Top Illustration School Program in Rhode Island - 2019 College Rankings

Founded in 1877, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is home to 2,480 students from across the U.S. and 57 other countries. This private school of art offers 16 undergraduate and 16 graduate (MA, MFA, MAT) art and design programs. Certificates are also available, including a Certificate in Natural Science Illustration. 

The school’s most popular programs include Film/Animation/Video, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Painting, and Illustration. Offered through the Illustration Department, the BFA in Illustration is Rhode Island School of Design’s largest major. The program has approximately 300 undergraduate students “with a diverse range of skills and interests,” says the school. 

Program highlights include a full roster of visiting artists and art directors, professionals from across the country who offer feedback through annual portfolio reviews, and access to computer resources, printmaking studios, software such as AfterEffects, InDesign and Maya, and the ISB Gallery, which  hosts a mix of student or curriculum related exhibitions throughout the academic year.

Sample courses for the program include Advanced Painting, Animalia, Cinematic Storytelling, Digital 3D for Illustrators, Dragon Concept & Character Development, In 3-d Mixed Media, Fantasy Painting: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of, Style & Substance, Merging Worlds, The Magic of Books, Virtual Reality for Palliative Care, Visible Cities, and Word, Images and Ideas. Students will take workshops such as Maya Basics, Pigments & Emulsions, and Zbrush Sculpting and Illustration as well.

Famous Rhode Island School of Design alumni include Seth Macfarlane, creator of Family Guy, Daniel Sousa, animator and director of the Oscar-nominated film Feral, and Lance Wilder, animator for The Simpsons. Other alumni work as entrepreneurs or creative professionals through studios such as Pixar, DreamWorks, and Harmonix, or for networks like Fox, HBO, and PBS.