Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Hand-IN

Where is everyones Movie?

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Wednesday, May 27

Today is a in class work day.

And we need to do evaluations.

Monday June 1st will be our animation kick off.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Heraldic Logo


Design a logo based on Heraldy. 
Heraldy definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldry
This projects focuses on logo creation from analog drawing to digital realization. Making hand drawings in a scketch book, scan in sketches, 

Objectives: Working from Photoshop and Illustrator, 

Ideas for working analog then redrawing http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/designing/how-to-design-a-classic-heraldic-figure/#more-1420

Start with analog hand drawing on paper. Scan in your drawings and use Photoshop to clean up your scans. Import the images into Illustrator and redraw the forms using the pen tool.

This project is about learning how to work with analog, digitizing, and working in multiple software environments.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Calendar Adjustment

Because I was sick MONDAY, I have made an adjustment to the due date.

The Photoshop composition will be due Wednesday, May 20th.
I will introduce the next project Monday, May 18th so that you can be ready to move into the next project.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Class Cancelled Tonight

Guys, I have this weird intestinal bug. I'll spare you the details. 
Please start compositing your projects and I'll answer all questions on Wednesday.


Tuesday, May 5, 2009

May 6th

  1. Review Mid Term Post on Blog
  2. Channels- Sit dog sit! In class tutorial and Hand-In
  3. Color correction
  4. Review Next Project!

Mid-Term Evaluations and BLOGS!!

I am making my way through all the projects and grading. I think I need to make a general announcement.

This is the mid-term eval form:



Student:

3B Logo Presentation
Redraw process/blog post
____out of 10 pts

3A Logo
Redraw craft and skill
Redraw logo history/blog post
___ out of 10 pts

2 Postcard
Craft/hand skills
Process
History write-up/blog post
____out of 10 pts


1 Wallpaper
Four design:
Blog post of patterns
____out of 10 pts

Additional Comments:


/////////////////////////////////////////////////

Basically I am finding a lot of Blogs that are not totally complete for process and project posting. For example most of you posted your wallpaper designs to the 120 Flickr site but not to you Blog. I would like you to take some time to update your Blog. Make sure that all your projects have been posted.
Also, spend time looking at classmate sites. Roland is doing a great job with his documentation. Check out his Blog from this 120 course blog.
Thanks.

Monday, May 4, 2009

May 4th

PhotoShop Intro
Making selections
In-class Tuts- Potato Head and Ducky

Please Hand-In each finished document to the 120 Course Trudo Hand-in Folder on the art server.

1. Potato Head 
Using the four portraits I have provided, make a new portrait by making selections and pasting into the new portrait. The new document should be 100 dpi and 4"x6".

Selection tools: 
square and circle marque 
lasso
magic wand

Layers
Learn to paste into layers and re-organize the layers while composing the new potato head portrait.


2. Ducky
Make a path selection using the path tool. Save the path to the duck document.
Paste duck into an illustrator document with a solid color as the background. 

Hand-in two duck docs with your name on each document.
1. Photoshop doc with the path saved. 
2. Illustrator doc with the duck placed on a solid color field.

Pen Tool Guide /TUT link to check out:
http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tools-tips/photoshops-pen-tool-the-comprehensive-guide/

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

April 29th: Logo Recreation Presentations


Tonight feature is group presentations.

Make sure your group as mounted all the logos on a black poster board for presentation. The first 30 minutes of class, we will split up in our groups. The group will get together to share their recreation documentation. As a group determine what tools, skills, or techniques you would like to share [focus on] with the class. Speak about specific logo challenges, planning for how to redraw the logo as a sequence of actions, things that did not work and techniques that learned through trial and error. Make a cohesive group presentation that also enables everyone to in the group to contribute to the presentation. Presentations should be 15-20 minutes in length.

We are now half way through the term. I will prepare mid-term grades over the week end. Next Monday we start working in Photoshop and doing in class tutorials to prepare and hone in skill set required for our first Photoshop project. The in class tutorials will be required hand in assignments that are a pass fail grade.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Logo Recreation and Presentations

Make Six groups of Four

GROUP #1 [five people]
Sam
Tina
Ryan
Ellen
Ayman


GROUP #2 [five people]
Shane
Son
Heather 
Roland
Amanda


GROUP #3
Ben
Jake
Matt
Rachel


GROUP #4
Allison
Matt No
August
Spencer


GROUP #5
Bruno
James
Matt J
Jonathan


GROUP #6 [five people]
Phil
Amanda
Nisrin
Zel
Kevin


DATES
April 20: Project Introduction, sketch, workday
April 22: Workday
April 27: Workday
April 29: Project Due and group presentations

SPECIFICATIONS
Size: each final logo will be centered and printed on a 5x5 piece of paper and all four will be mounted on 18x24 black board.
Blog:Document the process of recreating the logo and the history and post to your individuals Blogs.

RESEARCH
The logos are famous logos with a history! Please do research on each logo and prepare a minute or two presentation about each of your logos. On Monday, April 29th your group will give presentations about how you constructed the logos and then you will go into the history of each one.

You can find information on all of your logos HERE!: -- http://www.logoorange.com/logodesign-A.php

This site also offers .eps downloads of all of your logos. You may download them to see how they are constructed, but you must create all of your assigned logos and document the process. This is truly a TEAM project. Work with each other! Use your class time wisely!

GROUP LOGO ASSIGNMENTS

Group One:
Container Corporation Of America
Jagermeister
Lego
Starbucks
Burger King



Group Two:
Chupa Chups
International Paper (Lester Beall)
Michelin Man
UPS
Dr. Oetker

Group Three:
Chiquita Banana
I Love NY (Milton Glaser)
Obey the Giant (Shepard Fairey)
Texaco

Group Four:
DC Comics
Lacoste
McDonald's
Sudtirol

Group Five:
Coca Cola
IBM (paul rand)
KFC
Stussy

Group Six:
Winter Games 2010 Logo
America Broadcast Channel- ABC
Saab
Porsche
Tchibo Business

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Design and Process: How to start working and have a working PROCESS!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kateconsumption/sets/72157616742878338/

Check this out guys. Kate Bingaman-Burt did a great slide show for 120 that shows her working process.
Let's walk through it together to kick off our post card project.

Let's get to work!

Monday, April 13, 2009

April 13th

Technical Demo Include:

Scanning Images= Device+software review
Resolution- DPI
color theory review: RGB and CMYK
Image Size: changing image size
File formats
Work Flow: Photoshop to Illustrator
Tracing tool

Work In-Class on Postcard

Monday, April 6, 2009

Project Two: Postcard

Graphic Design History Postcard

Select from the below list a designer. Do your research on their work, what time period they are from, what are some reoccurring themes and visual strategies crop up. Write a short description of the designer. You will be passing a card onto other peers so, the written text is to help inform others about who your designer is. Write the text and post it onto your Blog.

  • Make a 5 x7 postcard, double sided, full color.
  • Front: Visuals and vector drawings
  • Back: Text and Info about the designer.
  • Adhere front and back panel together w/ double sided mounting paper.
  • Make 5 copies. One, for me. second, for  your portfolio, 3 to pass onto your peers.

Critique for this project is Date April 20.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
List of inspiring Graphic Designers
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
April Greiman
Neville Brody
Saul Bass
Dan Friedman
David Carson
Rudy VanderLans
Tibor Kalman
Katherine McCoy
Ed Fella
Stephan Segmeiter
Jan Tschichold
Herbert Bayer
Bradbury Thomspon
Ellen Lupton
Ray Eames
Lorraine Wild
Charley Harper
Jill Bliss

April 6th

Today will look at first round of pattern designs and talk about them. We will focus on our vocabulary usage and visual elements of the patterns and composition. 
  • Contrast 
  • Figure Ground Relationship
  • Scale
  • Line weights
  • Frame
Illustrator tools continued:
  • What are layer and how can I use them to be organized and  more efficient?
  • Crop tool
  • Pathfinder Palette
  • scissors- cutting points
  • joining points
  • repeat effect tool- cool!
Has everyone uploaded a JPEG to the flickr 120 site?

Homework: 
Work on patterns Critique in on Wednesday! Have four of your best designs.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

April 1st Class

To Do List:

1.Project Calendar Update and Review
2. Flickr site invite an posting wallpaper design and patterns
  • scale
  • contrast
  • frame crop
  • form
  • texture

Make sure you know how to load images to Flickr
Adobe Illustrator Intro
  • setup document- project 01 7x7 square, Black and White ONLY!
  • interface and palettes
  • arrow selection tools
  • pen tool- points handles
  • type tool
  • outlining type to make it an object
  • object selection properties
  • cutting lines and points
  • joining points
  • page crop and printing
HomeWork:
  1. Work on Wallpaper Designs [refer to project description, 7"x7"]
  2. Join Flickr- make account and upload your our patterns jpeg found on internet
  3. Make sure you know how to post to Flickr !
  4. Post 2-3 Pattern designs to the PSU120 Flickr group site
  5. Print out at least one pattern to hang up for Monday as a show and tell.

How our Labs work

I have placed in the Art 120 Handout folder a PDF document called " How our labs work.doc" that covers the Lab policy and printing policy. Please review this document.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Welcome Back! It's Spring term.

Happy Spring everyone.

This is the ART 120 Computer Graphics for Art and Design course Blog. Please refer to this Blog for daily and weekly class announcements, scheduling, and projects descriptions. 

Adjustments to projects and scheduling do occur during a term for unforeseen events. I will always document these changes on this course BLOG.

I have also made a course Flickr account that everyone can post final projects on. 
The link is: 


Projects Overview

Adobe Illustrator

1. Wallpaper Pattern from Letterforms
Make four final customized wallpaper designs out of type letterforms through constructing, deconstructing, and customizing  letterforms from selected fonts.

Objectives: Illustrator vector drawing tools and attributes, drawing in the digital environment, pattern design visual language.


2. Design History Postcard Exchange
A designer from design history will be assigned to each student and through applicable research, each student will create and design a postcard (or postcards) highlighting the designer's work. Students must create original illustration inspired by assigned designer for the front of the card. The back will have a short description written . They must print a set of cards and then they will exchange with each other. 

Objectives: Research, design history, printing, production, craft, illustration work/rendering, beginning type basics.

3.A  Logo recreation exercise
You will be give four logos and you must recreate them in illustrator. For each logo that you recreate, you
must outline the steps you used to recreate the logo (be able to show and explain what you did...take a minimum of four progress screen shots - you can't just scan and live trace the logos!) Try to simplify
shapes/paths/points/ etc. as much as possible so that the logo's color is easily modifed later.

3.B  Presentation
Present work from 3A to class. Learn how to make a digital presentation and speak to the class.
PowerPoint? PDF’s?

Objectives: Articulation of form, process and work realized. Speaking skills.


WebTools
We will be covering these tools during the term.

1.  Connecting to Art Server
2. Flickr account
3. Blog
- place for process documentation
- using online web tools to build your a blog, making links, uploading photos and more


Adobe PhotoShop 

1. In-class Photoshop Kick start projects:
1. Potato Head- Basic selection tools
2. Rubber Duckie- Pen tool selection
3. Sit Dog, Sit- Channel tool
4. Green Photos suck! – Color correction skills

2. Photoshop Composite Project
Select one of the following project One or Two

1. Composite a Creature
In the vein of the cryptozoology, create a monster from other animals. Use at least three different animals to take parts from. Use the channels and path tools to make your selections.

2. Composite a self-portrait/landscape using the methods of the artist David Hockney
Make and take your own photographs. The more you make the better- more visually interesting.
Think about changing your point of view and perspective while shooting. Also consider shooting just an object and trying to get many perspectives while shooting then composite them together.
Color/image alter the original images. Concept for portrait.

3. Heraldic Logo
Design a logo based on Heraldy. 
Heraldy definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldry
This projects focuses on logo creation from analog drawing to digital realization. Making hand drawings in a scketch book, scan in sketches, 

Objectives: Working from Photoshop and Illustrator, 

Ideas for working analog then redrawing http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/designing/how-to-design-a-classic-heraldic-figure/#more-1420


4. Film Strip Animation
-make a time based sequencing, animation, drawing tools, type tools, photos, stop motion

Catalog Course Description

Computer Graphics for Art and Design is an introduction to computer graphics as a technical and creative medium for art and design. Concurrent enrollment in lecture, lab, and studio is required. Lectures introduce concepts of vector and raster graphics, including digital type, image and device resolution, electronic color theory, file formats, and digital print technologies. Labs assist with fluency in computer graphics applications. Studios apply concepts and applications to creative projects. Prerequisites: Art 115, 116.

• Vector versus raster graphics
• Digital type and type technologies
• Foundation skills in vector graphics: drawing, painting, tracing, transformations, layers, and layout
• Typographic composition and customization
• Image scanning and preparation
• Construction of logos and illustrations
• Image and device resolution
• Electronic color theory
• Foundation skills in raster graphics: masking, painting, layering, image adjustment, transformations, filters, and image modes
• Vector and raster file formats and image compression
• Digital print technologies
• Integrating vector and raster graphics environments

Course Calendar

Week One

March 3- First Day of Class
  1. introductions
  2. read Course Blog together
  3. read Project Descriptions
  4. create individual blog accounts and send URL to Michelle
  5. collect e-mail addresses
  6. printing policy and labs
  7. ODIN account info
  8. art server
  9. font folder + loading 

April 01

Project Calendar Update and Review
Flickr site invite an posting wallpaper design and patterns
  • scale
  • contrast
  • frame crop
  • form
  • texture

Make sure you know how to load images to Flickr
Adobe Illustrator Intro 
  • setup document- project 01 7x7 square,  Black and White  ONLY!
  • interface and palettes
  • arrow selection tools
  • pen tool- points handles
  • type tool
  • outlining type to make it an object
  • object selection properties
  • cutting lines and points
  • joining points
  • page crop and printing

Work In-class! Start those Patterns!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Two

April 06
Review tools and Q/A
Technical Demo
Work In-class on Patterns

Today will look at first round of pattern designs and talk about them. We will focus on our vocabulary usage and visual elements of the patterns and composition.
  • Contrast 
  • Figure Ground Relationship
  • Scale
  • Line weights
  • Frame
Illustrator tools continued:
  • What are layer and how can I use them to be organized and more efficient?
  • Crop tool
  • Pathfinder Palette
  • scissors- cutting points
  • joining points
  • repeat effect tool- cool!

Has everyone uploaded a JPEG to the flickr 120 site?

Homework:
Work on patterns Critique in on Wednesday! Have four of your best designs.


April 08
Critique Project 01 wallpaper pattern and design
From the critique use suggestions to make improvements and make your final hand-in by posting to your Blog and the Flickr 120 group site. Please post on your blog the panels shown for the in-class critique and then post again your reworking the patterns with comments /suggestions that you were given and revision you made. 

Hand-out Designers to students for the next project. Do research over the weekend and post research on the designer on your Blog.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Three

April 13
Technical Demo: 
Scanning Images/Device
Resolution
File formats
Photoshop to Illustrator
Tracing tool 

Work In-Class on Postcard

April 15
Technical Demo
Work In-class on Postcard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Four

April 20
Critique Project 02 Design History postcard and exchange
From the critique use suggestions to make improvements and make your final hand-in by posting to your Blog and the Flickr 120 group site. Please post on your blog the postcard shown for the in-class critique and then post again your reworking the patterns with comments /suggestions that you were given and revision you made. 

hand out logos for recreation and groups

April 22
Work In-class on logo recreation
Technical Demos as needed for project
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Five

April 27
Technical Demo for Presentation and preparing graphics
Work In-class on logo recreation


April 29
Presentations for Project 03: logo recreation
This is Mid-Term.
I will be giving you a Mid-Term grade for Projects 1-3 Illustrator projects.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Six: Adobe PhotoShop

May 04
In-Class Assignment: Potato Head + Rubbie Duckie


May 06
In-Class Assignment: Sit, Dog, Sit + Green Photos suck!
Select project one or two for the Photoshop Composite and let Michelle know!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Seven

May 11
Work In-class on Composite Project

May 13
Work In-class on Composite Project
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Eight

May 18 
Critique Composite Project
Start Heraldic Logo

May 20
Work-In Class on Heraldy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Nine

May 25 Holiday No Class

May 27
Show and tell stop motion animations
Animation Demo
Work Day!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Ten

June 01
Work day!!


June 03 No class due to Sophomore Portfolio Review
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week Eleven- Final Exam Week

June 08 
We will have class at our Regular schedule time. Final Critique for Heraldic Logo
and Film Strip Show.

June 09 - Final Hand-In Date
Please have your Blog updated with your final work and comments about your idea and process fo each project


IMPORTANT DATES:

Sophomore Portfolio Review Dates
June 03 - 04

Final Exam Week
June 8-13

Grading Policy

Each project is worth 10 pts. There are 10 final projects which total 100 points. Your attendance will be the last factor that will not change you grade if you follow the grading policy requirement or points will be subtracted from your total project grades.
We will have in-class assignments during the photoshop section of the course. The assignments are required to be completed and handed in. They will not be graded but I will be giving a check or "x" if the assignments are not handed in. If there are any "x" or missing assignments a 2 point deduction will occur in your final grade.

  1. Blog Process Log
  2. Flickr uploads of final design for each project
  3. project 01 wallpaper design
  4. project 02 Design History Postcard
  5. projects 03 A  Logo Redraw
  6. project 03 B Presentation
  7. project 04- web tools
  8. projects 05 composite
  9. project 06 Heraldic logo
  10. project 07  film strip
  11. attendence

Supplies

Storage
You are require to have a personal storage device. Either a USB flash drive or better yet, a removable external drive. If you plan to be a Design major, an external drive will be needed. The external hard disk should have both USB and Firewire connection. The disc speed should also be 7200 rpm. 

Digital Camera
We will be making our own images. Please have access to a digital camera. Your cell phone camera does not count because the image resolution is too low.

Textbooks/Tutorials
I do not require a textbook or manuals. I do however, want you to take responsibility for your own learning. If you think learning w/ a supplement manual as a reference guid while learning then, please buy yourself a textbook. There is also an online Adobe reference manual which is a free resource. Look under the Help category while working in Adobe software. The are also online tutorials that can be accessed by doing a search in a search engine. Some tutorial resources are free and some charge a fee.

Suggested textbook:
PhotoShop and Illustrator CS3 Classroom In A Book, are available in the labs for students to checkout. There and many other manuals in bookstores and Amazon. Keep in mind that manuals have a very short shelf life because manuals are updated every year.

Tutorials
----------------------
psdtuts.com - free and fee based
vectortuts.com- free
lynda.com- fee based

Attendance Policy

Class Attendance is essential to do well in this course. We will be covering a lot of technical and theoretical information. As a result, attendance is mandatory. Arriving late, leaving early or failing to attend class will directly effect your grade as described below. Students are allowed one excused absence during the term to allow for illness or personal circumstances. If four classes are missed, an automatically F [=failure] will be given. This does not mean you are allowed to miss three.

One absence= Allowed
Two absences= 5 pts off final grade [half a letter]
Three absences= 10 pts off final grade [one full letter]
Late Arrivals = 2.5 pts off