COLOR COLOR COLOR

COLOR  is a Wonderful thing!!! 

We worked in COLOR COLOR COLOR COLOR COLOR COLOR COLOR  and more color.
We painted a GRAY SCALE
We painted composition with Hue  Shade Tint and Tone

and we went digital.   CMYK  RGB

and learned how to use the EYE DROPPER TOOL..

Who knew a tiny little insignificant little tool could open the gates of H E A V E N!!

Yes!  I found my calling.. I could spend hours tweaking and dropping and coloring one image.
This is what we did!!!!!

RED      Red chilis    Color that speaks to me:  the first one..  I named it.. Firey Firecracker Red

 PINK   Japanese cherry blossoms  

ORANGE    Sunset Reflection      Color:  the third from the Left:   Sunset Serenity

YELLOW    Baby Mallard ducklings   The two names I kept thinking about while creating this palette is such: Left:  Yellow Duckling  and the far Right : Pond    

BLUE    Fabric    I LOVE the color blue.. so they are all my favorite colors! However..
                                   I named them all..  from L to R:
 Loyalty Blue     Perky Periwinkle    The Best Blue EVER   Cozumel Bay Blue    January Sky Blue

GREEN    The Bird's Eye view of a City Park       This one was time consuming, yet successful.
                          I want to call the green on the left:  City Green  

PURPLE    Lavender Fields in Provence    
                            The second color from the Left is called:  Lavender Blue Dilly Dilly  and the color on the Right is called Lavender Fields Green  [ Dilly dilly..  you are my King.. dilly dilly and I am your Queen.. ]  ok.. a few moments of song.. I love that song and it has been a long day :P

NEUTRAL: TAUPE / BEIGE     A very restful bed..
                       The 3rd color / the middle color.. all I could think of as I was searching and dropping was.. flesh..   and I came up with.. ahem..  My Lover's Skin  A little pale, but sexy just the same ;)

WHITE     A white Peacock       This one was difficult. My original page had this image in it and I loved working on it.  This is my favorite spread.. I will need more time gazing at it and time away from it to come up with a names for this color palette..

BLACK     A pair of Elephants.      I love this image.  The greyscale was difficult to master, and the white did not convey.. but something about this image touched my soul, my heart. my creativity.  Something about the way it is cropped and the embrace..  *sigh*
I need space to think about naming this palette.  All I can think of are obvious names like -             Tusk for the white box and Buddha Black ..

This is it..  yes.. I know that this is posted before the painted images.. BUT...
I have been in a little bit of a funk.. and the computers are picking up on my energy and my files are being .. deleted.. not saved.. evaporating.. blowing in the wind..
Pick your metaphor.. all I know is that it is frustrating .. 
and I am really proud of my work.. so I am going to post it 
RIGHT AWAY!!!
The other Color Study I did in class just didn't make it onto the Memory Stick or whatever and it almost made me cry.. 
ok, yes.. I did cry. I worked for the entire class time and was so proud of it.. and it is GONE! 
Enough of the complaining it is said that this phenomenon is just power for the course, and to be expected.. 

ENJOY this post... I absolutely LOVED it!!!!!
Oh.. my favorite box... heart heart heart heart   BLUE!!  
and of course my favorite color..  Best Blue EVER 
and my favorite image.. nope.. can't do it.. I love them all..  

Today, and maybe forever.. 
I am and will be          A STUDENT OF DESIGN     

TEXTURE using Text

TEXTURE..

Texture:  The surface character of a physical material or the illusion of a physical material
                Texture creates visual interest in your design

This project we uploaded a cute little story called Far far away and CUT, COPY, and PASTE in place in a pre-made template in Adobe Illustrator.

The rules were:  Using the Far far Away text Word .doc create 3 pages of 5 Justified blocks of text using 3 texts. Use type, font, point, leading, and kerning to create a simulated texture.

Vocabulary List: 

Type/ Typography: The art of arranging type, which includes letters, numbers and symbols, so that             it is pleasing to the eye. This includes not only the font that is used but how it is arranged on               the page: letter by letter, size, line spacing, etc.. Typography is an important part of creating a             pleasing final graphic design product.

Font:  Name of a typeface, Example:  Helvetica, Georgia, Arial, Trebuchet, Times, & Courier

Point: A measure of size used principally in typesetting. One point is equal to 1/12 of a pica, or
           approximately 1/72 of an inch. It is most often used to indicate the size of type or amount of
           leading added between lines. Smallest  Small  Normal  Large  Largest 

Leading: The vertical spacing (measured in points) between lines of text.
(It is pronounced like   led.. Smiling, she led them down the rosy path of Graphic Design or..
The pencil lead on her drawing pencil was worn down to a nub. )


Kerning:  Adjusting the lateral (horizontal) space between letters. Kerning is the adjustment of space between pairs of letters. Some pairs of letters create awkward spaces. Kerning adds or subtracts space between letters to create more visually appealing and readable text.

So.. armed with this knowledge.. off I went.. I made text boxes, copy and pasted the text, and manipulated, and moved, and created.. Texture using Text..

There are only two examples right here.. BECAUSE.. the third page DID NOT save!!

This is what I was explaining a few posts back.. files get lost, misdirected, not saved, or poof.. go into cyber space or into the wind..


So.. enjoy these posts and I will be back when order is restored in my Little world..
so until I am not..

**UPDATE**  I found this little rascal.. so here it is ..  I am not sure why it has a block of text to the Left.. I have checked, rechecked, and checked and it is still there.. Will regroup and try, try, try again..

I will continue to try to be A Student of Design,   Lisa

TEXTURE using text

This lesson we learned about TEXTURE.
Seeing texture; Creating texture; adding texture to a design; Using photos in PhotoShop to manipulate and simulate texture.
Sean uploaded a very cool video using Photoshop to create simulated texture from stock images or images that we upload.. Although he did not require a template to be created and posted.. I think that I will try to upload and create my own.. stay tuned..

This lesson.. We were to take photos of TEXTURE, upload the images to an InDesign template and describe the texture by text.
I LOVE taking pictures of texture!! So, I looked at my photos on my camera and phone and uploaded several to use!! Peeling paint on walls; flowers in the market; Cubby, my cat's grey fur; My own red hair braided; tomatoes in the market; a close up photo of a box of silver forks in a box at an Antique Market; and the repetition of the ribs in a corrugated steel wall;

If.. you are so inclined.. check out my Instagram account, French_knot_twist, for a texture layout I created.
Yes, I love Texture..  I think I might even surprise you someday and upload a few photos.. soon..

But, in the meantime....

Here is my Texture Observation project

I enjoyed this project immensely.  First, I love texture and take many photos of texture. It was enjoyable going through my photos.. memories <3  and Second, I am working with placing images in boxes for my Design in History. ArtG 118. Design spread. Resizing; moving them around; zooming in and out; Fitting Content to Frame and Fitting Frame to Content; ahhh.. the list is endless..
However, I am getting pretty good at it!! so this template and project was easier and fun.. I even helped a fellow student place her photos.. Sometimes, teaching someone else how to do something is the way to master it yourself..

I am enjoying being  A Student of Design,  Lisa

VISUAL PRINCIPLES Emotions: Group

Visual Principles in Design  Group Project.

Sean uploaded a file of emotions for us to use the core elements, Point  Line  Plane  to visualize an EMOTION.  As a group of 9 and using the core elements and the design principles, we had to choose 3 emotions to visualize.

Our final project:

Our emotions were PITY; OPTIMISTIC; POSSESSIVE

I think we did well and it was helpful to watch other students who are more skilled in the Software to bleed off the shapes using the masking tool; to change the color to white; and to manipulate the shapes in a radius.. Interesting..

I usually do not like Group projects because there is always one who sits back and lets the other members do all the work and yet take the credit.. This time, this class, this project, everyone worked well together and I believe our designs show our cohesive group..

Lessons learned for this    Student of Design,   Lisa

VISUAL PRINCIPLES Planes

Visual Design Principles  Final Post    PLANES

PLANES:  A PLANE is a surface or a flat area extending in height and width;
                           A line with breadth.
                           A field of text is a PLANE built from points and lines of Type.

This is my last entry for VISUAL PRINCIPLES.  Like I said before, I enjoyed this lesson.
Adobe Illustrator is an interesting Program and i will look forward to using it many times in the lessons ahead.
It feels pretty good to post this Homework and to move on..

A Student of Design,   Lisa 

VISUAL PRINCIPLES Lines

VISUAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES... Continued...

Lines:  A Line is an infinite series of Points which has length and direction, but no breadth.  Lines turn and multiply to describe PLANES; A Line is any mark connecting any two separate points. It can organize, direct, separate, or suggest emotion in a design.

I explained how I created this lesson on the previous post.. so I will add a little more information how I created these pages.. I used the LINE TOOL.  After selecting the setting, one will then "click" on the point where you want to start the line.. and drag the "line" where you would like, but.. the BEST little tip I received was at the same time you are clicking and dragging.. hold the SHIFT key/button and OMG!!!   success WILL be YOURS!!
Am I excited about this? YES, yes, and uh huh!!

By holding down the SHIFT key, it creates a truer line, circle, square, shape and makes the task so much easier.  After you create your shape and you click somewhere else, a dialog box comes up and if you click OK, it will create more of the same shape. Sean, my Design 100 teacher, commented to make several similar shapes in the margin to use again. I made a variety of lines in different thickness, lengths, and size and that helped the Design Process to flow..

This lesson was by far my favorite, yet it was the most difficult, challenging, and while working on this lesson, the one that was deleted several times!!  Yes, deleted. I swear I saved the pages.. to the DESKTOP, not to the Memory Stick, like Eugene, the Lab Tech, is always reminding us. However, the next day.. it was GONE, evaporated, dissolved into the computer, or floated away in the air.. GONE.. So, I spent an entire Saturday in the Computer Lab working on this lesson, and success was mine. Success in learning to manipulate the lines and success in learning to back up my Memory Stick.. I now have 3. Yes, a bit excessive, but I am not about to lose my work again..

This lesson was my favorite, because by now, I am learning tips and tricks to actually get what is in my mind down onto the template.  I have the ideas.. I just need to learn how to execute them..
My favorite squares are TENSION.. it takes a delicate touch and good "mouse control" to tweak a line! My other favorite CHAOS.. I found the large stroke by accident and I think it adds to the chaotic way this lesson has made me feel during the process.

Next Post.. PLANES..

Still, a Student of Design,   Lisa

VISUAL PRINCIPLES Points

Finally.. Finally.. 
ALL my Design Basics ArtG 100  Homework is completed and I will begin to post it TODAY!!!
I am not sure exactly how to post.. so.. I will post each Assignment separately. 

And so, it begins.. 

Graphic design is the art of visual communication through the use of images, words, and ideas to give information to the viewers. There are basic assumptions to guide the design practice and these are called 

VISUAL PRINCIPLES: 

Points, Lines, and Plane are the building blocks of design 
and are the three core elements. 

A POINT marks a position in space;
A series of POINTS forms a LINE; 
A mass of LINES become a shape, or PLANE;

DESIGN CONCEPTS: 

Symmetry: Passive, formal space; a mirror image; creates balance; 
                  creates organization,  order.

Asymmetry: Without symmetry; active, dynamic space; creates attention and 
                     visual interest.

Emphasis: The special attention or importance given to one part of a composition; 
                  emphasis can be achieved through placement, contrast, size, etc..

Rhythm: Is a repeated pattern, such as what we hear in music. In different art forms, 
               it can be a very complex interrelationship or a regular, steady beat.
               Regular:  intervals between the elements, and often the elements themselves, 
                              are similar in size or length
               Flowing:  a sense of movement; 
               Progressive:  a sequence of forms through a progression of steps

Positive/ Negative space: The space surrounding a positive shape or form sometimes is                   referred to as ground, empty space, or void
The perfect example of this concept, I think, is the arrow in the FED EX logo.. Once you see the arrow.. you always will see it!!  Look for "hidden images" 

Unity:  Refers to the cohesive quality that makes a composition feel complete and finished;
            Unity gives it the feeling that all the elements relate to each other in a compatible 
            way to form a unified whole.

Scale:  Size of something, related to a constant size, unit of measure, relative whole 
            ( such as the human body, or picture plane )

Repetition:  A repeated sequence, occurring more than a few times; In design, repetition 
             can create visual consistency and a sense of unity; 
             Repetition and change awaken Life's visual juxtapositions.

Chaos:  Complete confusion, disarray, although, creation emerges from chaos; 

Order:   The arrangement of the elements in relationship to each other according to a
              particular sequence, pattern, or method.

Tension:  The arrangement of elements that are not in relation to each other by stress;
                proximity; and lack of order

Space:  The distance or area between or around things; 


In this lesson.. we used the 3 core elements, Point, Line, and Plane to communicate the design concepts.   

To keep you, my reader, coming back to follow my journey into Design.. 
I will post this Lesson in three separate posts.  

So.. to START..  POINT 
  
POINT:  A POINT marks a position in space. The point serves as the focus; an element that has position (x,y), but no extension or mass. A series of points forms a line, a mass of points becomes a shape. 

I used the pre-made template with layers created in Adobe Illustrator.  
It was difficult, I will not lie.  This was my first attempt at creating "shapes" with a program. I used the Rectangle tool to create many different shapes.. 
This lesson, since Points are usually circles..  I used the Ellipse setting to create Circles 

In the following lessons I used the Rectangle setting to make Squares and the Polygon setting to create a Triangle with 3 sides;   

Many, many attempts were met with SUCCESS!! yet many more were met with DEFEAT :(

Each success and failure taught me many lessons.. and in the end..
I rather enjoyed this Lesson.. In many ways.. 

Next post... LINES.. 

Until then.. I am..    
A Student of Design... Lisa