Flat-Pack Toy - Found Photo Environments

Using Photoshop you will create 2 found photo collage environments for your flat-pack toy.

Each of your environments should be 8.5 x 11 oriented vertically or horizontally.

You should start a new document in Photoshop and set your resolution to 150.

You can then open the photo of your flat-pack toy and place that in your new document and begin to remove the background.

I have quickly photographed your flat-pack toys and provided access to them.  If you open a new finder window and then open MAC HD and then the folder called "Public Share" and then the folder called "readymech" you will find some images of your flat-pack toys.

For the next step in the project we will be creating environments for the ready mech

You will create 2 collage environments from found images:

1 environment will be the creature's/character's habitat

1 environment will be an environment in which the character feels out of place

These are collage environments and should be made out of a minimum of ten images, for example:

An exterior landscape would use a sky from one image and land from another, with a plant from another, and a tree from another.

An interior landscape would use a ceiling from one image and a floor from another, as well as furnishings from different images.

Your environments can be surreal in nature and do not have to reflect reality in any way.

You have 2 class periods to work on this assignment.


You need to post the jpeg version of your projects to your blog.  You should save your Photoshop files as well.

2D to 3D - FLAT PACK TOY PROJECT

"Jed" by Jules from readymech.com

“READY MECH” – FLAT PACK TOY PROJECT

PART 1:

Find an existing “Ready Mech”/ flat pack toy online (links can be found at the end of this post) print it to the 5550 and cut it out and put it together to gain an understanding of possible methods of construction and the way the flat design translates into a 3D object.

PART 2:

Create your own ORIGINAL flat-pack toy design.

Start a new print document in illustrator that is 11x17 (tabloid).

Although you can use an existing flat pack toy design as a launching off point you need to modify it and transform it so it becomes your own ORIGINAL and UNIQUE creation. We are not "tracing" these existing templates in Illustrator, you need to create your own template from scratch. You should first create the outline or template for your flat pack toy and print that out and construct it to make sure you are achieving the desired overall shape to your figure.

PART 3:

Hand-Sketch details onto the blank version of your character.

PART 4:

Add color and detail to the template of your character in Illustrator.

PART 5:

Name your character and include that on the plans for your flat-pack toy.  You must also include in your plans basic instructions on how to construct your flat pack toy.  For instance: “fold along dashed line and cut along solid lines.”

PART 6:

You will print the plans of your project to the 5550.  You will cut out and assemble this version as a proof.  You will then alter your plans to respond to any issues with the proof.

You will then print your plans to the matte Epson printer in the print room on thicker paper.  This will be the final version that you will cut out and construct.

PROJECT DUE:
Mon/Wed class – October 17th by 2:30
Tues/Thurs class – October  18th by 11:30


What you need to turn in:
The "blank" version of your flat pack toy with details hand sketched on the body.
The color plans of your flat pack toy printed to the 5550.
The final constructed version of your flat pack toy which will be printed on the "matte" epson inkjet printer found in the print room.
You must post the .png version of your Illustrator plans to your blog.

Ready Mech/ flat pack toy websites:

http://readymech.com/

http://www.paperfoldables.com/

http://www.nicebunny.com/downloads/nicebunny_paper_main.php#

"STREET ART" PROJECT

“STREET ART” PROJECT

Some may argue that the very act of participating in the medium of street art suggests the artist sees himself or herself as an artist/activist.  Regardless of your opinions on the subject there is no doubt that the street artists in Exit Through The Gift Shop risked bodily injury and criminal prosecution to spread their personal visual agenda. Some of the themes in their work consisted of: social commentary, political discourse, or simply flagrant egotistical self-promotion.

For your next assignments you will create two 8.5 x 11 “Street Art” works that explore some of these themes.

LET ME BE VERY CLEAR!  WE WILL NOT BE RISKING BODILY INJURY OR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS ASSIGNMENT.  WE ARE ONLY INVESTIGATING THE IDEAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEDIUM OF STREET ART WE WILL NOT BE ENGAGING IN THE ACT ITSELF.

Project Parameters:

Each of your compositions will be 8.5 x 11 and oriented either horizontally or vertically.

Your projects will be black and white.

Each of your artworks must contain a minimum of 1 image and text.

You must use Photoshop to manipulate your images to convey your intended visual message.

You must save both the photoshop files (.psd) and jpeg versions of your projects.

You will post the jpeg versions of your projects to your blogs.

You will also need to print your projects to the black and white printer.

You have 2 class periods to work on these projects.

They are due (posted to your blog) by the beginning of class next week.

When conceptualizing your projects you should think about whether your intended message is successfully conveyed through your choice of imagery and text.  You should also consider the overall composition of your artworks and whether they have a dynamic visual impact.

Exit Through the Gift Shop - Blog Post

Today we are going to have a screening of Exit Through the Gift Shop.  I would like you to post a 250 word reaction to the film.  Your post should be thoughtful and well written.


Topic Suggestions:
What was the overall message of the film?
Why do you think it was titled Exit Through the Gift Shop?
Do you think a particular artist in the film was more conceptually rich than another and why?
What are your opinions of the use of appropriation in street art/ graffiti?
What are your opinions on street art/ graffiti in general?  Is it a valid form of art?
Do you think the artists in the film have "sold out"?

EXERCISE - DYNAMIC COMPOSITION USING RECTANGLES

Creating a Dynamic Composition

Compositions can be static or dynamic. In this exercise, we will recreate the dynamic movement found within a painting, using rectangles in Illustrator. Dynamic compositions are full of energy or movement. Angles are used to create motion. While a flat horizon line is at rest, a triangle is in motion. The repetition of even spacing is easy on the eye, as our minds predict the simple rhythm of an evenly spaced grid. Angles and uneven spacing between objects causes our eyes to move back and forth. This physical movement translates into the perception of movement within a composition. Use a figurative painting from the artists listed below as the guideline for your dynamic composition with rectangles.

Go to artstor.org and register if you are not already registered.  You need to be on campus to do this.  Search for a figurative painting from one of these artists:  Edvard Munch, Egon Schiele, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, or Gustav Klimt. 

The rules:

We are only using the rectangle tool to create this composition.

There will be no outlines on your rectangles.

You can only scale your rectangles and rotate them.

You should not use gradients.

Your composition needs to be 11 x 17 (tabloid), landscape or portrait.

Use layers to organize your composition.

Do NOT use the direct select tool to modify your rectangles.


You have 2 class periods to work on this assignment.

The Poet, 1911, Egon Schiele, oil on canvas

Example

FOUND IMAGE SELF - PORTRAIT PART 2

If you have finished your self-portrait you need to save your file as a jpeg in medium resolution and post it to your blog.  Additionally, you need to flatten your Photoshop file so it is all on one layer.  This means you will no longer be able to edit your layers individually but it will make your file more manageable.  We are going to attempt to print your Photoshop files in class as long as the printer cooperates.  Because the printer is finicky we will print your files one at a time (do not attempt to print without my approval).  Lastly, you need to answer these 4 questions THOUGHTFULLY and post your answers to your blog.

Questions:

1.     What was the initial inspiration for your self-portrait?

2.     Why did you choose the images that you used in your self-portrait?

3.     What was your plan of attack in terms of the layout/composition of your self-portrait? 

4.     In retrospect, what would you change about your self-portrait to make it even more successful?

PROJECT 2 - FOUND IMAGE SELF-PORTRAIT

WEEK 2 – FOUND IMAGE SELF-PORTRAIT

Create a self-portrait in Photoshop using images you find by performing a Google image search.  I would like you to use a jpeg file format for your images so make sure and type in “jpeg” when performing your search. 

Your portrait should in some way depict a head or body.  For instance you should choose images to represent eyes, a nose, a mouth, legs, arms etc…  The images you choose can be anything so I encourage you to think outside of the box.  For instance, you could use an image of a clock for an eye or a mouth.  The images you choose should express your personality.  Pay close attention to your overall composition.

Project Constraints:

1.     Your portrait will be 8.5” x 11”

2.     You need to use a minimum of 20 different images.

3.     We will be using a limited amount of tools to complete this project.  We will use the move, rectangular marquee, elliptical marquee, crop, lasso, and polygonal lasso tools to modify your found images and then copy and paste them into your final document.  The only modification that you can perform on these images is to change their transparency in the “Layer” window.

4.     You can use a digital image of yourself as a guide but you need to turn off or delete that layer in your final document.

5.     You need to save your Photoshop (.psd) file and make a jpeg  (.jpg) by using the Save As function in Photoshop.  Your jpeg should be saved as medium resolution and posted to your blog.

6.     You have 2 class periods to work on this project so you should take your time and do a really good job.  Students who rush to become the first one done do not impress me. 

7.     None of your images should appear pixilated.  It looks unprofessional.  You can avoid this by selecting “larger” when performing your google image search.

8.     Make sure to save your files somewhere besides the desktop.  If you are looking for an alternate place to save your files you can go to mediafire.com.  This is a file hosting website which allows you to create a free account to upload and download files.

I have posted some portrait collage examples by Raoul Hausmann.  His work is from the early part of the twentieth century.  He was considered to be part of the DADA artist movement.  This movement was made up of artists who were interested in challenging traditional modes of artistic representation.