ASYNCHRONOUS CLASSES JUST ADDED:
Intro to Illustration
Continuing Illustration
INK
Ka-POW!: The Art of the Fight Sequence
Creating Characters
Understanding Caricature
Enrolling now.
Starting Monday, March 9th. Just 12 spaces per class. Early enrollment is recommended.
10th YEAR!
When The Baltimore Academy of Illustration opened in 2015 The Chronicle of Higher Education did a story about us. The then newly minted president of The Maryland Institute College of Art was quoted in that piece referring to us as a “pop up” school. As Fall 2025 approaches, I’m happy to announce that this “pop up” school will be offering classes for the 10th consecutive year. And that makes me very proud.
A lot has happened since 2015– among other things my two founding partners left the company, we endured Covid, and we moved from a physical space to an online curriculum. It most definitely hasn’t been easy but it has absolutely been worth the effort. And, as we enter our 10th year, I’d like to take a moment and thank some of the people who’ve made all of this possible.
First, and foremost, I’d like to thank my family– my wife, my parents, and my sister. Without their unwavering support there would be no BAI. I’d also like to thank my best friend, Edward Kane. His wise counsel has been crucial in making the best decisions for the school. And I’d like to thank Rosa O’Brocki for her guidance and generosity.
I’d also like to thank all the incredible adjuncts and TAs who have taught, and who continue to teach, at BAI. By sharing their vision and time and talent with our students, each of them has helped us spread our love and understanding of illustration to our community. They are the heart of the school.
Finally, I’d like to thank all the many students who have passed through our program. It’s unbelievable to me that we’ve had the incredible fortune to work with such amazing people. Unlike a traditional college, our students take BAI classes because they want to, not because they are required to in some way. Their commitment to learning about illustration is extraordinary and I am in awe of each and every one of them. It’s been a great privilege to know them and, in many cases, to call them friends.
Despite the fact that it’s just me helming the school, I often refer to “us” or “we” when talking about it. I assure you this isn’t because I’m high-falutin’. It’s because I see BAI as a community. Every person I mentioned, every person who’s graced us with their presence is part of this experience. I hope that they feel, as I do, that BAI is their home.
So, thank you for supporting this “pop up” school for the last 10 years. I don’t know how long we’ll be around. We live in weird times and running a school by yourself is hard. But I know that the guy who made that comment about us to The Chronicle of Higher Education isn’t around anymore so… I guess you take the poetic justice where you can find it.
Greg Houston
ILLUSTRATION INSTRUCTION BOOKS
BAI co-founder, Greg Houston’s illustration books (Illustration That Works, The Monacelli Press 2015, and Understanding Caricature, The Monacelli Press/Phaidon Books 2021) are available in most bookstores and on Amazon.
PLEASE NOTE: All synchronous online classes are held in the Eastern Standard Time Zone. Also, regarding asynchronous classes, while students may work on their own schedules, assignments are due on time. Instructors are not obligated to critique late pieces.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE: Ages listed for classes are guidelines and not necessarily set in stone. Our goal is for every student to get the most out of the class and maximize the value for their dollar. To that end we want to be sure that students are able to handle both the subject matter and the workload for every class. However, we recognize that each student is unique and some may be better equipped to handle the classes than others so, if the parents of students who are younger than the age listed for a class (within reason) believe that their child will do well in the class, we’re open to allowing that student to take the class with the understanding that they won’t be treated differently and any issues they might have with content or workload is neither the school’s fault nor the school’s responsibility to adjust. Further, any student younger than the posted age for the class must not be a distraction for the instructor or the other students. Before enrolling a student who is younger than the posted age for the class, please contact the school at baiclasses@gmail.com to discuss your interest in the class.
Enrollment
All enrollments must be done through the website.
Refund Policy
Please note the changes in refund policy starting 5/17/2025.
We recognize that a consumer should have the right to change his or her mind about a purchase and, to that end, we will be happy to offer a partial refund (50% less $20 processing fee) to anyone who withdraws within 24 ours after initial enrollment in a 12 week class. We’ll offer a 25% refund (less $20 processing fee) to anyone who wants to drop out of a 12 week class after the first week of the semester (specifically after the first class of the semester but prior to 24 hours before the start of the second class of the semester). There will be no refunds after that.
Regarding 6 week or 10 week mini-mester and summer session classes, students can withdraw for a full refund (less $20 processing fee) up to 24 hours after initial enrollment provided the class has not started. If a student enrolls the day of the class or the day before the class starts they are not eligible for a refund upon withdrawing. There will be no refunds for with withdrawing at any point once a 6 week or 10 week mini-mester or summer session class has begun. Due to the shortened nature of mini-mester and summer session classes there will be no add/drop period for those classes during which refunds will be given.
This policy is to ensure that instructors who organize their schedules around classes and who are paid from enrollment will be at least partially compensated for their time and commitment to the class.
The school is not responsible for classes that fall below the minimum enrollment when the cause of the under enrollment is due to students withdrawing within the 24 hour window prior to the start of class. In that event, we will retain the option to run the class. Students who decide to withdraw from an under enrolled class that is running will not be entitled to a refund. While students may enroll right up until the start of class and even beyond, time of enrollment has no impact on refunds. Only the time of withdrawal will result in a refund–no refunds are given if a student withdraws with 24 hours of the start of a class.
Please note: the school doesn’t take responsibility for weather and there will be no refunds for en plein air classes impacted adversely by, or canceled due, to weather related issues.
Definitions:
A synchronous class is one that takes place, online, in real time with the instructor and students participating as a unit.
An asynchronous class is one in which the instructor emails or otherwise contacts the students with information (ie- assignments, critiques) via email or some other means. This might be individually or as a group. The class is not held in real time. Often, this type of class is more akin to a correspondence class. We find that, for many students, this is preferable as it allows them much more freedom to take classes on their schedule and in their timezone.
An on-site class is one that takes place at a specific location. For example, Drawing On the Go! meets at museums and other spots around town.