Illustration students at RIT gain firsthand industry insight through an expanded annual workshop led by a professional artist

Rochester, New York – In the world of illustration, growth often happens quietly—through careful observation, shared studio space, and moments when one artist pauses to study another’s process. At Rochester Institute of Technology, that philosophy sits at the heart of Presto, an annual workshop hosted by the university’s illustration program that brings students face-to-face with working professionals and invites them into the rhythms of real-world creative practice.

Presto is designed as an immersive, three-day experience that strips away routine and replaces it with focus. Each year, students are given a prompt meant to spark ideas quickly and push them beyond their comfort zones. From there, the workshop unfolds through a mix of live demonstrations, open studio sessions, and presentations that dig into how professional illustrators think, plan, and execute their work. The process concludes with a critique session led by the visiting artist—often one of the most anticipated and challenging moments for participants.

This year, illustration students from every class level are learning from Kris Starlein, a self-described “dark arts illustrator” whose career spans both corporate and independent creative spaces. Starlein spent a decade working in Licensed Merchandising before transitioning to independent work, selling original art online and at conventions. Their portfolio includes designs and products created for major brands such as Pokémon, Nintendo, Bethesda, and Funimation, with artwork appearing in national retailers including Hot Topic, Spencer’s, Target, and GameStop.

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For students, exposure to a professional with that breadth of experience offers more than technical insight. It provides a clear picture of what a sustainable career in illustration can look like, especially in an industry that often feels unpredictable from the outside. Through demonstrations and discussions, Starlein walks students through their creative process, from early concepts to finished designs, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how commercial and personal work intersect.

Opportunities like Presto played a key role in drawing Maya Rao to RIT. Originally from Cincinnati, Rao is a fourth-year illustration major who is also pursuing a degree in biotechnology and molecular bioscience, while participating in the RIT Honors Program. Having taken part in Presto before, Rao said the workshop has consistently pushed them to slow down and truly observe—not only their own work, but the work unfolding around them.

“Its exciting to hear an artist who’s working in the field speak about their craft and experience. I think our professors have done a great job finding a variety of artists in very different areas that can give us diverse perspectives to learn from. As an artist, it is always valuable to look at art, even if you don’t like it. It can help you learn what you want to do with your own work, and it teaches you how to apply new skills. You never know what might be useful for you in the future. I think making connections and learning about the people in our community is really important.”

Rao’s connection to this year’s visiting artist goes back even further. They first encountered Starlein’s work years ago, long before arriving at RIT.

“I’m also very familiar with Kris Starlein’s work. I actually met them at a local convention, Anime Ohio, while I was a high school student. They’ve been a huge inspiration for me throughout my time as an illustrator.”

That sense of continuity—seeing an admired professional now standing in front of a classroom—adds another layer of meaning to the workshop. For many students, Presto blurs the line between aspiration and reality, showing that the artists they once followed from afar were shaped by similar learning environments.

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A major component of Presto is critique, a process that can feel daunting but is widely regarded as essential to artistic growth. For Rao, receiving feedback from someone outside their usual academic circle is especially valuable.

“When you have a small faculty cohort that you become familiar with, they also become familiar with you and your work. I think that combination of knowing someone as a person and their artwork can almost make your eyes glaze over during critique. Having a fresh set of eyes from someone who’s never seen your work before and doesn’t know who you are can really allow them to give a more constructive and critical critique.”

That outside perspective, students say, often highlights strengths and weaknesses that might otherwise go unnoticed. It also mirrors the realities of professional illustration, where work is regularly reviewed by clients, art directors, and audiences who encounter it without context.

Beyond individual feedback, Presto fosters a rare sense of collective momentum within the illustration program. With a tight timeline and a shared prompt, students work side by side, watching ideas take shape across the studio.

“The most exciting part is always seeing what my peers produce. Having such a short amount of time to try to make something great with this prompt we’ve been given unleashes a type of creativity that you don’t really see at any other time. You feel like you’re working together with your entire program toward this collective goal. I think that is something so rare, and that’s really the gift of Presto.”

For Rao, one of the standout moments this year came during Starlein’s live demonstration, which offered a close-up view of a process they had admired for years.

“I also really enjoyed the artist’s demo because, for the longest time, I have always wondered about Kris’s process and how they design their work. There’s a natural flow to their forms, and the way that they use line weight and texture is stunning to me. I was really interested to see how their designs came to be because their artwork has this chaos to it, and yet it feels organized and intentional. To be able to make something that feels abstract, but also has a distinct form, takes a unique skill set.”

As Presto wraps up, students leave not just with finished pieces, but with new perspectives on how art is made, shared, and refined. Through observation, collaboration, and honest critique, the workshop continues to serve as a bridge between the classroom and the professional world—one carefully drawn line at a time.