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Lesson 7 sections:    7-1    7-2    7-3    7-4    7-5     7-JFF    7-IDEA

Lesson 7 - Shape, Styles, Apply Image, Photoshop Brushes, Clarifying the Complex

Week 7 • Spring Semester 2020 • Feb. 18-23, 2020
  • Face to face class Feb. 18, 3:00-5:30 - EDUC 170 Mac Lab
  • ​Assignments due on or before Feb. 24, 2020
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Silent Echoes by Nathan Smith
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Butterfly desktop wallpaper. by Nathan Smith
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Heaven's Gate by Nathan Smith
Lesson Description:
This week, we'll learn more about shape in design. We will dive into learning photoshop brushes and styles in depth. We'll practice using channels to extract objects from their backgrounds - using a powerful dialog - apply image! Finally we'll review last week's reading assignment - clarifying complexity in graphic design.
​Lesson 7: (work through each section in order)
  1. Elements of Art and Design: Shape
  2. Review: Styles
  3. Using the Apply Image dialog
  4. Review: Photoshop brushes in depth
  5. Clarifying complexity in graphic design
Don't get overwhelmed! Suggested plan to accomplish lesson 7:
All assignments, rubrics, required readings, exercise files, etc. are in Week 7's module in Canvas

Monday: Go through ​this page and lesson 7-1 
  • 7-1 is all about the art element - Shape. You'll learn more about this important element in art and design. You'll be asked to create a Photoshop document that uses shapes in a creative and interesting way and submit that as A07-01_Your_Name.PSD. ​This could also be used as one of your portfolio exhibits if you so desire. Approximate time: about 45 minutes plus whatever it takes to create your exercise file using shape.
Tuesday: Go through lesson 7-2
  • ​7-2 is a review of layer styles, but will encourage you to go deeper. Your assignment in 7-2 is to create a new, unique layer style of your own and save it.  Try taking this further, better, more complex than in the beginning course! Use it in a design of your choice to demonstrate it.  Save your Photoshop file as A07-02_Your_Name.PSD. Approximate time: 1 hour
Wednesday: Go through lesson 7-3
  •  7-3 is about a new skill - using the apply image dialog box. Your assignment in 7-3 is to use apply image to help you pull a man and a cat out of their white backgrounds and put them on black backgrounds. You'll complete Exercise A07-03A_Your_Name.PSD and A07-03B_Your_Name.PSD. Approximate time: 1 hour
Thursday: Go through lesson 7-4
  • ​7-4 is a review on using Photoshop brushes, and some of the more advanced things you can do in Photoshop with them. Approximate time: 30-35 minutes - plus play time! Go explore brushes! I have many sets I can share with you if you ask me in Canvas.
Friday: Go through lesson 7-5
  • ​7-5 is more about Clarifying complexity in graphic design - which has some links to articles with great visual examples. Read through them. Approximate time: 45 minutes.
  • Be sure to post your thoughts and take-aways about the lesson 7 reading assignment by Friday. 
Weekend & Monday:
  • Participate in the readings discussion by responding to at least three other student posts. Let's make this a discussion.
  • Work on your lesson 7 assignments and submit them.
  • Play! Play in Photoshop - have fun - experiment!
Lesson 7 Reading Assignment
  • Undergraduate Students: 
    • Visual Language for Designers: Principle 6 - Charge it Up! (Pages 203-227) 
  • ​Graduate Students: 
    • Visual Language for Designers: Principle 6 - Charge it Up! (Pages 203-227)  

​Possible midterm test questions!
  • ​Share at least three ways you can charge up an image
Real World Experience - An Opportunity To Work on a Real Project!
Portfolio exhibit 4 challenge: Create an infographic that effectively implements using contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity, color, typography, message hierarchy, and shape to help your viewer quickly understand your message.​

For your portfolio exhibit, focus on creativity and design! Come up with an infographic that demonstrates your use of these new skills you've learned in the lessons! The IDEA section sections in lessons 6 and 7 contain ideas on how you can put creativity, design, and the tools you've learned into practice. When you've completed your portfolio exhibit 4, please do the following:
  • Save your portfolio exhibit photoshop file as Portfolio-4_Your_Name.PSD, and submit it here in Canvas.
  • Export your portfolio exhibit as a web friendly JPG image and add it to your online portfolio, along with the accompanying description, citations, etc. (See Portfolio in the Weekly Lessons) for more detail and instructions on this).
  • When you submit your portfolio exhibit in Canvas, also put the URL for your online exhibit in assignment comments.
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Infographic Example. Click the image to go to the article, "9 Top Healthy Eating Infographics"
​Lesson 7 Scoring Rubrics:
​Optional resources to share with you! (Not required)
Infographic examples. Click any image below to go to its source article!
Page last updated January 12, 2020.  This lesson combines my own work (images, text, videos) which are ©2020 by Nathan Smith.  All other images, videos, and cited text sources are curated from the internet, and are publicly available.