Illustration
“Fish Parade”
Dustin Panzino
Make your mark in this BFA program.
Master the fundamentals of color, composition, and anatomy in both traditional and digital media, and learn to compose effective and compelling illustrations. Study character design, development, and storyboarding in our Visual Development program. Our students win awards, scholarships, and kick start their careers in illustration at industry giants like Apple, Blue Sky Studios, Cartoon Network, Disney, EA Games, GM, Google, Hallmark, Riot Games, United Airlines, and Zynga.
Choose Your Path:
General Illustration
Visual Development
Awards
Student Receives Zankel Scholarship
Society of Illustrators
Student wins Her Art Here Contest
United Airlines
Ranked #8 in the World
The Rookies
What's New
Illustration is back on top – ranks #1 in Florida and the South
Mr. Badger’s Afternoon Coffee Break (2021). This digital illustration is by Ringling College Illustration student Ale Ortega Romero ’23, and was selected as the Most Outstanding Junior Award for Best of Ringling 2022. The 2022 Illustration School rankings have been released by Animation Career Review...
Read More
Illustration Reel
Comic Con New York 2018
Student work
Opportunities for Students
Students are invited to submit artwork each semester for collaborative, theme-based student publications. Contributing to these publications offers students exposure to art directors, editors, art buyers, and also helps them build a fan base. Current publications include a graphic novel called Meanwhile, a theme-based children's book, and a visual development book called Design Unscripted.
To date, Ringling College students have won more awards in the 40 year history of the Society of Illustrators than any other college and comprise the highest number of accepted entries into the Society’s annual Student Scholarship Competition. About 300 works are chosen from more than 8,700 entries submitted by professors of college-level students nationwide. A competition which can kick start a career, the Student Scholarship Competition challenges students to bring their most sophisticated, well-crafted and original work to be tested by a jury of professional peers, including illustrators and art directors, who selects the most outstanding works created throughout the year.
INDEX is Ringling College's promise to provide every student the opportunity to have hands-on industry experience before graduation by offering real-world projects with real-world clients. This pillar of the Ringling College experience, alongside Academic and Student Life programs, is an experiential education initiative that allows students to learn how to turn passion into profession.
INDEX represents one of Ringling College's core purposes of focusing on our students' futures in the creative industries and empowering them to thrive as creative leaders. By connecting students with leading brands and clients to develop creative solutions for business challenges, INDEX mirrors the most successful studios and organizations by bringing together multiple creative disciplines to blend artistry with emerging techniques, and to seamlessly integrate design, storytelling, and technology to produce work that is driven by strategy and supported by style.
INDEX opportunities are abundant and available through experiential learning in the classroom, the Design Center, Studio Labs, ART Network, the Makerspace, as client competitions and immersive experiences, volunteerism, internships, and elective courses.
Put your illustration skills to work in our in-house design firm where things get real. Working with our dedicated faculty and in-house designers, you will have the opportunity to solve real communications problems for external clients, as well as for Ringling College events, exhibitions, and recruitment efforts.
Students are invited to submit artwork each semester for collaborative, theme-based student publications. Contributing to these publications offers students exposure to art directors, editors, art buyers, and also helps them build a fan base. Current publications include a graphic novel called Meanwhile, a theme-based children's book, and a visual development book called Design Unscripted.
To date, Ringling College students have won more awards in the 40 year history of the Society of Illustrators than any other college and comprise the highest number of accepted entries into the Society’s annual Student Scholarship Competition. About 300 works are chosen from more than 8,700 entries submitted by professors of college-level students nationwide. A competition which can kick start a career, the Student Scholarship Competition challenges students to bring their most sophisticated, well-crafted and original work to be tested by a jury of professional peers, including illustrators and art directors, who selects the most outstanding works created throughout the year.
INDEX is Ringling College's promise to provide every student the opportunity to have hands-on industry experience before graduation by offering real-world projects with real-world clients. This pillar of the Ringling College experience, alongside Academic and Student Life programs, is an experiential education initiative that allows students to learn how to turn passion into profession.
INDEX represents one of Ringling College's core purposes of focusing on our students' futures in the creative industries and empowering them to thrive as creative leaders. By connecting students with leading brands and clients to develop creative solutions for business challenges, INDEX mirrors the most successful studios and organizations by bringing together multiple creative disciplines to blend artistry with emerging techniques, and to seamlessly integrate design, storytelling, and technology to produce work that is driven by strategy and supported by style.
INDEX opportunities are abundant and available through experiential learning in the classroom, the Design Center, Studio Labs, ART Network, the Makerspace, as client competitions and immersive experiences, volunteerism, internships, and elective courses.
Put your illustration skills to work in our in-house design firm where things get real. Working with our dedicated faculty and in-house designers, you will have the opportunity to solve real communications problems for external clients, as well as for Ringling College events, exhibitions, and recruitment efforts.
Employment Opportunities
Illustration graduates will find opportunities across many different industries. Here are a few examples of jobs that are available for our grads:
2D Cartoon Illustrator
Advertising Comp Artist
Advertising Layout Artist
Animation / Illustration Artist
Architectural Illustrator
Art Director
Art Educator
Biomedical Illustrator
Book Cover Illustrator
Botanical Illustrator
Broadcast Illustrator
Character Artist
Character Sketcher
Children’s Book Illustrator
Comic Book Illustrator
Conceptual Artist
Costume Designer
Costume Supervisor
Creative / Fashion Director
Digital Illustrator
E-Learning Designer
E-Greeting Card Illustrator
Editorial Cartoonist
Fabric Print Artist
Fashion Illustrator
Graphic Novel Artist / Writer
Greeting Card Illustrator
Home Textiles Designer
Iconographer (Symbols)
Imaging Specialist
Live Caricature Artist
Logo Designer
Magazine Illustrator
Map Illustrator
Marketing Artist
Marketing Communications
Medical Illustrator
Medical Products Illustrator
Muralist
Music Video Set Painter
Packaging Illustrator
Pattern Creation Designer
Point-of-Purchase Designer
Pop-Up Card / Book Designer
Portrait Artist
Pre visualization Artist
Product Illustrator
Textbook Illustrator
Scientific Illustrator
Set Designer – Film & TV
Set Painter – Theater
Signage Developer / Designer
Surface Designer
Storyboard Sketch Artist
Tattoo Designer
Textile Painter
