Course Listings
AH210
Western Art History 1
Units:3
This course introduces students to art historical issues and important monuments from pre-history until the Renaissance period in the Western tradition. It establishes a social, political, and historical context for the production of art in society, and provides art students with a sense of the historical development of styles as a continuous tradition relating to their own work.
AH220
Western Art History 2
Units:3
AH210
This course introduces students to art historical issues and important monuments from the Renaissance through the mid-nineteenth century in the Western tradition. It establishes a social, political, and historical context for the production of art in society, and provides art students with a sense of the historical development of styles as a continuous tradition relating to their own work.
AH320
Modern + Contemporary Art History
Units:3
AH220
This course addresses developments in art from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Although the course focuses on the western scene, issues of contemporary global art are also discussed. Museum and gallery visits are required.
AH420
Aesthetics
Units:3
AH210 + AH220 + AH320
This course includes consideration of such questions as: What is Art? What is Beauty? What is the role and responsibility of artists in society? Are there genuine standards by which we can judge art? Students have the opportunity to participate in dialogues concerning these questions.
LA125
Scientific Anatomy
Units:3
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.
LA218
American Literature
Units:3
LA111
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.
LA231
Mathematics
Units:3
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.
LA250
Human Evolution
Units:3
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.
LA255
Human Diversity
Units:3
LA108
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," an appreciation of human biological diversity, and a grasp of the adaptive nature of human variation.
LA260
Human Sexuality
Units:3
LA104
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.
LA290
World Literature
Units:3
This is an analytical approach to Literature found across the globe. The coursework will include readings, discussions, reactions, and essays, all focused on writers who have helped to mold the contemporary works of World Literature. Readings will include novels and short stories.
GA215
Character Design for Games 1
Units:3
FD167 + FD151 + GA212
This course offers an intense investigation and deep dive into character design principles. Students will design unique and imaginative characters suited to the game and entertainment industry as a whole. Students begin with preliminary sketches and construction drawings, which are then refined to create finished character concepts consisting of turnarounds, facial expressions, callouts, and more. A variety of styles are explored. Emphasis is on working from one’s imagination, expanding their visual library, and strengthening their drawing and presentation skills.
GA220
Robots, Vehicles + Spaceships
Units:3
GA250 + GA275
This course focuses on rendering and designing as it pertains to vehicles, spaceships and robot designs for the game and entertainment industry. Emphasis is on high-level design and presentation skills, and building finished portfolio pages. Each student will develop a clear understanding of how to design vehicles and/or robots using a variety of rendering 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 tools will be Photoshop, Blender, Google Sketchup, and the Wacom tablet. The course will include lectures, demonstrations, class discussions, and critiques.
GA275
Modeling for Game 1
Units:3
FD128
3D modeling software is deep and complex. This course focuses on mastering the essential concepts, tools, and workflows of 3D hard surface modeling in game development. This course will allow students to become comfortable with the complex interface of the 3D modeling software, so that they may have an easier time grasping the high-to-low poly pipeline for creating assets for games. The focus is on the use of professional tools to create complex props for integration into a game, from rough prototyping to final, textured assets. Aesthetics, construction, visual communication, light and form, and quality of work are stressed.
GA301
Environment Design for Game 1
Units:3
FD167
This course offers an introduction to the conceptual process of environment design for video games. Environment concept artists for the game industry skillfully combine real world logic and design techniques to create unique and compelling environments, interiors, exteriors, props, and vehicles for a variety of stories and historical eras. This requires a dynamic understanding of industrial design and illustration skills to cohesively understand how things are built, and to visually communicate proper design elements through drawing, and show narrative aspects of the design. Students will create original design solutions through silhouettes, thumbnail sketches, and renderings to support a comprehensive visual narrative. Students will obtain a solid understanding of how to create original environments utilizing traditional methods, available technology, and 3D visualization techniques to create layouts.
GA304
3D Environment Design 1
Units:3
GA305 or GA311 + GA255 + GA001
This course will provide students with the artistic and technical skills required for being a successful 3D environment artist. Building on previous skills learned in 3D development, this course expands students’ abilities to craft professional quality assets 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 implementing their work in a real world application.
GA305
Texture Painting
Units:3
GA275 or GA260
In this course, the student will learn and polish the skills necessary to create hand-painted textures. Students will use texture editing systems to adhere and manipulate textures onto 3D forms. Students learn to make textures that compliment the geometry of a mesh, how to optimize a low poly mesh to support hand-painted textures, as well as tiling textures. Skillful use of color, the illusion of light and shadow, and other effects, and appealing brushwork will be developed to equip students to excel in the hand-painted pipeline.
GA308
World Development
Units:3
GA001 + GA227 + GA275 or ga260
The World Development course is designed to develop and demonstrate the skills necessary to visually communicate story, setting, and other relevant context entirely through environment art. Those skills include, but are not limited to, believably (not necessarily realistically) rendering materials, set dressing/composition, scale, and attention to silhouette. Students will be asked to analyze and expand existing storytelling examples from films and games. In addition, they will develop and communicate entirely new stories through the use of props and environments. The course assignments, critique, and expected revisions of work will be modeled after standard practices of professional studio environments. This is not a “how to” modeling/texturing or painting class; students are expected to already have experience in either or both. This class can be used to expand those skills with industry-experienced feedback, but it is not the class' goal or focus. Students should feel free to focus entirely in 2D or 3D throughout the class; the principals taught are equally applicable to both mediums.
GA310
Advanced Technologies for Game
Units:3
GA001 + GA275 or GA260
Houdini is an advanced 3D software application focused on procedural generation as well as other animation, modeling, visual effects, simulation, and rigging tools. With the knowledge and implementation of this tool, students will be able to create procedurally generated interactive assets and/or environments full of atmosphere and story that can be directly implemented into numerous game engines.
GA320
Art of Costume
Units:3
GA001 + FD151 + GA250
The Art of Costume is a cross-disciplinary studio course that explores character silhouette, costume, and the draped figure. The content of the class considers both the aesthetic and cultural ramifications of costume, and studies the dressed human form and its context through historic and contemporary periods. The course studies as its topic not only the most basic of subject matter in art history, but also reaches into the fields of theater, film, fashion, costume design, and skins for games.
GA405
Advanced Texture Painting
Units:3
GA305
This course builds on the skills and techniques acquired in previous texture and painting courses. Students will create a high-quality 3D hand-painted environment and related assets from scratch to a polished finish.
GA315
Character Design for Game 2
Units:3
GA215
This course offers an intense investigation and deep dive into character design principles. Students will design unique and imaginative characters suited to the game and entertainment industry as a whole. Students begin with preliminary sketches and construction drawings, which are then refined to create finished character concepts consisting of turnarounds, facial expressions, callouts, and more. A variety of styles are explored. Emphasis is on working from one’s imagination, expanding their visual library, and strengthening their drawing and presentation skills.
GA375
Modeling for Game 2
Units:3
GA275
3D modeling software is deep and complex. This course focuses on further mastering the essential concepts, tools, and workflows of 3D hard surface and environment modeling in game development. This course will allow students to become comfortable with the complex interface of the 3D modeling software, so that they may have an easier time grasping the high-to-low poly pipeline for creating assets and environments for games. The focus is on the use of professional tools to create complex props for integration into game environments, from rough prototyping to final, textured assets. Aesthetics, construction, visual communication, light and form, and quality of work are stressed.
GA401
Environmental Design in Game 2
Units:3
GA301
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.
GA404
3D Environments 2
Units:3
GA304
This course further prepares students with the artistic and technical skills necessary to be successful professional 3D environment artists. Using 3D development software, students will increase their ability to create 3D models and implement them into game engines efficiently. Students will gain advanced 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.