FAQ

Our offices are located in the bottom level of the Business building, near the Learning Resource Center (LRC).

• Traditional (darkroom) Photography and most Studio Art classes are in the Business building.
• Theatre and Music classes are in the Music Building and the Campus Inn, located across the lower quad from the Business building.
• Animation, Digital Photography and TV classes are in the Learning Resources Center (the LRC).
• Graphic Design and Electronic Music Courses are in the Science building (S302).
• Art History classes are in A230, on the 2nd floor of the Administration building.

No, the art history courses are lecture classes where students study objects of art and architecture to learn how and why they were made, who made them, what significance these objects held in history, and how our contemporary societies value them today. Whereas students learn about art-making processes in art history classes, applying this knowledge skillfully to make their own artworks is a practice of studio art courses. The Visual Art Department at RÍo Hondo College offers a full curriculum of both art history and studio art courses leading to transfer degrees.

Yes, regular completion of textbook and/or assigned readings is essential to your success in a college-level art history course. Students who come to class having completed the reading assignment have an easier time comprehending the lecture material. Your instructor will provide several options ranging in price, such as e-text, unbound, soft-cover, and hard-cover editions.

The term Commercial Art has been updated and changed to Graphic Design to reflect the explosive expansion of the visual communication industry. In the Spring Semester of 2015 RÍo Hondo started to re-design and rebuild the program. We are adding courses, certificates, updating our AS Degree and creating an exiting department that will give students the Design skills sought in industry and the education needed for them to seek a four year degree and beyond!

Although having access to a computer  is a plus, the courses are structured so that you do not need to own a computer to take the classes. We have recently acquired brand new iMacs and have graphic design quality laser-printers in our classrooms!

The field in Los Angeles is growing! Job market data estimates forecast a 13% increase in graphic design jobs through 2022! A junior designer will typically rise to a senior designer, then art director, and then creative director. Depending on the industry served or the medium, the junior designer may be called a graphic designer, UI/UX designer, visual designer, motion designer, digital designer, web designer, animator, production artist, or graphic artist. At the mid-level, the title may be more specific: information designer, interaction designer, product designer, environmental graphics designer, information architect, package designer, exhibition designer, experience designer, or content strategist. At the executive level, designers occupy positions such as owner/founder, executive creative director, head of design, or chief creative officer.

Graphic designers produce all of the visual images you see in every industry, every day, that aren’t ‘pure art’. These include; posters, advertisements, packages, information visualizations, graphics for newspapers and magazines, motion graphics, design of books and magazines, commercial websites and exhibition catalogues, way-finding (which is a form of environmental graphics), branding and identity design (creates trademarks and logos), editorial design for web and mobile (the most tangible example of content-driven work in this area), websites, mobile apps, and blogs. Graphic design also involves the presentation of streaming information, also known as data visualization, user interface design (UI), which mostly refers to the individual layouts of web pages, and the user experience design (UX)!

The more you practice, the better you’ll get.  Music Majors should practice piano an hour a day if it is NOT your main instrument.  You should practice your primary instrument more than that.

Musicians use the piano for a variety of reasons – to hear what something sounds like, to demonstrate what something should sound like, or to create music that has more than one part.

No, art courses are open to all students on campus. Many are transferable to CSU and UC. Ask your counselor or check on assist.org to see the transferability of any course. RÍo Hondo’s College Catalog also gives the transferability of a given course to UC and CSU campuses.

Most beginning art classes do not have a prerequisite. Those that do can be waived by asking and showing a portfolio to your instructor. It is always best to start at the beginning in any course of study, so if you are an art major, start with drawing and 2 D design, then move on to painting, ceramics, photography, animation or graphic arts. Ask at the art department, our staff will be happy to advise you.

Yes. You don’t have to have “talent” to take an art class. We can teach you how to draw, design and paint and you can do this if you apply yourself. But if you are not intending to major in art and have no real experience perhaps an Introduction to Art class will suit your needs. ART101: Introduction to Art is a hands-on studio art class for the non-art major/total beginner. It will fulfill the art requirement for a CSU (but not a UC) and it is designed to show you how many different art mediums work.

RHC has specializations in Fine Arts (painting and drawing), Art History, Ceramics, Photography, Animation, and Graphic Arts. You can take the basics and specialize in an area for a transfer degree, certificate or an AA degree.

No, but I do have some book recommendations that you can borrow from the library or purchase from the bookstore if you are interested. You are expected to buy all of the art supplies required on the syllabus.

Students can expect to pay between $100 to $250 for art supplies. Your instructor will give you a list at the beginning of the semester of all supplies you will need