Pen Tool Practice

Pen Tool Practice Tutorial

Today we will learn how to use the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator. It is important to learn how to use this tool properly, because this is what we will use to remove items from their backgrounds for our Multiple Mes project. Notice what clean edges you can get when using the pen tool!
We will view a demo at the Smart Board and then follow these steps:

Part 1: Setting Up the File

1. Right-click to save the image below:
   
2. Open Adobe Illustrator.
3. Select “New Print Document” from the pop up screen.
4. Create a new file in Adobe Illustrator with the following guidelines:
   
5. Place the image you just downloaded from this blog post. (File -> place)
   DO NOT try to open your downloaded image in Illustrator! This will cause strange things to happen.

Part 2: Using the Pen Tool to Draw Straight Lines

1. Create a new layer by clicking on the “new layer” button at the bottom of the layers palette on the right side of the screen.
2. Select the pen tool.
3. You can change the color by clicking on the square at the bottom of the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen: 
4. Trace over your first shape (the star). Click once to add the first anchor point. Move your mouse to the next position and click again to create the second point. The two anchor points will be connected together.
5. Continue clicking points around the star IN ORDER until you reach the starting point.
   
   
   (You may need to decrease the opacity of the star you are drawing so you can see what you are tracing. You can do this by clicking on the transparency icon on the right side of the screen and decreasing the opacity so it is below 100. )
   
6. Close the path by clicking on the starting point a second time. Bring the opacity back 100% and adjust the color if necessary.
   

Part 3: Using the Pen Tool to Draw Curves

1. Click to create your first point.
2. Click where you would like your next point to be, but do not let go of the mouse until you have dragged the point to adjust the curve:
   
3. Click on the middle dot. This should make the second half of the tangent line, or handle, disappear:
   
4. Click where you would like your next point to be, but do not let go of the mouse until you have dragged the point to adjust the curve:
   
5. Once again, click on the middle dot. This should make the second half of the tangent line, or handle, disappear:
   
6. Continue adding points around the heart in order. Close the path by clicking on the starting point a second time.
   
7. Follow the same steps to outline the apple.
8. Follow the same steps to outline the dog.

Part 4: Saving your file and posting to the blog

1. Save your file as a .pdf (File -> Save As -> PDF)
2. Create a new blog post with the PDF of your progress.

Today we will:

• Complete the pen tool mini lesson in Adobe Illustrator
• Save our file as a PDF
• Create a new blog post with the following:
  • the PDF file of our completed mini lesson
  • a few sentences describing any challenges you faced, how you worked through them, and how you feel about the pen tool

Multiple Mes Project Concept: Day 2

Today’s essential question: How can I pose in front of a green screen to create interactive clones in my final project?

Today we will finish our project proposals for our Multiple Mes project. Remember, this project proposal counts as a 10-point homework grade, so be sure to fulfill all the requirements. Aleesa’s blog post is a perfect example of what I am looking for. Stuck? Partner with 1-2 classmates, discuss potential project ideas, and listen to their suggestions and feedback.

First, though, we will look at how director Tim Burton utilized green screen technology for his 2010 production of Alice In Wonderland. Next class, we will learn how to shoot photos in front of a green screen. We will light, pose, and photograph models as a class, then analyze our photos at the Smart Board.

Here are some stills from Alice in Wonderland:

And here are some images depicting what was actually filmed in front of a green screen:

What surprises you? What ideas have these behind-the-scenes images given you for your own project?

Want to learn more? This article covers Tim Burton’s utilization of a green screen and other special effects.

Today we will:

• Create a new blog post with the following:
  • Sketch (including the background/scene)
  • Paragraph describing your concept. Include the following:
    • Describe your concept
    • What poses will you be photographed in for your 3-6 clones? How will your clones be interacting with one another?
    • What background or scene will you use?
    • What extra images or accessories will you add?
    • What costumes or props will you need to bring in next class for the photography portion?
  • Any images you may use from the internet (background should be larger than 12MP, other images should be larger than 2MP)

No blog post = 0 participation for the day

The following people need to finish their silhouette projects & artist statements ASAP: Yusuf, Chan, Erika, Sidney

New Project: Multiple Mes

Essential Question:  How can I tell a story with a digital collage in Adobe Photoshop?

Today we will introduce our next project: Multiple Mes Photoshop Collage. We will photograph ourselves and our classmates in front of a green screen, and then build a scene in Photoshop that tells a story using these green screen photos. For your background, you may either take your own photograph or use a background from the internet.

Here are some examples of past student work:

Image Credit: Alyssa

Image Credit: Laura

Image Credit: Samantha

Image Credit: Darla

Project Requirements:

• Created in Adobe Photoshop
• Minimum size: 11” x 14” @ 300 DPI
• Original, realistic scene created from a minimum of six images
  • Minimum of 3 images taken in front of green screen with techniques taught during this lesson
  • Background can be either taken by student or downloaded from the internet (minimum 12MP). Any internet images must be noticeably modified to create your own unique scene.
  • Realistic background, middle ground, and foreground created through use of Photoshop layers
  • No copyrighted characters
• High Quality Craftsmanship
  • No pixelation
  • Background cleanly removed
  • Images Photographed from appropriate angles
  • Lighting matches up
  • Scale and proportion makes sense
• Final Blog post includes:
  • PNG of final image
  • 150 word Artist Statement

Today we will:

• Introduce project: digital collage in Adobe Photoshop
• Brainstorm concept
• Create a new blog post with the following:
  • Sketch (including the background/scene)
  • Paragraph describing your concept. Include the following:
    • Describe your concept
    • What will you photograph for your 3-6 green screen images?
    • What background or scene will you use?
    • What extra images or accessories will you add?
    • What costumes or props will you need to bring in next class for the green screen photography portion?
  • Any images you may use from the internet (background should be larger than 12MP, other images should be larger than 2MP)

 

Catch Up Day

Today we will complete any assignments listed in the “Missing or Overdue Assignments” section of our folder. Finish your silhouette self-portrait first, as that is a 100-point grade, while the other assignments are 10-point grades. If you do not finish everything today, please schedule a time during lunch or Advisement to come to this room and finish your work. You must schedule an appointment ahead of time to receive a pass from Ms. Lawson.

The following students are all caught up and may have a free day: Olecia, Taliyah, Aleesa, Madeline

Silhouette Self Portrait Artist Statement

Minimum 150 word, should be in the same blog post as the PNG of your finished project. Not sure what to write? Start by answering the following questions, then turn your responses into paragraph form:

• Describe your artwork
  • What does your artwork look like?
  • What is the subject matter?
  • What art elements or principles are most obvious in your work?
• How did you create your art?
  • What media is your artwork made from?
  • Describe the process or steps you took to create your artwork.
• What is the big idea behind your artwork?
  • Who or what inspired your artwork?
  • What is your artwork about?
  • How do you want people to feel when they view your artwork?
• Overall thoughts
  • What did you learn from creating this artwork?
  • Is the final piece what you imagined? How so?
  • What did you do well? What could you have done better?

Forgot what you are supposed to do? Click on the assignment to bring up the blog post with requirements and step-by-step instructions:

• Kitten Dress Up
• Veggies
• Intro Blog Post
  • Post a UNIQUE image that is meaningful to you
  • Copy and paste the following questions and answer them:
    1. Describe your previous experience with computer art.
    2. Whose is responsible if the computer crashes and your project disappears? What will happen?
    3. How will you back up your work? (hint: blog, Google Drive)
    4. Why is it important to post your work to your blog every class?

Today we will:

• Finish any missing/incomplete assignments and post them to our blogs

Featured Artist: Guiseppe Arcimboldo

Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1526 or 1527 – 1593)

Giuseppe Arcimboldo was an Italian painter best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made entirely of objects traditionally found in still life paintings (eg. fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, and books). He painted these objects arranged in such a way that the whole collection of objects formed a recognizable likeness of the portrait subject. He often used objects that represented the subject he was painting, such as a librarian composed entirely of books.

Here are some examples of his work:

 

How is your project similar to Guiseppe Arcimboldo’s paintings? How is it different?

Today we will:

• Finish our silhouette self portraits
• upload both the Photoshop (.psd) and PNG files of our final projects to our Foundations 1 Google Drive Folders
• create a new blog post with the following
  • a PNG of our finished project
  • a 150 word artist statement about our project. Not sure what to write? Start by answering the following questions:
    • Describe your artwork
      • What does your artwork look like?
      • What is the subject matter?
      • What art elements or principles are most obvious in your work?
    • How did you create your art?
      • What media is your artwork made from?
      • Describe the process or steps you took to create your artwork.
    • What is the big idea behind your artwork?
      • Who or what inspired your artwork?
      • What is your artwork about?
      • How do you want people to feel when they view your artwork?
    • Overall thoughts
      • What did you learn from creating this artwork?
      • Is the final piece what you imagined? How so?
      • What did you do well? What could you have done better?

 

Using a mask to fill in our background with an image

Today’s essential question: How can I create contrast between the inside of my silhouette and my background?

Today we will use the mask tool to fill in our background with an image.

Next class, we will critique our near-finished projects with a partner, and then spend the rest of the class period finishing our projects and making the changes suggested by the peer critique.

How to Use the Mask Tool

1. Open your project Photoshop file (the one that ends with .psd, NOT .png).
2. Open whatever image you would like to fill the negative space portion of your project.
3. Drag whatever image you would like to fill the negative space portion of your project into the project Photoshop file.
   
4. If it is the wrong orientation (such as my example where it is landscape instead of portrait), rotate the image.
   Edit -> Transform -> Rotate 90 CW (or CCW – your choice)
   
5. Scale it so it fills the screen (Edit -> Free Transform). Remember to hold down the shift key and scale from the corner so you do not distort the proportions of the image. Also, do not make an image much larger – it will pixelate and look blurry when printed.
   
6. In the layers palette on the bottom right side of the screen, click on the eye next to this layer to make it temporarily invisible.
   
7. Click on the layer titled “negative space.” It should turn blue to show it has been selected.
   
8. Your project should now look like this (you may have images inside your silhouette):
   
9. Select the magic wand tool form the toolbar on the left side of the screen.
10. Click on any part of the negative space layer that has been painted. It should now be outlined with dotted lines.
    
11. In the layers palette on the bottom right side of the screen, click on the eye next to this layer to make it invisible.
    Your project should now look like this:
    
12. Now click on the eye space next to the layer that contains the image you want to fill in your background. This will make the layer visible.
    
13. Click on the layer itself to select it. It should turn blue.
    
14. Click on the mask tool at the bottom of the layers palette.
15. This should hide everything but the background area:
    

Today we will:

• Learn how to use the mask tool to fill in our background with an image
• Continue working on our projects
• Save our projects as both as (Photoshop) .psd and .png, upload our Photoshop (.psd) file to our school Google Drives, and create a new blog post with the PNG of our progress

Combining Multiple Images into One Photoshop File

Today’s essential question: How can I create unity throughout my project?

Today we will add the images we have downloaded to the inside of our Photoshop silhouettes. We will need to remove the background from each image; do not simply submit a collage of square images!

We will learn how to add images to the background next class. Do not worry about that today.

Make sure your save your project as both a Photoshop (.PSD) file (which you will upload to your Google Drive) and a PNG file (which you will post to your blog). You blog will not let you upload a Photoshop file, and you will not be able to further edit a PNG file, which is why you need to save both versions. No one will finish their project today, but you must post your progress in order to receive participation points. No blog post = 0 participation for the day.

Downloading LARGE Images to Use in Your Project

• Use the steps in this handout to download:
  • 15-20 images (that are larger than 2MP) you can use for the silhouette portion of our project
  • another 3-5 images (that are larger than 10MP) you might use for the background
• Place these images in their own folder in your 890 number
• Upload the folder to your Google Drive

Adding Images into your Silhouette

1. Open your silhouette PHOTOSHOP file (the one that ends in .psd). Your layers palette should look like this:
   
   (If you only have one layer named background, you have mistakenly opened the PNG file. If that is the case, close  that file and open the .psd file.)
2. Now open the first image you would like to drag into your silhouette in Photoshop.
   (File -> Open -> locate where you saved your image and select it)
   Go to the toolbar on the left side of the screen and select the move tool.
3. Now click on the image and “throw” it into your silhouette Photoshop file. Your layers palette should now look like this:
   
4. The image you just dragged should be below the negative space layer and on top of your silhouette layer. Eventually, it will look like the silhouette is filled with a collage of images:
   
5. Scale or rotate the image by going to the top of the screen and selecting “Edit -> free transform. Do not make the image larger, or it will pixelate like the example below:
   
6. Repeat steps until you have placed all your desired images into the silhouette photoshop file.
7. Select the eraser tool and erase the background from each image.  Make sure you are on the correct layer!
8. Save your photoshop file occasionally while you are working on it so you do not lose your work (File -> save)

Saving your file & Posting to your blog

1. Save your Photoshop File (File -> save)
2. Save a version as a PNG (File -> save as -> Select “PNG” as “file type”).
3. Upload the Photoshop file to your Google Drive
4. Create a new blog post with the following:
   1. a png image of your progress. (You will not finish your project today, so I am looking for progress rather than perfection).
   2. a few sentences describing what was easy and what was difficult

Today we will:

• Download 15-20 LARGE images we may want to use in our silhouettes
• Begin dragging the images we downloaded that represent us into our silhouette file
• Remove the background from each image using the eraser or magic wand
• Save our file as both a Photoshop and PNG
• Upload the Photoshop file to our Google Drive
• Create a new blog post with the following:
  • PNG of our silhouette progress (no one will finish today)
  • a few sentences describing what was easy and what was difficult

Save

Save

Symbolic Silhouette Self-Portrait: Day 2

Many people did not properly create a blog post proposing their concept for their Silhouette Self-Portrait. Please do this today if you have not done so already. Here are some great examples created by students in this class:

• Mercedes
• Olecia
• Aleesa
• Miriam
• Madeline

Today we will begin creating our symbolic silhouette self-portrait in Photoshop. At the end of today’s class, we will save our progress as both a Photoshop (.psd) file and as a .png. We will place both files in our Foundations 1 Google Drive folders, and post the .png to our blogs in order to receive participation points.

Part 1: Saving and Opening the File in Photoshop

1. Log into your school Gmail account. (Username: student # @rcsd121.org; Password: same password you use to log into the school computers.)
2. Click on the squares in the top right corner of the screen and select Drive
   
3. Right click your profile photo and select “Download”
4. Open Photoshop.
5. Open your photo on Photoshop. (File -> Open).

Part 2: Painting your silhouette

1. Create a new layer by clicking on the new layer button at the bottom of the layers palette.
   It is located on the bottom right side on the screen.
   Name this layer “silhouette.” Make sure the silhouette layer is selected. You can tell it is selected if it is blue. Make sure you do this step, or you will paint over your face and forever alter your source photo!
   Your layers palette should now look like this:
   
2. Select the brush tool from the toolbar on the left of the screen. Go to the top of the screen.
   Change the hardness to 100% by dragging the slider all the way to the right.
   
3. Select a color to paint with by double-clicking on the color box on the bottom left side of the screen.
4. Select the magnifying glass from the tool bar and click on your image until you have zoomed in enough to be able to trace over your silhouette.
   If you accidentally zoom in too far, you can zoom back out by going to the menu at the top of the screen, and selecting (View -> Fit on screen).
5. Select the brush tool again. Begin tracing over your silhouette.
   Adjust the brush size as needed:
   Press the right bracket } key to make the brush larger
   Press the left bracket { key to make the brush smaller.
   Once your trace over your entire silhouette, your image should look like this:
   
6. Go to the menu at the top of the screen and press File -> Save to save your progress (or press control + S).

Part 3: Painting your background

1. When you are finished, click on the Background layer in your layer palette, then press the new layer button to create a new layer. Name this layer “negative space.” Make sure the “negative space” layer is selected. You can tell it is selected if it is blue. Make sure you do this step, or you will forever alter your source photo! Your layers palette should now look like this:
   
2. Select a color to paint with by double-clicking on the color box on the bottom left side of the screen. You should pick one that contrasts with your silhouette color.
3. Select the paint bucket tool from the  toolbar on the left side of the screen.
   Click anywhere on your image to paint the background.
   Your image should now look like this:
   
4. Go to the menu at the top of the screen and press File -> Save to save your progress (or press control + S).

Part 4: Cutting the silhouette out of the background

1. Click on the silhouette layer. Go to the menu at the top of the screen and select Layer -> Duplicate layer. Name this layer “silhouette copy.”
2. Click on the original silhouette layer in the layers palette so it turns blue.
   The layers palette should now look like this:
   
3. Go to the menu at the top of the screen and select Layer -> Merge down. This will merge one of the silhouette layers with your negative space layer. Click on this merged layer to select it. It should be blue.
   The layers palette should now look like this:
   
4. Click on the magic wand tool.
   It may be hidden under the quick selection tool. If that is the case, click and hold this quick selection tool until the magic wand tool appears, then select the magic wand tool.
   At the top of the screen, change the tolerance to 10.
   
5. Click the silhouette to select it. Then press control + x to remove the silhouette.
   It will not look like anything has happened. To test whether you have actually deleted the silhouette from the inside of the merged layer, go to the layers palette and click on the eye next to the silhouette layer. This will make the silhouette layer invisible, and you will be able to see what remains on the merged “negative space” layer:
   
   Your silhouette should be cut out of the background like this:
   
6. Go to the layers palette. Drag the “negative space layer” to the top of the screen, and click the eyeball next to the “silhouette copy” layer to make it visible again.
   Your layers palette should now look like this:
   

Part 5: Saving your file

1. Go to the menu at the top of the screen.
2. Select File -> Save to save your final Photoshop file (or press control + S).
3. Then select File -> Save as -> and save your file as a PNG.

Today we will:

• Trace over the photos to create silhouettes of ourselves. You can access this photo through your school Google Drive.
• Save our file as both a Photoshop (.psd) and .png.
• Create a new blog post with the following:
  • the png of our silhouette

New Project: Symbolic Silhouette Self-Portrait

Today’s essential question: What are some images that might represent your interests or personality?

Today we will plan our silhouette self-portrait collage. We will create a new blog post with our concept and any images we may use, both for the inside of the silhouette and for the background.

Here are some sample projects created by past 9th grade students:

Image Credit: Avery

Image Credit: Eh Tha

Image Credit: Razia

Image Credit: Natalya

Image Credit: Bayleigh

Image Credit: Ler Tha

Image Credit: La’ja

Image Credit: Francheska

Image Credit: Darla

Image Credit: Gabe

Project Requirements:

• collage created in Photoshop from at least 10 different images (the more, the better)
• contrast between silhouette & background
• no copyrighted characters or trademarked logos
• unity throughout the piece
• mastery of layers, paintbrush, and eraser tool in Photoshop demonstrated through high quality craftsmanship

Downloading LARGE Images to Use in Your Project

• Use the steps in this handout to download:
  • 15-20 images (that are larger than 2MP) you can use for the silhouette portion of our project
  • another 3-5 images (that are larger than 8MP) you might use for the background
• Place these images in their own folder in your 890 number
• Upload the folder to your Google Drive
• Create a new blog post with the following:
  • any LARGE images you may use in your project (download at least 20)
  • a few sentences describing the types of images you plan to use, and why each of these images is significant or meaningful to you

Missing/Incomplete Veggie Assignment:

• Yousef
• Chan
• Ameena
• Erika
• Talia
• Hayaleira

Missing/Incomplete Dress Up Kitten:

• Yousef
• Chan
• Paris
• Sidney
• Mercedes
• Talia
• James
• Reggie
• Jaelin

Missing/Incomplete Intro Blog Post:

• Chan
• Erika
• Olecia (incomplete)
• Miriam (incomplete)
• Talia (incomplete)
• James (incomplete)
• Hayaleira (incomplete)

Today we will:

• Download LARGE images to be used in our project.
• Upload all the images to our Foundations 1 Google Drive folders. Create a new subfolder within this folder called “Symbolic Silhouette Self-Portrait” and store the images in this new folder.
• Create a new blog post with the following:
  • any LARGE images you may use in your project (download at least 20)
  • a few sentences describing the types of images you plan to use, and why each of these images is significant or meaningful to you
• Finish any missing/incomplete assignments and post them to our blogs

Save

Photoshop Mini Lessons: Day 2

Today’s essential question: How can I combine multiple images into one Photoshop file?

Today we will complete more Photoshop tutorials. We will learn how to combine multiple images into one Photoshop file by dressing up a kitten.

Kitten Dress Up Tutorial (teaches us how to combine multiple images into one Photoshop file, and how to use the transform tool to scale and rotate objects)

Completed kitten dress up tutorial

• Click here to view the step-by-step-instructions for the kitten dress up Photoshop tutorial. (If you do not have this file open and cannot tell me what step you need help with, I will not help you.)
• Click here to download the kitten dress up Photoshop file.
• Once you get comfortable with Photoshop, feel free to download extra accessories from Google images and customize your fashionable kitten! See if you can figure out how to add a background.

Bonus Tutorial: Kitten in a Box (teaches us how to make an object look like it is inside a container)

Finish early? Complete this tutorial to learn how to Photoshop a kitten into a box.

Kitten in box tutorial starter file

Completed kitten in box tutorial

• Click here to view the step-by-step instructions for the kitten in a box tutorial. (If you do not have this file open and cannot tell me what step you need help with, I will not help you.)
• Click here to download the kitten in a box tutorial starter file.

Today we will:

• Complete the kitten dress up tutorial. Save your file to your 890# AND your Foundations 1 Google Drive folder as both a photoshop (.psd) file and a .png file.
• Finish the veggie tutorial (if you did not complete it last class).  Make sure you have posted a .png of your file to your blog, and placed both a Photoshop (.psd) and .png versions of the file in your Foundations 1 Google Drive folder.
• If you have time, complete the kitten in a box tutorial
• Create and publish a new blog post with the following:
  • a png of your completed kitten dress up image
  • a png of your completed kitten in a box image (if you got that far)
  • a paragraph describing how you create each image. Include any challenges you faced, and how you worked through those challenges.