Illustration
Illustration at FIT is about visual communication — using art to tell stories that express ideas and emotions. Our students are inspired artists who, from their very first class, begin to integrate drawing, painting, and conceptual abilities with the power of cutting-edge technology to create images.
In this program, you’ll learn how to generate ideas, build knowledge through research, and develop problem-solving skills that can be applied in any area. You’ll develop advanced skills and establish your unique illustrative style while producing professional-quality work that is in demand. Every year, a high-profile outdoor mural project, ChalkFIT, enables students to showcase their work to the public.
Programs
Illustration AAS
Reflecting the full spectrum of today’s rapidly changing illustration field, our hybrid classrooms blend traditional drawing and painting with digital media. You’ll gain a strong and comprehensive illustration foundation while learning to create effective visual solutions that express your own voice. Once you earn your AAS, you are eligible to apply for a BFA program in Illustration; Animation, Interactive Media, and Game Design; Textile/Surface Design; or Toy Design.
Illustration BFA
At the BFA level, you’ll explore specialized and industry-oriented topics, including sequential and concept art, character design, storyboarding, book and editorial illustration, and advanced drawing and painting applications, while working to create a personal vision and develop a professional portfolio. Real-world classes connect you with working illustrators and art directors, and our nine-course selection of computer classes will help you build the tech skills you need for today’s illustration careers.
Our Work
We create purposeful images for specific markets, based on client requirements. Students evolve from artists who like to draw into creative visual communicators who express themselves in their own personal style.
Jessie Xu, Illustration ’25, won first place in Bulgari’s Art of Living with Allegra Baciami: Passione contest, for her animated visual celebrating the luxury brand’s bestselling fragrance.
“Celebration” was the theme of Chalk FIT 2023, in recognition of the outdoor mural project's 10th anniversary. In personal explorations of the theme, Illustration students created vivid pastel artworks on the Seventh Avenue facades of Goodman and Pomerantz.
“I Promise,” written by LeBron James and Illustrated by Nina Mata, Illustration, ’08, became an instant New York Times #1 best selling children’s book.
Eight artworks from five FIT students were selected for prestigious Student Scholarship Competition exhibition from the Society of Illustrators.
Chalk FIT is back on the college’s facade with artwork created by students from the Illustration and Interactive Media class of 2023.
The Illustration program inspires young artists to integrate drawing, painting, and conceptual abilities, as in Hot Head by Marella Moon Albanese.
Anita Rundles, Illustration BFA ’13, was asked by FIT’s Hue magazine to turn Valerie Steele, the director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, into a paper doll, complete with outfits from the museum’s famed collection.
Impact
Your drawing. Your message … Our graduates communicate powerful ideas through an array of media to show the world in a new light.
Outside the Classroom
In lieu of internships, students complete mentorships, working with professional illustrators on class projects. Graduates find full-time and freelance employment with film companies, television and animation studios, magazines, newspapers, design studios, advertising agencies, toy design companies, record labels, publishing companies, and video game companies. These include Ogilvy & Mather, Revlon, Bloomingdale’s, Vogue, Walt Disney, and many more.
Students & Alumni Create Murals to Celebrate the Reopening of Broadway
FIT's Illustration Department students and alumni designed and painted chalk murals featuring six Broadway shows, including Dear Evan Hansen and The Lion King.
Explore More
some related minors
other degree programs
Learn From the Best
Our faculty of dedicated teachers and mentors are practicing professionals who work in diverse styles. Their artwork can be found in museums and galleries around the world. Meet more Illustration faculty.
Mak is a painter and illustrator who has illustrated more than 200 paintings for book covers and magazines. He recently completed a series of United States Postal Service stamps celebrating the Lunar New Year. He has received gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators.
Cober-Gentry is an illustrator and designer whose work has been commissioned by numerous publications, including The New York Times, National Geographic, and Better Homes and Gardens as well as by corporations such as Nike, Ford, and Bergdorf Goodman. She is a member of the Society of Illustrators, College Art Association, and Illustration Partnership of America.
Velasquez is the illustrator and author of the books Grandma’s Records and Grandma’s Gift, for which he won the Pura Belpre Award. He has illustrated books for publishers such as Bloomsbury, Simon and Schuster, and Houghton Mifflin, and his work has received the Coretta Scott/John Steptoe Award and Carter G. Woodson Award.
Contact Us
Illustration
Dan Shefelman
Kam Mak
Chinjuz Yeh
Hadija Aljuwani
Let's Make It Happen
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
