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Fine Arts · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Digital Painting & Illustration

The canvas is now a screen. This course bridges traditional artistic principles with modern digital tools. Using tablets (Wacom/iPad) and industry-standard software (Photoshop/Procreate), students will learn to paint with light. The curriculum covers custom brush creation, layer management, blending modes, and the specific workflows used in Concept Art and Editorial Illustration.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Master the Digital Interface: Tablets, Pressure Sensitivity, and Shortcuts
  2. Understand "Value Painting" vs. "Colorizing" workflows
  3. Create and customize Digital Brushes for specific textures
  4. Utilize Layers, Masks, and Blending Modes (Multiply, Overlay, Screen)
  5. Execute a professional Concept Art workflow: Thumbnail to Final Polish
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Hardware & Software: Wacom, Photoshop, Procreate
  2. 02The Brush Engine: Hard, Soft, & Texture
  3. 03Value Studies: Painting in Grayscale
  4. 04Layer Management & Non-Destructive Editing
  5. 05Composition & Thumbnailing
  6. 06Speed Painting Techniques
  7. 07Photo-Bashing & Matte Painting basics
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Material Rendering: Metal, Skin, & Cloth
  10. 10Lighting: Direct, Bounce, & Rim Light
  11. 11Color Theory: Gamut & Harmony
  12. 12Blending Modes: The Mathematics of Color
  13. 13Concept Art: Character Design Basics
  14. 14Environment Painting: Speed & Mood
  15. 15Preparing for Print vs. Screen
  16. 16Final Project: The Narrative Illustration

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Narrative Illustration

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Digital Painting Techniques by 3dtotal Publishing
  2. Beginner's Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop
  3. Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James Gurney
  4. Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers by Marcos Mateu-Mestre
  5. The Skillful Huntsman (Concept Art process)
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