ILLUS-3776

MINIATURE STUDIO: STORYTELLING IN SCALE

Faculty: Ruchika Nambiar

Course Level: Junior, Senior, 5th Year

3 CREDITS

Miniature art is a diverse and flexible medium for complex visual storytelling. This intimately immersive art form has greatly expanded, with miniaturists working across fine art, advertising, scenography, stop-motion animation and more. Moving beyond 2D image-making, miniature art opens up new narrative possibilities through world-building, character development, spatial depth, interaction and motion. Students are encouraged to find creative applications for miniatures in their work and will be exposed to many examples that go beyond the traditional diorama: tiny galleries, forensic dioramas, public art, miniature escape rooms, "phygital" storytelling, etc. We will interpret "miniature art" very expansively and students need not be restricted to just 3D model-making. They may also combine it with other mediums such as book-making, writing, photography, film/animation, game design, etc and consider how miniatures can enrich and complicate these forms. The semester will feature short individual assignments leading to a longer final project, all anchored by storytelling. Class demos will expose students to various materials (polymer clay, paper, MDF, fabric, found objects), techniques (sculpting, laser-cutting, digital post-production), and documentation strategies to best capture their intricate storytelling. Students will leave the course with a new appreciation for miniature art as an extension of their illustration practice.

Capacity: 15

Registration Restriction: Major elective; restricted to Illustration juniors and seniors; open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor. 

Semester Offered: Fall