Technical Illustration Schools/Programs

[JuanCal123]

Im registered at another forum which deals with 3D via Composer

https://www.3dviacomposerforum.com/foru ... and-Tricks

maybe your students want to register and stay informed. I dont go to every forum every day. like ill visit dfifferent forums when I ahve time and check and see whats going on. I try to keep a presence, having a community like this is very powerful, thank you Internet!!

[Jeff L.]

JuanCal123,
Thanks for the info. I agree that a rudimentary understanding of one of the solid modeling packages (CATIA, Inventor, SolidWorks, etc.) is very important. We have found that once a person learns how to use one of them, they can usually find their way around the others.
I will have to see what our business and industry advisors tell us about the TI software that they use (3DVia Composer, SAP, etc.) After looking at demo videos of these products, I am convinced that most companies are missing the boat if they are not taking advantage of what they can do. Wow!
I also see what you mean about learning animation. I teach 3ds Max and know its capabilities in this area. Our students will need to know this as well. It's where the future is.
Jeff

[JuanCal123]

I agree with you Jeff, your right about everything you've mentioned. Its good to know theres a teacher like you out there. I can very much see how we will eventually turn into a Star Trek or Star wars type of industry.

I tell my collegues we live in an amazing time, its like we're going through the 3rd industrial revolution, so many things happening and changing purty fast. Its why I stay active so I don't get left behind

[Jeff L.]

Another question for you all,
What kind of an art background would a technical illustrator need to have?
I know that many of you have had art training of some type. I would think that sketching, shading, color theory, etc. would come in handy when creating illustrations that are used for presentations. Along that same vein, are most of you using tablets (Wacom, for example) of some type to add color shading, etc?
Jeff

[JamesProvost]

My post-secondary education started with an art fundamentals year that got everyone up to speed on the basics of sketching, painting, still life, life drawing, light & colour theory, perspective, design. No computers and not much room for creativity or expression. All technical exercises.

My first year in the illustration program was general illustration. Still a lot of emphasis on traditional skills, painting, drawing, design, with a bit on the creative process, problem solving, creativity and business practices.

Second, third and fourth years were specifically technical & scientific illustration. Classes pushed technical skills like drafting, perspective and rendering further but applied these to creative problems. Business classes covered contracts, invoices, purchase orders, portfolio and self promotion and equipped us to be independent professionals in the field.

We were trained on Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. We touched on 3D, but didn't use any CAD.

All in all, it was a pretty traditionalist (maybe antiquated) art education, rather than a technical program that guaranteed a position with an employer at the end of it. I consider everything I learned to be valuable, but I guess my line of work is a bit different than the typical technical illustrator.

[Jeff L.]

Thanks James,
Good information. Being a two-year technical college, we would not have time to get into all of the art that you had but I can see that it would be most helpful. I will have to see about partnering with other schools in the area for that type of thing.
In addition to a degree program, we are looking into a modularized format that would provide short courses on specific skills. Some of the TI people in our area that I have talked to are looking upgrade their skills in things like 3D modeling, texturing, animation, etc. Finishing a series of these courses would result in a certificate of some type. As a working TI, have you ever looked into this type of training in your area? Or would you be interested if it was offered? If so, what types of classes would benefit your workflow?
Jeff

[Mike A]

Hi Jeff,
Take these comments lightly, as I come from a self-taught background - although I have run a design and digital imaging studio for more than 25 years :)

I think one of the key questions is just how you define 'technical illustration'. I think it has become a rather vague term as time and technology have moved on - as shown by James' first post.

There is the traditional perspective (no pun intended ;) - focusing on typically B&W line illustration for manuals / instructional use etc. Compare that to a different, or at least wider, view that would have more emphasis on imagery for presentation or marketing communication use.

I think it would be reasonable to say that the 2D techniques of the traditional draftsman have been totally superseded by 3D. If you're aiming to equip your students for careers in a larger company environment then certainly the 'corporate CAD' tools - ProE, CATIA, 3DviaComposer and the rest are something they need to get to grips with. I think various sectors tend to favour certain CAD tools over others so it would be good for you to find out which tools are predominant in the large corporates in your area. Having said this, while 3D CAD tools are incredibly powerful, I still think that having a foundational knowledge of traditional 2D perspective technique is important.

If your students are looking at employment in smaller companies then lower level tools like Solidworks, McNeels' Rhino, FormZ and others might be worth consideration.

As you've already mentioned: animation, coding and interactivity is another area you will need to consider - interactive exploded illustrations on your iPad etc.

If you're looking at a wider definition of TI including more presentation type imagery you could include any number of additional art based subjects: sketching and drawing (conventional and digital), painting skills (digital), photographic retouching and manipulation - and more. Skills that would enable your students to take their technical illustrations beyond basic presentation quality.


Mike

[Jeff L.]

Thanks Mike,
I think you are absolutely right about the definitions of Technical Illustration. Because many of our local employers are manufacturers, B&W line drawings would be a big part of our focus. However, I would like to include training in rendering and animation because I do believe that will give our students bonus points in a job interview. Another skill that a potential employer may find attractive.

We are aware of the CAD tools that our local employers are using and have been coordinating our efforts with them for many years in that respect. But, as I am sure you know, they do not always have a handle on what is the best technique, software, or hardware to utilize. Too often, personalities get in the way of those decisions. For example, a software is decided on because "that's the one we used before..."

I would like to be able to tell my co-workers and advisory boards what successful technical illustrators are doing to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Talking to local TI people helps a lot. I am also finding this forum to be a great resource.
Thanks for the help,
Jeff

[JuanCal123]

Jeff

I have a Cintiq Hybrid at the moment a must have for Digital Matte painters and any concept artist designer etc. I really want to get the 24 inch so I can have at home.

the Cintiq Hybris does the trick though, I could not do coloring or sketching in photoshop without the Tablet the mouse is just not going to cut it. For Technical Illustration at my current job, don't need a Tablet, but when they tell me to take on the Graphic Artist role Im glad its by my side.

I as well did take a lot of foundation courses in Art, it all depends on the individual and how serious they are about their career.

[Jeff L.]

JuanCAL123,
Just looked at the Cintiq Hybrid. Very nice piece of equipment. I could see how that would come in handy for artwork. I will have to see if my boss will approve one of those so that I can make an educated recommendation .
I would think that some type of digitizer would be necessary for even B&W line art for manuals and users guides. Correct?
Jeff