Illustration
Credit: Danielle Schulmeister, 4th Year Illustration, The Office of Dr. Murdock, digital drawing
Bachelor of Design
Turn your ideas into images that spark emotion and ignite imagination.
| Type | Credits | Duration | Format | School and Department |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Design – Visual Communications Design Stream (Major) | 120 | 4 years, full-time | In-person, studio | School of Communication Design (SCD) |
Enter the intersection of character design, narrative art and visual storytelling. Bring worlds and characters to life across books, magazines, games, advertising, and more. Master techniques across media while developing your own unique style and voice. Learn the art of visual communication and create imagery that informs, entertains and moves audiences.
Program Overview
AUArts’ Illustration stream empowers you to depict real and imagined worlds through powerful visuals. You’ll gain the artistic and conceptual skills to create unforgettable characters, compelling content, concept art, and narratives for books, games, advertising, comics and more. From foundational studio work to advanced figure drawing, digital media and portfolio building, you’ll craft a distinctive visual voice and prepare for success in today’s fast-evolving illustration industry.
Program Highlights
- Master techniques: Develop drawing, digital painting and mixed-media skills across traditional and emerging platforms.
- Tell stories visually: Explore editorial, narrative, character and concept illustration.
- Grow through critique: Work closely with faculty mentors and peers to sharpen your personal style and voice.
- Build your portfolio: Create professional work that spans print, digital and cross-media applications.
- Learn industry tools: Gain hands-on experience with workflows from sketch to final illustration for publishing, advertising, film and games.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Illustration stream will:
- Develop original, compelling images using a full range of analog and digital media.
- Build expertise in character design, concept art, environmental and figure illustration and sequential narrative.
- Communicate ideas clearly and powerfully for diverse audiences and industries.
- Critique, research and refine visual solutions in historical and contemporary contexts.
- Collaborate, present and market their work professionally.
- Create a distinctive, portfolio-ready body of work.
Faculty
Courses are led by Faculty that bring experience from publishing, gaming, advertising, comics, children’s books and contemporary art. Technicians support you in both traditional and digital media, helping you bring your vision to life.
Faculty
Studio Technicians
Alumni
AUArts illustration grads publish in leading magazines, comics and children’s books, design for top studios and launch their own creative brands.
Illustration Alumni
Studio Facilities
Illustration students have access to:
- Dedicated illustration & drawing studios.
- Mac & PC computer labs equipped with 4K monitors, capable of handling GPU intensive 3D graphics processes like 3D modelling, rendering, scanning and XR.
- Industry-standard software, including:
- Unity
- Unreal Engine
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Blender
- Toon Boom Harmony Pro 22
- Audacity
- Rhino 3D
- Keyshot
- Sound labs and editing suites for audio, post-production and motion graphics.
- Access to photography, printmaking and media arts studios for interdisciplinary projects.
- Collaboration spaces for group projects and critiques.
Career Paths
Our grads work with studios, publishers, agencies, and as independent artists across the creative sector.
Potential career opportunities include:
- Illustrator
- editorial, publishing, advertising, concept art, comics, children’s books
- Visual Development Artist for animation, gaming, or film
- Storyboard Artist
- Character Designer
- Surface Designer
- fashion, product, textiles
- Art Director or Creative Director
- Muralist or Gallery Artist
- Independent Artist / Entrepreneur
Culture & Community
Illustration is a home for storytellers, image-makers and dreamers who turn ideas into powerful visuals.
Beyond the classroom
- Work-Integrated Learning: Opportunities for internships and job placements with local studios, festivals or non-profits.
- Community & Events: Join student-run clubs, discord chats or attend on-campus events, visiting artist lectures and workshops.
- Awards & Scholarships: Receive financial support through scholarships, awards, paid call-for-submissions and funding for creative projects.
- Academic Resources: One-on-one faculty mentorship and access to technical support. Plus, full access to AUArts' Writing Centre, Luke Lindoe Library and Learning Commons.
About the Illustration Stream
AUArts’ Illustration Stream is designed for students who want to push the boundaries of visual communication and storytelling. Learn to depict real and imagined worlds and people through visual storytelling to inform and entertain, learning to develop characters, content, concept art and compelling narratives. Whether you dream of working in publishing, animation, gaming or as an independent artist, you’ll graduate ready to make your mark on the world of images.
