CSUN’s Art and Design Department is constantly expanding and with these expansions comes the recent addition of the emphasis on illustration for art majors. Starting as the illustration club, more and more students became interested in illustration to implement an emphasis in the degree.

“The concentration in Illustration has been around for quite a few years. We’ve grown in size, and there’s a strong interest in the professional opportunities an illustration skill set can provide.” Professor Erik Mark Sandberg, head of CSUN’s Illustration Major and Faculty advisor for CSUN Illustration Society.
The emphasis on illustration in CSUN’s Art degree program prepares students for a post-college career by emphasizing three core areas: process, craft and critical thinking. Illustration is a very flexible medium that can be created commercially or as fine art. While some illustrators work for clients in advertising, editorials, or branding, others create personal work for exhibitions and galleries.
“We teach drawing, painting, typography, book art, screen printing and all the digital tools from Adobe Creative Cloud. But beyond that, we emphasize research, innovation and storytelling,” Sandberg said.
CSUN’s Illustration Program and Illustration Society club provide a strong foundation for creative careers. They offer students the opportunity to adapt, learn and experiment.
The CSUN Illustration Society is a student-run club that hosts workshops, exhibitions and collaborative projects like silk screening, poster-making and zine creation. The club provides networking and social opportunities and raises funds through student work sales. While the club is located at the Art and Design Center, students are not required to be Illustration students to participate.

The Illustration Society helps students develop their voices by encouraging experimentation and collaboration in workshops and creative endeavors. CSUN’s advanced resources provide a strong foundation for creative careers.
It is a place where students can grow their artistic voice, even if they aren’t illustration majors. Students can also sell their work through different campus markets and display it in campus exhibitions.

“Even if you’re not an illustration major, there’s a lot you can gain from joining. Maybe you’re a graphic designer or a painter, but illustration techniques can still help you in your own work.” Chary Goodwin, outgoing president of the Illustration Society and Art graduate student, said. “It’s also about connections—you meet people who know different skills, like letterpress or layout design, and you learn from them.”
Chary was drawn to illustration after taking a class with Sandberg, where they realized illustration was a broad and dynamic field. Their artistic focus is on soft sculpture and fine art rather than commercial or editorial illustration. While pursuing their master’s, they found a home within CSUN’s Illustration Society.
“It was good to be part of something larger than myself,” Goodwin said.
While Goodwin is set to graduate at the end of the spring semester, Marilyn Hightower is prepared to take over as the new leader of CSUN’s Illustration Society. Hightower is currently pursuing a master’s in Illustration. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Visual Art from CSUN. Her passion is comics and her artwork tends to be political, focusing on civil rights and infrastructure.
“Illustration, to me, is about communication. It differs from fine art because it’s meant to convey a message explicitly—it’s not just about interpretation,” Hightower said.