Session 16 [Wed 261108] - Brutal Type Demo/ Hands On/ One To One

Homework
Please put in 4 hours of intense Gentle/Brutal type work/experimentation - try out the techniques you saw demonstrated in class working toward your 3 type solutions for first half of Session 18.

There will also be a quick quiz at the beginning of the next session [Mon 011208].

Brutal Type Treatments

Session 15 [Mon 241108] - Keyword:Iconic Stage2 Briefing/ Sourcing & Installing Fonts/ Glyphs/ Careful Type Assessment

Homework
Today we got back on track with a very efficient beginning to K:I Stage 2. Thankyou all for your focus today.

For Wednesday you are required to apply careful type parameters to your chosen copy. Remember to steer clear of the artist name as your text and to use Album/ Song titles, lyrics, associated words and phrases. Please collect what you do in Illustrator and refer to the  Gentle site  for a reminder of possible parameters to test your word against.

Sourcing & Installing Fonts

Sourcing Fonts

To the right, as you already know, you will find sources for commercial, freeware, and shareware fonts. You also have access to the AIU fonts in your user login. There are online resources for converting your handwriting into a type-able font, although there may not be time to take advantage of such services this term. Finally, there are font-finding resources to help you locate most fonts you might need. These final resources are likely to serve you well if you choose to make a career of Graphic Design or related discipline.

There are 3 principal type technologies for Apple computers - Postscript, Truetype, and Open Type formats. These three formats represent the history of fonts on your Mac. The most recent format, Opentype gives you access to tens of thousands more characters or glyphs per font than either Postscript or Truetype. However, there are many more available Postscript and Truetype fonts than there are Opentype, as it is a younger technology.

Font Installation

There are two key locations that should concern you when it comes to font installation. The System Font Directory and your User Font Directory. The first you should know enough about to leave it alone and the second should be used to house all your self-installed fonts.

Installed with OSX is the rudimentary but powerful font management application, Font Book. This, along with Extensis's Font Doctor program used to check for corrupt font files, is all you need to control the fonts on you system.

To install fonts on your mac, locate the font file in the finder and double click the file icon. You will be shown a sample window of the typeface to be installed. Just click the install button to open Font Book and install the font. The font is automatically put in your User Font directory [User>Library>Fonts]. Take some time to investigate the key features of font book.

Text Input

Once installed your font is now available to any application that uses fonts on your computer. It will appear in the font list. In Adobe Illustrator, the focus app of Keyword:iconic Stage2, pressing Apple T will activate the Character panel. The font list available via this professional type panel shows you the font name in the style of the face and also provides icon indicators for the font format. Useful.

Pangrams

We also looked at pangrams as part of our quick tour around Font Book.

Glyphs
In both Illustrator and InDesign you have access to the Glyphs palette [Type > Glyphs]. You will never again want for a particular punctation, ligature, or symbol!

Gentle:careful Type Procedure
[Please refer to your notes for this segment for now]

Session 14 [Wed 191108] - Stage1 Review Part 2

Homework
Due next session

• 500 word Stage1 written review of Progress so far and here you might go from here.
• Type examples - starting to build Stage 2 research
• Also, read the Stage2 brief and get re-acquainted with Illustrator ready to take on the next part of the project

Stage 2 Review
Strong showing of concepts from Hatice, Angga, and Nate. Thankyou.

Nour - I hope you have a better understanding of where you need to take your work now. Looking forward to the results on Monday.

So far I have only received complete folios from Hatice and Nate. The rest of you [Henrique was away,so Pin, Nour, and Angga this applies to you] left without giving me your project work. Unfortunately this counts as a missed deadline. Please ensure that you have your work on Monday, ready to hand in, along with the relevant digital files.

See you next time.

Session 13 [Mon 171108] - Stage One Critical Review - Part1/ First Task for Stage Two

Homework

1. Your first task for Keyword:Iconic Stage2 is to root out interesting examples of typography both good and bad. At least five pieces please.
2. Also, from the link on the right please download and read a copy of the Stage2 brief. Even start developing ideas for type solutions to go with your final chosen concept/style
3. Finally, you are asked to write a 500 word piece describing the response to your stage one work. Tell the reader where you are intending to go next based on the feedback you received in the crit; which existing solution, combination of solutions, or even a new direction you wish to pursue in the next 2 stages - Typed text is due on Mon 241108

Stage 1 Review

Strong performances this session from Pin and Henrique. Thankyou.

Some interesting developments afoot with Nour as the possibilities in her paintings become ever more apparent.

Nour will re-present in Session14 after Hatice, Angga, and Nate have presented their work.

All folios and digital files must be submitted for grading at the close of Session14. Thankyou.

Make Up #2 [Fri 141108] - [Making Up for Cancelled Session 12] Preparing for Stage1 Deadline

Homework First - Preparing For Deadline Stage1
Prepare files for stage 1 deadline and next session's [Mon 171108] presentation.

To remind you, the following 3 components are expected next time -

• Concept Visuals - evidence of 3 routes toward meeting the challenge set by your chosen music in the form of digital files stored on a CD, DVD, or external device ready for loading onto multiple computers. [Alternatively, 3 prints on A3 for wall mounting.]
• A physical A3 portfolio with accompanying, exceedingly well-organised digital folder - the physical folder should be made up of brainstorm materials, sketches, moodboards, evidence of experiments with Photoshop, and anything that tells the story of how you have developed your Keyword:iconic project so far. Digital Folder should include any unprinted reference materials, photoshop experiments/trials, your layered Photoshop production files and associated print files.
• Accompanying music - it is important that the group hears a selection of the music you are illustrating.

The following is also advised -

• Written work - Please rehearse your presentation and make sure you are prepared to answer any questions on the meaning of your work and how it relates to the chosen music. After the session, you will be asked to write a record of, and response to, the group critique of your concepts. It is recommended and will no doubt reward you in the long run, if you plan for your presentation with the aid of a text.

Session 12 [Mon 121108] - Quiz #2/ Selection Techniques - From Basic to Intermediate

Make-Up Class
To make up for the cancellation of Session 11, Fri 141108 is a make up day. We will start at 2:00pm as usual. This is a chance to gear up for the concept presentation on Monday and to answer any concerns you have about preparing the chronological folio of research and all other preparation work.

Also, to accompany the folio, in a folder of well organised digital files, you should be evidencing most, if not all, of the techniques outlined and demonstrated in class, deployed by yourselves in Photoshop files as experimental try outs or as final concept development files.

Quiz#2 Answers
Answers here

Selection Techniques
The heart of today's class was selection/masking techniques.

• Marquee, Lasso - the usual suspects. These are a halfway house to any decent selection. The Marquee comes in Rectangular and Elliptical forms. Try out the Octagonal and Magnetic versions of the Lasso. Use Shift M or Shift L to cycle through the respective tool sets.


• Magic Wand - another usual-suspect selection tool. The magic wand is at the root of the remaining selection techniques seen today. By setting the Tolerance levels to multiples of eight you can increase or decrease the amount of pixels selected. A fair starter selection tool when you have a clear background but there are better tools for the job.
  However, as with many of the following tools, creative possibilites abound if the tool is used experimantally.


• Replace Color and Color Range [We didn't have time for these today. Try them out in your own time.] - Using an eyedropper/fuzziness slider combination, clicking in the dialog box preview, or in the main image, you can choose and refine a colour or series of colours to change in the Replace Color command. Using Hue/Saturation style sliders in the Replace Color tool, the colour, saturation, and lightness of the chosen colour can be altered. Alternatively, using a similar eyedropper/ fuzziness slider model, selections can be generated with the Color Range command.


• Background Eraser Tool [Again we ran out of time for a demonstrationof the Eraser tools but try them for yourselves] - A tool introduced in Version 5 of Photoshop. By sampling a single colour or via the continuous sampling of colours as you erase, the background to your desired element can gradually be removed. Use the Option bar to choose the sampling options. This Background Eraser tool becomes more powerful used in combination with Extract and the History Brush


• The Extract Filter and History Brush - I do not have space here to give you a detailed description of how to operate the Extract Filter. Please refer to your notes or the Photoshop Help menu. Recall, that using the TouchUp tools inside the filter's window, you can refine your edges. Once back in the Photoshop File Window, use the History Brush/ Background Eraser to restore/ remove further parts of the image. Photoshop doesn't get much more powerful than this tool combo.


• Other Selection Features - In the Select menu there are tools for Expanding and Growing a selection. You saw how to Add and Subtract using any of the above tools with the Shift and Alt keys respectively.


• Checking the State of a Selection - As you saw, the Extract filter allows you to check the current state of your selection without committing to it.
  
  With other selection tools you can try the following procedure to see how it's going. Copy your selection [Apple C] to a new document [Apple N - no need to check the values], paste the selection [Apple V] - So far, these steps alone constitute a good technique for isolating image elements in their own new file.
  
  To complete your selection check, fill the background layer with a 50% grey [Click on foreground swatch, choose a mid grey, and use Apple Backspace to fill the layer with grey] Your selection edge will be clearly evident against the neutral grey. Alternatively, paste your selection to the background you know you are going to use. Next, use or continue refining your selection.


• Quick Mask and Pen Tool - Today's class was about some of the less well known selection methods. The tools shown today are also capable of being used for some adhoc creative effects. Feel free to add the use of the Quick Mask [Covered today in depth] and the Pen tool [Not Covered today but please use if it is within your repertoire.]. Otherwise enjoy the results achievable with the tools above.


• And Remember - quality selections should take time. Up to 70-80% of the work on any montage.

Quick Fill

A personal favorite of mine - the fill with background/ foreground colour shortcut.
Use Alt Backspace to fill with the background swatch colour. Use Apple Backspace to fill with the foreground colour. Easy. Great for quick graphic silhouettes of previously photographic objects/elements.

Anti-aliasing

Finally, today we also covered the difference between a jaggy and an anti-aliased selection. I'll leave wikipedia to explain this one. Try not to fall asleep!

Session 11 [Mon 101108] - Class Cancelled

Apologies - due to adverse weather conditions [torrential is not too strong a word for the rain outside my window] I am unable to reach the AIU today and have had to cancel the class.

Hopefully, you will have already been informed of the cancellation before you venture out into these cataclysmic downpours [alright, that was a bit excessive].

We will make-up today's lost class on Fri 141108.

Also, the on-screen crit for the 3 concept boards will now take place on Mon 171108

There is definitely going to be a Quiz first thing on Wed 121108, so get to class in good time.

You can email me at jgosling@aiulondon.ac.uk if you have any concerns [such as - Why is this entry in italics?].

Session 10 [Wed 051108] - Handling Digital Sources/ Setting Up Print & Screen Presentations/ Production & Proofing

Session 9 [Mon 031108] - Critical Review/ Research/ Brainstorming/ Possible Concepts/ Photoshop Work To Date

Make Up #1 [Fri 311008] - Line Art Techniques Continued

Homework
Please refer to last blog entry for homework instruction. It's an important discussion class next session, so be prepared.

More Line Art Techniques
We covered a lot today. Thanks for your concentration and energy. Outlined below are the things we tried this session –

• Different levels of Threshold Adjustment command were used to create layered line art for screen-print style overprinting.


• Image > Adjustment > Hue And Saturation[Apple-U] was demonstrated to enable shifting of the Hue, Saturation, and Brightness of your art. You saw how to make a faked Duotone effect a la Reid Miles' portraits for Blue Note Records.


• You also saw the Image > Adjustment > Levels command [Apple-L] and were shown a rudimentary use of it to improve the contrast in an image.


• Holding down the Alt key as you access the Levels or the Hue/Saturation Command [Apple-Alt-L/ U] allowed you to access the previously applied settings for a consistent/continuous effect.


• You saw how to blend using different line art sources. Also, the This Layer/ Underlying Layer feature [accessed by double-clicking on the blank part of a Layer in the Layer Palette], helped to hide parts of the image without the need to delete anything from your images.


• The Transform tools were accessed for Scaling, Rotating, etc. The Apple-Zero shortcut can be used to zoom to the Transform control handles if they are hidden from view.


• In the second half of the class, after seeing a scanograph blended into the line art mix, we got a little closer to a genuine line art technique using Image > Mode> Bitmap on a scanographic image. We got as far as defining a pattern [Select an area of your image and goto Edit > Define Pattern] and applying it as a Custom Screen effect via Bitmap mode. Remember to change to Greyscale prior to Bitmap mode, and be sure to raise the resolution of your art in the Bitmap dialog box.

That's all! See you next time.