Monday, September 30, 2013

For Wednesday! (10/2/13)


  • First, make sure the first draft of your project is in the server folder, titled "lastname_p4."  Second, make sure you save a new version of your project for your second draft, titled "lastname_p4_ver2".
  • Continue working on your first draft of your typographic piece! I believe everyone is working with interesting ideas, and they are coming together with some general success. Think about the different parts of your text, and think about how aligning your characters together (as figures, shapes, and against each other)  can push the quality of your work.
  • On class on Wednesday, we will check each other's progress and provide feedback to improve our work!  IMPROVE THESE IMAGES BETWEEN NOW AND WEDNESDAY!
  • And as always, email me if you have any questions!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

For MONDAY! (9/30/13)

A) Make sure you uploaded versions 1 and 2 of the last project to your blog, along with your write-up of the choices you made when creating them.  Also make sure the Gestalt Research you did (finding one artist that uses one of the principles... (see below) is on your blog for grading.

1)  Find one typeface that appeals to you. This can be one you choose for your artwork or one that's entirely different!  Find out when it was created, and it's origin.  (Who made it, and if you can, where do they live? What was it first used for? Publications? Building signs? What?)

Write about how it appeals to you, and find one example of where it is used in the world.  (can be done with a google search for the typeface)

2) Start work on Project 4 (see the post below for details), and bring your first draft to class on Monday, along with your song, lyrics, and any questions you may have!

3) Email me if you have any questions!  Have a great weekend!

PROJECT 4: Music and Typography! (1st draft due Monday,9/30/2013 )

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

You will create a typographic image that illustrates the meaning behind the lyrics of your favorite song. We will begin to talk about the use of different typefaces, as well as proper naming of the different parts that make up a line of type. You will be responsible to locate and use typefaces(fonts) that add to the overall atmosphere.


Parameters for the project:

  • You can only use a maximum of three(3) typefaces, comprised of any of the ones immediately available on the computer.
  • Any that you download under creative commons licenses. Make sure the typeface is free to use for individual purposes, without copyright infringement!
  • You are free to use any color scheme you choose.  As always, make note of your color choice!
  • You are NOT ALLOWED to use any EXTERNAL IMAGERY! You can create small decals and forms in photoshop to ENHANCE your TYPE, but 98% of the image must be made up of smart typesetting and color choices.
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RESOURCES and READING MATERIALS:


Resources for typefaces to download:


Examples of type used in other forms of media:




Controversial examples of bad typesetting (there are many opinions, this author summarizes many of them):


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RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MONDAY (bring the song to play in class, or youtube link!)

You will be responsible for creating the first draft of your project which will be due next monday.  (Digital copy only.) In class on Monday, we will continue working on these projects, and you will be asked to acquire feedback from 2 of your classmates:

  • 1) Someone you know well in class.
  • 2) Someone you do not know well in class.
This is a good chance for you to get to know your classmates a little better, and gain a fresh perspective of the work you are doing!

  • Make note of their comments!  (Typed, or handwritten.) Structure your critiques of the work in a sliding scale of 5 comments, based on the following:
    • 1st:  What is the most successful thing about your image?  (STORYTELLING) (+ +)
    • 2nd: (+)
    • 3rd: (*) Something working, but still needs to be refined further.
    • 4th: (-)
    • 5th:  What is the thing that needs the most improvement in your image? (- -)
  • Afterwards, write a couple sentences about what you learned, and what you plan to improve for the second draft of your project.

If you feel you do not know anyone too well, use this as an opportunity to meet someone new! By the end of class on Monday, I will ask you to turn in your first draft, along with written documentation of the feedback for your first version of the project.

Monday, September 23, 2013

For Wednesday!

Our next project will be our first foray into typography and graphic design!  To begin work on your first iteration of this project, you will need the following:


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Class on Wednesday will be as follows:
  • 9:05 - 10:25:  Watching Movie: Helvetica
  • 10:30 - 11:35:  Demonstration of type tools in photoshop, and masking. (Rudimentary in-class work period for your next project!)
I will give full details in the blog post on Wednesday, but for those of you who want to start early....

You will create a typographic image that illustrates the meaning behind the lyrics of your favorite song. We will begin to talk about the use of different typefaces, as well as proper naming of the different parts that make up a line of type. You will be responsible to locate and use fonts that add to the overall atmosphere.  We will cover examples of good and bad typographic design to help you do this.


DUE ON MONDAY:

You will be responsible for creating the first draft of your project which will be due next monday.  (Digital copy only.) In class on Monday, we will continue working on these projects, and you will be asked to acquire feedback from 2 of your classmates:
  • 1) Someone you know well in class.
  • 2) Someone you do not know well in class.
This is a good chance for you to get to know your classmates a little better, and gain a fresh perspective of the work you are doing.

  • Make note of their comments!  Structure your critique of your work in a sliding scale of 5 comments, based on the following:

    • 1st:  What is the most successful thing about your image?  (STORYTELLING) (+ +)
    • 2nd: (+)
    • 3rd: (*) Something working, but still needs to be refined further.
    • 4th: (-)
    • 5th:  What is the thing that needs the most improvement in your image? (- -)

If you feel you do not know anyone too well, use this as an opportunity to meet someone new! By the end of class on Monday, I will ask you to turn in your digital copy, along with documentation and feedback for your first version of the project.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

To be completed for Monday!

1)  Make sure all of your work is printed BEFORE class!  Punctuality is key in your classes!

2)  Create a revised, second iteration of your artwork.  We reviewed everyone's in class and gave feedback on what could be changed and altered to further communicate our ideas.  Everyone has at least one or two things they can do to solidify their idea.  If you feel your original is solid, use this as an opportunity to try to create a new one as an experiment!

Use this as a chance to push your idea farther and better execute your project!  Everyone's use of the Gestalt Principles was very solid, as well as the pen tool. Overall, the class as a whole is getting a lot better at using visual terminology to pinpoint different elements of our work. Great job!

2A)For those of you that were absent, upload version 1 to the server, into my dropbox folder for grading.  We did critique today, and class participation is always part of your grade. You are still responsible for Version 2 on Monday for critique.  Ask one of your classmates for details if #2 above is unclear.

3)  Print out your next version and bring BOTH version 1 and version 2 to class for critique @9AM!  You will only receive full credit for both iterations of your project if you turn in both of them on time, on Monday!


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Have a great week! Going forward, the last major branch of photoshop we need to cover is masking. So we will be using the last couple weeks before we switch to illustrator to hone the skills we already have.  Review the information below if you have any questions about specific processes we have covered in Photoshop, and come to me or email me with questions!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Project 3: Important matters of the world: (Flat graphics, Iconic Silhouettes, and the Gestalt Principles Hard at Work)

In the last two projects, we have thought heavily about ourselves -- Who we are today and who we want to become tomorrow.  In this next project, we will think; not of ourselves, but of the world around us.  There are a lot of things going on in the world.  Important causes to get behind, and important matters that we care deeply about. Positive ones, negative ones, and everything in between.


What I want you to do for this next project is bring to light an important matter of the society we live in. You are free to pick a positive OR negative happening… or even go the route of selecting a scenario that may bring or is bringing about both positive and negative change.

Once your idea is selected, you will create an image, 8.5 x 11 in size, with 1/4 inch margins that demonstrates this cause. What it is, and why it's important!

 Parameters to follow:
1) Your final image must be composed ONLY of silhouettes! 
2) You must use at least 12 elements (as in 12 shapes)  in your image somehow! You can create the shapes or figures you want.
3) As always, select a color scheme to use, and make sure you let us know the colors you decide to use!
4)It must be printed before class on Tuesday!
5) You must demonstrate at least 2 of the gestalt principles in your image!
6) You will be graded on the following:


  • Clarity of the message.  How easily can we pick up on what the crisis is?
  • Usage of tools covered in class.
  • Craftsmanship
  • Proper layer naming and usage!
  • Description of your work on your blog!


Thursday, September 5, 2013

Recap of Wednesday's Class (Assignments Due, and Printing Demo)

A) Print your first and second projects for final critique on Monday.  Below is an overview for printing your work!

1)  Go to this website and read about the Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception:  http://graphicdesign.spokanefalls.edu/tutorials/process/gestaltprinciples/gestaltprinc.htm

Additional resources for the gestalt principles are at the following links:

2) Select 1 Gestalt Principle for your focus.

3)  Find 1 artist that exemplifies one of the Gestalt Principles in his/her artwork.

4) Write a short paragraph on your blog explaining how the artist uses the principle to create his/her image.

Note: This is a precursor to your next project!  We will be studying these principles and using them to create some great works of art in Photoshop!


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PRINTING DEMONSTRATION RECAP!

For those of you who were absent on Wednesday, or need a refresher, here are abbreviated instructions for printing on the large format printer! As a reminder, you are printing from the EPSON 4900 printer, the large one next to the window in the back of the class.

Materials:
To print you will need: (should be no more than $1.50, and can be bought from the store downstairs, or the art center on Union Avenue)

  • 1 sheet of Epson 8.5" x 11" paper (matte or glossy quality paper)
  • 1 sheet of Epson 11" x 17" paper (matte or glossy quality paper)

(you may need to purchase some extra sheets for printing in case of mistakes)


STEP 0:  Save your work and open it on the computer next to the printer. You should be able to log into your file.

Step 1: SAVING YOUR PHOTOSHOP FILE:


Here is an image I had of my saved psd file.  The guides I set along the edges help me designate an area of "bleed", that is an area that I know isn't going to be printed by the printer.  (The printer should print with at least a quarter inch of space.

Once your image is complete, go to FILE --------->  PRINT:  The next dialouge box should come up.

Step 2:  ADJUSTING YOUR PRINT SETTINGS:


 Take note of the Settings under Printer setup and Color Management.  You will need them set like the image above.
  • Color Handling determines what measuring stick the printer will use for your range of color.
  • Letting Photoshop Manage your colors keeps things looking as accurate as possible! 
  • For your positioning and size on the other hand, refer to the image below:



 You will need to adjust the POSITION and SIZE to center your image on the paper.  At default, photoshop pushes your image slightly off screen for printing.  To adjust:
  1. Uncheck the "Center" button under Position.
  2. Set Top and Left to 0.
  3. Keep Scale at 100%, since we are working with the full size of the paper in mind.
  4. AS A SMALL NOTE, if you notice when printing, that your image is uneven, try setting your position to the following settings:
    • TOP: -0.125
    • LEFT: 0


Step 3:  After setting that, click the print settings button at the top of your printing window:
At the bottom, click the "show details" button so you see the following:



A) The most important thing to check for is your PAPER SIZE.  Click the drop down menu and select one of the following, depending on the project you are printing:

  • For Project 1:  US Letter (sheet)  (8.5 by 11 inches)
  • For Project 2: US B 11x 17 in  (11 by 17 inches)


 B) Once selected, click the LAYOUT BUTTON.  You will see a drop down menu. 

C) SELECT PRINTER SETTINGS:



  • You may find you need to change the media type between Glossy and Matte Paper settings. This adjusts the printer's printing method to better render your image.
  • Your page setup should be set to sheet.  There are settings for "roll paper," and you may sometimes use the printer after another student has used the printer in this way. Make sure there are no "roll paper" settings selected.

Last but not least, your Paper Handling should be selected as such.



STEP 4:  PLACING YOUR PAPER INTO THE PRINTER!

On the printer, there is a little sticker that will show you how to insert your paper.

Once you have your paper. Insert it into the back tray (the open one on the back of the printer.)  Set your paper as close to the right side as possible, and adjust the slider as needed to keep your paper steady.  Your paper will need to be placed in PORTRAIT STYLE (long edges going side to side, other edges going top to bottom.)


Click PRINT.

You will have to press the "Down Arrow Key" On the printer to feed your paper into the printer.  It will warm up, then adjust your paper for printing.  After that, you should soon have your printed images!

POTENTIAL ISSUES:

Q: It says my paper is jamming!  What do I do!?
A: Large Printers can be finicky sometimes. Follow the instructions on the printer's screen to remove your paper.  (Press the up arrow key on the printer to remove the paper.)  DO NOT TRY TO PULL IT OUT UNTIL IT IS FREE FROM BEING UNDERNEATH THE WHEELS!
If you do, you may rip your paper and damage the printer!

Make sure that your paper is set low enough that it is touching the round wheels, then press down to have it feed into the printer.  If you need any help, feel free to ask someone nearby! While our printer is new, there are many students in the school that have tons of experience with the larger printers.

Q: Someone is using the printer, but I need to print! What do i do!?
A: There is another printer next door in Mac Lab 2! It works the same way. Just bring your file to the computer, and print from it, checking for settings and the like.

Q: It says that my paper is empty, but I placed it in the printer!
A:  Make sure that your paper is placed touching the wheels! It needs to line up evenly with them so that the printer can align your image to the paper's dimensions.

Q: I've been here hours, and this thing just won't print!
OPTION 1:  The printing layout has a "sweet spot" you need to set for printing.  The biggest issue is that the printer does not recognize your paper as properly aligned to the print head.  Make sure it is set low enough, and placed all the way to the right of the printer.

OPTION 2: You can try using one of the bottom trays for printing. Pull out the bottom tray of the printer and set your paper inside the tray, using the guides on the printer for aligning your paper.  The printer should be able to auto-detect the paper inside. If not, you will have to use window on the printer and manually tell it which tray to print from.

OPTION 3:  You can try printing using the "Fiery Printer"  (The big blue one that says NOVACOPY.)
I have not covered printing from this printer yet, due to some students not having server accounts to use to print as of yet. But for those of you that do have print cards, or have not received one and want to get one, follow the instructions at this link:

http://mca.edu/labs/?p=27

Keep in mind that this is a last resort for printing for this project.  Part of the class curriculum involves mastery of the tools we cover in class, even the more complicated, stubborn, finicky ones.  The printers are your friend, even if they do not want to act like it sometimes.

As always, contact me if you have any questions!