Class notes 1/27

Studio Day!!

Mirta Kupferminc-really awesome artist who visited last semester, she is doing a photo within a photo series that smcm continued (kind of like this)

This weekend: take a photo somewhere on campus or off campus holding a blank sheet of paper: we will photoshop Kupferminc's image into it

Photoshop

Image-> Image Size: One of the most important windows about your image!!

-Constrain Porportions: keeps an image proportionate if you resize an image (locks the height and width together when you change one of them)

-Resample Image: Photoshop fills the spaces between pixels or loses pixels when you change the ppi--if you want to cut pixels out of the image, resample it. Unchecking it locks the number of pixels in the image.

-Upsampling is bad (taking a small dpi image and making it larger, photoshop adds pixels where it thinks they should be); Downsampling is good! (taking a large image, and making it smaller, removes pixels)

**Make sure you check your image size, this determines if an image can be emailed, put on your flash drive, etc…

Some handy commands and keystrokes:

Select All: command+A

Copy: command+C

Paste: command+V

Cut: command+X

Deselect: command+D

Undo: command+Z

Step backwards (multiple undos): command+option+Z

Merge Layers: command+E

change brush size by [ and ]

select multiple layers by holding shift by clicking

Double click on the icon of the layer to check out the layer styles

Free Transform: command+T

to get out of the transformation, hit return

Selection tools:

rectangular marquee

lasso tools

magic wand and quick selection tools

you can use all the selection tools together!

"refine edges" will show you a preview of your selection

Hw:

-Take a photo somewhere with a blanks sheet of paper! Then put the Kupferminc picture on the paper

-QUIZ ON PIXEL DIMENSION! Make sure you read/study the Pixel Dimension document!!

-Collage your classmate's scans from blogs

-Start brainstorming for project 1 (remix)

Class Notes 1/25

By now: Jump drives for sure!

Animations

Window->Animation

you now have a time line!

under image set it to "forever", so the animation repeats

within timeline, you can edit the layers

add keyframes by clicking on timeline--they will be golden diamonds

Move the layer on the keyframe, and in between the two keyframes, the layer will move from the first point to the second

Save as->photoshop document (*.psd)

To export:

File->save for web &devices

Set as a GIF

Save as html and images

To make it larger or smaller:

Image->Image Size

*ALWAYS make sure to start with a larger resolution--you cannot add pixels to an image. So when you create a new document, pay attention to the pip!

On screen resolution: 72 pixels/inch (ppi)

Print Resolution: 300 ppi

dpi=ppi

scan through image capture (hit the green button on your scanner)

lossy=bad lossless=great!

jpeg=lossy

tiff=lossless, a good archival image

Homework: Scan 10 items-- each one as a 72 dpi jpeg, and again as a 300 dpi tiff (20 total images) and upload the 72dpi versions to your blog; finish up your pixel animation if you have anything to finish

Class Notes 1/20

- remember your voucher, jump drives, and sketchbooks!

-lynda.com tutorials--can use the photoshop essentials videos (try to watch it at off-peak hours!!)

-computer preferences are set through the apple->system preferences (if you use a new computer or different log in you will have to reset these!)

-Pixel: the basic point (in a grid) that is the basis of all computer images


-Photoshop
Tools:
-eyedropper tool will assort a color from the image
-pencil will draw hard edges, brush will draw softer edges, and you can change the diameter of the lines for these tools in the top menu

Interface:
-F key changes the size of the canvas, blocks out background images
-to zoom: command + or command - ; or the slider in the navigator on the top right
-history: you can go back on anything that you have done through the history window, by clicking backwards through each action you have done in photoshop
-layers: create a new layer for the icon in the bottom (next to the trash can); this will create a new transparent layer
you know which layer you are working on by which one is highlighted in blue in the layer viewer
you can rename your layers by double clicking on it--it's good to keep your layers organized by names
you can also make a layer "invisible" by clicking on the eyeball next to the name; this can also help you keep track of what images are on each layer


Saving in Photoshop: (File->Save As
-.psd saves the project with all its layers
-to save a web version: layer


We watched this documentary on pixel art:


Assignment for the Weekend: create an image that is 4 pixels per inch, 50 pixels wide, and 20 pixels tall. create 5 layers, and use one color on each layer. With your five colors, create a pixel landscape! keep the image saved as a *.psd and don't flatten it! As well as the Christiane Paul reading and First Artist Post on your blog!

Digital art and protest

Since we are (hopefully!) seeing the Hide/Seek show at the National Portrait Gallery, I thought I'd point this out...

The Smithsonian censored a Wojnarowicz video, titled A Fire in My Belly, after pressure from the new House leadership to remove the video from the show. This action by the institution has sparked a lot of outrage, but also some really awesome artistic acts in response, such as someone standing in the exhibit wearing an iPad playing the removed video.

A friend who works at the NPG told me these same protestors have set up in a trailer outside the gallery, called the Museum of Censored Art, where they are showing the video. They also created a website, that takes the layout of the NPG website, and subverts it to portray a world where the NPG is proudly exhibiting A Fire in My Belly. (as well as share info about the Museum of Censored Art) Here is the official NPG website, and Here is the Museum of Censored Art site (notice how they even use an url that unsuspecting people might type in to get to the official site!)

Things like this have been done before (usually by unscrupulous businesses trying to get your password or give you popups), and I find this a fascinating use of digital medium to protest and also subvert the political actions of a very popular gallery. This also, to me, shows the potential of digital art to operate totally autonomously from galleries. What do you think?

Class Notes 1/18

Welcome to Art214, Intro to digital media art!! I'm Tara Hutton, the TA. I'm working on an SMP that includes a combination of traditional media and new media, and I'm working on an interactive flash website. (You can also use the link at right to see projects I've made in my intro and advanced digital media classes) Feel free to email me at tnhutton@smcm.edu with any questions, and I can come in to help outside of class, as well!

From class today:

-Syllabus on Bb

-Possible field trip Feb 4th or 5th?

-Anthropological introduction to youtube-- here's the whole video for those of you interested:

-create your blog on blogger (you're already here!)

-create a new post (there's a link in upper right corner of the page)

-add a text, link, image, video!

-email Billy the url of your blog

-the class blog is http://smcmintrodigital.blogspot.com/

-Remember to buy your course voucher, sketchbook and jump drives!!

TA

I will be the TA for Intro to Digital Art for the spring of 2011 with Professor Friebele. Entries previous to this are from when I took this class two years ago with Pat Kelley.