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DIGITAL ART & GRAPHICS DESIGN

The goal of this course is to cultivate artistic talent and encourage creativity, while completing some interesting exercises. We will also print some of the digital art work created. We will have fun learning and creating this "cool" work.

You will learn the basics of Adobe Photoshop, the image-editing application, to create fun digital artwork, including posters, collages and interesting designs on Mac computers. You will become familiar with a wide variety of digital imaging techniques. This is a very creative class! I hope you enjoy it!

Are you familiar with Macs? If not, don't worry, I will explain some important Mac features and how to use these computers properly. 

What is Photoshop? It is and extremely powerful application (with a wealth of tools and commands) used to enhance and manipulate photos and create original digital art work. It is also used to touch-up photos and create high quality graphics. You can use it for almost any kind of image editing. Many professional photographers and designers use Photoshop. Watch: Video (click link). You can find more information online.

Remember: It is essential to have your Tools and Layers always showing in Photoshop. If you do not see these, please go to Window (on the Menu Bar) > Workspace and click "Reset Essentials" or go to the upper-right side of the Photoshop toolbar, find "Essentials" and select "Reset Essentials."

First, you will familiarize yourself with the Photoshop "Toolbox;" especially the following tools: the Move Tool, the Rectangular Marquee Tool, the Elliptical Marquee Tool, the Magnetic Lasso Tool, the Magic Wand Tool, the Crop Tool, the Eraser Tool, the Paint Bucket Tool and the Type Tool. Later, the Custom Shape Tool.

Layers:

Layers in Photoshop are like individual sheets of clear plastic that are in a stack. When you select a layer in the Layers Palette (or Panel), that layer is "active." Only one layer can be active at a time. The name of the active layer appears in the title bar of the image window. Changes affect only the "active layer" even though you view the whole image in the image window. You may find it useful to hide layers while working in Photoshop. All you have to do is click on the "Visibility Icon" or eye on the left side of the layer. You can also rearrange your layers and change their names. You can also create folders to add groups of layers and organize the Layers Panel better. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR LAYERS AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE SELECTING THE RIGHT ONE. LAYERS MUST BE ALWAYS SHOWING.

Filters:

In Photoshop you can use filters to change your images, go to Filter and start checking the "Filter Gallery." I will explain how to add different artistic and other filters to your images.

Important Photoshop Commands:

• Command-S (to Save)
• Command-J (to duplicate layers)
• Command-U (to change the color of images)
• Command-Shift-U (to desaturate an image - convert it to Black & White)
• Command-N (New Document)
• Command-P (to Print)
• Command-T (to resize and rotate images)
• Command-D (to deselect - get rid of the little intermittent lines surrounding an image after a selection)
• Command-C (to copy)
• Command-V (to paste)
• Command-Z (to undo)
• Command-R (to view the ruler)
• Command-Plus (+) (to enlarge an entire image/picture without adding pixels)
• Command-Minus (-) (to minimize an image/picture without deleting pixels) 

Also remember:

[  Open Bracket (to decrease Brush or Eraser size) — Quickly decrease your brush size (or the eraser size) to get into those tighter spots, when working with the Brush or Eraser Tools.

]  Close Bracket (to increase Brush or Eraser size) — Quickly increase your brush size (or the eraser size) for the larger areas, when working with the Brush or Eraser Tools.

Day 1 (July 11):

• How to start with Photoshop, importing images
• What is resolution? Why is important to use images with good resolution
• What are pixels?
• How to change the color of images
• How to use the Filter Gallery and other filters
• Important Photoshop Commands
• Using layers properly
• How to duplicate layers
• The Tools (Toolbox or Tools Panel)
• Using the Magnetic Lasso and Quick Selection Tools
• Using the Move Tool and the Eraser Tool
• Resizing images (objects)
• How to desaturate a background (make it black and white)
• How to brighten and enhance images
• How to add Blending Options
• How to "undo" what you did or "step backward"
• Exercise (Flower Power): select a photograph with a  flower, create a layer of the flower, duplicate the layer several times, move the layers, resize them, change the color of the flowers, add blending options (like the outer glow or other), change the background, etc. (I will explain how to create this exercise step by step)
• How to create a new Photoshop document
• How to move the flower layers from the Flower Power exercise to another document, how to add different images from other photographs - how to use different backgrounds (blending options, styles, gradient, different image, etc.)
• Creating a JPEG of your PSD document
• Creating a folder in your computers where you will save all your work
• SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!

Day 2 (July 12):

• Review of what was learned the day before
• How to add a frame to the Flower Power exercise (on a transparent layer)
• How to add blending options to the frame
• How to add text to your digital art
• Adding blending options to your images and to text (like patterns, bevel/emboss, drop shadow, inner glow, outer glow, etc.)
• How to add the Oil Paint Filter or others
• How to create a collage
• How to use the Custom Shape Tool
• How to change the shape with blending options or styles
• Create your own exercise using the techniques already learned
• How to use the Magic Wand Tool
• Magical World Exercise (add at least six images to a "magical forest" or image of choice). Duplicate the background three or four times and change the color. Save as a JPEG

Day 3 (July 13):

• Finish the exercises from yesterday (if not completed)
• Answer "review" questions
• How to use the Rectangular Marquee an Elliptical Marquee Tools, and the Polygonal Lasso Tool. 
• How to add color using the Paint Bucket Tool and blending options and/or styles
• Using the tools mentioned above to create smaller sections of an image and layer them, rotate them, add blending options to them, add an image(s) on top, etc.
• How to add guides to your document (make sure the Ruler is showing)
• Creating an "Abstract" design (look for ideas online)
• Add text to Abstract digital art (optional)
• Use the Custom Shape Tool in your Abstract exercise
• How to use the Brush Tool and the Eraser Tool (using the open and close brackets to shrink or enlarge the brush or eraser size)
• Create your own shapes and images

Day 4 (July 14):

• Take time to complete any exercise you didn't finish yet
• Make sure all your exercises were saved as Photoshop documents and as JPEG's
• Create your own digital art, drawing with the brush, using some of the tools learned, adding images to your work
• How to create your own pattern
• How to use the Liquify and the Oil Paint Filters
• Heart exercise or other: find a heart, add lines to it using the Brush Tool to create a stained glass effect. Select sections with the Magic Wand Tool. Add blending options or styles. Add images. Add text. Get creative!

(the third heart above was created by Kasey Hawe, one of my former students)

Other ideas:

(created by Sunny Wang, a former student)

(created by Ryanrose Noga, a former student)

(created by Abigail Weckerly, a former student)

(created by Vi Pham, a former student)

(created by Victoria Iannarelli, a former student)

 (using a blend mode technique)

 (using a butterfly custom brush)

(imitating Salvador Dali's work)

(using the Oil Paint Filter)

Day 5 (July 15):

• Wrapping it up!
• Finishing and Printing your work
• How to create your own brush
• How to use Blend Modes
• Sand Exercise: using thisissand.com - creating Sand Art, saving it, opening it in Photoshop, adding Blending Options, images, etc.

(Sand Art and Photoshop Blending Options and Styles)

(Like a collage, with a Gradient Background)

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CLASS! ALL THE BEST TO YOU! HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

Mrs. Feld