Course Description

Graphics I Course Syllabus: Photoshop 

This is a brief outline of what you will be learning and what projects we will be completing during class. Throughout the semester, I will be giving practical and written reviews pertaining to vocabulary & art terminology used as well as photoshop tools and procedures. All projects are subject to change (with notice). 

Unit 1: Photoshop Basics & Layers

Guided practice: Creating a Hamburger. 

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Opening & changing size of a new file, Shape tools, elliptical marquee, paint bucket, paint brush, dodge & burn, rasterizing, duplicating & merging layers, key commands (ctrl-d, shift, enter) rearranging layers, gradient tool, saving correct file type. 

Individual Projects: What’s on the menu? 

You will create your own food item using the tools learned in our guided practice. 

Review 1: Quiz Iz Review of basic tool functions.

Unit 2: Selection Tools

Guided Practice: Melon Head

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Selection tools (marquee, lassos, short cut selection tools) ctrl-d, merging and rearranging layers, adjusting hue & saturation, duplicating layers, saving & submitting as proper file type/

Individual Practice: Object Creation

You will recreate an image of your choice using different objects such as fruits, veggies, candy, or inanimate objects. 

Review 2 & 3: Selection tool quiz iz, Attack of the Grannies

Unit 3: Shape & Space 

Guided Practice: Robot Shape Builder

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Selection tools, shape tools, ctrl-d, merging and rearranging layers.

Individual Project: Attack of the Robots

You will be taking the robot from your previous assignment and copying & pasting it into a new photoshop document, inserting a background image, and using special effects to create a scene. 

Quiz Iz lessons on Shape & Space, Unity & Variety

Google forms to identify different shapes, and space

Short Term assignment: Notan

The purpose of this assignment is to create 3 different notans that utilize shape & space and how they relate. You will be using the selection tools and shape tool for this only. 

Independent Project: Pattern Letter

You will be creating different patterns in black and white only. The purpose of this project is to further see in real time the relationship and importance of incorporating unity & variety into your work by arranging shapes into different patterns. 

Short Term Assignment: Candy Box

You will be creating your own candy company & candy box using the tools and procedures learned so far. 

Review 4: Bears in the woods. 

Unit 4: Pen Tool & Line

Guided Practice: This will take place over several days (depending on how quickly we move through it as a class) where we will work together and independently learn how to use the pen tool. We will be tracing several objects; learning how to create straight lines and curved lines. We will use the regular pen tool and the curvature tool. We will be going over different key commands and procedures when using the pen tool. 

Master of the Pen Tool Quiz

Short Term Assignment: Abstract Line Design

We will be going over abstract art; what it is and why it is created as well as the lament of line and its importance in art. We will be creating a representative piece of abstract art. 

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Pen tools, special effects, layers

Individual Project: Zentangle

You will be creating your own zentangle, first on paper. Once you are finished you will be tracing it with the pen tool in photoshop. We will go over the importance of making sure your lines are connected and neat, and how to edit an already existing line. Once this is done, we will be printing 2 copies; one black and white copy and one copy in color. 

Review #5: Sus in Space 

Unit 5: Color Theory

Guided practice: Basic color theory quiz iz, color scheme worksheet, color scheme creation 

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Paint Bucket, eyedropper tool 

Individual Practice: Bursting with color

For this assignment we will combine our knowledge of color theory, line, shapes & space, pattern and photo editing skills to create an image; a face bursting with color. 

Review: Advanced color theory quiz iz & Mandalas

Unit 6: Surrealism

Guided Practice: Surrealism Quiz Iz

Independent practice: 3-D Surrealism Landscape

For this assignment you will be creating a landscape scene in a surrealistic style. You will be using the tools we have learned to use so far, as well as adding in special effects. Once your scene is created in photoshop, we will be printing out 3 copies and creating a 3-d version of your work. 

Unit 7: Typography

Guided Practice: Text Tool practice

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: text Tool, warp

Short Term assignment: Lyrics poster

For this assignment you will be arranging lyrics in an interesting way and using a simple background. 

FINAL EXAM PROJECT: Typography portrait

For this final, you will be using the text tool to create paint brushes and using these brushes to create a portrait. 

In addition to these assignments, we will also have weeks where there will be a shortened schedule/half day so we will also be participating in other activities such as: The 12 days of Photoshop, learning to use the cloning tool, SGO’s, simple photoshop editing techniques, & extra Credit. 

As stated above, these projects are subject to change. I am always looking for new projects to do during class. I may switch a project out with something new, or if time allows, add an additional activity. Please feel free to email me with any ideas you may have. 

Graphics II Course Syllabus: Illustrator 

This is a brief outline of what you will be learning and what projects we will be completing during class. Throughout the semester, I will be giving practical and written reviews pertaining to vocabulary & art terminology used as well as illustrator tools and procedures. All projects are subject to change (with notice). 

Unit 1: Vector Art & How to Create it

Guided practice: Vector Animals

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Shape Tool, Grouping, how to edit shapes

Unit 2: Drawing Tools & Grouping

Guided Practice: Butterfly Tracing Practice

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Pencil, Paint brush, Blob Brush, color symbolism, keys to a good composition  

Individual Practice: Grouping

You will first look at a list of words and take 10 pennieds and arrange them in a way that best represents those words. Once you are finished, we will discuss which sketch is your strongest and you will recreate it, and edit it in Illustrator. 

Critique

Unit 3: Color Theory  

Guided Practice: Alberse Experiment & Tints exercise

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Shape Tool, colors

Individual Project: Frank Llyod Wright Stained Glass Windows

You will first draw out a design using simple shapes , you will then recreate the window using a kit. Once you are finished, you will create this window in illustrator; try to figure out how to “mix” colors. Add in effects. 

Unit 4: Shape Building & Pen Tool 

Guided Practice: Pen Tool Review, Robot Builder 

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Pen tools, editing paths

Individual Project: Building Your own Robot

You will be creating your own robot; you will need to incorporate a certain amount of shapes, colors, & gradients. You Robot must include functions, & different parts hands, wheels, eyes) 

Unit 5: Logos

Guided practice: Bad Design Redesign  

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Shape tools, pencil, paint brushes, effects, text tool

In addition to guided practice, we will also discuss how to create different types of logos and identify what they are. This is important because we will make 4 different types of logo. 

Individual Practice: Your own Logos

For this assignment you will create 4 different types of logos. This will be one of our larger units; this will take up a month so we have time to focus on each type of logo and creating different versions. We will also go over the importance of logos, logo building, business representation, less in more, & portfolio building. 

Critique

Unit 6: Pattern Building & Vector Portraits

Guided Practice: Pattern Building & Basic Vector Portrait building

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Shape, warp, pen tools, paint brushes, rulers, rotate tool, opacity, pattern building

Independent project: Minimal Vector Portrait 

For this assignment you can create 1 of 2 portraits; a minimal vector portrait of a celebrity or yourself, or, a split portrait where you take a photo of someone (can be anyone) and split it somehow; make one side an unrealistic version of that person. 

Unit 7: Line

Guided Practice: Different types of line 

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: pen tools, paint brushes

Short Term assignment: Line Portraits

For this small assignment you will create a series of 3 portraits; one will be a portrait, an in motion picture, and a bust. You will only use the element of line. 

Unit 8: Low Poly

Guided Practice: Low Poly Banana

Tools/Procedures/Key commands used: Pent tool, eye dropper

Independent Project: Low Poly Object

For this project, you will pick an object or simple animal and trace over it to create a series of polygons and shapes to make a low poly image. 

Unit 9: Digital Circlism

Guided Practice:  Pattern making, value match up 

FINAL PROJECT: Digital Circlism Portrait

For this assignment you will create a portrait very similar to the low poly images, but only using circles. We will move through this assignment together, talking about value, color, how to simplify an area, and how to easily repeat a pattern to fill in space. We will also talk about key command shortcuts. 

As stated above, these projects are subject to change. I am always looking for new projects to do during class. I may switch a project out with something new, or if time allows, add an additional activity. Please feel free to email me with any ideas you may have. Some of these units we may not get to; if we have extra time in the semester I will have other short term projects we can create such as sticker making and paper cut out & opportunities for extra credit.