Advanced Digital Illustration – Week 6

Topics / Reading: Continuing Techniques in Vector-based Illustration
Lab / In-class activity: Presentations, Continuing Techniques in Illustrator, Photoshop, SVG and/or Flash
Work due this week: HW#4: 3 “Finished” Article Illustrations (semi-comps)
Homework for next week: HW#5: Finished Series of 3 Article Illustrations

Article Illustration: Phase 5
3 Finished Illustrations

Take one more week to finish your series of 3 article illustrations.

Heads up: Start thinking about a product to work with for the next few weeks. We’ll be starting a new project based on advertising a product of your choice. It can be a product that already exists, or a product that you would like to design and develop (for example, a line of T-shirts with your graphics on them).

Grading: Finished Article Illustration Series

__ (2) Concept: objects and symbols relate to the article content.
__ (2) Graphic Style: lines and shapes are appropriate for the subject of the article.
__ (2) Color Scheme: colors are appropriate for the subject and mood of the article.
__ (2) Composition: elements are arranged in a way that emphasizes the concept.
__ (2) Graphical Representation: images are recognizable

__ TOTAL out of 10 points

Observational Drawing – Week 6

Topics: Intro to Figure Drawing and Structural Drawing Techniques
Lab /Activity: Basic Human Proportion, Drawing from a Model, Skeleton and Circular Structural Techniques.
Homework due this week: HW4: Shading and Texture
Homework due next week: HW5: Figure Drawing Practice: Structural Drawing

HW#5: Figure Drawing Practice: Structural Drawing
Due Week 7: 10 points total

Assignment: Figure Drawing Practice – “Skeleton” and “Circular” Structural Drawings
Use the techniques that we covered in class to sketch out a variety of different poses.
For reference, draw from photos, magazines, or movie stills.
A good source is to “freeze-frame” on different poses from an action, sport, or fitness DVD.

For this week, create 40 figure studies total:

• 20 Skeleton Drawings (1-2 minutes each) = use simple lines and shapes to create an expressive “stick figure” – show which way the figure is leaning, and the angles of the shoulders and hips.

• 20 Circular Drawings (2-5 minutes each) = use circular or oval forms to represent the shapes of the figure. Remember that most of the time you will want to use oblong shapes = ovals with a “thin” end and a “thick” end.

Grading: 10 points total

20 “Skeleton” Drawings (4pts):
__ (2) Map out the head, spine, hips, legs, arms, hands & feet.
__ (1) Use correct proportion: figure should be about 8 “heads” tall, with the midpoint of the figure at the bottom of the hips.
__ (1) Skeleton drawings are “expressive”, showing weight and motion.

20 “Circular” Structural Drawings (6pts):
__ (2) Use dynamic shapes to map out the figure: each oval should have a “thick” and “thin” end.
__ (2) Use correct proportion: figure should be about 8 “heads” tall, with the midpoint of the figure at the bottom of the hips.
__ (2) Circular drawings are “expressive”, showing weight and motion.

__ TOTAL out of 10 points

Design Layout: Week 6

Topics: Web Color Systems, Slicing Images for Web
Lab / Activity: Template lab: Web color codes, slicing & optimization
Homework due this week: HW#4: Corporate Client Stationery Package
Homework due next week: HW#5: Music Client Research & Home Page Design

Assignment #5: Music Client Research and Home Page Design

Part 1: Client
For the rest of the quarter, your client is a band or musician of any type of music.
Your client can be someone you know, an existing band or musician you like,
or an imaginary band of your creation.

You will be working with this client for 5 weeks, eventually creating a series of page designs and a CD or DVD package that goes with the client’s theme.

Your client should have a distinct Style or Theme: (for example “Acoustic Rock”, “1920’s-Style Big Band Music”, “Classic Punk”, “Ambient Electronica” etc.)

A) Define your Client:
1) Name:
2) Describe the style of music:
3) Collect 5 images that fit with your client’s Theme or Style.

B) Write: Describe the Audience / Target Market: (1 short paragraph)
What type of person would like this music?
1) Gender: men, women or both.
2) Age group: children, teens, adults, parents, or any combination.
3) Style / Culture: what is common of fans of this music?

Part 2: Style Research & Analysis
Find 3 band or musician sites that appeal to the same type of audience as your client.
(for example, if your client is a Bluegrass band, look up 3 other Bluegrass bands.)

A) Take Screenshots
Take at least 2 screenshots of each example you analyze.

B) Analysis: Describe the following for each site: (1 short paragraph)
1) Color palette (monochromatic, analogous, bright, subdued, etc.)
2) Fonts (simple, elegant, artistic, rough, clean, light, bold, etc.)
3) Layout (How have they organized their site elements?)

Part 3: Home Page Design – (.jpg, .pdf, or .png with “browser chrome” border)
- Message: include a welcome message, announcement, blog, or artistic statement.
- Site ID with the name of the musician or band.
- Navigation menu with at least 5 options: (eg. Home, Discography, Biography, Photos, Contact)

Grading: 10 points total.

Part 1: The Client
__ Define Your Client
__ 5 images that fit with the client’s theme
__ Describe Your Client’s Audience

Part 2: Style Research & Analysis
__ Research: Collect screenshots of similar artists’ sites
__ Analysis: Description of screenshots.

Part 3: Home Page Design
__ Required details are present.
__ Color Scheme relates to your Client’s Theme.
__ Imagery and Emphasis are relevant to the theme of the site.
__ Elements are aligned to a consistent grid.
__ Text is legible and in a font relating to your Client’s Theme.

__ Total out of 10 points