Summer of Science Illustration
Each summer, instructors from the Science Illustration Graduate Certificate Program host condensed summer classes. All levels are welcome - from interested amateurs and professionals honing their skills, to high school and college students who want to sketch the natural environment or learn to draw what they observe.
Registration
Registration for Science Illustration Summer 2025 courses opens on April 7, 2025.
How to Register
- A registration form will be available here on April 7, 2025.
- Please note that no instructor permission, signature, or permission number is required to register for Science Illustration Summer courses.
After You Register
- You will receive a confirmation email from Extended@csumb.edu once your registration is processed.
- Check your CSUMB email regularly. Instructors will communicate with you via this email address with any changes to the supply list, course materials, and classroom location.
Illustration by Micah Carr
Cost and payment
Cost: $300 per unit + $39 per term campus fee = $939 per class
- If you are not a CSUMB degree-track student, once you are registered and gain access to your account you have 4 business days to make your payment online in OASIS. More instructions regarding the payment will be sent to you via email once you are registered.
- If you are a CSUMB Degree Track Student, register and make your payment online in OASIS.
2025 courses
Course Number: 32628
Units: 3
Number & Section: SICP 301 (30)
Dates: June 16 – June 27
Schedule: M-F, 9:00am-1:30pm
Course Supply List: Field Sketching Supply List
Instructor: Andrea Dingeldein (adingeldein@csumb.edu)This field-intensive course will invigorate your sketchbook pages and inspire curiosity about natural subjects. We will cover basic drawing and watercolor techniques for accurate representation of plants and animals, gain a deeper connection to the local landscape through the practice of sketching outdoors, and use a variety of identification tools to learn more about our subjects. Inclass instruction focuses mostly on pencil, watercolor, and colored pencil, but the use of a variety of materials is encouraged.
Course Number: 32622
Units: 3
Number & Section: SICP 395 (30)
Dates: July 14 – July 25
Course Supplies: Digital Supply List
Schedule: asynchronous InstructorExplore science illustration using Adobe Photoshop. We will take a focused look into tablet based drawing and painting in Photoshop with the goal of making digital painting accessible to everyone. The asynchronous class format allows for participants to work at their own pace with daily support from the instructor. No digital painting experience necessary, however basic computer skills are required.
Course Number: 32624
Units: 3
Number & Section: SICP 395 (32)
Dates: July 14 – July 25 Schedule: M-F, 9:00am-12:00pm
Course Supplies: Botanical Supply List
Instructor: Erin Hunter (erin@eehunter.com)Hone your skills of observation, as well as drawing and painting techniques, by sketching flowers and plants. Brief lessons in botanical anatomy will help you identify and understand the parts of flowers and plants. Students will create pages of detailed notes and sketches; learn to match color from flowers and leaves; and practice using various media like graphite, pen, colored pencil, and watercolor. We'll cover some field sketching techniques, and discuss how to create a more formal botanical plate. All skill levels welcome; previous drawing experience is helpful but not necessary.
Course Number: 32623
Units: 3
Number & Section: SICP 395 (31)
Dates: June 2 - June 13
Schedule: asynchronous
Course Supplies: Paleo Supplies List
Instructor: Reid Psaltis (rpsaltis@csumb.edu)Paleoart is the practice of bringing extinct animals to life through art. In this class we will discuss some of the techniques and challenges of turning fossils into living animals. Students will get a crash course in vertebrate anatomy, and will learn how to visualize muscles and skin on a skeleton, get tips for rendering fur, feathers and scales in a digital workflow, and will build a small model of a prehistoric animal of their choice. Students working digitally may use their preferred apps and software, but instruction will be focused on Procreate.