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