Wow where does the time go? There are 12 days til graduation already!
Intro classes have been discovering InDesign as a software program to create books, booklets, ads and newsletters. Activities included thumbnails/rough/comp and camera ready. Booklets were digitally printed and finished with a binding. Every student completed a Mother's Day booklet, so look for it coming home this week. Advanced students finally completed TYPOGRAPHY POSTERS, which we all agreed was a great challenge. To see results of their labors, view the bulletin board outside the lab or take a peek at the student work page on this blog. You will be surprised and amazed at the quality of work we are producing. Output processes finished graphics for all of the lab print capabilities and have been working on screen printing, editing documents and finishing/binding. End of pathway test takers are finishing testing this week. Summer is coming-but its not here yet! That means staying focused and working hard towards the prize: Excellence and that 4.0!!! Final projects are being completed and final test reviews will be next week. Get ready for a BIG FINISH!! LOOKING FORWARD During the summer break, Keep your talents honed - work on your graphic design skills this summer. Keep working in your sketchbooks on designs, logos and collecting great examples you see that appeal to your taste. Take photos of important activities and people. Save them to your drop box. Remember the compositional rules!!
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This week, students are beginning Photo Shop CC. We are looking at file formats, the work space, tools, layers and learning to do basic adjustments to photos. On Wednesday, students will begin the process of editing their photos and creating a photo file for their portfolios.
Photo shop is a partner to Illustrator and InDesign. All three are used fluently by graphic designers because, while they are closely related, each do different tasks necessary to complete the designer's tool chest. Advanced students are taking the pathway completion exam this week. This week students are completing a file of their own photos using 20 compositional techniques. Because its beautiful outdoors, students have been exploring focusing, exposure, lighting, and all the ways to use the iPhone as a legitimate camera to shoot beautiful photos while outside. We have discovered things about our campus and surrounding grounds we were not aware of before.
Once files are complete, students will begin the first assignment in PhotoShop. This week begins our adventure into digital photo using our Android and iPhones. We are exploring manual adjustments and techniques that will allow us to use the digital phone as a camera to add images to the graphic design tool box. While studying the basic compositional techniques (rule of thirds, symmetry, the Golden Mean, Rule of Odds, etc), students will take photo examples with their phones, download them and use them as original resources in their Photo Shop assignments next week. There's so much to learn and we're running out of school year to get it all in!
All levels are working on this new knowledge with a focus on understanding why photography is such a key element for graphic designers to know, use and understand. It's exciting, its hands-on, its real world, and authentic learning! Talk about fun! Intro - Last week was our first adventure into Project Based Learning, where we met with students from marketing class and launched a logo/marketing design project. Students worked in pairs, got to know their partners, and then began the work on logo design and creative briefs. This Wednesday, students will convene once again in the graphics lab to fine tune their work and prepare for presentations. Fun, collaborative, rigorous and hands-on! That's what I'm talking about!
Level 2 - Students are working on recognizing type styles (from Garamond to Old Style). They have been assigned a graphic using pen and ink and 8 different typestyles (spelling out the vocabulary words for this unit) Once pen work is completed in their sketchbooks, they will move into the software program and re-create it there. It is vital that students understand the importance of preparation and research before they jump into design. That is our focus this week. Level 3 - Students are working on a typography portrait using Photo Shop. It is challenging and rigorous, but exciting once the project comes together. We will be launching professional portfolios this week as well. Once spring break is over, there are a few weeks left and we still have much to cover. Its an exciting time to be a graphic designer at KMHS! Last week intro and advanced students took a quiz over jobs involved in advertising, the creative process and printing. This week we will be working on identifying fonts and dig into the structure of typography. This involves such terms as "serif, sans serif, script, caps, italics, ascenders and descenders". Students will both reconstruct fonts by hand using pen, ink and their sketchbooks, and explore calligraphy. They will finalize this project by creating a self portrait in photoshop and illustrator using type as a "medium".
Advanced Output Processes students are guiding advanced students through the screen printing process so that each student can "print" their own graphic design t-shirt. In addition, these students are creating a profitability packet that will be used in our business. Job flow charts, pricing, the job ticket and customer contact files are included in this packet. Intro - Students are working on identifying the role of the graphic designer in an Ad Agency. They are also working to identify types of printing processes, both old and contemporary and how that fits in with college and career choices. Presentations are this week as students have completed presentations and handouts to "teach" what they know to other students in the class. Advanced - Students are doing a PBL project with marketing where they will explore Logo design and the value of marketing in graphics. Design and Production - Students are exploring the screen printing process and preparing group presentations on Advertising Advanced Processes - Students are revisiting safety, machine maintenance and upkeep, shop management, and overseeing all print processes. March 6 Its been a whirlwind over the past few weeks in Graphic Design! I'm so proud of this group of students. They've been flexible and so patient in the interim between instructors. That said, we have literally "hit the ground running" since winter break.
Intro - Students are working on identifying the role of the graphic designer in an Ad Agency. They are also working to identify types of printing processes, both old and contemporary and how that fits in with college and career choices. Presentations are this week as students have completed presentations and handouts to "teach" what they know to other students in the class. Advanced - Students are doing a PBL project with marketing where they will explore Logo design and the value of marketing in graphics. Design and Production - Students are exploring the screen printing process and preparing group presentations on Advertising Advanced Processes - Students are revisiting safety, machine maintenance and upkeep, shop management, and overseeing all print processes. |
AuthorA Kansas City native, I am excited to bring the best of what I know to KMHS in Graphic Design. Archives
August 2021
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