tours of publishing houses and the campuses of Columbia and NYU, to an ?Oscar Wilde in New York Walking Tour? and Shakespeare in the Park. Readings might include selections from Paul Auster, Galway Kinnell, Sharon Olds, William Kennedy, Edgar Allan Poe, Sarah Vowell, David Foster Wallace, Walt Whitman. If we head north instead of east, most of the trip would be centered in San Francisco with its legendary literary scene -- City Light Bookstore, The Six Gallery, Marin County Poets -- and readings might include works by Kim Addonizio, Isabel Allende, Philip K. Dick, Dave Eggers, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, CB Follett, James Houston, Jack Kerouac, Jack London, Tupac Shakur, Mark Twain. This West Coast trip might include a leg to explore the literary scenes of Oregon (Richard Brautigan, William Everson, William Stafford, Gary Snyder, Vladimir Nabokov, Ken Kesey), and/or Washington (Raymond Carver, Tom Robbins).

Similar to how the College Preparatory Writing classes are structured (and how other courses accommodate both undergraduate and graduate students in the same class), LCAD?s Creative Writing Workshops will be able to simultaneously accommodate students taking the course as an Introductory Workshop (at the 100 level, practicing the basic craft essentials) and those in the more Advanced levels (200, 300, 400, working on more complex aspects of technique and voice, longer pieces, or a collection of works). While all levels will benefit from group feedback and critiques, individual assignments will be appropriate to the enrolment level.

The primary goal of this course is to provide practice in the basics of writing in multiple genres, offering students a wide range of options for expressing their stories and words regardless of the forms they may take. While traditional structures and vehicles such as songwriting and spoken word performance art would be included, this class is meant to help encourage daring and difficult works that may push the boundaries of established forms and formalities. This may include multiple-disciplinary literature, literary artwork, installations, interactive works, intertextuality, new media. Students will be encouraged to explore different avenues for their writing, understanding that there is no single "right way" to communicate a story, and that sometimes new inventions of form and even format is called for.

Students will be required to complete a variety of writing assignments and similarly take part in close critiques of each other?s new work, both in class and via written feedback composed away from class, providing textual analysis from both aesthetic and technical standpoints, articulating both emotional and intellectual responses to the works. Accomplished guest authors will visit the class to provide additional mentoring and inspiration. Excursions to public readings will augment classroom instruction. Class work may culminate in a formal publication and/or public performances (e.g., as part of LCAD?s Literary Companions Reading Series). By the end of the semester students will have broadened their understanding of the genre from a writer's perspective, improved their mechanics in regards to craft, and perhaps even taken several giant steps closer to discovering their own unique voices and visions as authors.

Similar to how the College Preparatory Writing classes are structured (and how other courses accommodate both undergraduate and graduate students in the same class), LCAD?s Creative Writing Workshops will be able to simultaneously accommodate students taking the course as an Introductory Workshop (at the 100 level, practicing the basic craft essentials) and those in the more Advanced levels (200, 300, 400, working on more complex aspects of technique and voice, longer pieces, or a collection of works). While all levels will benefit from group feedback and critiques, individual assignments will be appropriate to the enrolment level.

The primary goal of this course is to provide practice in the basics of fiction writing, with a simultaneous exploration of fiction's various theories and techniques. Students will be introduced to a variety of literary styles and devices via assigned readings by accomplished authors, with guided in-class discussions and group analyses of the craft at work in each piece (aspects such as structure, conflict, plot, character, point of view, setting, dialogue, voice, tone, narrative form). Students will be required to complete a variety of writing assignments and similarly take part in close critiques of each other?s new writing, both in class and via written feedback composed away from class, providing textual analysis from both aesthetic and technical standpoints, articulating both emotional and intellectual responses to the works. Accomplished guest authors will visit the class to provide additional mentoring and inspiration. Excursions to public readings will augment classroom instruction. Class work may culminate in a formal publication and/or public performances (e.g., as part of LCAD?s Literary Companions Reading Series). By the end of the semester students will have broadened their understanding of the genre from a writer's perspective, improved their mechanics in regards to craft, and perhaps even taken several giant steps closer to discovering their own unique voices and visions as authors.

Similar to how the College Preparatory Writing classes are structured (and how other courses accommodate both undergraduate and graduate students in the same class), LCAD?s Creative Writing Workshops will be able to simultaneously accommodate students taking the course as an Introductory Workshop (at the 100 level, practicing the basic craft essentials) and those in the more Advanced levels (200, 300, 400, working on more complex aspects of technique and voice, longer pieces, or a collection of works). While all levels will benefit from group feedback and critiques, individual assignments will be appropriate to the enrolment level.

The primary goal of this course is to provide practice in the basics of non-fiction writing, with a simultaneous exploration of non-fiction's various theories and techniques. Students will become familiar with techniques and challenges related to a variety of non-fiction writing?biography, personal essay, memoir, historical profiles, newspaper reporting, magazine features, critical reviews. Students will be introduced to a variety of styles and devices via assigned readings by accomplished authors, with guided in-class discussions and group analyses of the craft at work in each piece (aspects such as structure, conflict, plot, character, point of view, setting, dialogue, voice, tone, narrative form). Students will be required to complete a variety of writing assignments and similarly take part in close critiques of each other?s new writing, both in class and via written feedback composed away from class, providing textual analysis from both aesthetic and technical standpoints, articulating both emotional and intellectual responses to the works. Accomplished guest authors will visit the class to provide additional mentoring and inspiration. Excursions to public readings will augment classroom instruction. Class work may culminate in a formal publication and/or public performances (e.g., as part of LCAD?s Literary Companions Reading Series). By the end of the semester students will have broadened their understanding of the genre from a writer's perspective, improved their mechanics in regards to craft, and perhaps even taken several giant steps closer to discovering their own unique voices and visions as authors.

Similar to how the College Preparatory Writing classes are structured (and how other courses accommodate both undergraduate and graduate students in the same class), LCAD?s Creative Writing Workshops will be able to simultaneously accommodate students taking the course as an Introductory Workshop (at the 100 level, practicing the basic craft essentials) and those in the more Advanced levels (200, 300, 400, working on more complex aspects of technique and voice, longer pieces, or a collection of works). While all levels will benefit from group feedback and critiques, individual assignments will be appropriate to the enrolment level.

The primary goal of this course is to provide practice in the basics of script writing, with a simultaneous exploration of various theories and techniques related to creating scripted stories and storytelling techniques. Students will become familiar with common terminologies and structures?beat sheets, treatments, outlines, pitches, One Act, 3-act, 4-act, Teleplays, Screenplays, Documentaries, Multi-media, Graphic Novels, etc. Students will be introduced to a variety of styles and devices via assigned readings by accomplished authors, with guided in-class discussions and group analyses of the craft at work in each piece (aspects such as structure, conflict, plot, character, point of view, setting, dialogue, voice, tone, narrative form). Students will be required to complete a variety of writing assignments and similarly take part in close critiques of each other?s new writing, both in class and via written feedback composed away from class, providing textual analysis from both aesthetic and technical standpoints, articulating both emotional and intellectual responses to the works. Accomplished guest authors will visit the class to provide additional mentoring and inspiration. Excursions to public readings will augment classroom instruction. Class work may culminate in a formal publication and/or public performances (e.g., as part of LCAD?s Literary Companions Reading Series). By the end of the semester students will have broadened their understanding of the genre from a writer's perspective, improved their mechanics in regards to craft, and perhaps even taken several giant steps closer to discovering their own unique voices and visions as authors.

Similar to how the College Preparatory Writing classes are structured (and how other courses accommodate both undergraduate and graduate students in the same class), LCAD?s Creative Writing Workshops will be able to simultaneously accommodate students taking the course as an Introductory Workshop (at the 100 level, practicing the basic craft essentials) and those in the more Advanced levels (200, 300, 400, working on more complex aspects of technique and voice, longer pieces, or a collection of works). While all levels will benefit from group feedback and critiques, individual assignments will be appropriate to the enrolment level.

Both a survey course and a creative writing course, the focus is on the art and craft of how stories are told across artistic genres. Storytelling is employed in various ways within each of our studio majors: literary devices and narrative techniques can add richness and depth to artwork, regardless of genre. By learning about comparative storytelling across cultures, and by practicing some of these techniques via original writing assignments, students gain a deeper understanding of how the human story can be effectively told. Satisfies either the writing leg of the Creative Writing Minor or the American Cultural Experience (in some semesters, the Non-Western Cultural Experience Requirement). Enrollment priority will be given to Creative Writing Minors.

The Science of Sight is a comprehensive overview of the visual phenomenon of eyesight incorporating information from disciplines of anatomy and health, history, psychology, sociology, natural science and computer science. Though topics outside of the discipline of art will be introduced, the primary intended audience are those who intend to focus their career in the visual arts. The class consists of lectures, mini-experiments, viewing of short films, group discussions, and student presentations. Guest lecturers for specific topics are encouraged when available.

Dystopian novels are powerful and imaginative works that highlight a future we do not want to see. But they are more than just sci-fi. By exaggerating and distorting the logic of our present system, authors make strong political statements about the times we live in. This course will explore some of the pillars of dystopian literature and focus a critical eye on modern connections.

This is a survey course of the Literature of the United States, and may focus on a specific author (or group of authors), time period, theme, or culture.

This course reviews basic concepts and processes in arithmetic as well as key concepts and questions in geometry. The course explores questions in the philosophy of mathematics regarding the nature of numbers, space, infinity, and truth, as well as topics of concern to artists such as proportion, the Golden Mean, and the mathematics of light.

This course explores the basic psychological concepts underlying human behavior and development. Students may gain an understanding of the history of the science of psychology and how it has advised our culture over the last century.

This course explores the science of how language changes and how it is learned, focusing on speech sounds, sound patterns, how words are formed and organized into sentences, and eventually understood. Students will discover the properties that languages have in common and how they differ. By surveying the features of many languages and various subfields in linguistics, this course may be used to fulfill the non-western cultural requirement. This course also satisfies the Liberal Arts elective.

Economics, mathematics, and sociology combine to form the study of financial literacy. Knowing how to handle money, investments, retirement, and much more are covered in this course. Though money offers a shifting ground, this course should give you the ability to adapt to changing conditions.

This course is an ecological survey of the native flora and fauna of our surrounding wilderness area. Students will collaborate as a research team to participate in the ecological restoration of a coastal sage scrub community, develop research questions, document results, and propose further research. The canyon offers a unique outdoor class environment, applied research opportunity, and a rewarding experience of engaged stewardship in our ecological community.

Project GREEN: Ocean is designed to provide students with a broad introduction to the coastal oceans of Orange County. As a part of the course work, students will observe, analyze physical processes and distribution of organisms in the intertidal and shallow zones, and document their findings. These findings will be translated into digital educational materials that will be made available to the public. Students will also investigate coastal processes, coastal marine ecosystems (kelp forests, the intertidal zone) and the impact of humans on the coastal ocean. Students will study the marine mammals that call the Orange County coast home, for migratory seasons, or for all of the year.

Designed to introduce students to a sociological understanding of how we build and live in communities. With a strong emphasis on the psychology of power structures, social institutions, social reasoning, and social constructivism, this course helps students to understand the role of the individual within the larger society. With a broad scope into the science of groups, topics may also include urgent current events to build a vivid understanding of the social interactivity in everyday life.

This course studies and analyzes the means by which we communicate with other people or within groups of people. Written and oral communication involve nuance and awareness that is often implicit, but rarely articulated. Talking, listening, body language, conflict, resolution, empathy, metamessages, and social signaling are all aspects that connect with how we communicate, how we understand, and how we wish to make our intentions known. This course will involve writing, speaking, analyzing, and other forms of skill building.

This course provides an overview of the theories of human origins. Areas emphasized include human genetics, selective pressures, Darwinian gradualism, continental drift, migration patterns, mammals, comparative anatomy, and the fossil record. A quantitative approach is employed.

Human Diversity explores biological variation in modern humans, biological concepts of species and subspecies and the race concept from a social perspective. Following completion of this course you should have a greater understanding of the misuse of the term _‹_race,_‹ù an appreciation of human biological diversity, and a grasp of the adaptive nature of human variation.

Human Sexuality is a course that combines lectures, films, discussions and research regarding our sexuality from physiological, psychological and sociological perspectives. Topics include history, anatomy, reproduction, cross-cultural perspectives, gender roles, myths, safety and variations in sexual expression.

From memoirs to fantasy and superheroes, graphic literature has come a long way in recent decades. This survey course takes a look at graphic literature and what it means to communicate story in visual images.

This course may focus on a specific author, period, theme, or culture.

This course concentrates on preparing students to enter team-based creative environments with emphasis on digital portfolio and reel development, communication skills, industry networking opportunities and success strategies for collaborative projects.

The Senior Capstone experience is designed to foster intellectual, conceptual, and artistic self-reflection by the graduating senior as they contemplate, articulate and expound on the meaning, value, and purpose of their Senior Portfolio Project. There are two major components to the class: the writing of a major essay (with drafts and related assignments) comprising a detailed, in-depth, analytical explication of the student’s Senior Portfolio Project or Thesis Film focusing on the student's creative intent and processes involved, followed by a formal oral defense of the same. The student must receive a passing grade on both the essay and the oral defense in order to pass the class and graduate. Senior Capstone must be taken concurrently with the student’s final Portfolio/Thesis class so that the work being done in one class simultaneously informs the work being done in the other. This class is graded pass/no pass. A passing grade in Senior Capstone is required in order to graduate with a degree. Senior Capstone may not be taken as Independent Study.