Image courtesy Ringing College

Among Ringling College’s 13 majors are three which, though seemingly very different, share a common emphasis based in visual communication. They communicate a feeling or emotion through an illustrated character; an intent or story through branding and marketing; or a theme through a shared experience.

Let’s start with Illustration. Ranked among the top Illustration schools in the country, you can find Ringling College Illustration graduates working at leading companies including Apple, Disney, American Greetings, Google, Hallmark and more. Ultimately, behind every illustration is a story to be told, a problem to be solved or a perspective to be shared. By learning the fundamentals of color theory, composition and anatomy in both traditional and digital media, illustration students learn to compose works that effectively communicate their intended message. Working in both 2D and 3D, students will leave Ringling College with a cohesive portfolio that showcases their distinct visual voice. Employment opportunities include children’s books, editorial (newspaper, magazine and book cover art), interactive web illustration, technical art, advertising illustration and, as described below, visual development. Indeed, Illustration is one of our most adaptable programs in terms of careers in art and design.

Students in the program’s Visual Development track focus on concept art, working in today’s most popular entertainment industries, including gaming, comics, graphic novels, film, television (live-action and animated), toy design and publishing. Students will learn to create the art for characters and environments that will be used by modelers, animators, designers, visual effect artists and other creatives to bring their ideas to life.

In Ringling College’s Graphic Design program – also highly ranked in the U.S. – students create disruptive and stimulating designs that help businesses, nonprofits, products, events and spaces stand out from the crowd. And their award-winning designs are all over – on bookshelves, at events, on billboards, brochures, your computers and phones, etc. As graphic design legend Paul Rand once said, “Design is everywhere!” 

Ringling College Graphic Design students develop a deep understanding of design thinking and create work that will both entice and inform their intended audience. The students’ experience is heightened by opportunities to work on professional client projects that will be seen around the world, including at top design studios and Ringling’s in-house Design Center. 

And then there’s Entertainment Design. This is Ringling College’s newest BFA program, which is all about translating stories into experiences, with an emphasis on themed built environments. Entertainment Design graduates learn to create unforgettable experiences as part of a multibillion-dollar-industry that includes theme parks, museums, concerts, sporting events, hotels, restaurants– all of the experiential places that entertain, delight, amuse, and inspire. Ringling’s Entertainment Design program allows students to collaborate with artists, designers, and other creative leaders to develop experiences that will “wow” audiences and position our graduates to work at the highest level in an industry that is growing exponentially each year. Plus, it helps that Disney World, Universal, Epcot and so many others are just a stone’s throw from Sarasota.

These three majors - Illustration, Graphic Design, and Entertainment Design – demonstrate the depth and breadth of the offerings at Ringling College. While decidedly different, the importance of the fundamentals still apply: shape, color, space, form, line, value, texture and space, though with decidedly different purposes. They all work towards the art of storytelling and visual communication, whether through an illustrated character, graphic signage or an interactive experience. 

And whichever tool our artists and designers use to ignite their own instinctive creative spark – a computer, pencil, artist’s brush, table saw or some other media - Ringling College is there to help them hone their creative skills, so that their passion becomes a life-long profession.

Or, as Ramana Penmaraju reminds us, “When passion blends with profession, it turns into a masterpiece.”

Dr. Larry Thompson is president of Ringling College of Art & Design.

Image courtesy Ringing College