Résumé

This is my resume that I put into InDesign and spruced up a bit. I like it because seeing as I am not going into the design world, I cannot have a resume with a lot of design and color on it. This is simple, but still looks nicer and stands out against other resumes that people have. To make it look this way I just added some boxes in the background of a somewhat neutral yellow color to make it still look professional. Then using the line tool and elipse tool I created the pattern on the right hand side, and lowered the transparency so that it was not as bold and aggressive.

Two page magazine

This is my two page magazine spread imitated after one I had found online. This was a part of the introduction to InDesign. I really liked this program and think that it is something that will be helpful to me throughout life. With this assignment I learned how to fill up a page with dummy text and make it look like there is actually an article being written, when in fact there is not. I was also able to use font in a way that I probably would not have thought of on my own (such as turning the word "the" sideways).  Overall, I think that I did well with this assignment and is something that I can look at and feel accomplished.

Tarot Cards (Illustrator Final)

These are a series of tarot cards that I made for my Illustrator final. I created them using a combination of the pen tool, pencil tool, and shapes. I then changed around the colors and added some gradient to them as well. My favorite one, is number II. I like this one because of how abstract and contemporary it appears to be. I also like the swords on number I because I think that the gradient works well and it truly looks like they are heading into the heart. Overall, I am pretty proud of this assignment and think that it shows my full understanding of the Illustrator program. 

Hello Kitty (Image Re-trace)

With this assignment I traced an image that I had of hello kitty. I then created boxes in the background to make it look like grass and sky, but to keep it simple and cartoon esque at the same time. While I did work on this for a long time, I do think that there are ways I could improve on it as well. Some of my lines have extra unnecessary points so they are not as smooth as they could be. 

Line Art

This was an in class assignment in which we played around with the pen and line tools. After making different lines I went and changed the properties associated with them such as the color, pattern, and thickness. I chose to do different properties for each of the lines because I wanted to get a full understanding of what my options were when it came to changing the lines from basic. 

Pear

This was completed to demonstrate my learning of the pen tool in InDesign. After following given points, I created the pair seen in the middle. I then played with color and the mesh tool to make the pear the colors that I thought seemed best. After this I then changed the colors of the other pears to allow a variety and placed repetitive text in the background. I like the simplicity of this composition as well as the repetition of shape and text throughout. I think that it makes it look clean and put together.

Grid Image

This was the grid image assignment. For this assignment, I took a 3 by 3 grid and made a design that looked continuous throughout all 9 of the boxes. I first started off with the blue triangles around the center making it look like a square turned at an angle. I then did the same thing with the orange triangles. From here I started to fill in the smaller details and play with color. When I had thought I finished, I felt as if I was missing something so using the circle tool I made flowers of green and purple in those corner triangles. After this was done, I felt as if my piece was complete. 

Illustrator to Photoshop

This was my Illustrator to Photoshop composition. I first made a flat piece in illustrator using different shapes and adding text. After this was complete, I exported it into photoshop and edited it. The first thing that I did was changed the transparencies of the circles and squares. I wanted them to look more like they went together and blended together as supposed to the first composition which was very choppy. Once I got those to a point I liked, I wanted to spice up the back square. I decided to use the gradient tool and mesh together an ocean image and the sky, since they were similar in color to the navy I had there, so they stayed within the desired color scheme. For the final touches I added a white square as a border, and white text to compliment that. A drop shadow was put on the white text to make it pop more and make it look less flat. Overall, I was very happy with this composition. I thought that it was neat to see how the different programs work together to create things and how they both add different elements to the mix. 

Color Wheel

This was another in class assignment that was completed to get an understanding of the colors that we would be working with in the InDesign program on the CMYK color scale. After making several circles using the shape tool, I added lines to break them up into small sections. I then separated the sections so that I could spread them out from the original compound shape. I added a black background because I found it to make the colors stand out more than the white background had. The final step was to add the text, in which I just inserted a text box and played with the color until I thought it looked best.

Chiles

This is the first assignment that I completed in Adobe Illustrator. This assignment was completed in class and was done mainly to get used to the program and see what can be done when using it. Tools used in this include; changing the color, making shapes, gradients, and changing the sizes. Once I had a grasp on the tools at hand, I was able to make the alterations to what I thought looked best. 

Photoshop Final

These were a series of four pieces for my phototoshop final. To make this I used all the techniques that I had learned throughout the semester and applied them. I first start off by making four separate photoshop files to make the cards that appear in the images. After playing with different transparencies and images I finally got the cards to look the way that I wanted them to.  I then chose the theme of gambling and playing cards to portray throughout the four compositions. Using similar techniques to the layered mask pieces, I created the images. This included the gradient tools, paint brushes, and selections. Overall, I am very proud of this series and think it has been one of my best pieces of work all semester. It took a while to complete all of it, but in the end it paid off and is something that I'm proud of.

Retouch Assignment

For this assignment, I took the statue from the in class retouches and placed it into a wooded background. After that I added an image of tinkerbell to be sitting on the roof of the statue. I gave her a slight shadow that made it look like the sun was shining on her using the drop shadow tool. After this I added an image of mushrooms to the forest floor and using a layered mask I added the radiant tool to make it blend into the back drop and then used the paint brush to refine it even more. At first I had an additional fairy in the top left corner, but I decided that I did not like her there and after trying several different locations I decided to eliminate her all together.

Using a Lynda.com tutorial, I was able to make text from grass. To do this I first selected images of soil and of grass that I wanted to use. Then after creating a text layer, I filled in the text with the grass image. After this, I duplicated the grassy text layer so that the GR was in one layer and the OW was in another that way when playing around with the edges of the text, the letters were not blending together. I added a slight drop shadow underneath the letters, and blurred the edges a little so that it was not as straight cut.

Smokey Text

Using the Lynda.com tutorial I learned how to make smokey text. It required finding a picture of smoke and then adding a text layer on top of it. After selecting the word "love", using a bunch of different techniques such as wave, and blur, I then played with the opacity and fill to get the word to what I thought looked best.

Waterfall drive (layer masks project)

This was the last layer masks project that I completed. For this one, I used the gradient tool to combine a waterfall image with an image of a road. Then, using the paintbrush, I softened the edges and altered some places where I wanted the road to show through instead of the waterfall. It took me a while, to figure out exactly how I wanted the waterfall to be placed, but I am happy with where my final decision was. After this I found a car to be placed on the road. I wanted a car that would stand out against all the earthy colors, so I chose red. I am happy with this choice, because I like how at first your eye is drawn to the red car and then you notice the fantasy behind the landscape and how it is surreal.

Discover (layer masks project)

For this project, I took the image of the Quinnipiac library that we all know so well and added more to it. Using the gradient tool again, I combine the landscape of Quinnipiac with an image of space. Then using the paintbrush I went around the edges of the building to make it softer and more accurate looking. The next step that I took, was added the planet of Saturn because I thought that it went well with the space themed sky. I altered the opacity and fill again to make it better blend in with its background. After this, I wanted to add a bunch of different things that I thought could resemble education to also be floating in the sky over the library. I used the same steps again, and made them fade into the sky. When I saw this, the word discover came to mind because it looks like the library allows you to discover all of these things. So once again, I added a text layer and duplicated the sky background to fill it with.

Imagine (layer masks project)

This was the project that I made while learning all of the new tools within photoshop that I did not know how to use. The first thing that I learned how to use was the gradient tool, in which I meshed the island scene with a night sky scene giving off the appearance that it fades from night to day as you move left to right. It took many tries to get to where I wanted it, but once I got it, I was very happy with the results. Then I used the paintbrush tool to soften the blend a little bit near the water so that the edge wasn't so straight and clear cut. After this I inserted the elephant to where I thought he looked best. Once I had him in place, I made a new text layer. I chose the word imagine because it seemed like a fantasy to me the way the picture looked and it was not realistic. Then duplicating the night sky layer I used that to fill in the text, and then played with the color a little to make it somewhat different.

Live (layer masks project)

This was one of my favorite projects that I have completed so far. The first thing that I did was find two images that I liked. In this case I picked my two favorite places, NYC and the beach. After this I used the gradient tool to make the two images flow into one another. Once this was complete I added the woman standing there, using the paintbrush tool I was able to make her blend nicely into her background. For the final touch I inserted a text layer, and typed the word live. I thought that this word was fitting because I feel alive in both of those places and if the beach were ever to meet NYC like that, the word live would be one of the first words that came to my mind. I duplicated the NYC layer and used that to fill my text, but selected a portion of it that was not already there (a taxi driving). Then, using the layer tools I dropped the opacity and fill to make it blend in to the background a little more.

Updated Flower Pot (Selections Project)

There were a few important changes that I made to this image. The first change was adding a horizon line and making the pot rest on something. This completes the picture because it does not make it appear as if the flower pot is just floating in the middle of space, but rather it is on a surface. I was happy with this change being made. A second change that I made was using the paintbrush tool, I selected the colors from the pot and went around the white edge that used to be there and painted it darker, to give off the impression that the flowers are going into the pot instead of just behind it.

Updated Duck Wedding (Selections Project)

There were a few changes that I made with design that make it differ from the other. While they may be small, they really make a difference. First I went around the bottoms of all of the rubber ducks and using the gradient tool I made the ducks appear to be submerged and floating in the water as supposed to just placed on top of it. I also did the same thing with the tree, so that it appeared to be growing out of the water instead of just place on top as well. Another change that I made was to the veil on the female duck, using the paintbrush I went around the edges so that they were not as hard and softened them.

Week 3 reading (Pages 46 - 81)

The first thing that caught my attention about this section was the interview with Chris Hacker, who talked about package design. This was a whole new field of graphic design that I had not thought much about. However, it is really important because it can make or break a product and determine if it is bought or not. This section talked a lot about typography and its importance in the field of design. The specific typography used is very important because you need to use it to draw attention, but not be distracting and at the same time to be creative looking, but also legible. In one section they related to marketing. This was interesting to me since this is what I want to go in to the field of. It discussed how the designers will design what they think is pleasing and looks great, however marketers who nothing about design will tell them they have to change it, because they know what sells. This is why I decided to take an IDD course. I think that as important as it is for the designers to listen to what the marketers tell them what will sell, it is also important for the marketers to understand a little about design. I think that by understanding a little about design I will better understand where the design team is coming from and what they are thinking when they design an ad. 

Layered Image 2 - Duck Wedding

With this layered image assignment, I had a lot of fun. It consists of 14 layers, because each duck and accessory is a separate layer. With this assignment I learned how to take pieces from several different pictures and put them together to look like one. For example: the female duck, white roses, and veil were all from separate images but I combined them into something that looks like one. I also learned how to turn an object the opposite way. The top hat image that I used was turned and rotated at a different angle than seen here.  Overall, I learned how to work using many different layers and incorporate them into one final image.

Layered Image 1 - Flower Pot

This is my first layered image assignment. This piece consists of 8 layers (one of which is the background). With this I learned how to extract objects from their original backgrounds and put them into a different scenario. I also learned how to move layers up or down so that way they were either on top of the others or behind them. 

Reading Week 2

After reading this week’s section of Becoming a Graphic Designer, I thought that it was really interesting to see how there is a range of things that a person may do as a graphic designer. This was interesting to me because I had always thought about other careers or majors having different paths that they can head in, but I had never thought about that as far as graphic design. I guess there really is a big difference in what needs to be done for an editorial versus an advertisement. In the interview with Criswell Lappin, I learned that years ago graphic design was shown in hard copy, while now everything is mainly digital. She said that the digital world has made it easier and faster to complete and make changes to a project. I can’t even imagine having to do everything on hard copy, I think that that would be so tedious and difficult to keep track of even the smallest changes. I liked all of the images throughout this chapter because it showed a large range of ways that graphic design is used and how we view it in our every day lives. I found it to be fascinating how all of these design directors have the ability to take the simplest image and make it into something great. Especially, with the cover of the magazines. Those are the most important part because that is what either attracts to sends away your audience so it is important to capture them in. I think that all of the samples were eye catching and would have made me look further into it. 

Reading Week 1

The first thing in this week’s reading that really caught my attention was that it is not the computer that does the work, it is the designer and the computer is the tool.  I thought it was cool how the author related it to a guitar. This made me look at it differently, you can have all the proper tools in front of you but you need to know how to use them and open your mind when using them in order for them to work properly. I found it relatable to myself in the section where they were discussing how not all graphic designers are concentrated in the fine arts. As a psychology major I am most certainly not studying in the fine arts. However, this does not mean that I can’t have an interest in this area or that I cannot be successful at it either. One thing that was said was that graphic design was sometimes repetitive tasks, but I think this is true with anything. That’s what makes you good at something doing it over and over again. Also, I feel like with graphic design it always seems a little different since it is a different image or base that you are starting and working with. I think that graphic design has become more popular over the years partially because of the growing popularity of computers, social media, and photography. Even the every day person wants to be able to show off cool looking things to their friends. In the second part of this weeks reading, I thought it was very interesting when Glaser said that a difficulty in graphic design is putting the pleasure and some creativity to the side to make it match with business needs. I can see how this could be difficult but it was something that I had never thought of before as a problem. One quote that stood out to me was something Craig Frazier said “Passion, desire, and an ability to learn by observation and practice” (17). I think that this is true for not only those pursuing a graphic design career but any career. 

Resize Assignment

While doing this resized assignment there were some new skills that I learned on Photoshop. Previous to this assignment, I had only briefly used Photoshop for a few things while working on the yearbook while I was in high school. The first thing that I learned how to do was to take a large image and make it smaller, without changing any of the original picture. This is helpful because when using a photograph that belongs to someone else, without permission you cannot alter it by disorienting it from its original dimensions. As long as the dimensions aren’t stretched, it is okay to use. To do this, you go to image size and then insert the length that you want, and then the width will change proportionately. If you are then trying to meet a certain size, using the crop tool, you can crop the image down to that size without taking away too much of the overall picture. Another skill learned was combining different images onto one canvas. To do this you start on one of them and make the canvas to the size that you want after doing the math. Then you copy and paste the other images onto them as well and move them from the center. Each image will be saved as a separate layer, so this makes it easy to add different effects to each of them. A final thing learned in this assignment was how to use the rulers across the top and side of Photoshop to make sure that the images were evenly spaced throughout the canvas.