Friday, September 30, 2011

Review Week 6

What is the pen tool used for?
the pen tool allows someone to trace of freely draw objects with anchors and paths and adjust the curve.


How can you manipulate a path/line in Illustrator? Discuss the use of the white arrow tool, pen+, pen-, and convert too.
The pen + or - adds or removes anchors or the starting point in a curve. The white arrow tool helps move the paths in a different direction or put the anchor in a new place to get the desired curve.


How can you utilize the layers palette in Illustrator?
Layers help the designer work with small pieces of a work at a time. He or she can make it visible or invisible so that they can try new things on a new layer, check to see if it is attractive or not or use different settings to make the layers of textures, brushes, or anything else have different effects on an image.


How do you create a clipping mask in Adobe Illustrator?
Make a colorless, fill-less shape around the area that is supposed to be colored with the image, and put it in the top layer. Select the shape that is supposed to be filled, click options >> clipping mask >> make.

Review Week 5

Shape

Triangles are the main shapes used.  They create an interesting composition by overlapping each other and creating other shapes with the darker colors.  The way they point in different directions helps the eye move to different parts of the page.


Line

The different variations of lines create variety in this sketch.  There are straight lines, curved lines, and lines with pattern.  The variety creates interest which enhances the image.


Texture

Texture creates a surface.  This texture looks like it can be touched which pleasantly enhances the image.  The bubbles look realistic and make me, a viewer, want to touch my computer and pop them.


Space

This image has positive and negative space.  The positive space is the circles which are interesting, but the negative space around it keeps it from overwhelming the viewer.


Value

The value creates another dimension.  It has light and dark to show where light and shadows hit.  It enhances the image by creating perception and depth.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Review Week 4

Why/how can icons be used to communicate?

Icons are used to give a reader a simple presentation of a message so all that it needed is a quick glance.


Examples:





What is the difference between copyright and public domain?
Copyright reserves their own rights about protecting work, but public domain is free use for anyone.


How can you avoid plagairism in this class? In other classes?
Citing information and giving credit when necessary.

Review Week 3

1) What is OSHA? What do the letters stand for?
OSHA prevents and publicizes occupational safety hazards.  It stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration.


2) How can graphic designers effectively communicate?  In your own words, explain the communication process.
Graphic designers can effectively communicate visually with words and pictures to convey a message.  Examples include pictures to tempt a consumer into buying something, an emotional photo to portray a mood, or different fonts to give a feel what an event will be like.  The communication process has a sender and a receiver.  The sender thinks of the message and delivers it.  The receiver receives the message and interprets it.


3) Understanding the history, culture, and movements of fine and graphic arts will make you a better producer of visual messages.  Why?
Having background knowledge of art can help with a number of things.  Different projects or assignments may be revolved around a different time or have a cultural theme.  Having exposure to different cultures and time periods can help with inspiration, creating a style, and being knowledgeable to anyone who asks for a work done in a different time or culture.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Podcast #1

What does it take to create good graphic design?
Creativity, ethic, and a willingness to learn new techniques

What is the difference between elements and principles?
Elements are the components or parts that can be isolated in any visual design, principles show how much these elements are organized.

Name the six (6) elements of design.
Line, shape/form, space, texture, value, color

What can lines aid in, when alone or combined with other lines or shapes?
Shape, meaning, aid in appearance and message, movement

Which lines suggest a feeling of rest? Why do you think?
Horizontal, it reminds the reader of relaxing concepts such as calm water or beds.

Vertical lines communicate a feeling of what? Why do you think?
Loftiness, it reminds readers of tall things such as buildings and statues.

What lines suggest a feeling of movement? Why do you think?
Diagonal lines, they direct the eye accross the page.

Soft, shallow curved lines suggest what? Why do you think?
Relaxation, safety, they slowly, calmly direct the eye accross the page.

These lines suggest confusion and turbulence? Why do you think?
Deep acute curves, they are tighter, have more noise, and create an image of speed

What element defines a specific area of space?
shape

What is the difference between two dimensional shapes and three dimensional shapes?
2 dimensional object have width and length, but 3-dimensional objects have depth as well.

Describe the difference between geometric shapes and organic shapes?
Geometric structure, often symmetrical organic- found in nature, irregular and fluid

What are abstract shapes?
Stylized, or over simplified versions of natural shapes

Which basic shape projects an attitude of honesty or equality?
square

What do triangles suggest?
action/stability

Circles convey feelings of what?
protection/infinity

Describe positive space and negative space?
Positive space is all the elements together, space, or objects on a page. Negative space is the white space around the positive space and offers a place for the eye to rest.

What is texture?
Can refer to the actual survace of a design with the reader actually being able to feel the texure, or implied with rich, layered graphics

Incorporating texture into a design can help do what?
Creates a feeling of richness and depth

What is value?
degree of light and dark in a design

What is another name for value?
tone

What can the element of color do when incorporated into a design?
Convey moods, create images, attract attention, and identify objects

Intro Goals

Why did you take this class?
Graphic design is something I have been obsessed with since I was 9 or 10 years old. On the virtual website, Neopets, I would not care about playing the games, earning money, or any of the options normal fourth graders would focus on. I would join guilds, make layouts (obsessively), talk to people about different ideas about what would look best, and help people out. My weekends would consist of sitting on swimchick.net or any other resource site teaching myself how to use Paint Shop Pro 7 & 8, downloading brushes, and really looking around at other people's layouts for ideas to make these guild pages look amazing. I decided even before middle school, before I even had a chance to grow up, at just ten years old that graphic design is what I want to do with my life.


What goals do you have for the class?
My main goal in this class is to learn about what skills are needed to make it in the real world. What I taught myself in elementary school is mainly how to manipulate cartoon images, adding layers and brushes, fixing colors, to make a fun edited picture with a place to put information. The real world of graphic design requires logos, album covers, and other media which is important to learn. Another goal is to learn the Adobe programs well. Jasc Paint Shop Pro is a great program, but not widely used. Photoshop has endless resources, is used by everyone in the graphic industry, and is important to learn. But overall, the main goal is to expose myself to instructional graphic design and to learn what the industry has to offer.