Grandfather

Title: Dear Old Grandfather

Software: Photoshop

Product: A photograph of a person on a horse, recolored

Synopsis: Fixing dust/scratch marks, fold marks, and recoloring the entire picture. Applied what we learned in the Family picture, to this picture, while learning how to also recolor a black and white photo using hue/saturation layers and many many quick masks and selections. Used many tools, such as canvas, patch, lasso, selection tools, etc.

Steps: First had to clean up the huge fold mark in the middle using various tools, such as patch tool and clone tool. Then I took a snapshot of it and used Dust & Scratches Option and took a snapshot of that. Then I worked in the snapshot before while my history tool used the snapshot of the Dust and Scratches one. This took off the scratches and dust marks. After, I had to select and save many parts and color them using hue/saturate layers.

Commentary: Very very tiresome because it was hard to figure out what some parts are. Overall, it turned out well, though.

Family

Title: Family

Software: Photoshop

Product: An old photograph of a family

Synopsis: Touch up on an old family portrait. Learned to use the healing, spot healing, clone, and other tools to fix the picture. Left is the original and right is the fixed one. Learned how to use the dust and scratches option to make the picture more appealing. Also used the patch tool for various places. We had to take the tape off and remove most of the dust and scratches, and fix the right man's nose.

Steps: First, I had to remove the tape from the bottom and the top. This had to be done using various tools such as the healing, spot healing, patch, and clone tools. Then, I had to remove the scratches by going to Filter>Noise>Dust & Scratches. I learned to use this option to work in a snapshot I made before, while the history brush went back to the snapshot I made after I used the Dust and Scratches option. Thus, this made the picture much cleaner. Lastly, I used the Marquee tool to take a nose from one of the other men and jumped that to a new layer and moved it to the nose I had to fix. A few fixes, erases, and rotations to make it more natural.

Commentary: This was just a practice, but it was fun to learn. I am happy that I managed to keep the signature on the bottom where the tape had covered over it and that the nose looked much better.

Flawless Skin

Title: Flawless Skin

Software: Photoshop

Product: Before and After Photograph of a Girl

Synopsis: Completing this project entailed learning how to use layers, gaussian blur, and hue/saturation layers.

Steps: First, I fixed the blemishes on her face and the glare on her forehead, cheeks, and nose. Then I saved the background as a selection and used the gaussian blur to blur the picture. I erased the blur where details were needed and loaded the background selection. Then I quick masked different parts of the face to change the color using hue/saturation layers.

Commentary: It was thoroughly fun to change her face and add different colors to her. I am happy that she looks somewhat natural and that the blush blended into her face and not stick out like a drag queen.

Travelogy

Title: Travelogy

Software: Photoshop

Product: Travel Poster for a Travel Agency

Synopsis: To complete this assignment, I had to use the quick mask tool to delete unnecessary parts or make things transparent and make different pictures fit in with a combination of gradient tool and quick mask tool. Also, I had to make the font have special effects.

Steps: First, I took one of the stock photographs given to the class and then looked for two more pictures to use. I cropped and took unnecessary parts out using the eraser, quick mask, and other tools. Then, I placed it in the background picture, making sure the resolution is correct. Then I worked on the type and used emboss and special effects.

Commentary: The girl is a bit transparent and small, but by this time I had switched three photos in and out due to criticism, so that girl is staying. I was happy with how the wind surfer looks natural with the background.

Nexto

Title: Nexto

Software: Photoshop

Product: Travel Agency Poster

Synopsis: To finish this assignment, I had to use emboss for the text and make it have special effects. I also had to use the quick mask and canvas tools.

Steps: First, after opening the document, I had to use the canvas tool to make the height larger. Then, I used another layer and used a gradient that's close to the color of the top of the picture and I used the gradient tool with the quick mask tool to make it more natural and have a smooth transition. Afterwards, I put the cell phone and airplane pictures on top and used the quick mask tool to delete the unnecessary and make the cell phone picture blend in and be somewhat transparent. Lastly, I typed the words below and used emboss and special effects.

Commentary: Apparently the name was supposed to be Nextco. Imagine a C between the T and the O =). It was interesting to learn, though the airplane just doesn't match. Well, it was just a lesson, though I do like my type.

Commodities to Culture Article

Title: Commodities to Culture

Software: Photoshop

Product: Article about Commodities to Culture

Synopsis: To finish this project, I was to take the background out of every photo I used, using various tools to test how well I know Photoshop tools. I had to make thumbnails and a rough before making the final on the computer and space everything evenly. It also tests my typographic knowledge.

Steps: First, I created several thumbnails and selected one I found one I liked the most. Then, I made a rough with spacing labelled, and after that was shown to the teacher, I made it on the computer. I opened the document and put each box in a separate layer. Then, I used pictures I found on the internet and opened them in different documents to crop using various tools such as the quick selection, wand, lasso, and magnetic lasso. Then I dragged them into the main document and made sure each were in the right resolution and cropped to the right size. Each were in a different layer as well. Then I put the type on and used different fonts. I put strokes on the boxes at the end to decorate it more.

Commentary: Quality lowered makes me sad. This project took a bit more time than others, but it was fun, especially looking for pictures and silly arguments about who got the picture first, since we were supposed to get non-copyrighted pictures. I am glad that it turned out very nicely, though it seems some pictures were harder to crop than others.

Zoo Postcard

Title: LA Zoo Postcard

Software: Photoshop

Product: Zoo Postcard

Synopsis: The objective of this project was to test our abilities to resize photos, understand resolution, crop photos, combine photos, align layers, and stroke a selection.

Steps: I had to create a postcard using the template that the assignment gave and follow directions to check resolution, crop, and add strokes. First, I picked the five images I was going to use and I checked the resolution to be 300, cropped, added 38px stroke, and then moved to the main document. I put a stroke on the background on the main document and color to the background. I added the text and changed the fonts so that it was more appealing.

Commentary: It was an exercise to use image size and resizing in Photoshop. I got a 98, 2 points docked off for having somewhat light font at the bottom. It looked pretty while it was in Photoshop. Then it met "Save for Web & Devices" and became somewhat not so pretty anymore.

Animation Magazine Cover

Title: Aphrodite

Software: Illustrator

Product: Magazine Cover called Aphrodite

Synopsis: The objective of this project is to create a magazine cover by scanning a picture of a drawing and use the pen tool to trace it. The requirement is to have the character, three teasers, a bar code, a title, and a description of the magazine, as well as the date and issue of the magazine.

Steps: The first step was to draw a character, then to scan it into the computer. The next step is to pen tool the entire character and color it. Afterwards, it was put in a different document with three teasers, a bar code, a title, and the description of the magazine, and the issue and date. There were fixes in the font to make it more agreeable to the flow of the magazine cover, and enlarging the picture as well as masking in the end.

Commentary: The quality! [cries]. This was a very exhaustive pen tool exercise; the shading is also using the pen tool. I am happy about how it came out, but it took a very long time to do.

Type Specification

Title: Type Specification

Software: InDesign

Product: Type Specification Document

Synopsis: Lesson about typography and different terms such as Leading, Kerning, and Letter spacing. Also, I learned about picas, points, sizes of fonts, and the like.

Steps: First, I made a new document. Then I followed the steps to make the same font as the paper instructed. This used the type pallet to change the leading, kerning, and letter spacing, as well as the font, size, etc. Then I made the right side, which were two lines that I made and copy and pasted in different areas and typed the rest.

Commentary: It was a simple exercise that didn't require too much to do, besides for the knowledge of typography and different vocabulary words. I did do it correctly, though I did not like how it could not align properly because I changed the two lines's size for some before realizing I needed to align it first.

Monsters

Title: Monsters

Software: InDesign

Product: Monsters Exhibit Document

Synopsis: Monsters is an assignment done in InDesign. We followed directions from a packet to design it, although the fonts were chosen individually and were not specified in the directions. The text is just filler text. This was to test our InDesign knowledge and how to use fonts and make shapes or rounded pictures and such.

Steps: First, I took the template from the computer and I added the pictures in. Then, I made it rounded and put the type in, adjusting the fonts and sizes as needed. Then I put a line and made it wavy with a drop shadow. I also made a burst using the polygon tool and put a drop shadow there too. The title I had to change the font and leading so it had to be overlaid by the subheading.

Commentary: It was very strict as to where things were and such, but it wasn't too hard. It looks just like the example, and I'm happy that I did it correctly.

Marbled Paper Book and Notepad

Title: Marbled Paper Book and Notepad Picture

Software: none [camera]

Product: Notepad and Marbled Paper book

Synopsis: To make a marbled paper book and notepad by binding them in various ways.

Steps: To make the notepad, I made the design in Illustrator and printed 50 out and cut them using the guillotine chopper. Then i jogged it and put it on the glue holding thing, where it held the paper down as I applied the glue three times in various intervals of 10-15 min. Then I flattened with a box of papers overnight. The Marbled Paper Book was made with two marbled papers I made. It is made from paper dipped in water that had droplets of ink on it. Then, I cut them out and glued it correctly onto two cardboard pieces. I acquired a large amount of papers that were cut out already to the size needed and bound them together using metal screw things.

Commentary:I didn't get all four of my designs because I left the other three at home... Hope you enjoy it.

Black Square Project Picture

Title: Black Square Project Picture

Software: None [camera]

Product: Black Square Book

Synopsis: This is the final picture of the Black Square Project. Overall, we had to learn how to make squares and learn about type and showing emotion through only four square boxes. It was to test me on how to make thumbnails, a dummy, and produce the final with page numbers and text.

Steps: First, I made thumbnails for all the box drawings. Then I made a dummy with spacing labelled and where each thing would go. Then I used Illustrator to make each separate box of text or picture. Then, using InDesign, I inserted each in the correct order and I had to flip some of them due to the nature of the book style I did. I put page numbers afterwards and printed it out, and stapled it.

Commentary: It was a tedious project, but it was done. I got very confused because of the fact that I had to flip some of the pages. Overall, it finally came out right, so I'm happy about that.

Here is a picture of the final Black Square Book that I made, all bound and stapled in all it's glory! There is only one picture because [I thought] we were supposed to take one picture only.

Birthday Invitation

Title: Birthday Invitation

Software: Photoshop

Product: Birthday Invitation

Synopsis: My class was allowed one picture from the internet. We were able to freely design a birthday invitation and test our knowledge of Photoshop, fonts, strokes, and such. It was also to remind us how to use dummies and to plan before designing on the computer.

Steps: First, I made a dummy. Then I made a new photoshop document and put the picture as the background and changed the document size using canvas. Then, I added type and stroke to the picture and background.

Commentary: This was fairly easy to make. It was a funny picture when I found it, and I though the black contrasted with the fire very well.

Notepad Designs

Title: Notepad Designs

Software: Illustrator

Product: Notepads

Synopsis: Testing with typography and fonts and such. Combining different fonts using my typographic knowledge to know what fonts will compliment other fonts, and not conflict.

Steps: First, I opened a new document and used guides to put four evenly spaced out sections. Then I put in various symbols on each section and typed what I needed. Afterwards, I designed the notepads to be interesting, yet enough space to actually write an ample amount. Later, I had to print 50 copies and bind them together using glue. and cutting them all.

Commentary: This was fun to make because I wanted to make these notepads for my family. My parents's notepad was a bit plain, but I liked mine and Mike's notepads, as well as Michelle's.

Color Predictions

Title: Color Predictions

Software: Illustrator

Product: A magazine article

Synopsis: This was a project to use symbols effectively to make an article. Used different layers in Illustrator to create it. Many symbols and applied our knowledge of how to make flowers using the action pallet and roughen and rotate. Also learned more about fonts and spacing.

Steps: First, I made thumbnails and a rough to outline what I will do on the computer. Then I made many different flowers and put them in a lower layer. Then I made a ground layer and put the green ground on it as well as most of the grass. Then I added the two symbols. I did various stems and leaf styles and then put the text on the bottom and top. The bird was a last minute addition.

Commentary: It was pretty fun to work on, but many many flowers to make. It turned out to look really like a forest of flowers, but it was tedious to make different kinds of flowers. I am satisfied at how it looks, though I liked the stems I used before I submitted the final.

Tension

Playful

Order

Congestion

Bold