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january 2, 2019: projects & competencies

1/4/2019

Competencies We will be Utilizing:

503 - Demonstrate basic use of page layout software.
505 - Demonstrate basic use of a vector-based drawing program.
507 - Demonstrate basic use of image editing software.

Over the next few weeks we are going to be working on remediating some basic Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign skills to help our Seniors (and eventually everyone) prepare for the upcoming NOCTI evaluations. Please download the following files that we'll be using in class:

Color Cast Photos Practice Files

Remove/Straighten Photos

NOCTI Study Notes - this document may help you remember the various techniques we've worked with this year.

NOCTI Practice Test Files/Specifications

Letters with Counters Practice Sheet

In addition to this work I am asking you to create a recycled art project. We have a number of supplies that could be used for this and the project gives you lots of room for choice. Pinterest could be a great resource to come up with ideas for a project that you could choose.

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December 17, 2018 Assignment

12/17/2018

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I discovered a great new way to learn Adobe Illustrator last week with Jason Secrest's website. I've learned some new tricks for working with a Wacom Tablet and Illustrator's pencil tool that I'm sure you're going to like.

I recommend that you look over Jason's website and be sure to subscribe to all the resources that he uses in his tutorials. That will make doing these small projects much easier to accomplish.

Below is a video that explains how he uses the pencil tool to create wonderful cartoon-like drawings using the pencil tool. In order to access the settings that he's using you will need to double-click on the pencil tool itself in the toolbar. I would recommend watching this video in the YouTube environment - it will allow you to go full screen and see things better. The URL for the project we'll be working with today can be found here.

I've attached a simple drawing that you can use to try these techniques out.

This is the file he's using of the muffin man.

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Week 10: projects & Objectives

11/13/2018

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Typography Portraits: Utilizing Photoshop, we will be creating typography portraits like the ones pictured below:

Key Concepts to Learn in Photoshop from this project:

Duplicating Layers
Deleting Layers
Changing Layer Blending Modes
Using Displacement Mapping in Photoshop.

Download this file for in-class practice

Basics Tutorial for this project - web link

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week 8 & 9 Projects & Objectives

10/29/2018

You are going to be creating an accordian text book. This project could possibly use Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Below are the objectives for this project:

Students plan page layouts using Illustrator with a minimum of 6 pages. The page size will be 5" x 5". The finished layout size will be 5" x 10" with a .125" bleed.
Students choose a song lyric, poem, quote, or make up their own phrase to be the subject of their book. The phrase must be appropriate.
Students learn what an accordion book is and how to construct one.
Students follow the design process through by planning, executing, printing, and making/constructing their final product-a hand-bound type book.
Students use creative thinking and problem solving to illustrate their phrase through the use of font choices and text manipulation with Illustrator and Photoshop.
Students learn some basic elements of design, including composition, balance, concept and message, and the principle of unequal spacing.

You can download the instructions for this project here.

Type Techniques we've learned during this project:

Warp
Type on a Path Tool

Shortcut keys we are using:

Command 2: Lock Object
Command G: Group Objects
Command D: Transform Again
Option/Click/Hold/Drag: Quick Copy of selection

Type Formatting Shortcuts:

Command Shift > Selected Type Larger Font Size
Command Shift < Selected Type Smaller Font Size
Command Shift C (Center Type) L (Justify Type Left) R (Justify Type Right

Community Arts Phoenixville Volunteer Opportunity:

Week 7: Projects & Objectives

10/10/2018

Projects this week:

Sr. Pictures: We continue to take senior graduation portraits this week. I will be asking all of you to do touch up on these images so that we can get them up on our e-commerce site at Fototime.

Dia De Los Muertos (day of the dead) Project
Halloween is fast approaching. This week's project will allow you to work in any medium - digital or analog in creating an original calaveros. You can read more about this holiday (which is different than halloween) at this National Geographic site.

This is a great way to explore a different culture. Some samples are pictured below:

Week 6: Projects & Objectives

10/1/2018

Tasks we'll be working on this week:
507 - Utilize basic functions of a raster-based image editing software.
508 - Utilize intermediate functions of a raster-based image editing software.
510 - Utilize different file formats correctly.
511 - Organize and manage digital files.

This week we're going to work on Colorizing black and white photos using Photoshop. Below are some practice files we can work with to learn the basic technique:

white.zip
File Size:	1600 kb
File Type:	zip

Download File

One of the applications of this type of work can be seen in the work of Marina Amaral. Marina takes historic black and white photographs and adds color to them for museums and historical societies being her main clients. Below is a YouTube video that features her work.

Weeks 4 & 5: Projects & Objectives

9/19/2018

Tasks we'll be working on this week:
502 - Identify the properties of vector and raster images.
505 - Utilize a basic functions of a vector-based drawing program.
509 - Utilize use of input, output and storage devices.
510 - Utilize different file formats correctly.
511 - Organize and manage digital files.

Now that most of you have completed the Geometric Portrait project in Adobe Illustrator, I'd like to see you work on a project that is based on primitive shapes you can find in toolbar. Rectangles, Ellypsis, Polygons, Stars are part of many of the graphics that designers create. Choose one of the projects below for your next project. If you click on the graphic it should open a tutorial for creating the graphic you selected. Make sure to save your work frequently - every five minutes is a good idea.

The files below may help you understand how the pen tool works. It is recommended that you complete these practice files before attempting the unicorn image:

illustrator_pen_exercises.zip
File Size:	4680 kb
File Type:	zip

Download File

Week 2-3 Projects & Objectives

9/10/2018

Tasks we'll be working on this week:
502 - Identify the properties of vector and raster images.
505 - Utilize a basic functions of a vector-based drawing program.
509 - Utilize use of input, output and storage devices.
510 - Utilize different file formats correctly.
511 - Organize and manage digital files.

The next project we're going to be working on will utilize Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator is a vector graphic program that creates very clean lines and allows for unlimited scaling without any loss of quality. It is used for logos, posters and highly detailed drawings.

For this project we willl be using one of the following tutorials. Don't hesitate to ask questions if you need assistance with this. Your choice as to what method you wish to use. These step-by-step directions will guide you through the project. Click on the image below to launch the tutorial:

Drawing on a grid

Week 1: Projects & objectives

8/27/2018

Welcome to the 2018-19 school year! I am looking forward to working with you over the coming months and to help you reach both personal and career goals. My returning students have a wealth of talent and many of our new recruits have shown me some great work that they've done before arriving in our program. I'm proud to be your teacher and I love mentoring young artists. It's what I do

We are project based. We have a number of tasks that the state of Pennsylvania requires students in this program to master. These tasks can be viewed in the 50.0402 Task List header above on the right. We gain these skills through the use of projects that we do in our lab. I will list the tasks we're working on every time I post a project to this page. What all students should be aiming for is independent mastery of these skills. In other words, can you do these things without assistance from the instructor? If you put 100% effort into these projects, you'll be 100% successful!

This site will be how I communicate with all of you as a group.
Create a bookmark for this page. You should be visiting this site at least twice a week. I will share files, videos, links to great sites and I will list what you should be working on while you're in the CommArt lab. Anything highlighted in blue is a clickable, linked resource. Take some time to look over the following sections of this site:

Shield Calendar - dates for yearbook deadlines
Knowledge Base Sections - technical terms, videos and links to learning everything a graphic artist should know!
Home Page - it's where you are now. This is set up like a blog. Newest posts on top.

Lab Procedures - I have a few simple guidelines for working in our lab:

Be on time with your uniform on.
Be ready to work.
Treat each other with care and respect.
Treat our equipment like you own it.
Let yourself fail fantastically!
Document your work through your portfolio. Save Everything!

What's new in our lab this fall? Below is a list of some new equipment/features that we've added over the summer:

Adobe Creative Cloud: Our license now allows you to download the apps to a home computer or laptop for as long as you're enrolled in our program. You will be using your student gmail credentials to access the software both here in our lab and any remote location.
Photography area:
- We've upgraded our portrait lights substantially. We no longer are relying on batteries to power our main lights in the portrait studio.
- New blue backdrop for this year's portraits.
- We've been given a PIxelstick for video and amazing light painting techniques. (See samples in slideshow above.)
- Two additional 50mm prime lenses have been purchased for our cameras.
- Cyanotype Materials - this will be a project that we work on this year. (see samples above)
Art Supplies: Charcoal and Conte Crayons, new artist papers and illustration boards, new markers, pens, and drawing supplies.
Lab: Promethean Active Panel - we'll be using this projector replacement every day!

Tasks we'll be working on this week:
201 - Operate equipment incorporating ergonomics.
502 - Identify the properties of vector and raster images.
507 - Utilize basic functions of a raster-based image editing software.
509 - Utilize use of input, output and storage devices.
510 - Utilize different file formats correctly.
511 - Organize and manage digital files.

Project Work this week:
My Passions Collage-using Adobe Photoshop's ability to work with photos and words, tell me who you are by creating a collage that represents you and what you passionately care about. Veteran students might want to repurpose older works into this project. Let me know if you need help getting images from your phone to your computer.

Yearbook Work:

Yearbook Cover Design
Portrait Test Work with new lighting
Develop prototype pages for CTE area pages.

Weeks 31 & 32: Projects & Objectives

5/3/2018

Competencies this week:
402 - Apply appropriate color schemes to generate design solutions.
503 - Demonstrate basic use of page layout software.
505 - Demonstrate basic use of a vector-based drawing program.
507 - Demonstrate basic use of image editing software.
801 - Operate digital camera and accessories.
803 - Demonstrate use of lighting.
804 - Demonstrate ability to physically stabilize camera.
805 - Demonstrate how to download and manipulate digital images.

Project Work for this time frame

Upload finished menu project to your portfolio. These were due 4/30!
Year in Review Magazine Project
Cinemagraph Photography/Video Project

Year in Review Project

Log onto your students.cciu.org email account and use the link to access the shared class folders
Locate the folder with your name.
Upload at least 5 works that you think are examples of your best work this year.
PSDs, JPGs, TIFs, AIs, and PNGs will work if they're high resolution. InDesign files should be exported as PDF files for quality printing.
Write an artist statement using MS Word or Google Docs about your favorite piece. Explain why you like the work, what application or media you used and what did you learn from working on that work of art.
By May 9th, all files should be in your folder including your artist statement.
Create an InDesign letter-size document, .375" Margins, 28 (facing pages) and begin the project by laying out a 2-page spread of your own works and your artist statement. Create paragraph and object styles to get a more uniform look throughout your publication. Be sure to look at the sample books before your begin to get some ideas.

Cinemagraph Project - Cinemagraph Samples

How to Videos:

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january 2, 2019: projects & competencies

December 17, 2018 Assignment

Week 10: projects & Objectives

week 8 & 9 Projects & Objectives

Week 7: Projects & Objectives

Week 6: Projects & Objectives

Weeks 4 & 5: Projects & Objectives

Week 2-3 Projects & Objectives

Week 1: Projects & objectives

Weeks 31 & 32: Projects & Objectives

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