Illustration Major
Give visual voice to concepts, characters and campaigns through dynamic projects and a professional network that moves you forward.
Moore Illustration students blend artistry and storytelling to create innovative visuals that resonate across platforms and audiences. You’ll build a versatile portfolio spanning portraiture and caricature, sequential art, editorial illustration and market-ready art for publishing, advertising, children’s books, packaging and retail. Grounded in traditional techniques and equipped with the latest digital tools, our Illustration program prepares you to meet industry demands with confidence in your skills.
Supported by faculty with decades of professional know-how, you’ll gain experience through a paid internship and access to Philadelphia’s vibrant community of illustrators. You’ll also have a chance to compete in our label design contest with Dock Street Brewing (founded by a Moore alumna!), visit the IX Art Show, become a member of the Society of Illustrators and explore creative capitals of the East Coast, just a train ride away.
Internships That Launch Careers
Every Illustration student pursues a guaranteed paid $1,000 internship between their junior and senior years. Moore puts you in the field early, allowing you to grow your toolkit and make connections that lead to career opportunities.
Illustration students and alumni have landed internships and jobs at places like...
Anthropologie
Night Kitchen Interactive
Super Signs
Torpedo Factory Arts Center
Network with Industry Leaders
Through special events, you’ll meet guest speakers and critics who’ve walked the path you’re on. Ask questions, gain valuable feedback and build relationships that open doors in illustration. Here’s a glimpse of some of our recent visitors:
LOIS VAN BAARLE, AKA LOISH
Loish is a digital artist, concept artist and animator based in the Netherlands, who has done character designs for LEGO, Guerrilla Games, Amazon, EA, Coca-Cola, and more, and who shares knowledge through workshops, lectures and art books, including The Art of Loish.
DAN YACCARINO
In addition to selling over 2.5 million children’s books, Yaccarino is the creator and producer of several award-winning animated series based on his books, including Doug Unplugs (AppleTV), Oswald (Nickelodeon) and Willa's Wild Life (NBC and Qubo), and the character designer behind The Backyardigans (Nickelodeon).
ROZ CHAST
Internationally renowned for her New Yorker cartoons, Chast was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 2019, and has written and illustrated several books, including Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, which won a National Book Critics Circle Award.
I came to Moore because I adored the intimate environment and felt that I would receive the care and attention my education deserved. This turned out to be true, as many of my professors have become mentors and huge influences on the trajectory of my work. They pushed me to hone my creative vision and helped me feel more confident and assured in my work.
Illustration Student Work
Our students produce stunning work that showcases their unique perspective—and meets our standards for polished visual storytelling.
Catherine Epps ’23
Kira Rassa ’26
Addison Earnst ’25
Madi McHugh ’24
Romeo Montero ’24
Jae Feliciano ’25
Selena Barnish ’24
Technology and Creative Spaces
Explore advanced tools and workspaces for Illustration students, including large-format printers, computer labs with 27” iMacs and studio spaces perfect for creating work by hand and on screen.Illustration Core Curriculum
Year 1 is your Foundation year! You’ll get a head start with your bridge-to-major class
- 2D Design
- 3D Design
- Foundation Drawing I
- Drawing for Visual Communication OR Creative Design
- Color Theory
- Introduction to Illustration
- Writing Workshop I & II
- Art History I & II
- Life Drawing Structures
- Life Drawing Form
- Illustration Fundamentals
- Illustration Practice
- Pictorial Fundamentals I & II
- Digital Image Making
- Modern Art History Course
- Non-Western Art History
- Gender, Race, Class & Power
- Illustration Junior Studio I & II
- Life Drawing Value
- Life Drawing Color
- Typography I
- Digital Painting for Illustrators
- Professional Development I
- Humanities and Studio Electives
- Senior Studio
- Senior Thesis
- Business for Illustration
- Professional Development II (Internship)
- Liberal Arts Electives
- Open Electives
- Nattarive Painting
- Illustration for Children
- Licensing Art for Retail Products
- Sequential Illustration & Animation
- Art of Storycrafting
