(The example image above is an RGB mode JPEG formatted for screen resolution and the web, however, when you click on the image it directs you to a print ready CMYK formatted PDF).
Specific Communication – Composition, Type, Image & Color – Solving Problems
Project Title – “Collaborative ZINE”
We will have a full lab session to work on and prepare our Mid-term projects this week during our class time on 3/21/18 . We will present our final designs in class on 3/28/18.
Design Specs – As per our conversation during our last class session – You have been selected to contribute 2 pages to a collaborative magazine that produces a quarterly publication in both a printed edition and an online digital version. Your submission to the publication will creatively communicate how technology and creativity are powerful tools for inspiration, digital storytelling and design. You have the creative freedom to produce and generate your contributions with full autonomy, however, your final submissions should display an integrated composition of imagery (use of layers and opacity) along with text. (see example above)
Students will have the ability to revise the works after the critique on 3/28 if they wish.
***Size Requirements – 8.5 X 11 inches Vertical
Usage of Imagery – Students should NOT randomly use images that find on the Internet, especially with out proper attribution to its creator. Please refer to our class resources page and work from the numerous repositories of public domain and creative commons sources – go here – https://bmccmma100.commons.gc.cuny.edu/course-resources/
Software Skill Showcase – Over the past 6 weeks we have toggled through learning various techniques and methods working with both adobe photoshop and illustrator. All image related composing and manipulations should be generated in photoshop, saved as a .psd file and placed into a new illustrator document (sized at 8.5 X 11 CMYK color mode) for typesetting and laying down text. (Please do not use photoshop for adding text with this assignment).
Submissions – Students will save all of their work and submit a compressed folder of all of their working files. This will include the original .psd photoshop and .Ai illustrator files – A .pdf saved via illustrator for print (display for class critique on 3/28/18) and one high resolution jpeg. for the digital zine publication on this website. (Convert to smart object and e-mail to me).
***I will give a demonstration on creating the folder and compressing it for submission on 3/28.
HAVE FUN!
YES, you MAY create more than the minimum of two examples that you are being asked to complete!
(Week #6s’ website content included several resources on typography, color theory and two great talks by John Maeda).
Upon arrival to class this evening 3/14 please review the information below:
1. Please print and pin up your Elements & Principles of Design assignments (print as pdf. files)** Class critique.
2. Class Exercise – If you have not yet done so, Please complete the lab work on week #5s in class assignment on shape, form, variety, color & composition using Illustrator. Click here for a .pdf example.
*Be sure to add your name and course info as seen in the example. Print your work as a .pdf as well as by exporting it for the web as a .jpeg file (we will recap in class).
3. Class Discussion & Assignment – Applying type to Images, fonts, typefaces, composition, formatting and output for print & the web..
Typefaces and Fonts are built out of shapes and forms. Integrated with color and interesting compositions they become a powerful tool for creative output and the ability to solve design problems through visual communication.
Assignment – Poster Design with Type & the Alphabet. Create a new poster design using typography. Students will generate a balanced composition using each individual letter of the alphabet. The examples above are just a few potential examples of style, simplicity and efficiency.
Size requirements – 8.5 inches X 11 inches
Typefaces – Limit yourself to no more than 5-6 different fonts and 4 color values.
Step 1 – Find and discover your own inspiration and share the URLs in the comments section below. Each student will add 2-3 Urls of their inspiration in the comment section before starting this assignment.
Things to consider – Layout & balance – Using rulers and grids. Free transformation & typesetting style.
Specific Communication – Composition, Type, Image & Color – Solving Problems
Project Title – “Collaborative ZINE”
We are at the mid-point of the semester! Wow! Lets discuss our Mid-term project and up coming critique. We will have a full lab session to work on and prepare our Mid-term projects next week during our class time on 3/21/18 . We will present our final designs in class on 3/28/18.
Design Specs – You have been selected to contribute 2 pages to a collaborative magazine that produces a quarterly publication in both a printed edition and an online digital version. Your submission to the publication will creatively display how technology and creativity are powerful tools for inspiration, digital storytelling, communication and design. You have the creative freedom to produce and generate with full autonomy.
Size Requirements – 8.5 X 11 inches Vertical
Submissions – pdf. for print (display for class critique on 3/28/18) and one high resolution jpeg. for the digital zine publication on this website. (Convert to smart object and e-mail to me).
**Please print and pin up your Elements & Principles of Design assignments (print as pdf. files)** Class critique.
Class Exercise – Continued lab work on last week’s in class assignment on shape, form, variety, color & composition using Illustrator. Click here for a .pdf example.
*Be sure to add your name and course info as seen in the example.
Color Theory Help?
Adobes awesome Color Wheel Simulator – Shared via Petra (Thank You!)
Typography in Adobe Illustrator – Screening – Usefulness
Class Discussion – Applying type to Images, fonts, typefaces, composition, formatting and output to print & the Web..
Class project – Poster Design with Type & the Alphabet.
Typefaces and Fonts are built out of shapes and forms. Integrated with color and interesting compositions they become a powerful tool for creative output and the ability to solve design problems through visual communication.
Assignment – Create a new poster design using typography and a balanced composition using each individual letter of the alphabet. The examples above are just a few potential examples. Find and discover your own inspiration and share the URLs in the comments section below. Each student will add 2-3 Urls in the comment section.
Size requirements – 8.5 inches X 11 inches
Typefaces – Limit yourself to no more than 5-6 different fonts and 4 color values.
Things to consider – Layout & balance – Using rulers and grids. Free transformation & typsetting style.
Specific Communication – Composition, Type, Image & Color – Solving Problems
Next week is the mid point of the semester! Wow! Lets discuss our Mid-term project and up coming critique. We will have a full lab session to work on and prepare our Mid-term projects.
Assignment #2 – Part 2 – Its time to print your Projects – The Elements of Design & The Principles of Design – Visual Layout & Print Production.
We created new documents in CMYK color mode using Adobe Illustrator last week in class. Do you need to download an example of the Adobe Illustrator Template for the Principles of Design? PDF files are easy to open, print and are editable using Illustrator. Click below and open the pdf in Illustrator.
2/28 – Class exercise :: Illustrator. Creating shapes with the shape builder tool. Working with layers, simplifying and reducing images. Working with color, locating color books and pantone colors.
Video Tutorial – This past week we took a tour of Adobe Illustrator and practiced creating new documents and setting up our art boards for print production, (we will review that this week as well) Let’s take an additional tour with Adobe Wizard – Terry White
10 Things Beginners Want To Know How To Do (subscribe to Terry’s Channel!)
Click on the image to view a print ready pdf file
**In Class Assignment 2/28 – Illustrator Tutorials – Composition, shape building, alignment, form & color. What role does color play applied to shapes and forms?
(See Example Above)
1. Open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document sized at 11″ X 17″ in CMYK color mode. We will be both printing and displaying the final work on screen.
Consider, how will you set your guides to equally balance and format the graphics evenly? Will you use a grid? Do you have a preferred method for layout?
2. Create a new series of subjective graphic Icons following the layout and arrangement above. Don’t re-create my example, make your own, but follow the composition.
3. Limit yourself to 6 or 7 values of 1 complimentary color scheme. Consider referring to the color wheel for reference!
4. Limit yourself to creating and composing your graphics with no more than 6 shapes created with the pathfinder or the shape builder tool. Begin without using a stroke around your shapes and then apply a stroke for contrast.
5. Save your work as an Ai. file (adobe illustrator) as well as a .pdf – Print your work in .pdf format.
6. E-mail your final PDF. to me – rseslow@bmcc.cuny.edu ****If your file pdf file is too large to send via e-mail (and it may – you can easily use a free service like – wetransfer.com to send the large document)
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An Introduction to Typography & Its History – Letterforms / Designing with Type
Using a Grid Format – Gestalt, Contrast, Repetition, Alignment & Proximity
Did you complete Part 1 of the Elements of Design Assignment? Lets take a look. Class Presentations & Discussion.
**Need a visual example of Part 1 of the project?Check here
Class Exercise: Assignment #2 – Part 2
Working with Photoshop. Lets apply additional layers, filters and image manipulating techniques to customize our progress. Class demonstrations.
Working from the original psd. document / template that you have created in part 1 of this assignment, students will use and apply additional layers to enhance and manipulate their image selections for the Elements of Art.
Outcome – Students will save two variations of the project as a photoshop psd. file as well as exporting the files as a .jpeg for the web (demonstration in class) Students will also print out a CMYK .jpeg version of the project as well.
Assessment of the project: How has illustrating the vocabulary with images helped your understanding of each term? Discussion.
Color Theory Continued – What did you think of the links posted last week on Color Theory? Let’s dig in deeper this week. (Image via Arhaus‘ via Justcreative)
The link below was published via – JustCreative.com – This is great guide to understanding color in design with an emphasis on logos, identity and branding.
I highly recommend visiting and learning from JustCreative.com aka – Jacob Cass – Jacob is an amazing graphic designer and conduit of great design resources.
Video Screenings –
Photoshop Tutorial – The top 10 Things photoshop Beginners Want To Know How To Do
I love and recommend Terry White’s Youtube channel. He is an Adobe software wizard! Subscribe here.
Who is Michael Bierut and Why is he important? Please watch the video outside of class this week and respond in the comments section below. This is mandatory)
What is GESTALT and why is it important in Design? An introduction.
The Principles of Design – Working with and applying color to the principles of design – Continued layout, composition and peeking into adobe Illustrator.
Assignment Specifications: Students will generate a series of visual examples and solutions to define, communicate and illustrate the vocabulary of the Principles of Design. Each term will display an example of : Balance, Contrast, Direction, Economy, Emphasis, Proportion, Rhythm & Unity.
Size: – Students will determine the size of the layout – The final design may be a composite of 8 shapes composed and arranged onto one single page.
Process:
Part 1 – Student will first create a layout based on research and investigation via the Internet and class resources. Each term for the principles of design will be illustrated by cutting, formatting and placing an example into a composition. (the example from last week is one example, you can create your own)
Part 2 – Students will generate their own examples of each term using techniques learned in class with both photoshop and adobe illustrator.
R&D – Where will you find visual inspiration and research?
Students should conduct research! (and not select only one image) Build a small repository of images and references! We will discuss this in class – generate or organize a series of thumbnails using pencil and a sketchbook (or their preferred method) to brain storm and illustrate their process.
Production:
Students will prepare their final works for both print out put in (CMYK) as well as presentation and application on the web (RGB).
Due dates for next week: We will be working on and completing part 1 of this project in class 2/21 and moving on to part 2 next week.
Please re-review the vocabulary below.
The Principles of Design
The principles of design are applicable to all design disciplines including – but not exclusive to – architecture, art, graphics, fashion, industrial design, poetry, writing, and web design.
The principles of design are tools used to format the elements of design.
Balance – The elements of design converge to create a design or arrangement of parts that appear to be a whole with equilibrium.
Contrast – The “automatic principle.” Whenever an element is placed within a format, contrast is created in the various elements. Can be emphasized with contrast in size, shape, color,
Direction – Utilizing movement to create the visual illusion of displacement.
Economy – A principle operating on the “slim.” Especially important when dealing with clients, where their product or service is more important than the elaboration of design elements. Can also be considered “precise,” or “simplistic.” Or, it can be considered great design.
Emphasis – Also known as dominance. This condition exists when an element or elements within a visual format contain a hierarchy of visual importance.
Proportion – A two- or three-dimensional element defined by other elements of design.
Rhythm – A recurrence or repetition of one or more elements within a visual format, creating harmony.
Unity – Oneness, Harmony, The condition of completeness with the use of all visual elements within a format.
Lets recap on Week#2 – class information and assignment? Go here.
Postcard Presentations! Assignment #1 is Due. Lets talk about screen presentations and printing formats – Class critique of the completed first project.
Assignment #2 – Part 1 & 2
Assignment Specifications: Students will generate a series of visual examples and solutions to communicate and illustrate the vocabulary of the elements of design. Each term will display an example of : Color, Line, Mass, Movement, Space, Texture, Type & Value.
Size: – 8.5″ X 8.5″ – The final design will be a composite of 8 squares composed and arranged by each student.
Process:
Part 1 – Student will first create a layout based on research and investigation via the Internet and class resources. Each term for the elements of design will be illustrated by cutting, formatting and placing the example into a composite. (the example below is one example, you can create your own)
Part 2 – Students will generate their own examples of each term using techniques learned in class with both photoshop and adobe illustrator.
R&D – Where will you find visual inspiration and research?
1 – Thumbnail sketches – Students should generate a series of thumbnails sketches using pencil and their sketchbooks (or their preferred method) to brain storm and illustrate their process.
Production:
Students will prepare their final works for both print out put in (CMYK) as well as presentation and application on the web (RGB).
Due dates for next week: We will be working on and completing part 1 of this project in class 2/14. Part 2 will be due on Wednesday 2/21/18.
Blank Template example of the layout. (not including the border around the image)
The Principles of Design
The principles of design are applicable to all design disciplines including – but not exclusive to – architecture, art, graphics, fashion, industrial design, poetry, writing, and web design.
The principles of design are tools used to format the elements of design.
Balance – The elements of design converge to create a design or arrangement of parts that appear to be a whole with equilibrium.
Contrast – The “automatic principle.” Whenever an element is placed within a format, contrast is created in the various elements. Can be emphasized with contrast in size, shape, color,
Direction – Utilizing movement to create the visual illusion of displacement.
Economy – A principle operating on the “slim.” Especially important when dealing with clients, where their product or service is more important than the elaboration of design elements. Can also be considered “precise,” or “simplistic.” Or, it can be considered great design.
Emphasis – Also known as dominance. This condition exists when an element or elements within a visual format contain a hierarchy of visual importance.
Proportion – A two- or three-dimensional element defined by other elements of design.
Rhythm – A recurrence or repetition of one or more elements within a visual format, creating harmony.
Unity – Oneness, Harmony, The condition of completeness with the use of all visual elements within a format.
What is Color Theory? The Color Wheel – Lets talk color!
Useful Articles on Color Theory: We will be discussing more on Color Theory & its application this week!
(Please respond to one of the articles below in the comments section)
You will need to display both sides of the postcard in one single document. Front & Back.
**All Students will e-mail their finished Postcard assignment to me as a jpg. file -rseslow@bmm.cuny.edu or ryan@ryanseslow.com by Wednesday 2/14 at 5:30pm
We began our course and first assignment / project here in MMA 100 last week and will start our second class by reviewing the thumbnails, roughs and comps individually generated by the class. We will discuss the critique process and presenting our thumbnails, roughs and comps in the group setting.
Did you miss week #1 and its information, including assignment #1 (Part 1)?Review it here.
We will spend the second half of our class time working on part 2 of the Postcard project. We will get familiar with our work stations, get started with adobe photoshop, electronic imaging, scanning / photo documenting images and artwork, creating and working with various file types and bringing our roughs & comps into photoshop to produce the finished design.
*This Week’s Exercise – Cutting out Images in Photoshop / Making Graphic Assets: Cutting out images in various fragments is a task that all graphic designers will face on a regular basis. Learning various methods for cutting out images is a necessity. We will explore, experiment and share a few methods on how.
(This technique will be applied to the post card project if necessary).
Video Screening: Cutting out images in Photoshop (examples)
These tutorials above will help get you started with our class exercise, but ultimately, you will need to master the pen tool in both photoshop and illustrator for the cleanest vector cut outs. The video below is a great tutorial.
(Is there a specific tutorial that you learned from recently or over time? Share the URL link with a description of your experience in the comments section below)
Elements of Design:
The Elements & Principles of Design are the governing vocabulary that define, illustrate and communicate how Graphic Design functions all around us. We will start with the Elements.
Color – typically known as hue. This word represents a specific color or light wavelength found in the color spectrum, ranging circularly from red to yellow, green, blue and back to red.
Line – is a line just a series of points? Or is it the best way to get from point “A” to point “B”? As a geometric conception, a line is a point in motion, with only one dimension – length. Line has both a position and a direction in space. The variables of line are: size, shape, position, direction, number, interval and density. Points create lines, lines create shapes or planes and volume.
Mass – Here, mass is interchangeable with volume. A mass is a solid body or a grouping of visual elements (line, color, texture, etc.) that compose a solid form. Volume is a three-dimensional form comprising length, width, and depth. Three-dimensional forms contain points (vertices), lines (edges), and planes (surfaces). A mass is the two-dimensional appearance of a three-dimensional form.
Movement – Also known as motion. This element portrays the act or process of changing place or direction, orientation, and/or position through the visual illustration of starting or stopping points, blurring of action, etc. This is not animation, although animation is an end product of movement, as well as other elements of design.
Space – A two-or three-dimensional element defined by other elements of design.
Texture – A technique used in two-dimensional design to replicate three-dimensional surfaces through various drawing and media techniques. On three-dimensional surfaces, it is experienced by touch or by visual experience.
Type – Also known as typography, and it is considered an element in graphic design. Although it consists of elements of design, it is – in itself – often an element in the form of visual communication.
Value – Another word for the lightness or darkness of an area. Brightness measured in relationship to a graded scale from white to black.
What are some of today’s trends in Graphic Design? Lets take a look at this video below.
Assignment #2 – Part 1 & 2
Assignment Specifications: Students will generate a series of visual examples and solutions to communicate and illustrate the vocabulary of the elements of design. Each term will display an example of : Color, Line, Mass, Movement, Space, Texture, Type & Value.
Size: – 8.5″ X 8.5″ – The final design will be a composite of 8 squares composed and arranged by each student.
Process:
Part 1. Student will first create a layout based on research and investigation via the Internet and class resources. Each term for the elements of design will be illustrated by cutting, formatting and placing the example into a composite. (the example below is one example, you can create your own)
Part 2. Students will generate their own examples of each term using techniques learned in class with both photoshop and adobe illustrator.
R&D – Where will you find visual inspiration and research?
Production:
Students will prepare their final works for both print out put in (CMYK) as well as presentation and application on the web (RGB).
Due dates for next week: We will be working on and completing part 1 of this project in class 2/14. Part 2 will be due on Wednesday 2/21/18.
Blank Template example of the layout. (not including the border around the image)
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