Playing Cards

Day 1: Thumbnails

Students will submit 6-12 pairs of card ideas.

Day 2: Linework

Students will submit their final, cleaned linework for their cards.

Day 3: Final Colors

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Assignment 3: Movie Poster

Posters. We all enjoy them, and a good movie poster can sometimes get us to go see that movie in a theater.

You guys will be making a NEW movie poster for an already existing film. You will select a film and, using photos and screencaps you can find online, collage and filter them into a movie poster!

Goal: to understand filter, sizing, and layer tools; to look at composition

Day 1: poster thumbnails and photo reference shot collection (6-8)

 Think through what movie you would like to make a poster for and begin looking at screenshots/ screencaps/ youtube videos etc to get inspiration.

For that film, make 6-8 well thought out thumbnails. The drawings can be simple (stick figures) but we are looking at different compositions.

Is it minimalist? Using cutouts and objects to make something new?

Is it a great shot or moment from the film that you focus on?

Is it a collage of heads and faces of the actors?

Is it a mix of both scenes and heads?

As you can see, the same movie can have different posters that are both successful.

 Turn in 6-8 thumbnail ideas for your movie poster (for the same movie). Explore different options and angles.


Day 2: Rough arrangement
- photos cut and cropped and placed properly
- no filters needed yet
Day 3/4: Final Filters/effects

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Day 4: Blending

Due: Weds. Feb 14 (subject to change)

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Day 3: Flats

Day 3: Flats

What are flats?

Flats are the filled in blocks of colors on a piece. In traditional painting it is almost equivelant to an 'underpainting' layer.

Option 1: Just use the brush tool

⦁ Just use the Brush tool (B) and on a layer below the inks, paint in.
*this takes a loooooong time

Option 2: Paint around the rim and fill

⦁ Use the brush tool (B) and paint AROUND the edge of the shape you want.
⦁ Once done, use the Magic Wand tool (W) and select the inside that still needs to be filled.
⦁ Go to Select > Modify > expand and expand by 3-5 pixels so that the selection completely fills in everything
⦁ Go to Edit > Fill > make sure 'Foreground color' is used and hit okay

Option 3: Magic wand tool

⦁ Use the Magic wand tool (W) and select the OUTSIDE space
⦁ Go to Select > Inverse (now your object is select instead of the outside space)
⦁ Go to Select > Modify > CONTRACT and contract by 3-5 pixels
⦁ Go to Edit > Fill > make sure 'Foreground color' is used and hit okay

Now duplicate this layer (drag the layer in the layer window to the 'create new layer' button)

Lock the layer by selecting the box next to the word lock in your layer window.

Now either use selection options or the brush tool (B) to start separating out your blocked in colors.

Step 1: Have a base flat layer (any color)

Step 2: Above the flat layer, do more flats for different sections.

Step 3: Have a layer ABOVE the flats that is a Multiply layer for your shadows.

And done!

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Day 2: Linework

How to expand a small image

Goal: Learning how to use the Transform Tool in Photoshop

Step 1: Open a new canvas

• Specs: 8.5in height, 11in width 300dpi resolution (can be portrait or landscape)
• Name: Lastname_Firstname_ArtistLinework
• 
  

Step 2: Copy/Paste your favorite thumbnail into the new canvas

• Use the Marquee tool and select the thumbnail pose
• Use ctrl+c to copy, go to your new canvas and use ctrl+v to paste

Step 3: Expand the thumbnail

• With the thumbnail layer selected, use ctrl+t to go into the Transform tool mode
• HOLD SHIFT and drag the corner to expand the image
• When it's big enough, hit enter to get out of Transform mode

Step 4: Refine your sketch

• On a new layer, refine your sketch

Inking

Goal: Understanding pressure and line weight

We will work together in class to discuss line weight and pressure.

Due: Mon, Feb 13 at the end of class

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Workshop: Costumed Figure Drawing coming soon!

Open to OCSA students only. Don't miss out!

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Day 1: Thumbnailing

Making Your Thumbnail Template

Goal: Understanding the 'Shapes' tool in Photoshop and how to duplicate objects.

Step 1: Open a new canvas

• Specs: 8.5in width, 11in height 300dpi resolution
• Name: Lastname_Firstname_AvatarThumbnails

Step 2: Use the Rectangle Tool to create a square

You will find the rectangle tool if you right click on the circle tool right above the hand icon in your toolbar.

Now, at the top of the window the tool options change for this tool. There is the Fill option, the Stroke option, and the stroke thickness.

Change Fill to the '/' and the Stroke to a black. Have the stroke be 5px.

Now, on your canvas HOLD SHIFT (to keep it square) and drag to form your first square. Release and hit enter when you are done.

Yay! A square... now let's make more!

Step 3: Duplicate the shape

Now in your layer window on the right side of the screen, click and drag the rectangle1 layer you just made to the 'create new layer' button (the one next to the trash can). Release, and it will duplicate the layer.

To line up your square evenly, select your move tool (V) and HOLD SHIFT to drag an object along an invisible straight line.

Step 4: Merge Layers

To keep your layers under control, you can merge them into one. Once the squares are positioned how you'd like, Select the top square layer, HOLD SHIFT, and select the bottom. They should not all be highlighted.

Now to merge use the shortcut 'ctrl+e' and now all those layers are one!

Do the same for the circles as you did for the squares until you have 6 squares and 6 circles on the same canvas. 

Thumbnailing

Goal: Understanding the importance and simplicity of thumbnails.

Check out this perfect explanation of why we thumbnail. SOURCE: Tristan Yuvienco

What thumbnails are: simple, messy, quick, not always right

What thumbnails are NOT: perfect, super detailed, time consuming

Each thumbnail should take you around 5 minutes. They are ideas and concepts and can be as silly and quick as they need to be for you to understand them.

In your shapes template, sketch out 10-12 thumbnails for your avatar. It can be you, your artistic persona, or something you enjoy.

One rule: DO NOT COPY OR TRACE. This needs to be YOUR work.

student examples

Due: Mon, Feb 6 at the end of class

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Assignment 2: Avatars

We will make a simple, easy to read avatar that can be used as your personal mark. This project is designed to show you technical tools in Photoshop and artistic tools in design and linework. The class will work on each step together, and I will provide written tutorials as I go over this with you in class.

My focus is on your ability to handle the tools and the overall cleanliness of your final piece. Work hard and have fun!

 What You Will Turn In                                                         

DAY 1: Thumbnailing

• You will submit a thumbnail template with 10-12 thumbnails sketched on a layer beneath. The file will be 'Lastname_Firstname_AvatarThumbnails.jpg'.
•  Due: Mon. Feb 6 at the end of class      (10pts)

DAY 2: Linework

• You will submit an enlarged version of your favorite thumbnail with refined linework. The file will be 'Lastname_Firstname_AvatarLinework.jpg'
•  Due: Mon. Feb 13 at the end of class    (10pts)

DAY 3: Flats

• You will submit the flat colored version of your avatar. The file will be 'Lastname_Firstname_AvatarFlats.jpg'
• Due: Mon. Feb 13 at the end of class     (10pts)

DAY 4: Final PNG

• You will submit the final colored version of your avatar. The file will be a PNG file NOT a JPG file. It will be named 'Lastname_Firstname_AvatarFinal.png'
• Due: Weds. Feb 15 at the end of class    (15pts)

•  (final due date subject to change)

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Warm-ups: What are they?

Every muscle needs practice, and art uses more than one. Before buckling down to focus on work, make sure you always stretch out your arm, your mind, and your mindset by warming up!

At the beginning of each week, create a new canvas:

                3000 px width

                2000 px height

                300 dpi resolution

                Name: Lastname_firstname_week1 (week2, week3 etc.)

This will become your sketchbook page for the week! Any warm-ups we do at the start of class will be done on this file. They will then be turned in as a .jpg at the end of the week.

When sketching, always sketch as much as you can. This is a workout! Credit will be given based off filling the page by the end of the week.

You will be prompted on what to draw by me each time we warm-up. Use it as a time to improve and expand your skills!

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Welcome Survey

Welcome to Beginning Computer Graphics!

Well we all survived our first week together, and I must say I'm excited to teach you all this semester! With our new site switched over I can now officially direct you to our class survey:

Class Welcome Survey

Please fill this survey out to the best of your ability. Thank you!


illustration by: Dorene Pilapandet

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Assignment 1: Personal Sketch

Welcome to class! I’m excited to see what sort of artists we have in class this semester.

Our first project is a personal sketch. This piece is meant to showcase your personal interests or style in art. Help me get to know you better through this!

The sketch will be painted simply using your own custom brush. You will turn in the project as a .jpg into the google drive ‘Droppy> Advanced> Assignment 1: Personal Sketch’ folder by the end of class Thursday.

•      Turn in your .jpg labelled ‘Lastname_Firstname_personalsketch.jpg’
• specs: 3000 pixels width, 2000 pixels height, 300dpi resolution

Due: Weds, Feb. 1

Grade Status: Entered

 illustration by: Tiffany Zhang

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