Monday, November 22, 2021

Friday December 6 : Profile Mask Design

Demo & Studio Time:   You need one Profile Mask for your portfolio.
We will talk about making a clipping mask in your vectors, and how to add more interesting layers and designs.

Please push your design and elevate it to make it interesting and different.

Can you use multiple clipping masks?
Can you use compound path to create complex, multi shape masks?
Can you use opacities and blend modes to create interesting photo layers?
Can you use gradients?
Can you use Effects (Drop shadows)?
Can you use stroke only vectors?
Can you use the tablet to draw?
Can you use Blending to create cool designs?


For an A, make another design out of photos, vectors and clipping masks but do not use your face. What other images can you combine with the pen tool and clipping masks?

Wednesday March 11: Pen tool & Curvature Tool intro

Did you get your portfolio matching MY PORTFOLIO in terms of pages 
(deleted Part 1 Reflection, added Part 2 List, added Icon?)

We are going to start preparing for our next project- Profile Mask

New tool- the pen tool is VERY helpful but challenging. It creates shapes and silhouettes




This exercise will be done in Adobe Illustrator using silhouettes, shapes and vectors.

How do you make a shape? The PEN TOOL and anchor points.







and the Curvature Tool

But we are going to try the Bezier Game


Can you:
Make straight lines (click and shift)
Make geometric shapes
Make curvy lines (click/hold, use bars)
Make a heart (hold ALT to break the bar)
Make a "circle"
Use the Smooth tool
Control the pen and make a closed shape.

   Not this...

Ultimately we want to create more complicated shapes








Tuesday October 15: Sticker work

Things to note:
1. Tomorrow is no class- testing day
2. Grades are still being adjusted; we will talk about grades in class on Thursday when we are all back together
3. Frosh Sem tours (2,3,4) visitors to class this week to see what VAT is all about

and lastly.... Keep working on those stickers!

ONE sticker that juxtaposes two different things to make one is required for your portfolio.
MORE than one is encouraged. In fact, you get an entire 8.5x11 inch sheet of paper you can fill however you want. So you can print as many stickers as you like.

Consider using GRADIENTS and GRADIENT MESH for 3D form.
Consider using COLOR PALETTES to unify colors!




You can make variations off of one design....
Or make a few different designs...





Thursday October 10: Sticker Designing & Planning

Next portfolio work : Sticker Illustration
The sticker is just an output and usable version of an illustration you create. So you need an idea!

Create an idea for your Juxtaposition sticker... combining things to create new images or perhaps new meaning






Sticker GOALS:
Create a juxtaposed sticker from 2 or more reference photos using vectors & shapes
Use effective color schemes to create visually appealing stickers
Use these skills and learned experience in the future to create your own ORIGINAL designs.

**Try to create NEW imagery from non copyrighted image reference sources- meaning don't just pen tool over someone else's silhouette shape. COMBINE things.

So... Don't just pentool or build this clip art penguin


Find a penguin to use as a reference and then add to it


Find a cupcake... pentool or shapebuild or build your own

and combine to make



Or create your own animal or character- what is it's personality?


STEPS:
1. Get an idea.
Find reference photos- they can be entire shapes (hot dog) or an image you use a part of (wings from an eagle). You can use other clip art or illustrations, but you need to change it so much one doesn't recognize it as being from that art.  Why? Because Plagiarism



Find Inspiration.... use someone else's ideas or style to fuel your own... but don't pass it off as yours.
This is tough to do when you are learning. 


So as you learn, you might study or reproduce someone else's art. 
But DO NOT pass it off as yours- out there in the world.


2. Use Illustrator to your advantage.  Lock your Image layers. Use shapes, Pen Tool, White Arrow and Shape builder to build your outlines and shapes to build up your sticker. 

3.Final print sheet. Pull your vectors off your reference photo and alter them. Change colors, add background shapes.  You can print a whole sheet of the same sticker, or many stickers on one page.





Tuesday October 7: More illustrating

Today:
Let's finish your Ghost by customizing it... add details by building with shapes, tracing, etc.
Then let's do some more advanced illustrating of MONSTERS!

@weezdesign on Insta




These are created with combinations of
SHAPES & SHAPEBUILDER
PEN TOOL
STROKES/BRUSH MARKS
GRADIENTS
GRADIENT MESH
DROP SHADOWS

Let's make some together






Monday October 7 : Snapghost sticker practice

Last week we started our Snapghost... today you can add personality and details.

Reference Photo



Steps


Make the ghost your own!



Need more practice more PEN TOOL?!!! Want a refresher of the basics?
Pen Tool practice video by a designer and her practice sheet
Here is a very detailed practice sheet (download the AI file and then click on it in the download bar below to open in Illustrator)


Friday October 4 : Portfolios due, tattoo designs and drawing...

Today's schedule!
Period 1:      7:25  -  8:06 AM
Period 2:       8:11 -  8:52 AM
Period 3:       8:57 -  9:38 AM
Period 4:       9:43 - 10:24 AM
Period 5:     10:29 - 11:10 AM
Period 6:     11:15 - 11:56 AM
Period 7:     12:01 - 12:42 PM
Period 8:     12:47 - 1:28 PM
Period 9:      1:33  -  2:14  PM
PEP RALLY  2:19 - 2:50 PM

Portfolios are technically DUE today at 3pm- please talk to me individually if you need me to put your portfolio at the "bottom" of the list (grading later next week).

We are going to move on to doing more with Illustrator and the pen tool.
So you can create ILLUSTRATIONS!

Notes- Vector Illustration and sticker research




In order to create an illustration, one has to really be able to use all the shape tools in Illustrator.
Can you: 
Use the shape tool?
Use the shape builder tool?
Use the Direct Selection Arrow?
Use the Transform tool?
Use Fill/Stroke colors?
Use the pen tool?

Then you can illustrate!!

Today's practice:





Make the ghost your own!