Vector Portrait

ASSIGNMENT

Students will learn how to create vector portraits in Adobe Illustrator by using a photograph as a reference. The project introduces tools like the Pen Tool, Shape Builder Tool, and Color Swatches, emphasizing digital artistry and portraiture. Students will develop skills in abstraction, shape simplification, and the creation of scalable artwork suitable for digital and print media.

Learning Objectives

• Students will analyze a photograph and break it down into basic shapes for vectorization.

• Students will use the Pen Tool and Shape Builder Tool in Adobe Illustrator to create a vector portrait.

• Students will apply knowledge of color theory to create harmonious and visually appealing palettes.

• Students will demonstrate the ability to organize their artwork using layers.

• Students will evaluate their work and peers’ work, providing constructive feedback.

Big Ideas

• • • Vector graphics are a versatile medium for scalable digital art.

    • Portraiture can be achieved through abstraction and shape layering.

    • Understanding color, shape, and proportion is key to creating compelling vector artwork.

Essential Questions

• How do vector graphics differ from raster graphics, and why is this important?

• What are the primary tools in Adobe Illustrator, and how can they be applied creatively?

• How can we use layers, paths, and shapes to build complex designs?

Vocabulary

• Vector Graphics: A method of creating images using mathematical equations for lines and curves.

• Pen Tool: A tool in Adobe Illustrator used for creating paths and anchor points.

• Anchor Point: A point that defines the path of a shape or line in vector software.

• Path: The line or curve created between two anchor points.

• Layers: Organizational levels in Adobe Illustrator that separate and manage design elements.

• Shape Builder Tool: A tool for merging or subtracting overlapping shapes.

• Color Swatches: Preset colors stored for consistent use.

• Abstraction: Reducing an image to its essential shapes and colors.

Lesson Outline

1. Day 1: Introduction to Vector Graphics and Tools

• Overview of vector art and its applications.

• Demonstration: Importing a reference photo into Adobe Illustrator.

• Hands-on practice with the Pen Tool and Shape Builder Tool.

Day 2: Breaking Down the Image

• Guided exercise: Identifying and outlining basic shapes in a portrait.

• Begin creating paths over the reference photo using layers for organization.

Day 3-4: Building the Portrait

• Work time: Students use the Pen Tool to outline and fill shapes, focusing on facial features, hair, and clothing.

• Check-in with teacher for feedback on progress and technique.

Day 5: Adding Details and Finishing Touches

• Introduce gradient fills, highlights, and shadows to add depth.

• Fine-tune the artwork, ensuring shapes align and colors are cohesive.

Day 6: Presentation and Critique

• Students present their completed vector portraits to the class.

• Class critique: Discussion on techniques, challenges, and successes.

Submissions 

• Part 1: Homework - Portrait of yourself Due Dec 13

  • Using open shade, have someone take a photo of you farming is your chest to the top of your head or a closer crop.

• Part 2: WIP Jan 24

• Part 3: Final Feb 5

Graphic Design Standards

Creating

VAHSGD.CR.1 Visualize and generate ideas for creating works of art.

VAHSGD.CR.2 Choose from a range of materials and methods of traditional and contemporary artistic practices to plan and create works of art.

VAHSGD.CR.3 Engage in an array of processes, media, techniques, and technology through experimentation, practice and persistence.

VAHSGD.CR.4 Incorporate formal and informal components to create works of art.

VAHSGD.CR.5 Reflect on, revise, and refine works of art considering relevant traditional and contemporary practices as well as artistic ideation.

VAHSGD.CR.6 Keep an ongoing visual and verbal record to explore and develop works of art.

Presenting

VAHSGD.PR.1 Plan, prepare, and present works of art for exhibition in school, virtual environment, and/or portfolio presentation

Responding

VAHSGD.RE.1 Reflect on the context of personal works of art in relation to community, culture, and the world.

VAHSGD.RE.2 Critique personal works of art and the artwork of others, individually and collaboratively, using a variety of approaches.

VAHSGD.RE.3 Engage in the process of art criticism to make meaning and increase visual literacy.

Connecting

VAHSGD.CN.1 Develop personal artistic voice through connecting uses of art within a variety of cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts.

VAHSGD.CN.2 Develop life skills through the study and production of art (e.g. collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication).

VAHSGD.CN.3 Utilize a variety of resources to understand how artistic learning extends beyond the walls of the classroom.