Tag Archives: Spring 2016

Computer Graphic Design

Final Project – Papercraft Personalities 2016

Objective:

Students will use all of the skills they have acquired throughout the semester to make a very simple form of papercraft that represents them and their personality.
Student-Friendly Learning Target: 
I can produce a printed papercraft figurine using InDesign and Photoshop.
Attachments:
Topics Discussed:

  • InDesign Page Layout
  • Digital Photography
  • Photoshop Image Manipulation
  • Principles of Design
Assignment:
Phase I – Designing the Product
To begin, download the “Student Papercraft Template 2016.pdf”. Open this file and examine its contents. You will notice that there are eight white spaces that need to be filled. You will need to place this file in to a standard 11″ x 8.5″ (landscape-oriented) Indesign page (filling the entire page) and use it as a template to create a papercraft figurine of yourself. Use the InDesign tools to draw photo frames the same size as these white spaces and get ready to take some pictures to fill them with.
To get your photos, choose a partner and check out a camera. You will need to take eight pictures of your partner: one portrait, two profile shots (left and right), a shot of the back of their head, and four full body shots (front, back, left and right). Use the white or brick walls in the hallway outside the room for an ideal neutral background. Remember your rules for taking great photos as you take these pictures. See me when you finish so your photos can be loaded into your computer.
Next, adjust your photos in Photoshop (remove the background and replace it with a color or pattern of your choice) and save them as individual .psd files. Place these in your Indesign template in the appropriate photo frames. Resize, crop and position them proportionally (no squashing or stretching) so they look correct. You now have a papercraft figurine of yourself. 

Phase II – Marketing the Product
Using Photoshop and Indesign, design a logo for your papercraft figure, as if it were a product you were selling. Think of the logos on dolls and action figures for inspiration, and remember the principles of C.R.A.P. as you plan your design. Use at least two different fonts and include either your first or last name (or both, if you choose) in the name of your product. Place this logo prominently on your papercraft page.

Phase III – Accessorize!
Using your favorite image search engine on the Internet, find at least four pictures that represent your favorite things. Make the backgrounds of these pictures transparent and place them on your papercraft page under the headline “Accessories”. Scale the accessories so they are proportional with your figure. These will be accessories for your papercraft figure, so they should be something that your figure can “wear” or “hold”. Keep it school appropriate! Realistic weapons, drug or alcohol-related materials, and anything else not allowed on campus are strictly prohibited! Fantasy weapons (like Excalibur or Frostmourne) will be allowed on a case-by-case basis. See me if you’re not sure.

(Note: Things like “music”, “Hello Kitty” and “League of Legends” are not things your character can hold and cannot be used. However, things like “Headphones”, a “Hello Kitty plush toy” and a “League of Legends Poster” can be used! Use concrete objects, not abstract ideas!)

Final Phase – Assembly and Delivery
Make sure all of your page elements are arranged according to the principles of C.R.A.P. and place the following files into a folder with your name on it:

  1. Your final InDesign file
  2. The eight .psd files you created from the pictures your partner took of you
  3. The four .psd files you created from the pictures you used for your “accessories”
  4. The .psd file (or .indd file) of the logo you created for your figure.

Upload the contents of this folder to the “CGD 1 Final Project 2016” assignment post on the Google Classroom page. I will print out two color copies for you. Using a pair of scissors, cut out your papercraft figurine. Be sure to cut all slits before you begin folding it. Fold and assemble your figurine according to the instructions on the template. Cut out all your accessories as well. When complete, it should look like the examples in my window. Have your completed figurine and all four of its accessories assembled and under my Christmas tree before end of class on Monday, December 19th, 2016.

Failure to turn in the finished papercraft figurine by the Monday, December 19th deadline will result in a zero on this 300-point project. Late projects will not be accepted under any circumstances.

This is your final CGD1 project, and will be graded based on the effectiveness of your use of the principles of C.R.A.P. in your overall design, the design of your logo, and the assembly of your papercraft figurine. You have more than eight full days of class time to complete this project, and late projects will not be accepted, so please use your time effectively and wisely. Good luck and happy papercrafting!

Assigned: Tuesday, December 6th, 2016
Due Date: Monday, December 19th, 2016
Computer Graphic Design

Adobe Photoshop – Photoshop Disaster Recovery 2016

Objective: 
I can use Photoshop image repair tools to fix a “Photoshop Disaster”.
Links:

Google Image Search Result: “Photoshop Fails”

Topics Discussed:

  • Photoshop Image Repair
Assignment:
Last week, we tested our acquired Photoshop skills by building a composite image using several smaller images. Today, we are going to look at some examples of Photoshop alterations gone horribly wrong. By the end of the week, we are going to use our skills to recover some of these “Photoshop Disasters”.
  1. Visit the links above. Look through the examples of “Photoshop Disasters”, have a good laugh, and select one that you think you can correct using the image repair techniques we have studied in class. (Keep it school appropriate!)
  2. Save a copy of this photo to your Documents, and open it in Photoshop.
  3. Apply whatever modifications you feel are necessary to make the image look more realistic, or to fix the obvious problem. The final image should look more realistic than the original, so pay close attention to detail. The final image should be realistic and convincing, not just “less bad”.
  4. Save your corrected image with a different filename than the original.
  5. Create a new InDesign document. Save it with your name and “Photoshop Disaster Recovery”.
  6. Place both the original image and your corrected version into the InDesign document. Label the original and the corrected version, and use lines and shapes to point out exactly where the changes were made.
  7. On the same page, write a brief paragraph explaining the exact process you followed to correct the image in Photoshop. Use the correct terminology and tool names. (Did you use the Healing Brush Tool? The Spot Healing Brush Tool? The Patch Tool? Did you use a Lasso Selection? A Quick Selection? The Magic Wand? Did you have to manipulate Layers? Did you have to flatten Layers? Did you have to Scale portions of the image?)
  8. Save both your original and corrected image, and the InDesign .indd file (3 files total) into a new folder with your name on it, and upload a copy of all three to the Google Classroom assignment post  by end of day on Tuesday, November 15th.
Assigned: November 8th, 2016
Teacher Pacing Due Date: November 15th, 2016