Arts Thread

A clever style was once thought to be the calling card for the professional illustrator. But in an age where images and artworks abound, visual artists must do more than deliver slick gimmicks—they must develop a real sensibility and create work that transcends trends. At SVA, we believe that an illustrator’s career can be as limitless as his or her imagination. We always encourage ambitious thinking—the innovator, not the imitator. We not only inspire and encourage a student’s imagination, but also teach the art of interpretation: the ability to carefully read and cross-reference texts, research visual styles, and conceptualize and produce significant bodies of work. With our junior thesis and senior portfolio curriculum, our students develop sophisticated and complete oeuvres, unlike the “patch-work portfolios” produced by many other art schools, which consist of students’ scattered responses to a variety of assignments, and don’t especially reveal their true personalities. Image credits: Ella Mahoney