Drawing

As a student in the Drawing degree program, you’ll be immersed in a dynamic and diverse learning environment. Your comprehensive instruction will begin with traditional drawing techniques, materials, and processes before diving into alternative explorations, including mixed media and new media drawing processes and transdisciplinary work as vehicles for personal expression.

You’ll examine the role of drawing as a significant and long-standing discipline in the visual arts, and investigate it as both an independent discipline and as a vital resource for the investigation of other disciplines. The dynamic union of technical, formal, and conceptual components is emphasized in your advanced level course work, culminating in the development of a BFA Thesis Exhibition.

You’ll also round your education out with a wide range of general education and art history courses that will stimulate your curiosity, broaden your perspective, and inspire new creative expressions. KCAD’s flexible General Education Pathways model empowers you to direct your learning by exploring subjects you find most engaging and relevant.

While earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing, you’ll open up a multitude of ways to explore and record your perceptions of the world around you through the creative process. You’ll also develop the ability to solve problems creatively, take calculated risks, question with an open mind, and adapt to the unexpected.

A thorough understanding of the creative process will provide you with critical thinking and visual communication skills that will enable you to succeed in a wide range of career opportunities both directly and indirectly related to your studies. You’ll emerge from the program with a strong, cohesive portfolio of mindful and personally significant work that contributes to larger conversations both within and outside of the discipline.

As a student in the Drawing degree program, you’ll explore both traditional and contemporary practices and experience a strong sense of community driven by an emphasis on faculty availability and interaction. The program’s small class sizes enable our faculty to get to know you as an individual, while you’ll come to see them as not just instructors, but as mentors and professional role models as well. The program also places an emphasis on personalized instruction, resulting in concentrated periods of work, ideation, and exploration with guidance from faculty. The ability to experiment in a safe and supportive environment encourages your growth and confidence and prepares you for success after graduation.

There’s also the matter of place: located in Grand Rapids, a mid-sized city that values art and design, KCAD acts as an incubator for focused artistic growth and cultural engagement. Location also means you’ll enjoy mid-size city living while being only a few hours away from the cultural wealth of larger cities like Chicago and Detroit.

As creative professionals, Drawing graduates are very adaptable and capable of applying their critical thinking, communication, and creative problem solving skills to a variety of professions. Many Drawing graduates choose to further develop their skills by pursuing a Master of Fine Art degree or by seeking opportunities such as artist residencies or grant-funded projects.

Possible careers include: 

• Professional Artist
• Curator
• Museum Preparator
• Arts Education Specialist
• Art Director
• Gallery Owner
• Archivist
• Appraiser
• Entrepreneur