Period 1: Fall 2012

Period 3: Fall 2012

Period 4: Fall 2012

Vector Self Portrait:

50 Points

Objectives:

This project will allow you to explore new tools and tutorials in Adobe Illustrator. You will have the opportunity to explore areas of Illustrator that are interesting to you.  You will also use the Graphic Design Process to create this project.

After completing this project you will:

  1. Learn how to crop and make adjustments using Photoshop
  2. Install brushes and make custom brushes
  3. Download Vector Packs and Apply them to your project.
  4. Use the Brush and Pencil tools
  5. Use the Gradient Tool and panel
  6. Use the Wacom Drawing Tablets
  7. Use the following tools
  • Selection Tool
  • Direct Selection Tool
  • Pen Tool (add and delete anchor point, and convert anchor point tools)
  • Shape Tools (rectangle, elipse, star tool)
  • Zoom Tool
  • Hand Tool

Requirements:
-Use your sketchbook to develop your project, brainstorm a page of notes about yourself, family, nationality, interests, etc.
-Develop some ideas of what will you use for text in your design? What will the words say? What is the message? What do you want to communicate about you?
-Sketch thumbnails of your composition, how will your framing look? How will you incorporate your image with the text?
-Create a vector based self-portrait using a photograph of yourself and your own style.
-Incorporate text into the design of your project, this can be a foreground or background element.
-Demonstrate your knowledge of Adobe Illustrator by using a variety of tools and techniques you have learned from previous projects
-Create your own background and a border on all four sides.
-Export a print resolution .jpg for printing, submit a file titled Lastname.portrait.print.jpg
-the .jpeg file must be 8x12 inches
-the .jpeg file must be 300 ppi
-submit the .AI file for your project in addition to your .jpg.


Resources

Ink and Color Technique

These directions explain some of the details from the Ultimate Inking and Color YouTube tutorial by Clay Butler. Here is the long version of the same technique: Ultimate Inking and Coloring Technique (LONG VERSION). You can watch these videos for a visual reference with explanation by illustrator Clay Butler himself.
​

1.  Create a Brush and Trace Artwork:


  1. Use the ellipse tool to create a long skinny horizontal ellipse. A 5" by .06" ellipse would work great. Make the fill black and the stroke none.
  2. Use the Convert Anchor Point Tool and click on the anchor points that are at the tips of this ellipse. This will delete the handles and make your ellipse sharp and pointy. 
  3. Drag this shape into your Brush Panel. Select Art Brush from the New Brush Menu. 
  4. On the Brush Options panel you can change to Color Mode to Hue Shift. Click OK.
  5. Use the Brush Tool and select the new brush you made to draw with dynamic lines. 
  6. You can adjust the stroke width to change the thickness of your brush strokes.
  7. Create a layer and title it Brush Strokes and trace your photo or artwork. 

2. Make a Copy of Brush Strokes:

  1. Select all of your brush strokes and Group them (Cmd-G).
  2. Drag the layer with your brush strokes to the New Layer icon to duplicate this layer.
  3. Rename the duplicate layer with the words Live Paint.
  4. Lock your Brush Strokes Layer and turn it off by clicking the eye.

3. Clean Up Brush Strokes:

  1. Select the Live Paint Layer and lock all of your other layers in your project.
  2. Select all of your brush strokes. 
  3. From the Menu Bar choose Object-> Expand Appearance. This will turn your brush strokes into shapes.
  4. Again, from the Menu Bar choose Object-> Live Paint-> Make. 
  5. From the Menu Bar choose Object-> Live Paint-> Expand.
  6. Now you can use the Direct Selection Tool (White Arrow) to select lines that over shoot. 
  7. Delete all of the lines or portions of lines that you do not need. Select a line and click Delete on your keyboard. 
  8. If you see nothing happening make sure you turned the Brush Strokes Layer set to invisible. 

4. Make Live Paint Layer and Color:

  1. Select all of your shapes remaining on the Live Paint layer.
  2. From the Menu Bar select Object-> Live Paint-> Make
  3. Use the Live Paint Bucket Tool to click inside of shapes to fill areas with color. 
  4. You can adjust the Gaps that paint stops at by going to Object->Live Paint-> Gap Options.
  5. Fill in all spaces with colors, even areas that will be white, fill with white. 
  6. You may need to add more brush strokes to close off some spaces in order to us the Live Paint Bucket.  In this case use your brush tool to make more lines and repeat steps 2 and 3 from this step. 

5. Use Knife Tool to Cut Up Color into Smaller Shapes: 

  1. Move your layer with your picture to the top of your Layers Panel. Turn the opacity of the image down to 70-80%. Lock this layer. You can now see your picture and continue to work on the layers underneath. 
  2. Select all of your artwork on the Live Paint layer. 
  3. From the Menu Bar choose Object->Live Paint->Expand. This will turn your live paint spaces back into shapes that can be cut into smaller pieces.
  4. Use the Knife Tool to cut your shapes into smaller pieces. For example you can cut your face color into shapes that represent shadows and highlights. 
  5. Apply slightly lighter and darker values to these new shapes.

6: Apply this technique in your future projects:

You can apply this technique to any of your own drawings or photographs to make vector artwork. This artwork is best for creating artwork that will be reproduced on posters, shirts, stickers and much much more!

How to EXPORT a JPEG

To submit your project you will Export a .JPG file.  Follow these steps:

  1. Choose File->Export from the file menu.
  2. Name your file with your Last Name and Portrait.  Select the location that you want your project exported to, Desktop is recommended.  Choose JPEG from the Format Menu.
  3. Put a checkmark in the box that says: "Use Artboards"
  4. On the JPEG Options screen choose the following settings:

Color Model: RGB
Quality: Maximum 10
Resolution: 300ppi
Anti-Aliasing: Art Optimized

Click OK. In Google Classroom upload your .AI file and your .JPG to the Vector Portrait Assignment.
Deliverables:
To the server:

-.JPEG file (Yourname.portrait.jpg)- 300dpi and 8x12 inches in RGB color format.      

-.AI file (yourname.portrait.ai)- 8x12 inches in RGB color format. 

Turn both your AI and JPEG file into Google Classroom.


Grading Rubrics:

Grade- Description

A- You gave it your all and it shows! You have earned an A. You did all the requirements for the assignment. You put in a second, third, or fourth effort and it is your best work. Nothing needs to be changed. Clearly evident you took full advantage of all learning materials offered.  You completed your project on time. 

B- Great, but...: You did the work and used instructions from lectures, websites and/or video tutorials. The project is not perfect yet but can be corrected. You are satisfied design flaws in your final project. 

C-Average work: You did the assignment but did not use instruction provided by the website or tutorials. No second effort, the first attempt is final product. Your project was not completed on time. 

D- Bare Minimum: You just barely completed this assignment. Very little effort displayed, spent time off task, did not follow directions or tutorials provided.

F- No attendance or no project submitted at the time of grading.

X- You need to submit or resubmit a project. If you do not understand why it needs to be resubmitted ask Mr. Hanson.


You can always resubmit an assignment to improve your grade. Before resubmitting an assignment make refinements to your previously submitted project. Contact the teacher to find out what should be improved.