Top Illustration School Program in Tennessee - 2019 College Rankings

Founded in 1885, Watkins College of Art (formerly Watkins College of Art, Design & Film) serves more than 300 students enrolled in BFA degrees in Film, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design, and Photography, a BA in Art, and MFA degrees in Film and in Visual Arts. In the BFA in Illustration program, students will “explore the entire illustration process, including character development, sequential imagery, storyboarding, and visual narration,” says the school.

The program teaches specific techniques related to picture books, game design, and animation, and students will “analyze the historical and contemporary roles of illustration in reflecting, serving, and advancing culture.” Special topics will also be explored through classes such as Illustration/Printmaking Camp and The Picture BookProxy-Connection. Other sample courses for the program include Digital Design, Digital Design & Illustration, Figure Study, Introduction to HTML & CSS, Mathematics for Visual Arts, Pictorial Problems, Surface, Space & Time, and Visual Narratives.

During their junior and senior years, upper-division students will have the opportunity to complete up to two internships. In recent years, Watkins students have gained experience at Advent, Anderson Design Group, The Buntin Group, Prosper Press (San Francisco), Vanderbilt University Creative Services, Warner Brothers Nashville, and others.