Course Outline ACG 100

This is an introductory course covering visual arts issues, techniques, and the basics of computer graphics hardware and software..

When and how to submit assignments

* Watchout for the special assignments that may be added to this course outline.

Day #	Research work	Lab work	Homework
Week 1	Find out how to type a text file. Learn how to take a picture of the screen. Make one (or more) copies of the screen as you go, so the class has a record of how you accomplished your goal. Your screen captures will be in picture files. You will need a safe place to store them until the next session. This is where you will need your storage device. Make sure to make a backup on a second device. Be prepaired to share your discoveries with the class.	Introduce yourself Create a plain text file and type a few paragraphs describing yourself. Write an informative piece that is useful in your professional networking. For instance, tell us what your special talent is--someone else in the class just might be looking for you. Name your file with your full name. How would you get your points otherwise? Proper file management is a key survival skill for digital artists. Put your file in the class drop folder. Look up in your lecture notes (or research) how to get there.	Read chapter 1 (pp. 3-42) of the textbook
Week 2	Find out how to change font attributes, and how to print a file. Find examples of the design elements and principles in the first part of Chapter 2 of the book. You may also use the internet to accomplish this. This means that you might have to research how to download an image displayed in the web browser. Don't forget to put the picture files you download in a safe place to store them until the next session. Display your findings to the class in the next presentation.	List representative fonts installed on the lab computers. Familiarize yourself with the 5 main categories of typefaces (serif, sans-serif, script, decorative, symbols). Create a formatted text file and type a line with all the characters in the standard character set. (Not just letters and numbers, but also all the other odds and ends...). Copy and paste this line five times. Apply to the first line the plain (or roman) style of a serif type family installed on the computer (pick your favorite). Type the name of the type family and the style at the beginning of the line. For each of the five lines repeat the process with category of type face, and with samples of all of its fonts. Repeat until you have one type family for each one of the five categories, with samples of all of its fonts. Print your file on the black & white printer.	Read the first part of chapter 2 (pp. 43-61) of the textbook.
Week 3	Scanning • Review the information regarding the lab scanners: Epson - Epson Scan Umax - VistaScan. Scan a color image, crop and resize to 5 by 7 inches at 144 dpi resolution. • Don't forget to save and store any picture files you scan during this activity in a safe place to use later in other assignments.	Working with photoshop Do "Vegitable Man" exersise - learn simple tools to make and move selected pixels in Photoshop. Learn to use keyboard shortcuts to zoom in/out, and to scroll within the document.	Read chapter 3 Read: Eliments of design: Color
Week 4	• Find examples (either digital images, or actual objects) of the following color attributes: • Color contrast (complementary hues). • Color harmony (related hues). • Vivid, pastel, and neutral colors (high, low, and zero saturation). • Value contrast (high and low luminance). • Don't forget to put any picture files you select for this activity in a safe place to store them until the next session.	Working with photoshop Adjustments Make 8 different adjustments on one of your images.	Read chapter 4
Week 5	• Practice Photoshop image layering using the sample files on the textbook CD. • Follow the directions in pp. 146-171 to work with the KayakAD.tif practice file you started working on in Chapter 04. • Save the resulting files (KayakAD.tif and KayakCMYK.tif) on your storage device.	Working with photoshop Combine the pictures you brought from home, scanned or from any othe source to composit a colage.	Read chapter 5
Week 6	• Practice Photoshop image restoring and colorization using the sample files on the textbook CD or your own images.	• Work on your own grayscale picture brought from home.	Read chapter 6
Week 7	• Practice creating shapes with Illustrator (no textbook CD files needed).	Working with Illustartor • Create your own chess pieces. • Use the knowledge acquired in the practice session (especially drawing the lighthouse) to draw pawn, rook, knight, bishop, king, and queen to go with the checkerboard.	Read chapter 7
Week 8	• Practice drawing a map of Cape Cod with Illustrator. • To save time, skip the scanning and cleanup steps. Start following the directions at the bottom of p. 262 (step 1), using directly the file 'Map.tif' from the 'Chapter 08' folder on your CD. Continue through p. 285 to draw the map. • Use the drawing of a lighthouse from your Chapter 7 practice to add markers on the map. • Save the resulting files on your storage device.	• Draw your own map. • Use what you know from this and previous practice sessions to scan the map you brought from home (this time, do follow the scanning and cleanup directions in the first part of Chapter 8, as well as reviewing the information on the lab scanners), set up the scan as a template, and trace it in Illustrator. • Add your own marker(s) to your own map.	Read chapter 8
Week 9	• Practice using Illustrator to draw a logo with a picture of a dolphin. • Review pen tool basics (Chapter 9, pp. 300-302) tracing the file Goodies/Chapter 09/Exercises/Pentools.ai on your CD. You can also try the files Curve.tif and Student.tif (in the Pentools folder on the server). • Follow the directions in Chapter 9, pp. 303-317 to draw the dolphin picture by tracing it with the pen tool, then complete the logo with type and color. • Save the resulting files on your storage device.	• Draw your own logo. • Use what you know from this and previous practice sessions to scan the line drawing you brought from home, set it up as a template, and trace it in Illustrator.	Read the first part of chapter 9
Week 10	• Practice using Illustrator and Photoshop to create web banners with guitar pictures. • Follow the directions in Chapter 10, pp. 335-361 to create raster and vector versions of a rock station's web banner ad. • Save the resulting files on your storage device.	• Draw your own banner. • Use what you learned in this practice sessions to design web banners using your logo (which you created in a previous session). Reuse the pen tool tracing for the vector version. Create a raster version with your saved scan (you may need to downsample it first).	•• Read all of chapter 10 (pp. 331-372 of the textbook).
Week 11	• Practice using Illustrator to create a simulation of a 3D object. • Follow the directions in the Unit III Review Chapter, pp. 373-386, to create a mug with a reversed (white on black) logo. • Save the resulting files on your storage device.	Create your own branded 3D object. • Use what you learned in this practice session, and reuse your own logo to a 3D mug (or other 3D object). You may also reffer to the wine bottle project directions in chapter 08 (pp. 289-296 of the textbook).	• Review the entire Unit III of the textbook, pp. 219-386, making sure you have a solid grasp of Illustrator's basics.
Week 12	• Riview Unit IV • Practice using Adobe Indesign and get familier with its interface and tools.	• Follow the directions in the Unit IV Review Chapter11, to create a Pizza Cupon flyer. • Save the resulting files on your storage device.	• Read Chapter 11
Week 13	• Setting magazine page layout in Adobe Indesign. • Working with guides, and layers • Placing artwork and images created with other software like Photoshop, Illustrator.	Get all the images and contentready for the magazine ad.
Week 14	• Using Adobe Imageready to promote last weeks mag. ad on a web page. • Creating animated banner. • Creating hyper links • Publishing a web page	Use existing content to create web publication ready to be published.
Week 15	• Presentation tools	Create self-promotional slide show using digital art in your portfolio.	• Read Chapter 12
Week 16	• Creating a multi-page document	Create a 12 page calendar A tribute to one of the following: Dali, O'Keeffe, Picasso, Warhol.
Week 17	Work week	Last day to turn in your projects
Week 18	Finals Presentation