UNIT III: Vector

UNIT III: Vector

PROJECT:  Rock Out!

OBJECTIVE: Technical: To gain a basic understanding of vector based digital imaging software (Illustrator) and using raster images within it.

Conceptual: To explore how images and text generate a range of ideas and emotions, and to better understand how design and text can be utilized to market and advertise particular products (outside and inside the art realm).

GOAL:  Make a show poster for your favorite band.

PROCESS: 

1.     If you could have your favorite band play at your favorite venue in Tempe who and where would it be?

2.     Sketches layouts for a promotional show poster, and research the formats typically used by your venue / band.  Where is the text? The show dates and times? Is it sponsored by a company? 

3.     Collect image(s) for your poster and assemble them in photoshop.

4.     Create a new 11” x 17” print document in Illustrator and place (link) your .psd file into it.  In this way you will be able to change the .psd and it will automatically update the illustrator file.

5.     Develop your composition focused on creating the illusion of depth. Use your musical inspiration to help you do this by: using repetition and diminishing scale; using warm or brighter colors in the foreground, and deeper, cooler tones in the background; creating an environment with strong atmospheric perspective that is detailed in the foreground, hazy in the background. Your composition MUST have the illusion of a foreground, middle ground, and background and indicate a definite light source.

6.     Layout your text over the image(s).  Experiment with fonts and sizes.  Be sure the keep all the text on a separate layer from your images / vector content.

7.     Consider adding graphics elements from photos using LiveTrace.  Try adding some of the effects from the ‘Use Ps and Ai together!’ tutorials on the blog.

8.     When you are finished, save two PDF versions of your poster, one with the text layer turned on and one with the text layer turned off.  Go to a copy shop and get a color print of each version.

9.     For the crit we will first look at the all the posters without text while listen to music from each band, trying to make successful matches.  Then we will critique the posters with text for composition.

10.  After the crit, save your illustrator file and export it as a .png for the blog.

11.  Comment on one of your peer’s show posters that you would be most likely to go see and explain why.

READING:      Launching the Imagination Ch. 3 Principles of 2D (read) + Ch. 7 Critical Thinking (cmap)

           

VOCABULARY: Raster, Pixel, DPI, Resolution, Color Mode, RGB,CMYK, Bit Depth, Histogram, Levels, Curves, JPG, GIF, TIFF, Interpolation, Layers, Adjustment Layer, Layer Mask, Photomontage, Type, Glyph, Typography

REFERENCES:  Edward Tufte, http://infosthetics.com/

DUE:  13 February 2012

GRADING:  (32pts)

TECHNICAL: (8pts) Did you compose text and images into a believable poster? Did you use the resolution, bit depth, and color mode the assignment called for?

AESTHETIC: (8pts)Are your final pieces compositionally balanced? Did you make good use of color? Does your piece lead the viewer’s eyes? Is it readable?

CONCEPTUAL: (8pts) Does your final piece address the theme in a clear way? Is the “whole more than the sum of its parts”? Does your final image address the themes proposed for this assignment?

RESPONSABILITY:  (4pts) Were you prepared for each class? Did you bring the rough sketches/ideas on the due date? Did you upload your image to the class blog on time? Did you work during work hours?

VOCABULARY:

Overlapping - when objects partially overlap other objects, we perceive them as closer than the covered objects.

Diminishing Scale - the largest object appears closest and the smallest appears further away.

Atmospheric perspective or Color Atmosphere - close objects have greater intensity of color, detail and value contrast.

Vertical placement - we perceive objects that are placed lower in the image as closer to us, and objects that are placed higher as being further away.


Receding Color - we perceive warm colors (red, orange and yellow) as closer than cool colors (green, blue, violet); or lighter, brighter colors typically in the foreground and deeper, darker colors in the background (but not necessarily)

Linear Perspective - we perceive diagonal lines as receding into the distance.