Week 2 Day 2 - Thursday, Aug 30 - Homework

1. Keep up with visual journal blog. Blog entries (required Monday-Friday) will be graded weekly on Saturdays and factored into studio practices portion of grade.

2. Complete Photo Cropping Exercise and upload to blog post (via Visual Journal blog) by the start of next class, Tuesday, Sept 4, 12:30pm.

3. Create 5-10 freeform sketches or traced photographs of yourself to be used in your Typographic Self-Portrait project. Be sure to explore a variety of angles, facial expressions, portrait interpretations, etc. Sketches will be reviewed at the start of next class, Tuesday, Sept 4, 2:30pm.

Photo Crop Exercise

1. Locate 10 poorly composed photographs, and/or photographs that could be cropped uniquely so that attention is drawn to a different portion of the original image.

2. Using the cropping tool in Photoshop, crop each of your 10 photos to either a) improve the overall composition, or to b) change the tone and overall message of the image.

3. Upload both original image and crop images for each of your 10 photographs onto your visual journal blog. Post should be titled "Photo Crop Exercise-Aug 30". Then answer the following questions (for each of your 10 cropped images).

Reflection Questions
a)How has your chosen cropping improved the original image?
b) What unnecessary components in the original have been eliminated through cropping?
c) How has the focal point in each photo changes or been improved?


Photo Crop Exercise post due (via Visual Journal blog) by the start of next class, Tuesday, Sept 4, 12:30pm.




REFERENCE EXAMPLE:

Original Image #1

Cropped Image #1

Cropping has deemphasized the artist in the photograph, shifting focus solely to the illustration work on the phone booth. Besides the female artist looking up at her work, the distracting background and a coffee cup has been eliminated--which strengthens the image.,  What unnecessary components in the original have been eliminated through cropping? If the purpose was to examine the illustration, this crop does the job effectively. 

Week 2 Day 1 - Tuesday, Aug 28 - Homework

Project 1: Typographic Portrait-- Specifications

1. Begin Conceptual Brainstorming for Project 1. Think about what you want to use for your textual content (your name? a description of yourself?)

In your sketchbook write out the letters, words, phrases that you intend to use in your self portrait. Being to examine the formal structure of letters, numbers, and punctuation. Look for form and shape relationships between your intended text content. Sketches and text lists due for review Thursday, Aug 30, 12:30pm.

2. If you plan on using photographs in the Portrait Sketch process next week, be sure to photograph (digitally or print) yourself this weekend.

3. Email blog URL to instructor by start of next class.

4. Use Photoshop to change resolution (72) and size (width or height  no larger than 500), and save (as JPEG on to your flash drive) at least 10 different digital images. We will be using those images in the Illustrator and Photoshop demo next class.

Visual Diary/Journal

Set aside 10-15 minutes each day to create something new. Sketch, doodle, paint, photograph, write, design, type, collage. Whether you do it by hand, on paper or on the computer, document these creative exercises each day into your visual journal blog, as to develop a means to explore potential creative ideas and have digital documentation of all your thoughts, in order to revisit them when falling into a design rut.

 1. Read Visual Diary handout

2. Create your own visual journal blog. Sign up for a free blog account at blogger.com, tumblr.com, wordpress.com specifically for your visual journal this semester. Completion of daily entries will be factored into Studio Practices portion of course grade.

3. Email me your visual journal blog URL by the end of today's class session.


Sketchbook Resources
Claire Sambrook

The Sketchbook Project

Moleskin Sketchbooks

The Design Process

A successful design process involves a combination of intuitive and deliberate choices.

In order to push all conceptual ideas and opportunities that will result in an effective visual communication solution, you must consider the various phases of the design process.

3 Phases of the Design Process:

• Define the problem 
• Getting Ideas 
• Creating Form

Read Brainstorming/Mind Mapping handout (from Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming edited by Ellen Lupton)

Week 1 Day 2 - Thursday, Aug 23 Homework

1. Bring in 15 different digital images (some with people, some with objects) to class. We will used them in Photoshop demos next week.

2. Sign up for a blog account (blogger.com, tumblr.com, or wordpress.com). If you have never blogged before, at the very least, pick a blog service and sign up for a free account. Next week we will start using blogs to create a digital visual journal.

Week 1 Day 1 (Aug 21): Homework

1. Assignment 1: In a "visual diagram", map out the story of what you did this summer (work, travel, vacation, etc). You can use type, imagery, patterns, textures. Feel free to integrate a variety of different mediums and techniques, sketch, draw, paint, collage, etc.

Be creative! Final output must be at least 8 1/2" x 11" in size and can be physical or digital (saved as a PDF and added to visual diagram dropbox folder).

Due at the start of Wednesday's class session, Aug 22. 

 2. Accept dropbox invitation by start of next class session. If you have not received a dropbox invite from me, please see me after class.

 3. Take Learning Styles Quiz here (click on "start quiz" blue link)

Syllabus + Student Profile

Download Syllabus

Download Student Profile (fill out and submit via email rfujita@uidaho.edu by end of first class session)