88304 Illustration: Media and Techniques
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksDescription
In this subject, students gain an understanding of illustration as a tool for communication. Students experiment with a wide range of illustrative media and techniques in studio sessions, and further experiment in their own time by responding to project briefs. Students from different design majors find that this subject has wide-ranging relevance. Workshops, demonstrations and practical tasks are given in a range of techniques and applications. Although there are no prerequisites, students are expected to have basic drawing skills. Students are expected to undertake visual research and critical analysis as part of this subject.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Demonstrate ability to hand-generate original and imaginative illustrations as the visual expression of ideas |
|---|---|
| 2. | Demonstrate awareness of, and basic competence in a wide range of media, techniques, tools and processes of illustration |
| 3. | Present refined illustrations developed through a process of reflective practice |
| 4. | Demonstrate growing confidence in effectively communicating engaging ideas using illustration |
| 5. | Undertake and present research on chosen illustrator/field of illustration. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Work cooperatively and professionally as part of a team, initiate partnerships with others, take a leadership role when required, and constructively contribute to peer learning. (C.1)
- Communicate an informed well-researched viewpoint. (C.2)
- Create designs that respond to their context in formally or conceptually innovative ways. (I.1)
- Advance ideas through an exploratory and iterative design process. (I.2)
- Independent development of high level technical and craft skills for the production, presentation and documentation of work. (I.3)
- Source, evaluate and utilise appropriate academic and professional references. (R.1)
- Employ a range of qualitative research approaches including practice-led visual and material exploration and social and participatory methods. (R.2)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:
C = communication and groupwork
A = attitudes and values
P = practical and professional
R = research and critique
I = innovation and creativity.
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).
Teaching and learning strategies
Studio Sessions: Weekly sessions of 3 hour tutorials and workshops.
Studio Strategies: self-reflection; project management skills; thinking through making; critical thinking through visual research; experimentation with media/techniques
Students are expected to commit 9–12 hours per week to each 6 credit point subject. This includes the contact hours. The 6–9 hours remaining each week are for the completion of preparatory activities and assessment tasks.
Studio sessions will give you the opportunity to discuss questions about the weekly topic/content with your peers and with an expert studio leader, to collaborate on activities directly relevant to key ideas and to develop your skills as a design practitioner with assistance from your studio leader. Studio sessions will provide you with the opportunity to take ownership of the ideas encountered in preparatory research. Your studio leader will facilitate discussion and offer expert insight and direction where needed, but as students you are primarily responsible for the mood of the studio session.
STUDIO ETIQUETTE
Lectures and studio sessions provide important opportunities for you to move out of digital environments. Mobile phone and laptop use can be distracting to those around you. Digital devices can interfere with face-to-face communication. Mobile phones and laptops should not be used in lectures or studio sessions. You will be given explicit information about situations where limited use of these technologies might be appropriate.
Each week before class, you will familiarise yourself with a range of written and visual texts that relate to the subject. These are included in the weekly outline below.
Studio sessions will give you the opportunity to discuss questions about the weekly topic/content with your peers and with an expert studio leader, to collaborate on activities directly relevant to key ideas and to develop your skills as a design practitioner with assistance from your studio leader. Studio sessions will provide you with the opportunity to take ownership of the ideas encountered in preparatory reading, research and the lectures. Your studio leader will facilitate discussion and offer expert insight and direction where needed, but as students you are primarily responsible for the mood of the studio session.
Before leaving the studio, you will write an ‘action list’ of tasks you need to complete before the next studio session and assign times in your personal weekly planner to complete these tasks. You may be asked to reflect on how you managed these tasks with your learning group or studio leader in the following studio session.
Content (topics)
• Studio workshops in a range of wet and dry media
• Demonstrations and exercises using different tools/techniques for mark making
• Research into historical and contemporary illustration practice
• Journaling as a way to document thinking through making
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Media and Techniques Portfolio
| Intent: | This task encourages students to experiment with a range of media and techniques through exercises in class and at home, in order to develop their illustration skills. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.2, I.1, I.2, I.3 and R.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Portfolio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 60% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Festival Illustrations
| Intent: | This project presents the opportunity for students to apply the illustrative skills developed in their Media and Techniques Folio to a professional design brief. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.1, I.2, R.1 and R.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.
Required texts
A folder of readings and resources (tutorials, videos and links to illustration sites) is available on UTS Online. You are expected to look at this material in your own time, as part of your self-directed research and development outside studio sessions.