Digital Arts Area

The Digital Arts area is technologically and creatively state-of-the-art. We use Wacom drawing tablets and Cintiq tablet-monitors, Apple and PC machines, animation tables, a professional-level capture station for digitizing hand-drawn animations, as well as several Oculus for virtual reality development. We also use industry-standard software such as the Adobe Suite, Toon Boom Harmony, Maya, Blender, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Marmoset Toolbag, and Unreal Engine among others.

The program develops your proficiency in industry-standard hardware and software as well as your ability to solve challenges using traditional art skills like drawing, sculpting, color theory, and movement. Most aspects of professional digital art are fully represented through the use of traditional and digital techniques. These skills can be applied to over twenty different career paths, such as digital illustration, virtual reality design, 3D modeling, 3D texturing, 3D animation for film and games, 2D animation, visual effects for film and television, compositing, and many others.

With the rising presence of the gaming and film industry in Georgia, you will have access to a rapidly increasing number of employment opportunities.

Digital Arts Courses
Introductory

ART 2100 - Life Drawing

Intermediate studio course in drawing that focuses on the study of the human figure. Students will also explore a variety of drawing materials. Works will be analyzed in individual and group critiques.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 1010 or permission of Head of the Department of Visual Arts

Hours:
3

ART 2455 - Introduction to Animation

This course is an introduction to the creation, manipulation, and critical interpretation of a wide range of techniques employed in animation since its inception, with a focus on the mid-nineteenth century to present. Through the completion of exercises and projects ranging from hand-drawn to 3D computer animation, students will gain a working knowledge of a wide range of both traditional and digital animation techniques, while simultaneously mastering the basic principles of animation.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ART 2100 and ART 2450 with grades of C or higher (courses may be taken concurrently) or permission of Head of the Department of Visual Arts

Hours:
3

Advanced

ART 3451 - Pre-Visualization

In this course students will learn to develop a visually compelling motion graphic language. Students will learn how to break down a concept, idea and/or script into dramatic beats and then organize those into spatial or visual moments. Students will build the vocabulary and conceptual framework necessary to create a cohesive progression of images. Students will develop their visual voice by learning how to communicate their conceptual ideas. Emphasis will be on proper terminology, concepts of narrative flow, pacing, staging and budgetary considerations for pre-visualization art production.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2455 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

ART 3453 - 3D Modeling for Games and Film

This course provides the foundation for all of the other undergraduate 2D and 3D animation courses. Students will use industry standard software to explore the principles of animation while reproducing rudimentary animation exercises as demonstrated by the instructor.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2450 or ART 2455 with a grade of C or better

Hours:
3

ART 3463 - Traditional Animation Techniques

This intermediate course focuses primarily on hand-drawn frame-by-frame and stop-motion animation, but also includes pixilation, silhouette or cutout, sand, and pinscreen animation. Students develop skills in the use of software to develop storyboards and two-dimensional animation including constructing, importing, and sequencing media elements to create multimedia presentations.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2455 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

ART 4461 - Character Rigging and Animation

The fundamental purpose of this course is to prepare 3D character designs for animation. Students will build skeletons, rig characters, "skin" them, and pose the characters, testing them for animation. The course will examine the process of creating joints to assemble a skeleton, fine-tuning joints for realistic motion, rigging bodies and faces, and binding a characters skin to its skeleton.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 3453 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

ART 4463 - Animated Storytelling

This course will grant students a unique opportunity to serve on an animation team for an entire semester and a single purpose: the production of a completed animated short film. Technique, style, narrative, and theme will all be determined as a team. Roles and division of duties will likewise be determined. Through the many stages of production, students will conceptualize, visualize, and then realize their chosen story. Advanced animation skills are required, and students must be well-versed in a least one of the following areas: hand-drawn animation, stop-motion animation, 2D or 3D computer animation, modeling, shading, lighting, rendering, storyboarding, or editing.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 3451 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

ART 4465 - Digital Visual Effects

The purpose of this course is to offer an introduction to the principles and practices of digital visual effects. Most of the work will be done in After Effects, but most of the principles should apply to other professional software. Students will also gain an understanding of problem solving in this industry and how to interpret and break down effects shots in current movies.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 3451 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3

ART 4915 - Special Topic in Art

A detailed study of an art form, medium, style, technique, or other special topic of current interest not covered in catalog listings. May be repeated for a total of up to 9 credit hours.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ART 1010, ART 1020, and ART 1030 with grades of C or higher

Hours:
3

ART 3461 - Digital Illustration

A studio course focused on the principles and practices of digital illustrations – studio art, design, and digital art majors will explore various illustration fields and complete a series of illustrations utilizing multiple software and techniques.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2450 with a grade of C or better

Hours:
3

ART 4462 - 3-D Surfaces and Rendering

This advanced course will focus on the essential skill of realistic 3-D surface creation. Students will learn to UV Unwrap their 3D models for the application of textures. Students will also learn how surfaces react in realistic scenarios and how to mimic this behavior using shaders, texture maps and lighting. Students will be able to realistically re-create surfaces for use in animations, gaming and virtual reality applications. Virtual Lighting and Rendering techniques will be used to present the models/textures.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 3453 with a grade of C or better

Hours:
3

ART 4464 - Immersive Virtual Environments

This advanced course will focus on the creation of a single virtual reality environment, built with the combined efforts of all students over the course of the entire semester. Students will be asked to conceptualize and design the environment, build the environment, and then texture these assets using applicable software. These assets will then be assembled, lit and made interactive for output using a virtual reality head mounted display.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ART 3453 & 4462 with grades of C or better

Hours:
3

ART 4915 - Special Topic in Art

A detailed study of an art form, medium, style, technique, or other special topic of current interest not covered in catalog listings. May be repeated for a total of up to 9 credit hours.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ART 1010, ART 1020, and ART 1030 with grades of C or higher

Hours:
3

ART 4916 - Special Topics in Art

A detailed study of an art form, medium, style, technique, or other special topic of current interest not covered in catalog listings. May be repeated for a total of up to 9 credit hours.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ART 1010, ART 1020, and ART 1030 with grades of C or higher

Hours:
3

Digital Fabrication

ART 2452 - Introduction to Digital Design and Fabrication

This applied/hands-on studio class presents the foundations of digital fabrication technologies, including laser cutting and engraving, CNC milling, plasma cutting, and 3D printing. Utilizing various software, students will start by manipulating vector (curve) based 2D geometry, and work their way up to simple 3D geometric modeling. Designs created virtually will be optimized for each technology, and then be produced as actual, physical objects.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 1030 with a grade of C or higher or permission of Head of the Department of Visual Arts

Hours:
3

ART 3452 - Digital Design & Fabrication

This applied/hands-on studio class presents the foundations of digital fabrication technologies including laser cutting and engraving, CNC milling, and 3D printing. Utilizing various software, students will start by manipulating vector (curve) based 2D geometry and work their way up to simple 3D geometric modeling. Designs created virtually will be optimized for each technology and then be produced as actual physical objects.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 2450 with a grade of "C" or higher or permission from Head of the Department of Visual Arts

Hours:
3

ART 4352 - Advanced Digital Design and Fabrication

This applied/hands-on studio class presents opportunities for advanced use of digital fabrication technologies, including laser cutting and engraving, CNC milling, plasma cutting, and 3D printing. Students will pursue individual solutions to designing and producing objects utilizing one or more of these technologies. Note: ART 4352 may be repeated once for a total of 6 credits.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 3452 with a grade of C or higher or permission of Head of the Department of Visual Arts

Hours:
3

Art History

Note: All upper-level art history courses fulfil the 3000-4000 level art history requirements in all Department of Visual Arts majors.

Photography

ART 3810 - Digital Photography I

An introductory studio course in digital photography emphasizing conceptual approaches and contemporary practices utilizing appropriate software. Students will become familiar with using the computer as a digital darkroom. Topics covered include the use of digital cameras, scanning traditional film negatives, using the scanner as a camera, tone and color controls, image manipulation, alternative processes and image output.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ART 1010 and ART 1020 with grades of C or higher or permission of Head of the Department of Visual Arts

Hours:
3

ART 3820 - Time-Based Photography

This 3-hour course in still photography, utilizing film and/or digital cameras, along with computer software, will examine time-lapse gear from basic to advanced. Students will explore balancing time-lapse image settings, shooting time-lapse with regards to composition, narrative and exposure. Students will be introduced to the Cinemagraph, a combination of still photography to create movement within digital file. Problem-solving will be addressed, such as astrophotography time-lapse, flicker-free day to night transitions, High Dynamic Range time-lapse and time-lapse motion control devices. Subject matter will vary from human activity, nature, to inanimate objects. The medium will also be explored from its historical significance from the 19th century to the 21st century.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: ART 3810 or permission of Head of the Department of Visual Arts

Hours:
3

Studios & Equipment
Dahlonega Campus

Digital Arts Studio - , A 110, A 101

Wacom Intuos Medium Drawing Tablets

Wacom Cintique Tablet Monitors

Apple and PC Machines

Animation Tables

Animation Capture Station

Oculus Virtual Reality Headsets

Adobe Suite Photoshop Illustrator After Effects Premiere

Toon Boom Harmony Autodesk

Maya Blender

Foundation Blender

Pixologic

ZBrush

Adobe Substance Painter

Marmoset Toolbag

Epic Unreal Engine

Digital Fabrication Studio - , A 110 and

Large Boss laser cutter

Over thirty FDM and SLA 3D printers from MakerBot, Lulzbot, Gigabot, Afinia, and Formlabs

X-Carve CNC machine

Over thirty Mac OS and Windows computers and associated software

Opportunities

Find a Digital Arts Internship

Internships are one of the best ways to gain hands-on skills while learning real-world applications and techniques in the digital arts industry. Interact with creative minds, problem-solve, learn new processes, network, and gain opportunities to hone your critical thinking.

Register for ART 4850 Internship in Visual Arts to complete your digital arts internship. Once you locate your internship, contact your Digital Arts advisor!

Where can I find internships? You can find internships in:

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