And another one done...

Second project for Art is finished! This one was quite easy I must say, as our assignment was to create a travel brochure in MS Word. Now as our instructor pointed out, MS Word is the least desirable interface for a graphic design student...for anyone really. It lacks the aesthetics and depth that you can get by using something like MS Publisher, or more so Adobe InDesign; but it gets the job done.

The point? To have the ability to maneuver through MS Word and use the trial and error method through which process you will learn the whereabouts of any function needed to create a normal Word document.

Basically, without boring detail, when using MS Word 2008, you:

1. click columns->four. After doing this (the columns will be invisible, simply find where to insert text by clicking the cursor on the page). Change page dimensions to "legal", and all margins to 0.5

2. Research the internet for the travel information of any destination that interests you. Insert relevant texts and pictures, interspersing each, to creating a layout pleasing to the eye. Insert picture by clicking insert->picture->from file

3. Click insert->picture->autoshape, and select a rectangle. Drag to the size of the text, and fill with a color. Right click->arrange->behind text to put the box behind your writing.

In the end, it will look something like this:

Adobe Ilustrator Pen Tool

Our past 3 classes here in Art 218 have consisted of working on a project for Adobe Illustrator's Pen Tool. This is not a simple task, and quite time consuming. 

To describe what we have learned thus far, I must show you step by step; this won't take long.


Step one: Open up Ai, and select the artboard tool. Drag the edges to create a small, even square. Place the cursor on the square-while holding down alt- and drag twice to create two additional art boards. 


Step two: go to Google images and find a picture that has the ability to be zoomed in and have a good amount of detail. Save.


Step three: go on Ai and click "File" -> "Place". Place your picture on the screen. Now size it dow to the size of your first art board, so that the full picture is in view.
For the 2nd artboard, make the picture slightly bigger so that the you see a particular part of the picture in the box that you'd like to focus on. For the 3rd artboard, expand the picture further to include the detail you want to finish with. Be sure and hold shift while you resize the pictures to keep the pixelation the same as the original.

Step four: select board 1 and save it as a layer as "small". select the 2nd board and save it as a layer as "medium". Finally, select the 3rd board and save it as a layer under the name of "large". After doing all of this, click the first artboard with the picture, and click the eye beside the med. and large layers so that the small picture is all that you see.


Step five: Before working, create a sublayer, lock the small picture layer, and select the pen tool. Start on a straight line by clicking one spot and clicking another to create a simple line. Drawing over curves is harder as you must click one point, and while clicking another, drag until the curve expands to the size of the curve on the picture.  Do This until you have drawn over all of the lines you wish to display. Now click the eye beside the picture to see just the lines you have traced.

Annndd about 10 hours later you will have this:

Isn't it Beautiful?

Graphics- the source of vibrant color in the modern world. While there are many ugly advertisements- some displays should not be, well, displayed, there are so many brilliant ones out there!
Take this picture for example- it just takes your breath away- 007, Bond, James Bond-Scottish hero :)

Okay a little exaggerative, but this is a good example of a colorful work of art, recognizable and simple. This was found late one saturday night as I strolled down Queen Street, a source of en vogue fashion retailers whose graphics shone in the moonlight.

So this brings us to a thought of graphic design. If this profession sounds easy to you, think again. Fun-yes, easy-no. It is true, the excitement of creating a new deisgn is indeed easy on the eyes and easy to talk about, but chances are there were many grueling hours behind that masterpiece.

Art of the past was painting with oils and hand held brushes; Art of the future is pixels and brushed shaped like rainbows. Anything is possible on the computer- just wait and see....

Hello Graphic Design!

So my first week of school is almost over, and there is a new addition to my educational career- in 4 years I will be a Graphic Designer! And for those of you who know me to be aspiring in the political department, hold your gasps- in 5 years I will have a bachelors in Political Science. Ah yes, I now endure the stress and joy of being a double major- easy no, dorky-maybe.

I will never be able to explain how in this infinite world that I can be interested in politics and graphics- as I am not proficient in either at the moment, I hope  I can say that in 5 years I will know enough to have both interests and NOT be schizophrenic.

All this said, my very first assignment for Art 218 is a new blog- all about Graphic Design. If you havent gotten tired of reading my blog on politics, or if you havent even read that yet, happy reading to the newest addition of my blog family- Saruwa Designs

<3Sarah