In this course, students will explore foundational 2D digital techniques in image, motion, character design, and narrative storytelling. Through an introduction to stop motion and digital animation, students will create work rooted in their personal experiences. They will build essential drawing skills, working both independently and collaboratively, to develop concept drawings, storyboards, and completed short animations. By the course’s end, students’ portfolios will showcase their progress, featuring a variety of project elements from early concepts to finished animations.

This course encourages creativity while teaching practical skills for designers. Students will explore the art of accessory design by designing handbags, belts, scarves, and footwear. Using Adobe Creative Cloud, students will dive into 2D prototyping, and learn the essentials of branding needed to start creating their own unique accessory line. The class will also provide an overview of the history of accessories, examining how trends and styles have evolved over the decades.

Film photography embodies the mysterious and mechanical manipulation of shadows and time. This course introduces students to the fundamental techniques and aesthetic decisions necessary to transform an SLR-style film camera into a creative extension of the artist’s vision, through proper exposure and thoughtful composition. Film negatives are carefully transformed into fine prints in a traditional black-and-white darkroom. Participants hone their perception of the world through thematic prompts, hands-on experiences, and regular feedback. Students may work with their own cameras or check-out cameras through MICAs photo department.

In this course, students work from live models to investigate the technical challenges and expressive potential of a range of drawing media and approaches. In addition to examining the human form, students will work through a progression of drawings that investigate how different approaches to the figure can address mood, spirit, intensity, viewpoints, and emotion. Students will produce a portfolio of figure drawings that range in style from traditional to more contemporary and conceptual approaches that embody a student's artistic vision.

Type, image, composition, color, and concept, are among the essential tools used by graphic designers to solve visual challenges. Graphic Designers create posters, websites, logos/branding, product packaging, and signage. Students in this course will utilize the Adobe Creative Cloud software to take on real-world design industry challenges. Students will find their own voice as they develop designs with commercial, social, public, and political impact. Assignments will emphasize the use of symbols, sequential design, the integration of imagery, typography, and conceptual thinking. Final projects contain fully realized and executed designs that combine innovative solutions through their personal voice as a designer.

In this course, students will delve into the fascinating world of character design, exploring not only the physical aspects but also delving into the rich realm of personalities, facial expressions, and living environments. Focused on figure drawing, individuality, and personality traits, students will develop the skills needed to accurately portray their characters' unique qualities. Students will learn to craft a visual narrative and how to design compelling characters that extend beyond the physical appearance.

In this course, students will analyze their favorite comic strips and graphic novels, drawing inspiration from a variety of sequential artists who work with different materials. Starting with the development of compelling storylines, students will then create unique characters and hone their skills in engaging readers through sequential illustrations, storytelling, and imagery. Throughout the course, they will enhance their abilities in both observational drawing and imaginative character and story creation, fostering creativity and self-expression.

Interdisciplinary art uses a combination of art forms and explores a multifaceted approach to making. What is the piece doing? Does it tell a story? Evoke a feeling? Focusing on several concepts, students who take this course are encouraged to investigate the relationship between form, material, process and personal expression .Students may work in a variety of forms such as sculpture, performance art, collage, fiber, fashion, installation, video and photography as they learn to develop personally significant directions for making work and building a cohesive themed portfolio.

Monotype Printmaking is an exciting journey of creativity and self-discovery; every print is a masterpiece waiting to be revealed. This course invites artists to explore, experiment, and uncover multiple forms of expression. This course is for you if you're drawn to vivid colors and designs. Through technical demonstrations and a study of printmaking's history and contemporary artists, students will uncover the myriad possibilities of printmaking. They will receive guidance through individual and group critiques, helping them develop a unique thematic body of work for their portfolio. This course is designed to accommodate both novice and experienced artists and is accessible to students who may not have taken a printmaking class before.

This course introduces students to the essential concepts and software for creating 3D animations. Students will learn to visualize, plan, and model three-dimensional environments, while exploring key animation techniques. The course will cover storyboarding, character design, and the development of a short animation. Additionally, students will gain transferable skills in 3D modeling, rigging, texturing, and rendering, all applicable to careers in animation, game design, and digital entertainment.

This course explores the use of wheel throwing in ceramics as a process of innovation and exploration. Students will explore how the potter’s wheel can be used as a tool and as a jumping-off point for questions about form, function, design and the potential of ceramics in sculptural applications. Students will learn about a number of firing and finishing options, including Raku firing. They will build skills and refine existing ones, creating more inventive, larger and more complicated forms. Students will have access to MICA’s state of the art ceramics studio and a wide range of ceramics materials including different types of clay, slips and glazes.

In this course students will learn the fundamentals of creating video games and the design processes used to make digital games. Students will develop foundational skills in working with the Unity game engine, basic programming in C#, and incorporating art assets created with other digital tools.

In this course, students will learn to use DSLR and mirrorless cameras to create digital photographs that explore how color and light can transform an image. Course prompts will tap into students' interpretation and experience of the visual world around them, encouraging students to collect imagery during their daily lives, at home, and outdoors. Students will learn basic image editing using Adobe Lightroom, and as the course progresses, learn the workflow handoff to Adobe Photoshop as an additional tool to refine images and manipulate imagery for expressive purposes. Students may work with their own cameras or check-out cameras through MICA’s photo department.

This course focuses on building proficiency for painting the human figure. Working from a live model, students will learn proportion and anatomy while working with acrylic paints to show formal and expressive elements. Students will learn how texture, movement, color, composition and personal artistic vision come together. Students will produce a portfolio that includes ambitious artwork that confronts the demands of large-scale format painting, portraiture, narrative painting, and the intensity with which paint expresses ideas.

Students will learn techniques such as fabric dyeing, wet felting, and weaving to create expressive and meaningful sculptural art forms and fashion designs. Working in MICA's well-equipped Fiber Arts Center, they will have the opportunity to explore professional processes and use state-of-the-art equipment. Students will also learn fabric manipulation, surface design, and garment construction techniques, combining these skills with their unique artistic vision to create original, innovative fashion and fiber pieces.