Sunday, October 26, 2008

Project #2: Book Cover

Thumbnails-Monday November 3
  • Pick one book and explore ideas
  • Create 3 separate concepts for one book's front and back that communicates idea, concept, and composition
  • Mounted 9"x 12" white Tagboard, labeled, with tissue cover

Comps-Wednesday November 5
  • Email the full size comp AI file to Bryan by 4:30pm.
  • Comp is intermediate step and should show us where you are headed with the design and should show your color palette and basic layout and composition.

Printed- Monday November 10
  • Email the FINAL AI file to Bryan by 4:30pm.
  • Mounted thumbnails
  • Mounted Book design (laid flat displaying inside back flap, back cover, spine, front cover and inside front flap) on black matboard, labeled, with tissue cover
  • Final printed mock of actual book jacket
I will be looking for clean presentation of your design. I also want to remind you to be prepared to present your work in the front of the "board room" so wear the appropriate clothing as if you are meeting with the publisher of your book.


Thursday, October 23, 2008

What's Next?

Congrats again on great work on your CD cover.

1- Homework for this week is to complete lessons 14 & 15. This will prepare you for the next big project.


2-Watch this video:
http://www.imaginaryforces.com/featured/3/415

3-Also email me what the "language of form" consists of, according to Paul Rand, godfather of graphic design (IBM, UPS, abc, Westinghouse).

4-Email me a link to a design video on YouTube.

Don't try to be original, just try to be good. -Paul Rand

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Project #1: CD Cover Results



Wow. What a rush it has been. Just think about how far we have come in just 6 class sessions. I am very proud of my class. Check out the great work, and we are only just getting started. Imagine where we will be in December!



Finished projects will be graded using the following criteria: 20 points

effective research and subject comprehension, conceptual and problem solving skills - 3

exploration of project possibilities, originality and inventiveness - 3

ability and knowledge displayed in the handling of the medium - 5
digital file

success of the overall work, degree of resolve, does it look finished? - 3

presentation/final delivery - 6
(thumbnails 8.5"x 11" - 3 separate concepts for front and back), Thumbnails presented on 9x12 tagboard
Final art printed out should be mounted and ready for critique
Final project will be mounted on Black mat board with a tissue covering to protect the work
emailed on time emailed by 4:30pm.
appropriate clothing
in class pitch
tissue -.5

extra credit - 1
*CD Case?


points subtracted
thumbnails late/incomplete - 1
comps late/incomplete - 1


Best of Exercise 3 - Vector Leaves

 

L-R Emily, Kelsey, Lisa

I love the different interpretations.

Best of Exercise 2 - Vector Poster


L-R Joe, Kelsey, Melissa


Also check out the detail work (L-R Hannah P and Jack)


Best of Exercise 1 - Vector Room


L-R Hannah, Jack, Lisa


Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Project #1: CD Cover

Thumbnails-Monday October 13
8.5"x 11" - 3 separate concepts for front and back (total of 6 boxes)

Comps-Wednesday October 15
Email the full size comp AI file to Bryan by 4:30pm.
Comp should show us where you are headed with the design and should show us your color choices and basic layout and composition.

Printed- Monday October 20
The finished AI files should be emailed by 4:30pm.
You will also bring in your thumbnails mounted with your mounted CD artwork.
Extra credit may be awarded if you bring your artwork also packaged in a CD case.

I will be looking for clean presentation of your design.  I also want to remind you to be prepared to present your work in the front of the "board room" so wear the appropriate clothing as if you are meeting with the record label of your CD.


Create 
your 
Avatar 
with 
Illustrator

NOTE: This project has been cancelled.

Express
 yourself 
through
 your
 image 
and
 share 
it
 whoever 
you
 want. Enjoy 
yourself
 by 
discovering 
unlimited
 combinations
 to 
realize 
your
 virtual 
alter‐ego.

You
 will 
be
 able 
to 
use 
it 
with 
the 
most
 common 
Instant 
Messaging 
Programmes,
 such 
as, 
Skype®, 
AIM®,
 Yahoo!®
 Messenger, 
MySpaceIM®
 and 
many
 more...You can use it on mobile phone, Forum, mySpace®, Chat, Blog and wherever you want in the virtual world.

Check out Face Your Manga for inspiration.

Final delivery: Layered AI file.
Final document size: 6"x6" AI file and a 48px x 48px JPEG.
Project Due:  Beginning of class, Wednesday October 15.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Tracking Time

One important thing I want to mention is for you to keep track of the time you spend on projects. 

Once you start working in the design world, time is money. Keeping track of time now on your projects will only help you in the future. 

When a client asks you for a quote you will need to come up with a number. That number generally is associated with the number of hours you plan to spend on the assignment multiplied by your hourly rate. 

Example: If you charge $25/hr and you estimate the project will take you 10 hours then the estimate to the client will be $250. But how will you be able to gauge how long a project takes? Experience

Start tracking on your projects now and in the future you will be able to give more accurate quotes. Trust me on this one. This will save you some headaches.

The best way for now to track time is to open  Stickies up on your Mac and just keep a running tab. Example:

 10-7-08-Pressa Project 2:00-4:30pm 2.5 hrs


Earth From Above

Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand will bring his work back to the United States - to New York City for the first time in 2009. Aiming to inspire people to think globally about sustainable living, Arthus-Bertrand has been photographing unique views of our planet, seen from the sky, since 1994 - and has produced an exhibit of over 150 4-ft. by 6-ft. prints which will be on display in New York City.

View the photos.


Monday, October 6, 2008

Tracing Autumn Leaves

For this assignment we are going to embrace the pen tool and the spirit of autumn. You will be tracing the intricate shapes of autumn leaves. This will require some sense of handling the curves and the use of editing anchor points. Each leaf will need its own layer. I will be looking for good principles of layer usage and naming.

Final delivery: Layered AI file.
Final document size: US Letter (8.5"x11")
Project Due: Beginning of class Monday October 13.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Illustrator Exercise: Pressa

Here is a poster for a design exhibition in Cologne, Germany 1928. I love the colors, the dynamic angles, clean typeface and silhouettes of factories which dominated the skyline at the time. 

This looks like an event I would want to attend and send a clear message of who this event was for and where it takes place, in October 1928, 80 years ago. Just think this was all done by hand at the time.

In this in-class exercise on Monday we will bring this file into Illustrator and use our pen tool and maybe type tool to recreate this gorgeous example of German design.

Have a great weekend and good luck finishing the Gallery tracing.

Final delivery: Layered AI file.
Project Due: Beginning of class, Wednesday October 8.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Super Fad

Check out the work from local Seattle agency SuperFad


Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Homework

This assignment is fun. I want you to download this photo, and bring it into Ilustrator and re-create it with vector art.

Amazing Videos

LyndaOkay, so I got an awesome tip from a great artist and good friend of mine and professor at Biola, Kurt Simonson,  that Lynda.com has free videos that walk you through all sorts of techniques!

I have added the video lists to the right bar. Check them out and also check out this great list of Illustrator CS3 videos.

Inspiration

I would like you to start collecting print pieces and websites that are visually stimulating.

Start collecting business cards, post cards, book covers, CD covers, flyers, magazine ads anything that makes you say "Wow!". Same goes for music videos or photos or websites.

Bookmark them, grab them and bring it in and be ready to share. I would like to try and go over a few each class. I think we an learn a lot from what is out there right now and it builds good patterns for your careers. Inspiration is all around us!

I took this photo while eating at a random Thai place in Southern California. You never know when inspiration will strike.