KSU:

Cartoon Art pages in Japanese here, blog pages here

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Challenging the art of humor at world-class level with only paper and pen…

In this department we teach European-style cartoons, which originated in the UK. A cartoon is a humorous picture, usually in a single panel, which expresses caricature, wit and exaggeration, for example as seen in newspaper editorial cartoons. Our students learn a style that is globally recognized and widely popular. A cartoon is an ultimately simple art form, which can be created with no more than a pen and paper. However, to achieve this apparent simplicity, it is necessary to attain a high level of technique and keen observational skills. Our curriculum is designed to provide thorough training in basic drawing, and to raise social awareness to enhance creative response. We want our students to challenge the art of humor at world-class level.

Department profile (May 2009):

Total undergraduate students: 136
(M: 31; F: 105)

Overseas undergraduate students: 9

Fulltime faculty: 3
Part-time lecturers: 11

Professors:

SHINOHARA Yukio
G.M. Sudarta (Visiting Professor)
TAMADA Kyoko

Profiles in Japanese here

Curriculum:
1st year & 2nd year:
Some students join this course eager to learn the basics. In these two years most of their time is spent developing basic skills to express movement naturally in drawing. Through rigorous training students achieve their own characteristic “line” and other drawing skills, and discover the special characteristics of cartoons that cannot be matched by computer graphics.

1st year: Theory of caricature 1 & 2, drawing 1 & 2, design 1 & 2, painting technique1 & 2
2nd year: Production practice 1 & 2, sketching 1 & 2, satirical caricature 1 & 2, basic CG 1 & 2, newspaper study 1 & 2, basic 3D modeling (plaster), handcraft

3rd year: Training to develop critical views and creativity through caricatures based on global issues in news, and making illustrations that represent the sense of poetry found in children’s literature.
Production practice 3 & 4, caricature 1 & 2, cartoon 1 & 2, theory of contemporary media culture 1 & 2, research on media information 1 & 2 (theory), research on media information 1 & 2 (seminar), cartoon techniques 1 & 2

4th year: In first semester, a concentration on cartoons; in second semester, focus on production assignments and graduation works with emphasis on picture-book styles.
Production practice 5, free production, critical review, graduation work

Enrollments:
The Cartoon Art major accepts approximately 20 new students per year, approximately 3 of whom are international students.

Scope of Courses:
Cartoon Art emphasizes international and historical perspectives. Rather than simply learning techniques and styles popular in Japan today, students are exposed to cartoons and comics from all over the world, and throughout history, in order to gain a concrete grasp of the limitless potential of the medium. Every year, we will host visiting lecturers from around the world, as well as international symposia and other events. The faculty aim to make the department one of the major foci of cartoon and comic art in the world.

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