Friday 16 December 2016

December 16th-Final Illustrator Assignment

Today you will have half of the class to finish your Christmas cards and submit these to me. Submit only your best 1-you can choose between the photo card or the illustration. Post this to your blog.

Wednesday 14 December 2016

December 13th-Greeting Cards Day 2

We will start off today by exploring dafont.com and I will show you how to install custom fonts.

Here is some font inspiration for your holiday cards. If you'd like, you can create some cards without using photos and only using vector graphics like the first one below. I would like you to create at least 1 card with your own photo though:







Tuesday 13 December 2016

December 13th-Greeting Cards

Today we will begin a mini 2 day assignment creating Christmas cards that you can print to give out for Christmas! I am away today but below are clear instructions about what today and Wednesday will look like. I will be back for tomorrow's class.

There will be 2 parts to this: capturing a holiday photo and designing the card in illustrator with nice type face, kerning, font choice, using various type tools, etc.

PART I: Tuesday

*Can 1 person volunteer to show Owen how to type on a path, 1 person show him how to do kerning, 1 person show him how to type inside a shape, and someone else show him the vertical type tool?

To set up your illustrator document please follow the following steps:
http://www.mmprint.com/blog/2010/beginner-tutorial-design-printready-holiday-greeting-card-adobe-illustrator/

After you have set up your document, you can go outside and take a photo of a winter scene. Take a bunch of photos so you have lots of options to work with. You will only be allowed 20 minutes outside so use your time well. When you come back, you will need to do some editing in Photoshop. You need to edit 3 photos.

*Please look at the photo tips for success that I posted last class before you take out a camera.

-You can choose to edit it using the basic workflow in Photoshop you used by first adjusting the Levels, then the Colour Saturation, and the Vibrancy. Please don't do any cheesy effects. Anything that looks great and enhances your photo.

PART II: Wednesday

Working with font-today we will begin applying font to our card using some of the tools we learned about on Friday and exploring the website dafont.com. If you finish taking your photos, setting up your illustrator file, and editing your photos on photoshop (at least 3) you can explore dafont.com today and begin choosing some fonts for Wednesday's class. Write down the name of your fonts so you don't need to search for them again.



Friday 9 December 2016

December 9th- Introduction to Type

Hello!

Today we are going to spend some time playing with the type tool in illustrator. We will explore the type and charcters windows-learn about kerning, type area tool and type on a path.

On Monday we will begin an assignment where we will be creating our own Christmas cards. After you learn about some of the options in illustrator you will have some time to take out one of our new cameras and do some outdoor shots for your Christmas card! Take lots so you have a variety to work with. If you are done early you can edit the photos in photoshop (think of the basic workflow types: adjust the levels, colour saturation, and vibrancy)

Try going to this site and doing the kerning challenge!:  http://type.method.ac/

On your blog tell me how to you did! Were you surprised at your kerning abilities or inabilities? Have you ever noticed good or bad kerning before? Was the mark you were given at the end?



Tips for success:

   No people

   Shallow Depth of Field

   Be aware of your footprints-don't want through an area that you intend to take a photo of!

   Slightly overexpose your images for whiter snow (overexposure is easier to fix than under                exposure!)

  Break up your shots-don't photograph only snow

  Don't worry about the colours being bland-you can add fun colour with text later, a simpler photo is    better.

   Dont try to keep the camera warm. The cold is fine for the camera but keeping it inside your jacket, etc, can cause a foggy lense

 

Tuesday 6 December 2016

December 6th- Vector Self Portraits

Today you will begin a mini assignment creating a monochromatic self portrait with vectors! I will give you a demonstration using the pen tool today in class.

Step 1: Take a selfie on photobooth

Step 2: Open the file in Illustrator

Step 3: Begin tracing yourself with the pentool (use the pencil tool and blob brush if you find that to be easier). Make sure that the fill is set to black.

Step 4: Uncollapse the layers so that you can periodically hide the jpeg and see how your illustration is coming along.

*This is tedious. You will have the full class to work on this portrait, so take your time and do this as accurately as possible. It will make a great profile picture when you are done!

Here is a tutorial to help if you get stuck:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny-tnZGP-Zk

Friday 2 December 2016

December 2nd-Finish Logo Design and Build a Bear!


At the beginning of class today I will give you a demonstration on using 2 very useful tools-the blog brush and the eraser tool. You will use these 2 tools to create your own teddy bear (or another stuff animal) illustrator.

AFTER THE TUTORIAL

1. If you have NOT finished the logo tutorial, do that first. Post your logo onto the blog.

2. When are done your logo, you can create the teddy bear illustration. Take your time with this-create a background if you would like and maybe the bear is holding something?

3. If you finish the above tool, for BONUS please finish your landscape illustration and post it to your blog.


If you finish everything, trying creating a cartoon vector out of a photograph! Choose a photograph of something simple such as a pop can, and turn it into an illustration by tracing it with the pen and pencil tools. You will need to know how to use these skills in order to start your self portrait on Tuesday.