Day 6

Digital Art

from Google - "Digital art is an artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process. Since the 1960s, various names have been used to describe the process, including computer art and multimedia art. Digital art is itself placed under the larger umbrella term new media art. "

 

This includes:

• Fractal/Algorithmic Art
  Dynamic Sculpture
• 2D Computer Graphics
  generally derived on traditional graphics like typography, cartography, technical drawing and advertising
• 3D Computer Graphics
• Pixel Art
• Digital Photography
• Digital Collage
• Manual Vector Drawing
• Integrated Art/ Mixed Media/ Hybrid Media

 

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Upload and Critique

 

Critique CD covers

What we are looking at:

- Color

- Composition (placement of visual elements in 2d space...positive and negative space, rule of thirds)

- Image - subject matter

- Image - style

- Font - literal reading

- Font - style

Day 5

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Composition

- Rule of thirds

- Golden Rule

- Rules of Design from Paul Rand the godfather of modern design

- Positive and Negative space

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Photoshop

How to flatten your image and save it as a JPEG

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Things to consider when creating an Album cover

We are using the format of an Album cover so our viewer is already aware that the image has something to do with music and the music industry. They have a collection of music that all has imagery attached to albums and music genres.

What we are looking at:

- Color

- Composition (placement of visual elements in 2d space...positive and negative space, rule of thirds)

- Image - subject matter

- Image - style

- Font - literal reading

- Font - style

Each of these elements becomes a "signifier" to the viewer. Which means from these visual elements we will try to make sense of the image. In this case what genre of music might this CD contain?

 

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Photoshop Day 2

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History / Undo function

-- It is a new way to create!

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Magic Wand

- Single Row Marquee Tool

 

Paint Bucket/Gradient

Erase/Magic Erase/Back Ground Eraser

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Vector Tools

— Pen Tool

— Shape Tools

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The Clone Stamp & Healing Brush

-- These are 2 part tools. Hold down 'Option' while clicking on the area you wish to copy. Move to where you want to place the cloned visual data and click and hold to draw.

-- Blend Mode / Opacity

-- Air Brush / Flow

-- Aligned

-- Sample (Layer)

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Image Adjustments

- Color Adjustments

-- Histogram

-- Levels

- Color Correction

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Filters
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Type Tool

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Work on Project 2. Joe will come around to review your work so far.

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DAy 4

 

 

 

 

 

Photoshop

 

Setting Preferences

Photoshop --> Preferences --> General

View
- Rulers, Grids & Guides
- Show
- Snap

Navigation

- Change Screen Mode

Color Picker

- Foreground/Background Color

- Eyedroper tool

Drawing Tools

- Erase/Magic Erase/Back Ground Eraser

- Sharpen/Blur/Smudge

—- Depth of Field - How much of the image is in focus in front of and behind the image

- Burn/Dodge/Sponge

Selection Tools (they define a workable area)

- Selection Tools addition and subtraction

- Magic Wand/Quick Selection Tool

— Tolerance

Layers

- Making Layers

--- New Layer

--- Duplicate a Layer

--- Delete Layer

- Layer Visibility

- Moving a Layer

- Opacity

- Modes

- Locking 

Text Tools

- Horizontal Type Tool/Vertical Type Tool

- Horizontal Type Mask Tool/Vertical Type Mask Tool

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Project 2: Virtual Record Shop

description: 

For this project you will use the following process to create an album cover for a fake band for the music genre of your choice.

This project is an exploration of appropriation, Ai generation, image manipulation, aesthetic research, layout and design. We will consider the meaning attached to images through context and our own expectations created through societal influence. This is the first project that utilizes the design thinking process.

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Save your images using this naming convention: yourname_01.jpg, yourname_02.jpg. (ie... jvonstengel_01.jpg) 

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* to be successful with this project it will be important for you to do Google searches for examples of album covers for the genre you decide to base your CD cover on. 

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Upload the final images to the Google Photos Album "Art213 P2 Record Shop F25"

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Adobe Account + Photoshop on a Lab Computer

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What you need

• School email address (recommended)

• Your phone for 2‑step verification (MFA)

• ~10 minutes the first time

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Part A — Create your Adobe account (first‑time only)

If you’re using a personal Adobe ID (no school license):

1. Go to adobe.com → Sign in → Create an account.

2. Use your email, create a strong password, and verify your email.

3. Turn on 2‑step verification (highly recommended).

Tip: Install the Adobe Account Access app on your phone for quick “approve sign‑in” push notifications (faster than typing codes). Any standard authenticator app also works.

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Part B — Sign into Photoshop on a lab computer

Path 1: From Photoshop directly

1. On the lab computer, open Photoshop from Applications/Start menu.

2. A sign‑in window appears. Enter your school email.

3. If prompted to Choose a profile, select Company or School Account. Complete campus SSO/MFA.

4. Photoshop should now launch with your license.

Path 2: Via the Creative Cloud desktop app (recommended)

1. Open Creative Cloud (look for the red “CC” icon).

2. Sign in with your school email → choose Company or School Account → complete SSO/MFA.

3. In Apps, locate Photoshop → Open.

4. Confirm you’re signed in: click your avatar (top‑right) → you should see your School/Company profile listed.

If you see “Start trial” or “Buy now”: You’re in a Personal profile without a school license. Click your avatar → Switch profile → choose School/Company. If that option isn’t there, contact campus IT to add you to the license group.

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Save your work safely on a shared machine

• Prefer Creative Cloud Files (cloud storage), a USB drive, or your school network drive.

• Avoid saving to the lab computer’s Desktop/Downloads; they may be wiped.

• To access cloud files from any browser: creativecloud.adobe.com → Your files.

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Sign out & clean up (every session)

1. In the Creative Cloud app, click your avatar → Sign out.

2. In Photoshop: File → Open Recent → Clear Recent File List (optional).

3. Delete any files left on the lab computer (Desktop/Downloads) → Empty Trash/Recycle Bin.

4. Quit Photoshop and the Creative Cloud app.

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Helpful Adobe apps for students

• Creative Cloud Desktop (macOS/Windows) — Manages sign‑in, app updates, fonts, libraries.

• Adobe Account Access (iOS/Android) — One‑tap MFA approvals for sign‑ins.

• Creative Cloud Mobile (iOS/Android) — Browse/share your cloud files and libraries.

• Adobe Express (Web/Mobile) — Quick posters, social graphics, and class visuals; integrates with CC libraries.

• Adobe Capture (iOS/Android) — Turn photos into color themes, brushes, and vector shapes you can use in Photoshop.

• Adobe Fonts — Activate fonts that follow you into Photoshop; manage from the Creative Cloud app.

• Adobe Bridge (optional on lab machines) — Fast browsing, batch renaming, and metadata management for your assets.

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One‑minute end‑of‑session checklist

• Saved files to cloud/USB/network

• Signed out of Creative Cloud (and any browser sessions)

• Cleared Open Recent (optional)

• Deleted local files & emptied Trash/Recycle Bin

• Closed Photoshop and Creative Cloud

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Work on Project 2

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Day 3

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Photoshop Basics (things you need to memorize)

Bit Map vs Vector Graphics

memory vs math

Resoultion

72 dpi traditional screen resolution
180 dpi lowest printing resolution
300 dpi + good printing resolution
600 dpi + high resolution printing

 

File Types

Working File Types

---- Photoshop = .PSD = working file, the one you keep forever

End Product Files

---- JPEG = .JPG = web and email (Flickr) file
---- GIFF = .GIF = web file
---- TIFF = .TIF = full quality print file
--- RAW = .RAW = raw camera data uncompressed file

---- Portable Document File = .PDF = compressed print file

File Management in Photoshop

- Opening a file
- Save / Save As a file
- Windows
- File --> New

 

 

 

 

 

Laying out a design in Photoshop

before Photoshop

1) paper size

2) single or multiple designs on the page?

in Photoshop

3) size and resolution

4) define print area 

* Offset press - requires cut lines, a bleed and image area to fit within the paper size (print on anything thats flat)

* Laser Printer -  1/4",1/4",1/4", 1/4"
-- standard sizes 8.5x11",8.5x14", 11x17"

* Inkjet printer -  1/4",1/4",1/4", 1/2"
-- standard sizes 8.5x11",8.5x14", 11x17", 19" wide, 24" wide, 36" wide, 42" wide

5) Define the Middle

6) save as a template file named appropriately as a .psd.

ex LP_cover_Template.psd

Walk Through. Creating an 11x17" mini poster for a local event.

 

 

Assignment #1

create and save a template at 180dpi for each of the following:

• movie poster - with guides for unprintable border and center
  
• 8.5"x11" business flyer - with guides for unprintable border and center
• business card - with center guides
• postcard - with center guides
• bumper sticker - with center guides
• CD cover - with center guides

Work on Assignment