importing illustrator to photoshop

You can open an illustrator file in photoshop, and then combine that image with other pixel based images, including the addition of texture -which is a great look.

In photoshop, go to file - open and select your illustrator file. In the following popup window, adjust your resolution to 300dpi and hit open. It'll take a moment as photoshop rasterizes your vector file, and then it's open. If your file opens and it doesn't include your entire composition, that's because it opens only what fits on the artboard of your illustrator file - just go back to illustrator and resize your composition so it fits on the artboard, save it and then open again in photoshop.

At this point, you can add other files and play with blending modes & opacity. Use the magic wand to select areas on your illustrator drawing - it's really easy for the wand to select areas since the vector drawing is so clean and has distinct edges.

photoshop panorama

There are 2 ways to combine several photos and create a panoramic photo.

First:

open all your photos

check the image size (image menu - image size)

create a new file with enough space for all 3 (3 photos that are 8x10" means you need a new file that's 8x30")

copy and paste the first 2 photos

drop the opacity on one photo so you can see through to where it matches up (50% or so)

use your transform tools (skew, distort or warp) to make it match

play with the puppet warp (edit-puppet warp) to add pins and adjust multiple anchor points

clean the seam (if it's really obvious) with the erase tool, and adjust the opacity to nibble

adjust color balance or brightness/contrast if color or values differ

keep adding other files

use the crop tool to tidy up the borders and delete unused negative space

Or:

go to File-Automate-Photomerge

select the source files (I use 'add open files' to keep it simple) and hit OK

this merges things automatically, but it doesn't always do the best job, so you may need to use the steps above to tidy up

figure/ground...

For the next project, we'll consider the figure/ground relationship. Take a whole mess of photos of people and places - think about things that are specific to your time here at Tyler, and things that come from your everyday life at home. We'll combine the two in a panoramic image tomorrow.

Come with several photos of space (landscape, buildings or micro-zoomed objects) in order to create a panoramic image.

Meanwhile, take a look at Kahn & Selesnick's website to see how they create montage work of people in space.

photomontage tools

Adding to the basic selection & adjustment tools from yesterday, you can create more subtle & unified compositions by playing with the following tools:

copy & paste (layers & move tool ‘auto select)

blending modes (shift + and - to cycle through options)

clone stamp (option click to set target, play with opacity & brush size)

healing brush

patch tool

free transform & transform options (edit menu, experiment with warp, distort & skew)

filters (use sparingly & with caution)

liquify filter (better than most filters, as it allows you to be selective with your changes)

blur/smudge/sharpen

burn/dodge/sponge (allows you to fine tune small light & dark areas, or de/saturate - helps create a focal point)

refine edge: after a selection is made hit the refine edge button (on the top menu bar) and tinker with your options - feather, smooth etc

masking layer (on layer palette, create a masking layer, use the paintbrush tool; black hides, white reveals)

history palette & snap shot - a great way to save multiple versions, so you can return to it later

Create a new file (8x10" at 300dpi) and paste in your photos - 3 figures, curious object, furniture, architectural element, map/diagram/chart. Take a look at Jane Hammond'spaintings to see how she unifies multiple objects through scale, color & transparency. Create a composition that avoids a central focal point, use repetition & variety and at least 20 layers for the final image.

photomontage prep

For tomorrow's class I'd like you to bring a bunch of photos to work with. Bring extra, just in case!

Bring:

3 (or more) expressive & dynamic human figures

an antique architectural element

a curious object

patterns/textures/abstractions

rectangular & circular shapes

The more you have, the more flexibility you've got.

basic photoshop tools

Basic tools:

Paintbrush (adjust size, opacity & hardness on menu toolbar)

Paintbucket (adjust opacity & tolerance)

Eraser (brush options just like paintbrush)

Color replacement brush (set the color in the foreground color picker)

Inverse selection

Use basic Image-Adjustment options to fine tune your images before you get started:levels, brightness/contrast(use legacy for more dramatic effects) color balance, hue & saturation
Use selection tools to grab areas - either to copy/paste or to manipulate color or light levels:marquee rectangle, lasso (polygonal & magnetic; delete to back up an anchor point at a time), magic wand(quick select is a mixed blessing) change the feathering options or refine edges afterwards for a smoother look
You can add to or subtractfrom a selection as well; hold shift & select to add more, hold option & select to remove an area. Remember that you can save a selection (select menu, save) and reopen it at a later date without losing any work.
Each layer has its own opacity & blending mode options on the layer palette.

For now, clean up 3 photos with the color & level options - one of each genre; landscape, portrait & abstraction. Then, create a new file and make 2 diptychs where the combination of 2 photo files makes a new relationship. Start by creating a new file, 8x10" at 300dpi (make 300 your default resolution), create a new layer (on layers palette) and use the selection marquee to draw out a border; fill it with the paintbucket tool.

next week

Over the weekend I'd like you to take some photos so we can get right down to work on monday. Take:

5 portraits

5 landscapes

5 pattern/texture/abstract photos
5 rectangular & circular shapes

We'll start with some basic Photoshop alterations to get familiar with the program, and then do something more complicated tues - thurs.

When you take your photos, please consider viewing distance & angles, as we discussed in class. Avoid centering your work, and play with below & above eye level perspectives as well as being further & closer to your subjects. Take a variety, and bring the best 5 of each topic.

type tools & Book of Trades

In 1568 Jost Amman published his Book of Trades, a collection of illustrations with text that described basic functions of human endeavor. The prints themselves are lovely - a clear focal point, figure/ground relationship and great line quality.

Lots of artists have tried to contend with basic professional descriptions of people - profession as a description of identity. Eric Doeringer made children's toys, but avoided "doctor" or "firefighter" options in favor of "Junky" and "Bag lady". Manchester based collective Dorothycreated a line of green army men showing the effects of post traumatic stress disorder - rather than seeing the traditional army guys (flamethrower, machine gunner, radio guy) we now see wheelchair bound soldier, domestic violence soldier, suicidal soldier.

For our final illustrator project we'll be making our own Book of Trades illustration. Think about what kind of profession you hope to practice, that you're afraid you'll end up practicing, or just make a spoof of some option. Come prepared with photos or sketches of a person & negative space so that we can get to work right away. We'll also work with text, so consider a short descriptive (or comedic) description of the duties of whatever job you're planning to illustrate.

Focus on a picture plane, so that the borders reinforce key elements of your thinking on the trade you selected. Use basic text tools to add language that describes your take on that profession and makes it visual as well as legible.

Type tool

Type on a path

Area type

(to transform fonts to shape go to Type - Create Outlines)

Don't forget to hand letter as well, for more control & style.

some more sophisticated tools

If you want to experiment with more tools try these:

pathfinder palette (unite, minus front, exclude, intersect)

make a clipping mask (2 objects that overlap, Object menu, Clipping Mask, Make)

effects menu (distort & transform, stylize & 3D options)

These tools will allow you to confine patterns to the boundaries of certain shapes (pathfinder), confine images to larger shapes (clipping mask) or add automatic effects to shapes (drop shadow). They can also be more trouble than they're worth, so use them selectively & experiment.

flight vs invisibility....

Here's the link to the episode of This American Life. Look for a tiny orange triangle to play the podcast. Very funny, and should start you thinking about alter ego self portraits. Enjoy!

pen tool & tracing

For today's self portrait we'll be using the pen tool & eyedropper. Both tools offer more control & precision, and will allow you to have a solidly rendered portrait.

Go to File-Place and drop in your photo - remember not to "link" the photo! Lock Layer 1 and dim image to 70% create a new layer and then begin drawing on Layer 2. Now you can hide Layer 1 from time to time to see how your drawing is turning out.

Use the eyedropper to select colors for skin & hair tones, but limit the amount of color/value you use. I typically use only 5 per area, just to keep things consistent - if you select with the eyedropper from the photo you'll keep grabbing different pixels & different shades - it can get weird in a hurry.

Tools we used:

pen

add & delete anchor points

eyedropper

layers

create new

lock

hide/view

dim image to x%

magic wand tool

lasso selection

Edit menu - edit colors - recolor artwork or saturation

Tomorrow we'll work on a 2nd variation of the portrait, either with a new photo, or by adding new elements to the first drawing you made. We'll avoid a strict naturalistic rendering in favor of an art image that's more descriptive of you and what you are - your alter ego.

Wed project...

For tomorrow, bring a couple self portrait photos - we'll use them for the next project. I'll try to remember a camera just in case....

still life and more drawing tools

line vs shape

gradients

transparency

smooth & erase pencils

scissors, knife & eraser

paintbrush vs pencil

brushes palette

stroke palette & width tool

mesh tool

symbol sprayer

swatches & pattern

warp tools

view menu:

smart guides

show/hide artboard

show/hide grid

show/hide edges

Work on this for a while, and then make some adjustments to create a focal point. What's the most important object/area? How will your audience know it? Adjust the scale (after grouping!), desaturate the colors or use repetition to make the focal point clear.

Scale: group object, use scale tool or black select arrow - hold shift to enlarge and keep proportional

Repetition: group, select, copy & paste (or option drag)

Desaturate: add a large grey shape on top of entire object, adjust the transparency (this lowers the chroma, robbing the intensity of color)

Basic terms:

Dock

Folder & views

Trash

Application & switching through them

Menus

Apple menu – sleep, shut down, force quit

Save, save as

Flash drive, ejecting & emptying trash on flash drives

CD-rom & volume adjustments

The basics:

Palettes & tear-offs

Tools

Artboard

Object

Paths

Anchor point

Fill

Stroke

The tools:

Selection (v)

Direct selection (a)

Rectangle (m)

Ellipse

Paintbrush (b)

Pencil (n)

Hand (spacebar)

Zoom (z)

Group/ungroup

Bring to back/front

Undo (apple z)

Welcome to Tyler!

Tyler Pre-College Summer Workshop 2011

Digital Illustration and Design (2D)

The world has become increasingly digitized. By integrating digital photography, existing images, and found objects, students will explore visual organization to discover new design solutions. Technical and aesthetic skills will integrate design elements of color, form, typography and composition. This workshop will focus on introducing the computer as a design tool. Students will create visually stimulating work using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop on a Mac platform. Basic computer skills are recommended.

This ten-day workshop will allow artists to examine the basic tools and abilities of both Illustrator and Photoshop with a certain degree of depth, and will facilitate future ease of use.While ten days isn’t enough to really break through and learn it all, artists will feel comfortable exploring details and options on their own, and will have a good idea how to use the computer as an artmaking tool as well as integrating design principles.

The following course outline shows chronology and tools used, though the projects may vary to provide a little wiggle room.

	Program	Tools used, skills learned	Project
1	Intro to Mac, intro to Illustrator	Navigating the Mac, design basics, getting online, understanding vectors, navigating Illustrator
2	Illustrator	Shape tools, color modes, outline, fill, pattern & gradient – desaturation, repetition & scale impact on focal point	Still life w/variations
3	Illustrator	Pencil tool, transparency, stroke, brushes, grouping & locking shapes; more advanced shape & line tools – picture planes & visual path	Framed illustration
4	Illustrator	Pen tool, autotrace, layers	Self portrait with alter ego
5	Illustrator	More sophisticated tools	Self portrait with alter ego
6	Photoshop	Basic digital photography, taking & downloading photos, levels, color adjustments, contrast & brightness, resolution & file size	Basic photo alterations – diptych, saturated & desaturated color, b&w
7	Photoshop	Selecting, feathering, layering, creating a composite image	The mashup
8	Photoshop	Filters, stamp tool, cropping, scanning, print size, printing	Collaborative composite image
9		Bringing Illustrator into Photoshop	Vector & texture
10		Bringing Illustrator into Photoshop	Vector & texture

why being careful matters!

I read a terrific article last night about totalitarian governments using photoshop poorly to create propaganda. By and large, the mistakes they make are typical student mistakes...

importing illustrator to photoshop

You can open an illustrator file in photoshop, and then combine that image with other pixel based images, including the addition of texture -which is a great look.

In photoshop, go to file - open and select your illustrator file. In the following popup window, adjust your resolution to 300dpi and hit open. It'll take a moment as photoshop rasterizes your vector file, and then it's open. If your file opens and it doesn't include your entire composition, that's because it opens only what fits on the artboard of your illustrator file - just go back to illustrator and resize your composition so it fits on the artboard, save it and then open again in photoshop.

At this point, you can add other files and play with blending modes & opacity. Use the magic wand to select areas on your illustrator drawing - it's really easy for the wand to select areas since the vector drawing is so clean and has distinct edges.

photoshop panorama

There are 2 ways to combine several photos and create a panoramic photo.

First:

open all your photos

check the image size (image menu - image size)

create a new file with enough space for all 3 (3 photos that are 8x10" means you need a new file that's 8x30")

copy and paste the first 2 photos

drop the opacity on one photo so you can see through to where it matches up (50% or so)

use your transform tools (skew, distort or warp) to make it match

play with the puppet warp (edit-puppet warp) to add pins and adjust multiple anchor points

clean the seam (if it's really obvious) with the erase tool, and adjust the opacity to nibble

adjust color balance or brightness/contrast if color or values differ

keep adding other files

use the crop tool to tidy up the borders and delete unused negative space

Or:

go to File-Automate-Photomerge

select the source files (I use 'add open files' to keep it simple) and hit OK

this merges things automatically, but it doesn't always do the best job, so you may need to use the steps above to tidy up

figure/ground...

For the next project, we'll consider the figure/ground relationship. Take a whole mess of photos of people and places - think about things that are specific to your time here at Tyler, and things that come from your everyday life at home. We'll combine the two in a panoramic image tomorrow.

Meanwhile, take a look at Kahn & Selesnick's website to see how they create montage work of people in space.

photomontage tools

Adding to the basic selection & adjustment tools from yesterday, you can create more subtle & unified compositions by playing with the following tools:

clone stamp (option click to set target, play with opacity & brush size)

free transform & transform options (edit menu, experiment with warp, distort & skew)

filters (use sparingly & with caution)

liquify filter (better than most filters, as it allows you to be selective with your changes)

blur/smudge/sharpen

burn/dodge/sponge (allows you to fine tune small light & dark areas, or de/saturate - helps create a focal point)

refine edge: after a selection is made hit the refine edge button (on the top menu bar) and tinker with your options - feather, smooth etc

masking layer (on layer palette, create a masking layer, use the paintbrush tool; black hides, white reveals)

Create a new file (8x10" at 300dpi) and paste in your photos - 3 figures, curious object, furniture, architectural element, map/diagram/chart. Take a look at Jane Hammond'spaintings to see how she unifies multiple objects through scale, color & transparency. Create a composition that avoids a central focal point, use repetition & variety and at least 20 layers for the final image.

photomontage prep

For tomorrow's class I'd like you to bring a bunch of photos to work with. Bring extra, just in case!

Bring:

3 (or more) expressive & dynamic human figures

an antique architectural element

a curious object

patterns/textures/abstractions

rectangular & circular shapes

The more you have, the more flexibility you've got.

basic photoshop tools

Start by creating a new file, 8x10" at 300dpi (make 300 your default resolution)

Paintbrush (adjust size, opacity & hardness on menu toolbar)

Paintbucket (adjust opacity & tolerance)

Eraser (brush options just like paintbrush)

Use basic Image-Adjustment options to fine tune your images before you get started: levels, brightness/contrast (use legacy for more dramatic effects) color balance, hue & saturation
Use selection tools to grab areas - either to copy/paste or to manipulate color or light levels:marquee rectangle, lasso (polygonal & magnetic; delete to back up an anchor point at a time), magic wand (quick select is a mixed blessing) change the feathering options or refine edges afterwards for a smoother look
You can add to or subtract from a selection as well; hold shift & select to add more, hold option & select to remove an area. Remember that you can save a selection (select menu, save) and reopen it at a later date without losing any work.
Each layer has its own opacity & blending mode options on the layer palette.

Inverse selection

For now, clean up 3 photos with the color & level options - one of each genre; landscape, portrait & abstraction. Then, create a new file and make 2 diptychs where the combination of 2 photo files makes a new relationship.

next week

Over the weekend I'd like you to take some photos so we can get right down to work on monday. Take:

5 portraits

5 landscapes

5 pattern/texture/abstract photos
5 rectangular & circular shapes

We'll start with some basic Photoshop alterations to get familiar with the program, and then do something more complicated tues - thurs.

When you take your photos, please consider viewing distance & angles, as we discussed in class. Avoid centering your work, and play with below & above eye level perspectives as well as being further & closer to your subjects. Take a variety, and bring the best 5 of each topic.

type tools & Book of Trades

In 1568 Jost Amman published his Book of Trades, a collection of illustrations with text that described basic functions of human endeavor. The prints themselves are lovely - a clear focal point, figure/ground relationship and great line quality.

Lots of artists have tried to contend with basic professional descriptions of people - profession as a description of identity. Eric Doeringer made children's toys, but avoided "doctor" or "firefighter" options in favor of "Junky" and "Bag lady". Manchester based collective Dorothy created a line of green army men showing the effects of post traumatic stress disorder - rather than seeing the traditional army guys (flamethrower, machine gunner, radio guy) we now see wheelchair bound soldier, domestic violence soldier, suicidal soldier.

For our final illustrator project we'll be making our own Book of Trades illustration. Think about what kind of profession you hope to practice, that you're afraid you'll end up practicing, or just make a spoof of some option. Come prepared with photos or sketches of a person & negative space so that we can get to work right away. We'll also work with text, so consider a short descriptive (or comedic) description of the duties of whatever job you're planning to illustrate.

Focus on a picture plane, so that the borders reinforce key elements of your thinking on the trade you selected. Use basic text tools to add language that describes your take on that profession and makes it visual as well as legible.

Type tool

Type on a path

Area type

(to transform fonts to shape go to Type - Create Outlines)

Don't forget to hand letter as well, for more control & style.

some more sophisticated tools

If you want to experiment with more tools try these:

pathfinder palette (unite, minus front, exclude, intersect)

make a clipping mask (2 objects that overlap, Object menu, Clipping Mask, Make)

effects menu (distort & transform, stylize & 3D options)

These tools will allow you to confine patterns to the boundaries of certain shapes (pathfinder), confine images to larger shapes (clipping mask) or add automatic effects to shapes (drop shadow). They can also be more trouble than they're worth, so use them selectively & experiment.

flight vs invisibility....

Here's the link to the episode of This American Life. Look for a tiny orange triangle to play the podcast. Very funny, and should start you thinking about alter ego self portraits. Enjoy!

pen tool & tracing

For today's self portrait we'll be using the pen tool & eyedropper. Both tools offer more control & precision, and will allow you to have a solidly rendered portrait.

Go to File-Place and drop in your photo - remember not to "link" the photo! Lock Layer 1 and dim image to 70% create a new layer and then begin drawing on Layer 2. Now you can hide Layer 1 from time to time to see how your drawing is turning out.

Use the eyedropper to select colors for skin & hair tones, but limit the amount of color/value you use. I typically use only 5 per area, just to keep things consistent - if you select with the eyedropper from the photo you'll keep grabbing different pixels & different shades - it can get weird in a hurry.

Tools we used:

pen

add & delete anchor points

eyedropper

layers

create new

lock

hide/view

dim image to x%

magic wand tool

lasso selection

Edit menu - edit colors - recolor artwork or saturation

Tomorrow we'll work on a 2nd variation of the portrait, either with a new photo, or by adding new elements to the first drawing you made. We'll avoid a strict naturalistic rendering in favor of an art image that's more descriptive of you and what you are - your alter ego.

wed project...

For tomorrow, bring a couple self portrait photos - we'll use them for the next project. I'll try to remember a camera just in case....

still life and more drawing tools

line vs shape

gradients

transparency

smooth & erase pencils

scissors, knife & eraser

paintbrush vs pencil

brushes palette

stroke palette & width tool

mesh tool

symbol sprayer

swatches & pattern

warp tools

view menu:

smart guides

show/hide artboard

show/hide grid

show/hide edges

Work on this for a while, and then make some adjustments to create a focal point. What's the most important object/area? How will your audience know it? Adjust the scale (after grouping!), desaturate the colors or use repetition to make the focal point clear.

Scale: group object, use scale tool or black select arrow - hold shift to enlarge and keep proportional

Repetition: group, select, copy & paste (or option drag)

Desaturate: add a large grey shape on top of entire object, adjust the transparency (this lowers the chroma, robbing the intensity of color)

basic drawing tools

The basics:

Palettes & tear-offs

Tools

Artboard

Object

Paths

Anchor point

Fill

Stroke

The tools:

Selection (v)

Direct selection (a)

Rectangle (m)

Ellipse

Paintbrush (b)

Pencil (n)

Pen (p)

Hand (spacebar)

Zoom (z)

Group/ungroup

Bring to back/front

Undo (apple z)

Intro to the Mac -

Basic terms:

Start up

Desktop

Mouse

Cursor

Icon

Dock

Folder & views

Trash

Application & switching through them

Menus

Apple menu – sleep, shut down, force quit

Save, save as

Flash drive, ejecting & emptying trash on flash drives

CD-rom & volume adjustments

welcome to Tyler!

Tyler Pre-College Summer Workshop 2011

Digital Illustration and Design (2D)

The world has become increasingly digitized. By integrating digital photography, existing images, and found objects, students will explore visual organization to discover new design solutions. Technical and aesthetic skills will integrate design elements of color, form, typography and composition. This workshop will focus on introducing the computer as a design tool. Students will create visually stimulating work using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop on a Mac platform. Basic computer skills are recommended.

This ten-day workshop will allow artists to examine the basic tools and abilities of both Illustrator and Photoshop with a certain degree of depth, and will facilitate future ease of use.While ten days isn’t enough to really break through and learn it all, artists will feel comfortable exploring details and options on their own, and will have a good idea how to use the computer as an artmaking tool as well as integrating design principles.

The following course outline shows chronology and tools used, though the projects may vary to provide a little wiggle room.

	Program	Tools used, skills learned	Project
1	Intro to Mac, intro to Illustrator	Navigating the Mac, design basics, getting online, understanding vectors, navigating Illustrator
2	Illustrator	Shape tools, color modes, outline, fill, pattern & gradient – desaturation, repetition & scale impact on focal point	Still life w/variations
3	Illustrator	Pencil tool, transparency, stroke, brushes, grouping & locking shapes; more advanced shape & line tools – picture planes & visual path	Framed illustration
4	Illustrator	Pen tool, autotrace, layers	Self portrait with alter ego
5	Illustrator	More sophisticated tools	Self portrait with alter ego
6	Photoshop	Basic digital photography, taking & downloading photos, levels, color adjustments, contrast & brightness, resolution & file size	Basic photo alterations – diptych, saturated & desaturated color, b&w
7	Photoshop	Selecting, feathering, layering, creating a composite image	The mashup
8	Photoshop	Filters, stamp tool, cropping, scanning, print size, printing	Collaborative composite image
9		Bringing Illustrator into Photoshop	Vector & texture
10		Bringing Illustrator into Photoshop	Vector & texture

photoshop panorama

There are 2 ways to combine several photos and create a panoramic photo.

First:

open all your photos

check the image size (image menu - image size)

create a new file with enough space for all 3 (3 photos that are 8x10" means you need a new file that's 8x30")

copy and paste the first 2 photos

drop the opacity on one photo so you can see through to where it matches up (50% or so)

use your transform tools (skew, distort or warp) to make it match

play with the puppet warp (edit-puppet warp) to add pins and adjust multiple anchor points

clean the seam (if it's really obvious) with the erase tool, and adjust the opacity to nibble

adjust color balance or brightness/contrast if color or values differ

keep adding other files

use the crop tool to tidy up the borders and delete unused negative space

Or:

go to File-Automate-Photomerge

select the source files (I use 'add open files' to keep it simple) and hit OK

this merges things automatically, but it doesn't always do the best job, so you may need to use the steps above to tidy up

importing illustrator to photoshop

You can open an illustrator file in photoshop, and then combine that image with other pixel based images, including the addition of texture -which is a great look.

In photoshop, go to file - open and select your illustrator file. In the following popup window, adjust your resolution to 300dpi and hit open. It'll take a moment as photoshop rasterizes your vector file, and then it's open. If your file opens and it doesn't include your entire composition, that's because it opens only what fits on the artboard of your illustrator file - just go back to illustrator and resize your composition so it fits on the artboard, save it and then open again in photoshop.

At this point, you can add other files and play with blending modes & opacity. Use the magic wand to select areas on your illustrator drawing - it's really easy for the wand to select areas since the vector drawing is so clean and has distinct edges.

figure/ground

For the next project, we'll consider the figure/ground relationship. Take a whole mess of photos of people and places - think about things that are specific to your time here at Tyler, and things that come from your everyday life at home. We'll combine the two in a panoramic image tomorrow.

Meanwhile, take a look at Kahn & Selesnick's website to see how they create montage work of people in space.

photomontage tools

Adding to the basic selection & adjustment tools from yesterday, you can create more subtle & unified compositions by playing with the following tools:

clone stamp (option click to set target, play with opacity & brush size)

free transform & transform options (edit menu, experiment with warp, distort & skew)

filters (use sparingly & with caution)

liquify filter (better than most filters, as it allows you to be selective with your changes)

blur/smudge/sharpen

burn/dodge/sponge (allows you to fine tune small light & dark areas, or de/saturate - helps create a focal point)

refine edge: after a selection is made hit the refine edge button (on the top menu bar) and tinker with your options - feather, smooth etc

masking layer (on layer palette, create a masking layer, use the paintbrush tool; black hides, white reveals)

Create a new file (8x10" at 300dpi) and paste in your photos - 3 figures, curious object, furniture, architectural element, map/diagram/chart. Take a look at Jane Hammond's paintings to see how she unifies multiple objects through scale, color & transparency. Create a composition that avoids a central focal point, use repetition & variety and at least 20 layers for the final image.

basic photo tools

Use basic Image-Adjustment options to fine tune your images before you get started:

levels

brightness/contrast (use legacy for more dramatic effects)

color balance

hue & saturation

Use selection tools to grab areas - either to copy/paste or to manipulate color or light levels:

marquee rectangle

lasso (polygonal & magnetic; delete to back up an anchor point at a time)

magic wand (quick select is a mixed blessing)

change the feathering options or refine edges afterwards for a smoother look

You can add to or subtract from a selection as well; hold shift & select to add more, hold option & select to remove an area. Remember that you can save a selection (select menu, save) and reopen it at a later date without losing any work.

Each layer has its own opacity & blending mode options on the layer palette.

photomontage for wed

For tomorrow's class we'll play with more sophisticated tools to create a photomontage. If you have a chance, take some photos to bring. You'll need:

3 expressive/dynamic figures

an antique architectural element

a piece of furniture

a curious object

illustrator type tools

You can experiment with fonts & type in Illustrator in some interesting ways. The type tool allows you to lay down text, either traditionally, along a path or as a fill to a shape. If you don't have the same font at home, then go to the Type menu and Create Outlines. This converts the font to shape, and it's no longer an editable font. At this point you can play with warp, effect and other tools that you've used this week.

Don't be afraid to hand letter for a more unique style.

Type

type on a path

area type

Create outlines

Warp tools

no class

Keep in mind that there's no class on Monday - July 4th!

next week

Over the weekend I'd like you to take some photos so we can get right down to work on tuesday. Take:

5 portraits by a window

5 landscapes

5 abstract photos

We'll start with some basic Photoshop alterations to get familiar with the program, and then do something more complicated wed & thurs.

When you take your photos, please consider viewing distance & angles, as we discussed in class. Avoid centering your work, and play with below & above eye level perspectives as well as being further & closer to your subjects. Take a variety, and bring the best 5 of each topic.

Book of Trades

In 1568 Jost Amman published his Book of Trades, a collection of illustrations with text that described basic functions of human endeavor. The prints themselves are lovely - a clear focal point, figure/ground relationship and great line quality.

Lots of artists have tried to contend with basic professional descriptions of people - profession as a description of identity. Eric Doeringer made children's toys, but avoided "doctor" or "firefighter" options in favor of "Junky" and "Bag lady". Manchester based collective Dorothy created a line of green army men showing the effects of post traumatic stress disorder - rather than seeing the traditional army guys (flamethrower, machine gunner, radio guy) we now see wheelchair bound soldier, domestic violence soldier, suicidal soldier.

For our final illustrator project we'll be making our own Book of Trades illustration. Think about what kind of profession you hope to practice, that you're afraid you'll end up practicing, or just make a spoof of some option. Come prepared with photos or sketches of a person & negative space so that we can get to work right away. We'll also work with text, so consider a short descriptive (or comedic) description of the duties of whatever job you're planning to illustrate.

some more sophisticated tools

If you want to experiment with more tools try these:

pathfinder palette (unite, minus front, exclude, intersect)

make a clipping mask (2 objects that overlap, Object menu, Clipping Mask, Make)

effects menu (distort & transform, stylize & 3D options)

These tools will allow you to confine patterns to the boundaries of certain shapes (pathfinder), confine images to larger shapes (clipping mask) or add automatic effects to shapes (drop shadow). They can also be more trouble than they're worth, so use them selectively & experiment.

pen tool & tracing

For today's self portrait we'll be using the pen tool & eyedropper. Both tools offer more control & precision, and will allow you to have a solidly rendered portrait.

Go to File-Place and drop in your photo - remember not to "link" the photo! Lock Layer 1 and dim image to 70% create a new layer and then begin drawing on Layer 2. Now you can hide Layer 1 from time to time to see how your drawing is turning out.

Use the eyedropper to select colors for skin & hair tones, but limit the amount of color/value you use. I typically use only 5 per area, just to keep things consistent - if you select with the eyedropper from the photo you'll keep grabbing different pixels & different shades - it can get weird in a hurry.

Tools we used:

pen

add & delete anchor points

eyedropper

layers

create new

lock

hide/view

dim image to x%

Tomorrow we'll work on a 2nd variation of the portrait, either with a new photo, or by adding new elements to the first drawing you made. We'll avoid a strict naturalistic rendering in favor of an art image that's more descriptive of you and what you are - your alter ego.

wed project....

For tomorrow, bring a couple self portrait photos - we'll use them for the next project. I'll try to remember a camera just in case....

still life and more tools

line vs shape

gradients

transparency

smooth & erase pencils

scissors, knife & eraser

paintbrush vs pencil

brushes palette

stroke palette & width tool

mesh tool

symbol sprayer

swatches & pattern

warp tools

view menu:

smart guides

show/hide artboard

show/hide grid

show/hide edges

Work on this for a while, and then make some adjustments to create a focal point. What's the most important object/area? How will your audience know it? Adjust the scale (after grouping!), desaturate the colors or use repetition to make the focal point clear.

Scale: group object, use scale tool or black select arrow - hold shift to enlarge and keep proportional

Repetition: group, select, copy & paste (or option drag)

Desaturate: add a large grey shape on top of entire object, adjust the transparency (this lowers the chroma, robbing the intensity of color)

finishing up mom..

So yesterday we didn't get enough time to finish things up - we'll take another 20 minutes to wrap up that initial shape-only drawing. Here are some tools we didn't see yesterday:

paintbrush vs pencil

hand tool (spacebar)

group function

bring front/back (command [ and ])

undo (command z)

basic drawing tools

The basics:

Palettes & tear-offs

Tools

Artboard

Object

Paths

Anchor point

Fill

Stroke

The tools:

Selection (v)

Direct selection (a)

Rectangle (m)

Ellipse

Paintbrush (b)

Pencil (n)

Pen (p)

Hand (spacebar)

Zoom (z)

Group/ungroup

Bring to back/front

Undo (apple z)