Online Design FundamentalsWeek 1 Overlapping Structures, Equal Pos/Neg |
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Overlapping Structures2008
Robert Kendall 2007 Gilbert Various ArchiveCrystal
Harris 1 |
Equal Pos/Neg2008
Sean McAllister
Robert Kendall
Sarah Clemens: For this design, I started with a checkerboard background. Whenever I think of black and white color schemes I think of chess, so a checkerboard background just seemed to fit. I used basic shapes: squares, stars, circles. However, I made use of some of the filters which I haven't used much in the past. I exploded the stars which gave a really neat "snowflake" sort of look to them. I also used 10-point stars, instead of a traditional five-point. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It definitely has a lot going on. I would have liked to incorporate some sort of focal point but when I tried it detracted from the background too much. 2007 Markia Grant |
Week 1 ResourcesWorking on DQ qualityBasicshapesswf.html Creating and manipulating basic shapes in Photoshop, streaming video Note on frames and borders: the way you reference the edge of the picture
plane is called 'framal reference'. Is the comp a window on the world allowing
elements to reference a space outside the frame? Or is it a contained world,
like looking into a cigar box? note on clip arttry making designs without using clip art or built in shapes - the easiest solution if you use built in tools? combine, change scale, and overlap - example here are two basic shapes that have been pushed a litte farther |
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Duplication Translation2008
Emilie Davis
Junior Frahn
Brandon Hegland Rickie
Shaver Question: How do I create the small superunit in Illustrator for placement in the corner? Answer: I'd do it in Photoshop. If you have created the design in Illustrator then
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Formal Design2008
Emanuel Douglas
Junior Frahn
Lee Francois
Brandon Hegland
Robin Gibbs
Jesa DeVir 2007 Daniel
Krell VariousCrystal
Harris Examples |
Week 2 ResourcesFormal Design
Examples of formal design from an onground course I designed. We scanned in everyday objects at high res, between 600 to 1200 dpi, even using things like rusted metal pieces from the parking lot. We then experimented with selecting randomly with the magic wand, and dragging the selection to a 72 dpi file. The results are organic and abstract. In this assignment the composition had to be formal. Compare the work above to the work below - In these examples the work is informal - off balance, dynamic...
Compare the two, formal and informal, symmetrical and asymmetrical, and note for us the differences, and when you would prefer to use one over the other - J Negative spacewe all forget about it and focus on positive forms - it is human nature - we think about the 'thing' and not the space...but all great old masters paintings (for example) develop the bg forms as much as the positive forms - Try subdividing the negative space first - think of yourself as a set designer getting the stage set for the actors - and the forms you will create are the actors - Easy things to do are inverting the upper or lower third of the bg (for an informal design) and drawing diagonals across...you can come up with ideas (: Forms need a home to live in More notes on negative space negativespace.htm Student work from UNO positive and negative space |
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Six Step Gradation2008
Zachary Hixson Previous Alex
Ha |
Informal DesignDaniel
Krell* archiveCrystal
Harris |
resourcedaphne.palomar.edu Asymmetry and informal designs ContrastI don't know how many of you saw this on my website - but it is a great example of contrast in idea (versus contrast in value) fragile.jpg. What examples of contrast are around us that spice our lives up daily? Sweet and sour sauce, Hannah Montana and her brother, and if we continue with characters - how about Cinderella and her sisters? I like this cover where they placed the coliseum on the ocean luzerintarchivecover.jpg and a great contrast of scale - Charles-Ray_puzzle-bottle95.jpg |
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Texture2008
Toma Fisher Surface and Edge
Sarah Clemens - Description
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Texture cont'd2008
Jesa DeVir - Description
William James Texture, application as bump map and 3d shape, process description included - click to view. 2007 Jenna
Dickes* ArchiveCrystal texture |
Depth and Volume2008
Zachary Hixson - note the looming, cropped foreground pushing scale, the overlapping, deep space created by the above plus the subdivision of negative space that brings the eye back into the composition rather than running off to the right. Nicholas
Kienzle
Week 4 ResourcesHow to go beyond one-pass filter textures: Texture
tutorial |
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Preparation for Final |
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Here are screenshots of text and image of final projects, including week 5 proposal, thumbs, color roughs, and then the week 6 final with statement - NOTE: some of the jpgs are 600 x 2500 pixels, almost 500k. They may take a few seconds to load.
Jason Ruvo
Maria Mitchell
Denise Wynn (Color Theory) Proposal:For this project I would like to develop a design around yarns and knitting. I would like to create a contemporary stylish design utilizing the various textures and patterns of yarns, knitting, and knitting needles. This design may also incorporate various geometric shapes to pull together the various elements. I will use color to emphasize the contemporary feel I'm going for and I'm currently thinking I will use a subdued palette. One of my reasons for pursuing this type of design is to create art out of elements that tend to have a crafty feel to them. I enjoy knitting and the various textures of the yarns combined with the patterns of the knitting intrigue me and I'd like to use them in a design. I believe I'll have to make some decisions about what elements to actually include in the design. I think to keep the piece contemporary I will have to be willing to edit out parts I like and not go overboard. One of the other design decisions I will probably have to make is regarding the color palette. At this time my decision is to go with a fairly monochromatic palette but I might have to change that if it's not working. I will be taking photo's of various yarns and knitting to create brushes in Photoshop I can use in my design. I know this is ambitious but I think it's the right way to go to create the look I'm going for
Jason Ruvo Ruvo's Proposal: My goal for my final project design is to create a visually interesting and unique piece of artwork that displays my comprehensive understanding of the concepts discussed and acquired during this course. I am hoping to produce a quality design that would be a great addition to my growing portfolio so that I may use it for later projects and courses. I plan on using knowledge I have gained from this course as well as utilize techniques I have learned in previous courses to complete the project. My initial idea for this project is to create a very modern feeling, abstract design that clearly shows a great understanding of color relationships (i.e warm and cool), transparencies, depth, volume, texture, focus, and other design principles I have learned through out this course. I would like to stay away from color combinations that cause vibration or a distraction in the piece. However, if I am working through a design and I feel that a section could use a little vibration, I will not hesitate to implement it. I plan on using examples of layering, shading, dilation, repetition, and more to achieve a sense of interest in the piece. This design will be more of an informal work that will draw the viewer's eye to points of interest. I will study various art works from some of my favorite graphic based websites for inspiration. I know I want to use many bright, fully saturated colors against a darker background to really make the design stand out. My main ideas focus on a modern, cutting-edge type themes or possibly even a mechanical or technological theme. I plan on using primarily geometric shapes to create most of the design with some other abstract shapes mixed in for fun. Ruvo's Artist Statement: My goal for my final project design was to create a visually interesting and unique piece of artwork that displays my comprehensive understanding of the concepts discussed and acquired during this course. My hopes for this assignment were to produce a quality design that would be a great addition to my growing portfolio so that I may use it for later projects and courses. My original plan was to use knowledge I have gained from this course as well as utilize techniques I have learned in previous courses to complete the project. Now, as I reflect upon my final project and its construction, I deeply believe that I was able to incorporate much of this courses teaches as well as some tricks I taught myself just from experimenting with Photoshop.My initial idea for this project was to create a very modern feeling, contemporary design that clearly showed a great understanding of color relationships (i.e warm and cool), transparencies, depth, volume, texture, focus, and other design principles I have learned through out this course. When it came time to choose an appropriate color harmony that matched the elements incorporated within my design, I decided to go with the slightly complex triad color scheme. I used hues of red, yellow, and blue. The piece has an overall warm feeling to it with a nice amount of a cool blue added in for contrast and to regulate the warm nature of the design. I felt that this harmony worked well to make images jump of the page and add focus to certain elements. I achieved my goal of staying away from color combinations that would cause vibration or a distraction in the piece. My plan of using examples of layering, shading, dilation, repetition, and more to achieve a sense of interest in the piece came out just as I had envisioned from the start. The completed design ended up being more of an informal work that will draw the viewer's eye to points of interest. My idea of studying various art works from some of my favorite graphic based web sites for inspiration worked out wonderfully. I was able to see what the popular trends were in today's graphic design works and then incorporate my own unique styling to those techniques. The challenges that I faced before even starting this project were all problems that I have faced in the past; time, translating my ideas onto a digital canvas using the tools in the program, and self-approval of the final work. Surprisingly enough, none of these problems ever arose during the artistic process. I attribute that to the fact that I was so eager to tackle this assignment and I had a terrific positive attitude about it all. When you find yourself doing something you love and aspire to do, it does not seem like work at all. It seems like a challenge that you want to go above and beyond in. I am very happy with the final outcome of my project and all of the positive feedback from my teacher and peers was wonderful. Assignment 1: Discussion Question Note 1: No brochures, logos, webpage layouts or other graphic designs please - we haven't covered typography or layout yet. Let's keep it abstract, like the assignments we have been making. Having said that, the DQ description needs some clarification or at least an example. Here goes - something I might write if I were taking the course: "My goal is to produce an abstract design that displays a comprehensive understanding of the design principles. I would like to produce a portfolio piece I can use later on in my program when I take Portfolio Development. To do this I will work at 300 dpi and then post a reduced and correctly formatted image to the threads. My initial idea is to create an organic (versus geometric) design. I will scan in objects I have found outside at high resolutions of up to 1200 dpi and then drag them over to the canvas....(I could continue with my process here)Thumbnails will be posted in the next assignment but attached (theoretically) is a sketch or prelim layout of my idea. (here I could talk about framal reference, color, use of scale, what kind of experience I want the viewer to have) Issues and potential problems? (here I could talk about time, tech issues, having to remain flexible to changes as they develop)" Does that give you all something to think about? As you can see, this could easily be 5 paragraphs, several hundred words (: Note 2: I started thinking that non-abstract images might be nice to incorporate. In other words - if we use a travel theme as an example - we could combine an airplane with luggage and a map. The danger in using representational elements is that, as designers, we start to see the plane (for example) instead of a shape that is interacting with other elements. This is why we turn our designs upside down when analyzing them -a travel design should work compositionally upside down AND right side up - the image of a plane (for example) should work to direct our eye thru scale and color and direction - we shouldn't HAVE to see it as a plane. So if you want to use photographic elements - why not do a collage and submit it for feedback -I would look at books or mags that have art from mid-century on - abstract expressionism, cubism...and u can go here painting1 and painting2.htm 4 bw thumbs of final
Toma Fisher. My final project will exhibit many of the concepts presented and learned in this course over the past few weeks. My goal is two-fold: 1) to create a design that would be a strong contender for including in my Portfolio and 2) demonstrate my understanding of the concepts learned in this course. My initial thought for this design are to work around a quilting content. The primary forms used in the design will be traditional quilt blocks and borders. I have attached an example of some possible block and border designs. The designs I plan to use are not copyrighted and are available in the public domain. But, I am planning to add a twist to the design, literally. Traditionally, a quilt is a very formal design. The quilt blocks are copied and translated in an evenly balanced and repetitive design. I plan to start with the traditional blocks and, through the use of color, texture, dilation, overlapping objects, diminishing size, perspective, effects and more, create an informal, non-traditional design. The quilt blocks will still be recognizable, but greatly enhanced. Each block will be initially created in outline from the various shapes that make up the traditional blocks. These are normally diamonds, triangles, squares and rectangles. This will allow the block to be copied multiple times and the colors changed as needed. This will be especially helpful when presenting the different color schemes in week 5, assignment 3. To add rhythm to the design, I plan to arrange the blocks in perspective lines where they diminish in size to the horizon. Some of the blocks will be full face to the front and some will be revolved to show an edge. To give some of the blocks depth, they will be extruded. Also, to add rhythm, the selected border will not be limited to the outer edges of the design. It will entwine throughout the forms. I anticipate a number of challenges with this design. The first is my own background. I have designed traditional quilts for years. Stepping out of that box to create an informal design will definitely be a challenge. I will need to constantly evaluate the design against the definition of an informal design to avoid falling into a formal trap. The second is the background or negative space. I am comfortable with the quilt blocks but am not sure yet about an appropriate background. This will require flexibility as the design develops and experimentation with different ideas. And, the third challenge is the selection of the color scheme to use. Quilt blocks lend themselves to the use of many colors and combinations. After experimenting with various color themes, I will need to settle on one and stick to it.
4 color schemes, finalAn example of the same design with different color schemes from artist Stan Gregory
Stan Gregory Previous Color ProgressionsNicholas
Kienzle Color RelationshipsDaniel
Krell 2006Sarah
Able More notes: Photos and Figures?Common questions regarding using representational imagery and photography: Can we use people? I think 'people' are OK - but we won't know for sure until we see some thumbs The reason I can’t just say ‘people’ are or aren’t OK is that some designs might be able to pull off a figurative element, others will look amateurish Regardless of subject matter the composition should work - That is why I recommend looking at the composition upside down, and in the mirror And will the people be photographs? Anime? Abstract? take a look at and you can see there are as many interpretations as there are artists http://jeffprentice.net/teachf/artists/design/socialmachines.jpg (this response was for a drawing course but it applies here as well) That's a good question - as an artist I would like to say that anything goes - and if the work comes out good, interesting, well rendered, and seems to incorporate some observation as well as "copying"...and also works as a "final" in terms of displaying an understanding of all the things we have been covering in the course - then I would have no problem - because to me the whole purpose of learning to draw is to be able to make manifest your personal vision. on the other hand - copying from photos is an art in itself and when it fails it is because the photos dont provide enuff info and the drawing appears "flat" and stilted... So the best thing in this course is to go case by case - if a student appears to have the capability to take the next step and start experimenting with different techniques such as montaging, then they can - with my previous approval - the best thing is to do some prelims and post them here - that is really what this assignment is all about- we will be able to tell if you can pull it off (: Having done drawings from fotos myself - one issue you will have is stylistic unity - staying "loose" and using the photos as a reference rather than just copying... another issue is lighting and values - you dont want shadows slanting off all over the place for a representational drawing - Keep in mind that in the "real" world representation and reality and craft are only a small part of the toolbox you can use as a designer. This course was about representation - so the drawing should reflect that - but in the future you can break the rules at will as long as u understand what u are doing Color ResourcesThis is a really good interactive reference for color theory classes caponigro_color_theory.pdf (PDF Download) An excellent easy read on general color theory - a link to nore of his writing is on the apple website at colortemperature.html Notes on Color RelationshipsTHE
TRADITIONAL COLOR WHEELUse this,
not the CMYK or RGB color wheels. You need to include a
small version of this the color wheel off to the side of
your composition, with arrows showing what colors you used.
Otherwise it is very difficult to analyze and grade efficiently. Here
is another with a wheel next to each design (all you
need to do is drag the wheel I gave you the link to onto
the canvas and resize) |
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Final 2008Includes statement
Toma Fisher
Constance Hague - final image only so far |
Pre 2008 archivealex
ha |
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ResourcesLots of stuff has been moved above under the appropriate weeks - Here is some vocab.
Above (click to enlarge): Ideo, one of the hottest design groups in the world executes a Project for GOOD magazine Sept - Oct 2007 (click to view larger image) http://www.ideo.com/ What I need from you in this course: Before I can critique/grade your work I need to know more about your intent - For example in Week 4 assignment 3, describe the space - describe the volume - is it volumetric space without an object? A flat space with a volumetric object? Let me know more of what is going on - clarify - For example, in week 4, What I am finding are what look like flat spaces (not deep) with flat or rather ambiguous objects that are open to interpretation...and if you don't let the audience know exactly what is happening then your work may be open to the incorrect conclusion. In your written description you may be able to convince me of something I am not seeing right away. So give it a shot - and do this for ALL the assignments. Don't just post "here is my assignment"....include description of process and intent. A few minutes can equate to a few more points! (: A note on my feedbackI often brainstorm with your work, and play devil's advocate. I'm a critic, resource, fan... |
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Contrast
in both ideas and formal elements is effective. In this graphic, the word fragile is superimposed over the image of what we initially consider a tough, very un-fragile top level predator. |
Scale
Note the huge truck, tiny buildings beneath the tires |
Complexity, Symmetry
Note the formal presentation (symmetry) the complexity in the aggregation of smaller elements to form a larger image, and the use of drop shadows for the illusion of paper stacks - I usually warn against use of drop shadows as they are overused by beginners.
Although the building pictured here is aymmetrical this modernist look still imparts a sense of stability. While we are looking at this note the large scale title/text, its warm color contrasting with the cool sky, and the all caps subtitle in white contrasting with the lowercase title. When something is big it doesn't have to shout, when something is small it might help to make it louder. |
Design Elements:
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Design Principles:
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Concepts and Vocabulary I
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Concepts and Vocabulary II
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Copyright © 1998-2008, Jeff Prentice. All rights reserved.
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