Getting to Know Photoshop Assignments:
Trimal Assignment
Art Fundamental Assignment (Elements and Principles)
Typography Assignment
Students spend a week completing a 3 part Typography Assignment (learn how to download fonts, use Warp Text)
Logo Assignment
Part 1: Students create four different logos using only their initals.
Part 2: Student create a new Raven Logo for the School Newslette (learn how to scan drawings into Photoshop)
Color Wheel Assignment
Photoshop Projects:Independent Project | Color Scheme Study | Creating Characters |Self Portrait| Master Artist |Movie Poster
Illustrator Projects: |Music Typography Poster|Flat Pack Toy| T-Shirt Designs |Calendar Project | Independent Project |Final Project|
1st Quarter, On-Going Project: Independent Project
The Independent Project is a project that you design. It can be any number of things. There are only 3 requirements.
1.) You must use Photoshop
2.) It must be a finished piece of artwork
3.) It needs to reflect at least 2.5hours of work
Throughout this course you will find that at some point you will have some free time, during this time you are encouraged to be working on your Independent Project.
Ideas: Business Cards, CD Covers, T-shirt Designs, Posters, Tatoos Designs, Hat Designs, Snowboard Designs, TUTORIALS!, etc.
INDEPENDENT PROJECT DUE FRIDAY OCT. 24th
Project #2: Color Scheme Study Project
In order to be successful in this class, you must have a good understanding of how to use color. For the first project you will be to creating a color study. You may choose any color scheme to work with. Color Scheme Website
Your main focus for this project will be the representation of that color scheme and the creation of a small-scale artwork which utilizes the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design. Begin by researching the color meanings, emotional, and cultural meaning of your color, it will be imperative to the success of your project.
To get started:
- Look at COLOR SCHEMES on this website
- Look at RANGES of color on this website, (click on "start ColorSmart)
- Research the meanings of color
- Read about the emotional qualities of color
- Learn the cultural meaning of colors
Color Scheme Study Project Requirements:
- Size: 12 " x 12 " at 150 ppi in CMYK color mode
- Use at least the following tools
Paint Brush, Text Tool, Shape Tool, Opacity, Blending Modes - Use of Imagery
- 5 or more layers, layers MUST be named
- USE FULL range of values
- The name of the color (does not have to be in English). It should be included as a design element, not an afterthought. Incorporate this typography into your design, including layer blending styles.
- Use of entire picture plane (no "floating" elements). Make sure your design goes off the page!
- Color dominance - you are not limited to the use of that color, but it should be the focus of your work. Think about using color schemes (ie. complimentary, analogous), and tints, tones and shades of the color.
- Thoughtful use of the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design
The final composition should look like one layer. Meaning layers should not appear "cut out" or disconnected from the overall composition. Use your blending and paint brush skills to get a unified effect.
Everyone will turn in their Color Study at the beginning of class on the due date. Any late work will lose 10% per class day that it is late. Make sure you do your best work, AND again you may NOT use any copyrighted material off the Internet. If you have questions about what copyright restrictions are and how to avoid copyright infringement, please see www.whatiscopyright.org and www.copyright.gov.
See Student Examples 1, Examples 2 and Examples 3
Project #3: Creating Characters
Photoshop Characters Project Requirements:
- Have a concept!
- Create FOUR (or more) original characters in Photoshop
- Size: 12 " x 12 " at 150 ppi in CMYK color mode
- Use of the following tools:
- Pen Tool (for at least TWO of your characters)
- Direct Selection Tool
- Shape Tools (combine and/or subtract shapes)
- Grouping
- Scanner for your background - Layers MUST be named
- Thoughtful use of color (try to stick to a color scheme)
This project has two main objectives. The first is for you to be concept driven, which with hopefully fuel both your creativity and expressiveness. The second is to learn how to better use the pen and shape tools. As in the Color Scheme Study Project, your final composition should look like one layer. Meaning layers should not appear "cut out" or disconnected from the overall composition. Use your mad Photoshop skills to get a unified effect.
A note about the background: Use of the scanner is required. You can scan in any number of things such as: an abstract painting, a texture, a drawing, leaves, etc. Let your imagination run wild.
Everyone will turn in their Photoshop Characters at the beginning of class on the due date. Any late work will lose 10% per class day that it is late. Make sure you do your best work, AND again you may NOT use any copyrighted material off the Internet. If you have questions about what copyright restrictions are and how to avoid copyright infringement, please see www.whatiscopyright.org and www.copyright.gov.
Project #4: Self Portrait Project
You will create a "self portrait" using Photoshop. The self portrait may or may not look anything like you, but it should define you in some way that is obvious to those who know you. In order to achieve a better grade and a piece that you are proud of, avoid trite, obvious solutions like collages of all the things you like. On the spectrum of art vs. design, this piece should be more towards the art end.
Discussion about the following types of Self-Portraits:
1.Signature
2.Projection
3.Self-Study
4.Fantasy
In order to receive a perfect grade on this project, you must be committed to the process of creating good art (quick writes, sketches, multiple attempts leading up to a final solution). You must also display good use of color, using the principles of color theory. And you must incorporate your knowledge of the seven principles of organization to achieve unity (harmony, variety, balance, proportion, dominance, movement, and economy). Finally, your final digital file must contain good use of layers (the more, the better) and avoid the use of filters and the liquify effect.
Self Portrait Project Requirements:
- No larger than 11 x 17 inches
- 175ppi
- CMYK
- No copyrighted material from Internet
- MUST include some piece of YOUR scanned art
- Deep and thoughtful exploration of who you are
During the critique, you will explain your self portrait, sharing some things about yourself that the class may not already know. You will explain your creative process, showing and explaining how you came up with your final solution. You will also explain the art and color fundamentals that you used.
See Student Examples 1 and Examples 2
Project #5: Master Artist Project
For this project you will be creating an original work that pays tribute to a Master Artist.
This is a THREE-part project.
Part 1: Your Artist is Assigned! If you really do not agree with the artist you have talk to me asap.
Part 2: Research Your Artist. Write out the following information.
- Where is your artist from? How did he/she become an artist?
- What types of materials does your artist most commonly use? (oil paint, canvas, paper and pencil….)
- What type of subject matter does your artist deal with? (abstract, landscape, people, indoor spaces, still lives, etc.)
- What ART MOVEMENT is your artist most closely associated with (Surrealism, Cubism, Impressionism, etc)
- Any other REALLY IMPORTANT information on your artist that you think you/we should know
Part 3: Using Photoshop you are going to create a piece of art that is inspired by the artist you have selected.
You are NOT going to copy something that they have already done!
Use the following instructions:
- Must be between of 8"x 10” to 18" x 24" in size at 175ppi
- MUST do a minimum of 2 thumbnail sketches in your sketchbook of ideas! PLAN our your WORK
- Must use a method that best reflects what your artist used (talk to me if you need help with this)
- digital painting, scanning, drawing
Try to portray different mediums: charcoal, oil pastel, chalk pastel, colored pencil, watercolor, paint, etc… - I should be able to have an idea who your artist is by either your: Style, Medium, Subject matter
- Strong COMPOSITION!
2nd Quarter, On-Going Project: Independent Project
The Independent Project is a project that you design. It can be any number of things. There are only 3 requirements.
1.) You must use ILLUSTRATOR
2.) It must be a finished piece of artwork
3.) It needs to reflect at least 2.5hours of work
Throughout this course you will find that at some point you will have some free time, during this time you are encouraged to be working on your Independent Project.
Ideas: Business Cards, CD Covers, T-shirt Designs, Posters, Tatoos Designs, Hat Designs, Snowboard Designs, TUTORIALS!, etc.
INDEPENDENT PROJECT DUE FRIDAY JAN. 16th
Project #6: Music Typography Poster
See POWERPOINT!
Project #7: Flat Pack Toys
BASIC STEPS:
1. Start with a basic character design (simplicity is KEY)
2. Decide which feature(s) your want to accentuate and base your toy on them
3. Turn your idea into a 3-d shape, start with boxes and flat shapes in Illustrator
*see http://www.readymech.com/*
4. Wait until the end you can spruce it up with shading and details
REQUIREMENTS:
1.Using Illustrator, translate your sketch. It can be a new character or adapt one that you’ve already created, as long as it is YOURS, do not copy a character that has already been created.
2. A written statement about your character (5 sentences or more)
Example: “Roy is an ex-pirate who was throw overboard during a battle on the
Black Sea. He swam to shore and began a new life on land. He still dreams of
his mates on the ship and daydreams that they will come back for him on day.
He spends most of his days climbing coconut trees and looking out over the sea.”
3. Must start with a basic pen or pencil sketch! Sketch will be turned in with self- reflection.
4. Thoughtful Color Scheme and Appropriate Details
5. Successful assembly! Must be able to print and assembly the flat pack toy.
A KEY Concept of Flat Pack Toys is that they are easily shared.
Project #8: Tee-Shirt Designs or Band Poster Project
DOWNLOAD THE PROJECT SLIDESHOW!
Tee-Shirt handout
Band Poster article and website (www.gigposters.com)
DOWNLOAD the Self-Reflection
How to submit to www.Threadless.com: DEMO 1 and DEMO 2
Project #9: Calendar Project
Working in groups of 3 or 4 create a 12 month calendar that has a consistent feel. See PowerPoint.
You may use Photoshop and/or Illustrator.
Within your groups choose:
-A THEME
-A COLOR SCHEME
-A FORMAT
Project #10: Final Project
Building a portfolio website
Additional Projects:
Digital Painting
For this project you will be combining at least two different images, using the mask tool, in Photoshop. Then you will be creating a "digital painting" over the combined image. This project focuses on uses Photoshop as an expressive tool/program. The goal is to use the original images as reference and inspiration for your painting. You may use creative license to change color, edit things where you see fit, embelish, etc. Your finial piece should NOT have any of the original images showing, this is VERY IMPORTANT!
At the end of this project, we will be printing out a black and white copy your digital painting and creating an actual painting based on your work to see the process full circle.
Digital Painting Project Requirements:
- Size as you see fit, but no larger than 11 x 13 inches
- Resolution set at 150 ppi in
- Keep layers separated and labeled: you must have an image 1, image 2, and painting layer
- Create a Foreground, Middleground and Background
- Use Layer Masks!
"Digital painting is an emerging artform in which traditional painting techniques such as watercolor, oils, impasto, etc. are applied using digital tools by means of a computer. The artist uses painting techniques to create the digital painting directly on the computer. The main difference between digital and traditional painting is the non-linear process. That is, an artist can often arrange their painting in layers that can be edited independently. Also, the ability to undo and redo strokes frees the artist from a linear process.
The digital artist has at their disposal several tools not available to the traditional painter. Some of these include: a virtual palette consisting of millions of colors, almost any size canvas or media, and the ability to take back mistakes, as well as erasers, pencils, spray cans, brushes.
Digital painting thrives mostly in production art. It is most widely used in conceptual design for film, television and video games. There are various types of digital painting, including impressionism, realism, and watercolor." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_painting
Check out some different types digital paintings :
Photo-Realism- digital paintings that closely resemble real life subject matter
Surrealism- using digital media to create dreamlike images
Abstract- using Photoshop and a Wacom tablet
Architecture- this artist using digital painting as a marketing tool for real estate
Project: Portraits- Contour Lines
Using a digital photo of a teacher of your choice and Photoshop, you need to create a cartoon portrait. The portrait drawing must be on a separate layer than the digital photo. The portrait must start as a CONTOUR LINE DRAWING. From there you can emblesh with selective coloring. Check out this example of Owen Wilson.
This is a shorter project (3 days), you will need to work efficiently in order to finish.
Movie Poster Project
Your next assignment will be to create a movie poster using Photoshop. The poster will be for a fictitious movie or film that you will dream up. The first step will be to come up with proposal for your movie, which will include the genre, the audience type, the "stars", the title for the movie, a "tagline," and a short synopsis.
"A good movie poster is one which is attention-grabbing, convincing and memorable."
Once you have shared your proposal in a small group with the people in your row, you can use the feedback from your proposal to start brainstorming and sketching about what the actual movie poster will look like. It is very important that the poster reflect the genre of the movie and the type of audience you are hoping to attract. This project is more toward the design end of the art vs. design spectrum. Besides being visually appealing (using the principles of organization and color theory), it is important that this piece performs its function: to make people want to see your movie.
Posters that are excellent will be printed on our large format color printer, it must be 150 pixels per inch in resolution and be 13" x 19" in size. And as always with presentation work, you will not be allowed to use any copyrighted material. If you have questions about what copyright restrictions are and how to avoid copyright infringement, please see www.whatiscopyright.org.
You will critique your project in the small group you shared your proposal with. You will explain your creative process, showing and explaining how you came up with your final solution. You will also explain the art and color fundamentals that you used and also, how you made your poster come to life, from a technical standpoint, in Photoshop.
Project Requirements:
- 150 ppi (at least)
- 13" x 19"
- CMYK mode
- Fictitious movie
- Poster must include a title, tagline, main character(s)/"stars", paragraph of cast/crew, rating
- Imagery that portrays the genre effectively
- Proper use of Photoshop and layers (the more the better)
- Proper use of typographical elements
See Student Examples more Student Examples
Everyone will turn in his or her printed Movie Poster at the beginning of class on the due date. Any late work will lose 10% per class day that it is late.
In order to receive a perfect grade on your Movie Poster project, you must be committed to the process of creating good art (quick writes, sketches, multiple attempts leading up to a final solution). You must also display good use of color, using the principles of color theory. And you must incorporate your knowledge of the seven principles of organization to achieve unity (harmony, variety, balance, proportion, dominance, movement, and economy). And as with your Self Portrait, your final digital file must contain good use of layers (the more, the better) and avoid the use of filters. Because this is a design project, you must also make sure that your final poster does a good job of "selling" the fictitious movie that you dreamed up.
Business Card Design
"The business card... is kind of an extension of yourself. It's a little bit of giving yourself to someone else."
— Ken Erdman, founder of the Business Card Museum, Erenheim, PA
It is not easy to condense a person down to the size of a business card but doing so may help you to focus on the most important aspects of someone. It can also help to develop your vocabulary as you search for new words to describe a person or their job. It should also be clear that it is almost impossible to tell everything there is about a person from a single piece of paper.
Create a business card for yourself. Your card should help others know and remember you. Ideally it should convey a sense of who you are, what you do, or your interests — artist, history buff, teacher's assistant, class president, athlete, avid reader, etc... Therefore there should be a LOGO or DESIGN on your business card.
A business card generally focuses on a single facet of an individual or business. You may be a lacrosse player who also raises rabbits and tutors younger students afterschool. Create a business card for just one of those aspects of your school life or extracurricular activities.
Business Card Gallery 1, Gallery2, Gallery 3 , Gallery 4
Basic Principles of Business Card Design:
Note: Different instructors or designers have their own idea about the Basic Principles of Business Card Design.
Also, the text, not always readable in the examples
Balance Imaging walking a long distance with a 2 pound bag of rocks in one hand and a 10 pound bag of marbles in the other. After awhile you'll be wanting to shift your load around, putting a few marbles in the rock bag to balance your load, make it easier to walk. This is how balance works in design. Visual balance comes from arranging elements on the page so that no one section is heavier than the other. Or, a designer may intentionally throw elements out of balance to create tension or a certain mood. |
 The balance of the text block, graphic, vertical text appear to be just random elements with no unity or balance. |
|
Unity |
 The graphic anchors the bottom of the page, but the four text elements all float on the page with no apparent connection or unity to each other. |
 The change in the headline (font change, reversed out of blue box) along with the subheading pulled in closer provides balance with the graphic on the bottom. The spacing between the two paragraphs of text is reduced slightly as well. |
Alignment |
 There is nothing inherently wrong with centered headlines, text, and graphics. They lend a formal tone to a layout. But, for this series of layouts something a bit more informal is called for. Also, large blocks of centered text are usually harder to read. |
 In the second "Alignment" example, text alignment is left-aligned, ragged right, wrapped around the bottom graphic which is aligned more to the right, opposite an added graphic that is aligned to the right to help balance the overall design. |
Repetition |
 |
 With this "Repetition" example, the headline is repeated three times using graphics that tie in with the copy in the text blocks. The repetition of the colors in the shapes and headline text that are in the copy help to reinforce the theme. Overlapping the graphic and text elements unifies the elements of the design. |
Contrast |
 |
 That oversized graphic provides real contrast and reinforces the copy (tall basketball players). Dropping the text down to the bottom portion of the page also reinforces the 'towering' aspect of the graphic. The reversed text in the blue box,the blue border, and the drop cap carries through the overall unifying elements found throughout the series. |
White Space |
 |
 White space doesn't have to be white. The large block of black created by the graphic of people adds a large block of black white space. Multiplying the number of people and reducing the size of the car in the second "White Space" example provides additional contrast and reinforces the theme of the copy. Additional leading, larger margins, deeper paragraph indents all add white space or breathing room to the design. |
PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT: Give this Business Card a MAKEOVER! (15 points)
This very small organic skincare products company wants to freshen up their business card design with an eye toward adapting the layout for other print materials.
Create a place for name and title along with the following address/phone:
ValliFresh Products, Inc.
1555 West Avenue
Grapevine, TX 76051
817-555-1958
Also, redesign with space for an email address in the format info@vallifresh.biz
Create Your Own Business Card: (40 points)
1. Download Business Card Template: Photoshop Horizontal Template
2. First, decide what you want your business card to tell others. Do you want to focus on your activities with the Art Club or do you want to announce that you are Class Leader? It may help to list everything about yourself then pick one topic.
3. Decide if you want a "serious" or formal card or something more light-hearted or informal.
4. Look at sample business cards you or your class have collected. Identify those that have a style you might like to imitate or borrow.
5. SKETCH! Sketch out some rough ideas of how you want your business card to look — including any graphics you think you want to include.
Business Card Checklist
Many of the items in this list are optional. You must decide which ones are appropriate for your business card.
* Name of Individual.
* Name of Business or Organization.
* Address.
* Phone Number.
* Fax Number.
* Email Address.
* Web Page Address.
* Job Title of Individual.
* Tagline or description of Business or Organization.
* Logo.
* Graphic Image(s) (including purely decorative elements).
* List of services or products.
SOME EXTRA TIPS:
* Orientation: Horizontal layouts are the most typical, most widely used format for business cards.
* Name: Whether using a horizontal or vertical arrangement, the person's name or the business name are usually the most prominent text item on the card. It is usually placed in the center or upper half of the card and emphasized with a larger or bolder font.
* Contact: Contact information is usually placed in the lower half of the card (left, right, or centered). The preferred method of contact (such as phone number or email) is often emphasized with a larger size, bolder font, or more prominent placement.
* Mini-Ad/Logo Layout: Business card layouts frequently mimic the common and successful Ogilvy ad layout formula that places the visual (logo) at the top or upper left of the card followed by the headline (name) with the signature (contact information) in the lower right.
At the end of this project, should you want to actually print your business cards, there are many ways to do such.
One way is to print them from home, using your printer and specific business card templated paper. Another option is to use an company to print them for you. One that I have used is Print100.com they offer great rates with no added tax or shipping costs. (300 business cards costs $37.97)
Extra Credit Opportunities:
Business Card Design for the CCA Staff, by committee
Many companies have a single style of business card for all employees. Each employee has their own name and title on this "one size fits all" card. You may work as a TEAM (2 or more) to design a single business card for the Envision Coordinators (Tracy Yates, Michael Schwartz, Anne Whatoff, Amy Villanova, and Julie Rais OR for part of the Adminstration Staff (Brian Kohn, Mary AnneNuskin, Barbara Stroud). As a team you must agree on a single style of card, then you can personalize each cards with a unique descriptive title for the person. Come to me, to discuss the importance and/or pitfalls of uniformity.
Business Card Design for an Historical Person
You will work as a TEAM (2 or more) to design a single business card for an historical person. Each student may have differing opinions on what image this person should convey, a debate/discuss may take place in order for each person in the group to get their point of view across.
Multiple Cards for Yourself
Sometimes a single business card is not appropriate for all aspects of a business. People may have different business cards for different occasions. For extra create, you can create two or more different business cards each highlighting a different aspect of your school or extracurricular life or multiple aspects of an historical or fictional character. Think about the variety of different interests you have and try to present a different "face" depending on their surroundings and activities.
Possible 10 Extra Credit Points per card.
Business Card Makeover Gallery
Project #9:Independent Project
Project Ideas: The list ranges from easy to more difficult projects
1. Design an Event Logo (Tutorial)
2. Create Camouflage Patterns, in Illustrator (Tutorial)
3. Create Logo (Tutorial)
4. Fashion Illustration (Tutorial)
5. Ornate Lettering (Tutorial)
6. Create OP Art (Tutorial)
7. Design a Print for Fabric (Tutorial)
8. Make a Flip Book (Tutorial)
9. Create a Bitmap Design (Tutorial)
10. Make a Graffiti Stamp (Tutorial)
For More IDEAS click here (Computer Arts Magazine)
Project #10: Final Project
Create a porfolio site on Zhibit.org.
Upload all the artwork that you created in this class this term.
Write a bio and brief artistic statement.
Other Projects:
Logo Design Projects
Logo - a graphic or typographic image that identifies a business, group or entity.
For this project, you will design a logo for a company that you have created. The logo must be a graphic symbol which portrays the image of your company. Using the artistic principle of economy, you will create a visually impactful symbol for this company. You will need to appeal to your potential customer and communicate the type of company you are in this single artistic design.
Choose a word (or words) and visually depict the word so that the image of the letters drawn, directly relates to the word. Some easy examples may include hot and cold. For example: if the word was hot; the letters could appear as if they were on fire or flames, if the word was cold students could use snowflakes, icicles to create the letters of the word.
If you are having trouble with finding a word you could use one of these words that work well:
hairy, barbed wire, slime, tool, root, machine, pencil, wind, waves, tree, candy...
To complete this project, you will need to follow the steps outlined on the "Logo Design" checksheet "Logo Template". Each part of the research and design process is critical to a successful logo.
Requirements:
• Use Adobe Illustrator to create your designs.
• Follow the design process outlined in the "Logo Design " checksheet given to you in class
• Use research and sketching to create several designs for your logo, and get feedback to assist you in choosing the most unique design solution for your company.
• Turn in "Logo Template" with teacher signatures for additional grade on this project.
• Presentation of artwork to class/participation in critique.
See Student Examples.
Day 1:
Project Overview
Sketchbook Warm Up: article 1, article 2
Logo Presentation and Student Examples
San Digeo Fishing Adventures Handout
Worksheet Handout
Worktime
Day 2:
Work on San Diego Fishing Adventures Logo in Illustrator
Day 3:
Work on Personal Logo Design
Day 4:
Finalize designs. Vote on San Diego Fishing Adventures Logo.
Rhino Art Supply: Design a Bag
Given the opportunity by Rhino Art Supply store in Encintas, you will work in groups of two to design a new ORIGINAL design for Rhino Art's canvas bags. These bags are sold at the store, and given to customers for shopping at Rhino Art. Your design could be the next logo for Rhino Arts' bags! This is a real opportunity, that a graphic designer would be hired to do. At the end of this assignment as a class each person will confidentially vote for the design(s) that they believe is the strongest. The top five designs will be presented to Rhino Art's owner Jack Quick. If your design is choosen you will be reconized by local press, and receive complementary bags.
You might be wondering how to start, what images you can use, how might this be influenced by copyright law?
Here are your answers:
- Where to start is research and good ol'fashion sketching. Here are some resources with excellent image of rhinos:
http://animal.discovery.com/features/rhino/species/species.html - a species gallery and virtural rhino tour
http://www.rhinos-irf.org/ - website for the international rhino foundation
http://www.sosrhino.org/# - great info on rhino species and facts
http://www.fotosearch.com/clip-art/rhino.html - 33 rhino clip art images! Be sure to check out this resource!
http://photos.com/ - search "rhino" and find 4 pages on rhino photography
- Images that you use as inspiration and reference can not be included as part of your final composition. The design industry standard is that your design should be at least 60% changed from any image you use as reference. It is often hard to not repeat something that has already been done. In my design experience, the more initial sketches I create the strong my final product. Today should be a creative surge of good, bad, random, crazy ideas...get them all down on paper! Throughout your design process you be needed more elements to add to your logo, and YOUR sketches is the place to turn. Do not rely on the internet and others' work for your design, be a creative and independent thinker!
- In order not to break copyright laws, you must not include any portion of any image in your final design. You must create all of the logo yourself for this project.
Template for Rhino Art Bag
(Adobe Illustrator File)
My Example Bag
(Adobe Illustrator File)
My Process-3 visual steps
(Adobe Illustrator File)
Magazine Advertisement
You will be given a magazine advertisement from National Geographic from 1979 or earlier. You will make a new ad for the same product that would work in today's world. You must take into consideration today's marketing trends and styles and contemporary people's buying habits. Your ad must also be revolutionary, however, and not just a copy of other ads that you see today. You may use your own judgment as to how much of the "historical" ad is appropriate for today's market. You must scan the original National Geographic ad to turn in with your final project.
The idea of the project is that you are a graphic designer and are doing an ad for the company. In a situation like this, the company would give you access to whatever images you needed THAT THE COMPANY OWNED. So you may use logos, product images, etc. from the company's official website (or scanned from company ads or literature) as long as you give credit to the source. Because this is a design project, you must also make sure that your final ad does a good job of "selling" the product that you were assigned.
Your final digital file must contain good use of layers (the more, the better) and avoid the use of filters. Your file must be 150 dpi in resolution and be the correct size for National Geographic magazine (7" wide by 10" tall). And as always with presentation work, you must follow copyright law. If you have questions about what copyright restrictions are and how to avoid copyright infringement, please see www.whatiscopyright.org.
In order to receive a perfect grade on your Magazine Ad project, you must be committed to the process of creating good art (quick writes, sketches, multiple attempts leading up to a final solution). You must also display good use of color, using the principles of color theory. And you must incorporate your knowledge of the seven principles of organization to achieve unity (harmony, variety, balance, proportion, dominance, movement, and economy).
See Student Examples
Social Issue Poster
For this project, you will design a poster about an issue that is important to you. The goal of the poster is to educate and persuade people to believe the way you believe and, hopefully, change some aspect of their behavior. It is important that the design of the poster, as well as the information you present on your poster, is thoughtful, serious, well-written, well-researched, accurate, and original.
Before you start working on your digital file, it is imperative that you do a lot of research. First, you need to make sure that you choose your topic carefully; it should be an issue that you feel very strongly about and have a definite personal opinion about. Once you have chosen a topic, you should do a lot of research about how others feel about the issue (What are some of the counter-arguments? How have other minds been changed?). You should also do a lot of research to find facts to back up your argument (making sure to cite your sources when you put this information on your poster).
There are a number of "tricks" to use when designing your poster. The overall design of the poster should be so compelling that it will grab the attention of people walking by and make them walk up to your poster and read the information on it. The information on your poster should be well-written, persuasive and concise. You need to strike a good balance between presenting enough information to persuade people without overwhelming them with too much information. The overall goal is for the design and the information to be so persuasive that it will not only change people's minds, but hopefully change some aspect of their behavior.
Technical Requirements:
- Size: 11" x 17 " portrait or landscape (your choice).
- Resolution: 150 dpi.
- Color mode: CMYK.
- Correct use of Photoshop, including the use of layers and layer masks.
As always, you will be graded on your aesthetic success. You must be committed to the process of creating good art (quick writes, research, sketches, multiple attempts leading up to a final solution). You must also display good use of color, using the principles of color theory. And you must incorporate your knowledge of the seven principles of organization to achieve unity (harmony, variety, balance, proportion, dominance, movement, and economy).
It is extremely important that you follow copyright law in all content on your poster: images, written information, etc. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in an automatic failing grade on the project. The information on the poster should come only from you, unless you are quoting facts to help you convince people, and if that is the case, you need to properly cite the source (as you would in a research paper). Remember that the goal of the poster is for you to present your opinion on an issue, supported by facts from reputable sources, and convince others to believe as you do and change their behavior.
If you need help choosing a topic, check out these lists of social issues (list 1, list 2, list 3), but make sure that you have a strong personal opinion regarding the topic you choose.
See Student Examples
Partner Community Currency Project
For this project you will be working with a partner to create an original system of currency that could be used within our local community. You wlll need to create a currency system with at least 5 denominations.
As a class and individually we will investigate issues related to the use of currency and systems of monetary exchange. For this project, you will choose the form of currency, it does not necessarily need to be paper bills, it can be coins or credit cards, and you will choose the units used for the denomination. The visual design must convey security and trust, so that the system would be acceptable for use in trade and commerce.
Click on each of the links below to learn more about currency. You will need to read each article and individually turn in a written or typed paper highlighting 3 facts you learned from each article before you begin the project.
Project Requirements:
- Create values for each denomination- Denominations can be valued in different ways, either at par value with the national currency, in terms of time, related to some method of backing the currency. This is not an issue of note design, it is an issue of system design. As many people know the value of a currency by its color, different valuations of the note should be represented visually, by using a different color.
- Name of the denomination- The name, such as dollar, euro, peso, etc. should reflect the community identity, culture and linkage to previous forms of money.
- Graphic Representation of the Community- Who is the currency going to be used by? Graphics should reflect the identify and livelihoods of its citizens. Graphics should consider issues of: cultural life, community life, economic life, seasonal activities, natural resources, local vegetation, geographic features, and favorite activities of the people, and objects or examples of community pride.
- Resemblance to National Currency- So as not to be confused with national currency, the note must be of a different, size, color, design and text than the corresponding national currency.
- Text and Authorization
To ensure legality, a statement limiting the circulation of the currency to the local level must be stated on the note. For example, in Thailand, their currency contains the following statement, "Bia can only be used to exchange goods and services in the Kud Chum community". Authorize each note that you create with your signatures and "titles" that you give yourselves, as well as and any disclaimers you want printed on the note. - Protection Features- Your community currencies are limited by geographic or social area, a number of measure can and should be taken to protect them from being counterfeited.
A. Termination Date- A fixed or variable termination date for the note can be set, one or two years from the date of issue, or set to expire all notes on a particular date Expired notes can be given as souvenirs, samples, or used as decoration, ceremony, etc.
B. Serial Number- The notes can be serialized and recorded for transparent account-keeping.
D. Offset Designs- Use overlapping designs and varied opacity levels to make it difficult to photocopy, scan or mechanically reproduce the note.
E. Stamps and special marks- You can go over and beyond by thinking of ways the note can be press-stamped or marked with special inks after they have been printed.
Things to Consider:
- Your denominations can be in coins, bills, or credit cards
- Use a grid!
- Overlap and Change opacity on images
- Mindfully include Elements or Art and Principles of Design
Surrealist Synectic Art Project
You will be randomly assigned 3 seemingly incompatible words from a list. You will take the meanings and ideas behind these three words and create a unified piece of art in the Surrealist style. Think of the completed piece as having the look and feel of a dream. It should look like it could be real, but that there's something definitely surreal (or dreamlike) about it. DO NOT simply produce a collage of images, your finished piece should be a unified work of art, in keeping with the concepts of synectic art.
Because this project is much more towards the art end of the design vs. art spectrum, you will be graded on how well you commit to the artistic process with research, sketches, writing, and multiple attempts leading toward a final solution. You will also, obviously, be graded on the level of aesthetic success you achieve: how well you employ the principles of color theory and your knowledge of the seven principles of organization to achieve unity (harmony, variety, balance, proportion, dominance, movement, and economy). You will also be graded on how well you have incorporated the Surrealist ideals and the concept of synectic art.
The only technical requirements are that your final piece be produced in Photoshop at 150 dpi resolution and less than 8.5" x 11" in size and copyright law, as always, must be followed.
Surrealism: "Surrealism was a means of reuniting conscious and unconscious realms of experience so completely that the world of dream and fantasy would be joined to the everyday rational world in 'an absolute reality, a surreality.' (According to the major spokesman of the Surrealist Movement, the poet and critic André Breton, who published 'The Surrealist Manifesto' in 1924.)" Check out ArtCyclopedia for visual examples of Surrealism.
Synectic: The term Synectics comes from the Greek word synectikos which means "bringing forth together" or "bringing different things into unified connection." Since creativity involves the coordination of things into new structures, every creative thought or action draws on synectic thinking. Synectic thinking is the process of discovering the links that unite seemingly disconnected elements.
See Samples of Student Work.
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE
This project is based on ideas from "The Journey is the Destination" by Dan Eldon
For your final project in Imaging this year, I would like you to do some reflecting about your life think about the things that are important to you and the things that have made you who you are.
In this assignment, you will be creating a series of 2 postcards - one will represent your past, and one will be a projection of your future. Think about each of these times in your life (and the times to come) and the elements and emotions of those times which you would like to express in your postcards.
You will be required to use some o"found objects" that you bring in on each of the postcards. They can be used in combination with photographs, drawings, writings… The size limitation will be no smaller than 3 x 5 and no larger than 5 x 7". The resolution must be 150ppi. These will be 2-sided projects with one side being primarily the image(s) and artwork, and the other being a written note, reflection or letter to someone (it can be to yourself!). On each card, make sure you utilize the entire picture plane
Postcard #1 - The Past: For this postcard, consider the things, people or events that make you who you are today. Maybe you will chose to do a postcard from when you were 5, because that is when you discovered your love for drawing, surfing, music… Think of a special time… one with family or friends or a time that impacted you in other ways. Maybe a postcard from a few years ago that reminds you of the first time you traveled… the possibilities are endless…
Create an image, artwork or composite image that artistically represents this time. It can be done in a more reflective manner or in the style of a child if you chose.
Postcard #2 - The Future: On this postcard, make some predictions about what you will be doing in the future and where you might be. Will you be in San Diego? If not, where will you be living? Will you be working? Traveling? In school? What images and artwork will you choose to represent that time in your life? Have fun with this… dream big!
You can think of this project as a series… and create a visual thread of information that connects these 2 times in your life. You may also choose to make them totally different to represent the changes you have gone through in your life. Again, have fun with this project… there are no real technical requirements aside from the size.
