Digital Art and Design Technology
19 courses · El Camino College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
DART 95 Cooperative Work Experience Education
- Units
- 2-4
- Hours
- 10-20 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
Through a set of learning objectives established by the student, supervisor, and instructor, each student will work with and learn from experts in Digital Art and Design Technology. These experiences will enable students to improve job skills, analyze career opportunities and requirements, and compare them to personal abilities and career expectations.
DART 99 Independent Study
- Units
- 1-3
- Hours
- 1-3 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides advanced studies in a subject field of Digital Art and Design Technology not covered in the regular departmental offerings. Regular conferences are coordinated with the faculty.
DART 101 Digital Concept Design Principles and Tools
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course develops the foundational skills for digital drawing for concept design. Students will learn the principles of concept design, perspective drawing and visual communication of concepts. Students will learn and practice hand based constructive drawing techniques with digital input tools and raster image software to develop visual concepts through drawings of hard surface objects, environments, and characters for use as concepts for 2D and 3D animation, video games, and other entertainment media.
DART 102 Digital Illustration Design Principles and Tools
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is an introduction to digital illustration, for visual storytelling, and presentation of concepts. Students will learn 2D design fundamentals, raster and vector illustration techniques, color theory, composition, applications of perspective and the use of typographic elements to tell cohesive stories with visual and written elements.
DART 103 Digital Animation Principles and Tools
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU
This is an introductory course in the basic principles and technology of digital animation. Students will develop an understanding of animation through the exploration of timing and movement via traditional animation methods, digital vector graphics, digital raster software and digital editing software to complete exercises and animated sequences. Students will also explore careers in animation through research into career paths and processes in the animation industry.
DART 104 Digital Modeling Principles and Tools
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This is an introductory course in developing digital 3D models for animation, video games, pre-visualization, and VFX. Focus is placed on understanding underlying topology and geometry concerns, while polygonal modeling with 3D digital tools. The concepts of form, light, and texture will be explored through materials, texture painting, and rendering. Industry-standard low and high poly modeling methods, including subdivision and basic sculpting, are all explored.
DART 111 Concept Design: Characters & Props
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 101 or ART 110 & ART 141
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In the course, students build on the foundational principles and tools of concept design to focus on character and prop designs. Students will polish their digital hand sketching and rendering skills to create compelling characters and related props that communicate emotion and convey meaning to audiences using current industry software and hardware. Students employ line, shape, color, value, texture, and anatomical knowledge to visually communicate character and emotion at a glance. These critical character design skills have application in movies, television, animation, games, and visual effects (VFX) as well as traditional media like comics and illustration.
DART 115 Concept Design: Storyboards
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 102 and DART 103
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course combines and draws on students' concept design skills to tell whole stories full of rich characters and scenes in a sequence of events that conveys more than just the events themselves. Sequencing and timing are everything, whether delivering a comedic punchline or building dramatic suspense. Students take storytelling to the next level while honing speed, composition and line work in their digital hand sketches and illustrations with the most current tools in the industry. Students prepare for team projects that tell compelling stories with sequences that create suspense, drama, comedy, action and more!
DART 121 2D Character Animation
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 101 and DART 103
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course will guide students through the fundamentals of movement cycles using key frames and poses and everything in-between to create the illusion of movement within animated scenes characters. Students learn the fundamentals of digitally animating characters in traditional key frame and frame-by-frame process and the most current methods of puppet animation with rigged assets for film, games, and more. Whether they want to animate for games, TV, film or commercials, this course will give students the foundation needed grounded in the latest software and techniques used in animation studios across the world.
DART 131 3D Characters & Props
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 104
- Formerly
- ART 144
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In this course, students will build on the foundations of Digital Modeling tools and principles to create highly detailed characters and props. Students will learn to refine traditional polygonal modeling process and learn new processes for character models including blocking out forms, low poly modeling, ultraviolet (UV) mapping, and detailed multiresolution sculpting. Students will also learn and apply advanced topology for anatomical forms and retopology with normal maps to retain visual detail while reducing polycount for animation workflows. Students will learn to incorporate blend shapes to create three-dimensional (3D) facial expressions and advanced material and shaders and lighting to bring your characters, props, and scenes to life and create portfolio and reel ready work.
DART 140 3D Character Animation & Rigging
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/4 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 104
- Formerly
- ART 244A
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In this course, students learn the foundation of animation in 3D using pre-built rigged assets to focus on key poses, timing, expression, exaggeration, and weight to create compelling movement cycles in various styles and sequences with 3D assets. Students will explore body mechanics to create convincing movement with 3D rigged character assets, and then push it beyond reality to make exaggerated movements come to life. Students learn the process of posing for facial expression, dialog, lip syncing from key poses to 3D animatics and polished movement sequences. Students will render out their animation work to build their professional reel.
DART 142 Digital Imaging Fundamentals
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/4 hours lab
- Advisory
- Art 150 or Photography 150 AND Photography 101
- Formerly
- ART 142
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is an introduction to the processes, principles, and tools of digital imaging. Topics include the development of technical and aesthetic skills, elements of design and composition, overview of digital camera technology, digital photography software, image manipulation, and contemporary trends in photography.
DART 150 2D Game Art and Interaction
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Advisory
- ART 141
- Formerly
- ART 145
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In this course students will create static and animated assets for 2D games using current, industry-standard, software and game engines. Students will create a 2D game prototype with original game art and animation, UI wireframe, sound, and procedural VFX. Students will engage in a design and prototyping process to imagine a cohesive visual style, create 2D environments, sprites, and more. Through the application of basic visual scripting concepts students will create a working game prototype that can be published to multiple platforms (e.g. mobile, PC, web) for play testing from a current game engine such as (but not limited to) Unity, Unreal, or Godot.
DART 155 3D Game Art and Interaction
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Advisory
- DART 104
- Formerly
- ART 245A
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In this course, students will create static and animated assets for 3D games using current, industry-standard, software and game engines. Students will create a 3D game prototype with original game art and animation, UI wireframe, sound, and procedural visual effects (VFX). Existing game assets from trusted sources will be incorporated as needed. Students will engage in a design and prototyping process to imagine a cohesive visual style, create 3D environments, models, animations, and more. Through the application of basic scripting and visual scripting concepts students will create a working game prototype that can be published to multiple platforms (e.g. mobile, PC, web) for play testing from a current game engine such as (but not limited to) Unity, Unreal, or Godot.
DART 211 Visual Development & Environments
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 101 or ART 110 & ART 141
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In this course, students will continue to hone their design, hand sketching, and rendering and manipulation of color, texture, light and shadow, to develop detailed and compelling scenery, and build worlds that pull audiences into a story. Visual communication of visual development concepts will help create a well-rounded portfolio. Students will explore how to sketch and render compelling scenes using perspective and point of view to convey cohesive moods and atmosphere to add drama and excitement for concept in film, animation, and games.
DART 221 2D Animation Studio
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/4 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 121
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In this course, students continue honing their 2D illustration and animation skills in an intermediate studio with a focus on team projects for short animated sequences incorporating characters, props, scenery and more. Students use concept design and storyboarding to develop original concepts and then make the assets needed to create an animated sequence. Students will focus on narrative, sound, dialog, acting, and dynamic expressive elements to tell a compelling story and develop a project from concept to production in a collaborative studio environment while learning advanced techniques and studio workflow for 2D animation.
DART 231 3D Procedural Modeling, Simulation & FX
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 104
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In this course, students continue building their modeling skills with high quality procedurally generated and simulated geometry and effects using the latest procedural modeling techniques and software for film, TV, visual effects (VFX), and games. Specific processes and software to produce procedurally generated geometry and simulated visual effects like water, smoke, and fire will take students' 3D models and renderings to the level of professional asset development. Advanced compositing techniques will help students build a computer graphics (CG) reel that is ready to launch them into a career as a fully rounded 3D modeler.
DART 241 3D Animation Studio
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 140
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In this intermediate studio course, students continue honing their 3D modeling and animation skills focusing on team projects for short animated sequences incorporating characters, props, scenery and more. Students will apply concept design and storyboarding to develop an original concept and then make the assets needed to create a final animation. The focus will be on narrative, sound, dialog, acting, and dynamic expressive elements to tell a compelling story in 3D. Students will develop a project from concept to production in a collaborative studio environment while learning advanced techniques and studio workflow for creating 3D animation.
DART 290 Animation Capstone Studio
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- DART 211 or DART 221 or DART 241
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
In this advanced capstone studio, students work on focused group projects with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Students will work in a self-directed way to write stories, apply concept design and storyboarding techniques, and develop an original concept for a group project. Teams will then make the assets needed to create a final animation in 2D, 3D, or mixed asset workflows. Projects will focus on narrative, sound, dialog, acting, and dynamic expressive elements to tell a compelling story. Students will develop a project from concept to production in a collaborative studio environment to put 2D and 3D animation skills in action!