Digital Photography and Imaging Project 1 / Collage Design
30.3.2022 - 27.4.2022 (Week 1 - Week 5)
Takuto Hozumi / 0354047 / Bachelor Of Design (Hons) In Creative Media
Digital Photography and Imaging
Project 1 / Collage Design
LECTURES
Week 1 / Learning & Assignment objectives
The content of this lectures was mainly an explanation of the curriculum structure for this module. Lecturers told to set up a blog called "e-Portfolio". This blog will be used to accumulate the learning process of all modules, and it will be utilized submit assignments including image data of my work, drawings, photos, designs etc.
The concept of this module
The module introduces digital visual and imaging manipulation as tool to express student’s vision and creative reinterpretation of the world through digital visual imagery.
This module equips students with conceptual, practical and critical skills and knowledge of digital imagery, and to use Photoshop to produce digitally generated and manipulated images.
Students will develop their knowledge of and skills in digital imaging and manipulation through a series of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on exercises.
They will undergo practical assessments in the form of projects and exercises throughout the semester. Students will then render and submit a culminated final project and/or a body of work (portfolio) to demonstrate their ability to solve communication problems using the appropriate software and hardware as a form of final assessment.
Week 2 / Introduction to Composition
The following 4 elements are typical of compositions.
1. FOCAL POINT - A key element to any good composition is a strong focal point, as it helps your viewers’ eyes naturally settle on the important pieces of your design first.
Fig.1-1: Sample of "FOCAL POINT"
Fig.1-2: Sample of "SCALE & HIERARCHY"
Fig.1-3: Sample of "BALANCE THE ELEMENTS"
Fig.1-4: Sample of "WHITE SPACE"
Rule of Thirds
Fig.1-5: Rule of Thirds
Fig.1-6: Points that attract the eyes and their weights
The rule of thirds is a best guide to help designer to understand how to make the image looks comfortable when people viewing an design work at first time. From top to bottom, left to right, most designer just set all the important element on the left or right side.
Golden Ratio
The Golden Ratio is a mathematical ratio. It is commonly found in nature, and when used in a design, it fosters organic and natural-looking compositions that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Fig.1-7: Golden Ratio (1:1.618)
Similar golden spirals are found in various parts of nature, such as nautilus shells, sunflower seeds, and cloud vortexes in typhoons, and are known as a formative beauty created by nature.
Fig.1-8: Sample of designs using Golden Ratio
Week 3 / Introduction to Photoshop
Explanation of Photoshop functions, mostly used for digital collage: Lasso Tool, Pen Tool and Layering
Lasso Tool
Fig.1-9: Lasso Tool
The Lasso Tool allow you to draw and pinpoint specific areas of a document. If you like drawing with pencil and paper or cutting and pasting objects from a photo, then you will love the Lasso Tool. It is useful for drawing free-form selections.
Pen Tool
Fig.1-10: Pen Tool
When it comes to actually creating a path from scratch, the pen tool is the most common option. The pen tool is the way that you add these points and the way you drag the tool as you create the points determines how they will look.
The fewer points, the smoother a path will be.
Fig.1-11: Handle
The pen tool draws a shape by manipulating "Anchor point" and "Handle" that controls the curve. The operation is the same as in "Week 1 / Bezier game"
Layering
Fig.1-11: Layer
When explaining what a Photoshop "layer" is, the image is often compared to a "transparency film. By layering a "colored film" or "written film" over an image, various effects can be layered on top of the original image without tampering with it.
Fig.1-12: Image of Layering
INSTRUCTION
Week 1 / Bezier game
We learned the basics of drawing shapes with the pen tool (Adobe Illustrator) using a website "Bezier game".
Here is my score;
Fig.2-1: My score of Bezier game
Week 1 / List down your 3 favorite graphic design composition work from Pinterest and Explain why you like those designs
1. LEGO advertisement (Astronaut)
Fig.2-2: Lego Astronaut
LEGO is building blocks known worldwide as a children's toy. It also serves as an educational toy that nurtures their creativity, this design visually demonstrated creating child's future career through the toys. I find it elaborate expression.
2. Starbucks advertisement
Fig.2-3: Starbucks
3. KelOptic advertisement
Fig.2-3: KelOptic
Advertisement for KelOptic, a company that manufactures lenses for glasses. This is based on Van Gogh self-portrait, even the original is rendered in impressionistic rough strokes but the expression shows off the lens' ability to see clearly. Very creative and with a sense of humor about art.
Preparation for collage's design (Assessment of Week 2)
Process of Creation
- Buying a scissor, blade cutter, ruler and glue
- Explore interesting graphics from magazines and trim it
- Finding a background
- Temporarily place elements to see if their appearance is better
- Glue the finalize composition
Fig.2-3: Reference of Collage design
Week 2 / Collage design
Collage concept: Create a collage with fitness magazines. I would like to use the ship motif, on the poster attached as an advertisement. Image like a "Fitness journey".
Fig.2-4: PRE-COMPOSITION #1-1 (6/4/2022)
Fig.2-5: PRE-COMPOSITION #1-2 (6/4/2022)
I was advised that if I had a fixed background, this would limit the design of the placement. New compositions created in response to feedback include;
Fig.2-6: PRE-COMPOSITION #2-1 (6/4/2022 after Feedback)
Fig.2-7: PRE-COMPOSITION #2-2 (6/4/2022 after Feedback)
The concept remains the same, but I cut out some new parts after the week 2. And the new compositions below with and without background.
Fig.2-8: PRE-COMPOSITION #3-1 (12/4/2022 New Composition)
Fig.2-8: PRE-COMPOSITION #3-2 (12/4/2022 New Composition)
Fig.2-9: FINAL-COMPOSITION #2-1 (17/4/2022)
Based on the feedback, I completed this project. The square canvas is covered with straw paper because the object would be weakened if the background were too assertive.
Week 3 / Practical A (Digital Collage)
This assignment is to create a digital collage in Photoshop, using only the materials specified. The size must be A4 and three different compositions must be created.
The specific method of creation is; Cut out objects from an image and collage them using selection functions such as the lasso tool, pen tool, layering etc.
Fig.3-1: COMPOSITION #1 (15/4/2022)
.jpg)
Fig.3-2: Based on Rule of Thirds
Fig.3-3: COMPOSITION #2 (16/4/2022)
Fig.3-4: COMPOSITION #3 (17/4/2022)
.jpg)
Fig.3-5: Based on Golden Ratio
In this composition, I tried to use the golden ratio. To mesh with the golden ratio of organic spirals, fish fillets, also organic, are used as the main ingredient here. It looked like pleats on a skirt. The theme of this work is "Stage actress".
Week 4 / Practical A (Adjustment Layer)
As my best composition, #2 was chosen. In Week 4, we students will do an exercise to apply an adjustment layer to the composition created in the Week 3 assignment and edit the image without changing the original.
Fig.3-3: COMPOSITION #2 (16/4/2022)
Adjustment layer
This type of layer is used primarily to change the color of the image. Adjustments can be applied without changing the original, so it is easy to undo even after saving. Furthermore, if hiding the layers, it is able to compare original, adjusted ver., and also multiple adjustment layers easily.
- Level - To adjust contrast and brightness. Shadows, mid-tones, and light areas can be adjusted separately.
- Curves - The result is similar to Level. It can be used to adjust contrast, but usually Level is more convenient. Curves is a kind of advanced function.
- Exposure - This can adjust brightness in the same way as the function above, but is more light-specific. If you use Exposure too much, the image becomes like an overexposure photo.
- Selective colors - Hue can be adjusted by this function. It can adjust separately by colors.
- Filter - This function can adjust the overall color. It is useful, but overuse can completely ruin the original atmosphere, need to be careful. Templates are already available, but you can also create your own filters by specifying your own colors.
- Black and White - The blackness can be adjusted by each color separately, so if only one area is too dark, it can be solved using this adjustment layer.
Fig.4-1: Adjustment Layer applied #2 (20/4/2022)
Layers I utilized in the end;
- Level - To increase the contrast of entire image
- Hue / Saturation - The color was light, so made it more vivider
- Filer - To add blue to enhance the impression of the lower half of the image
FEEDBACK
Week 2
How to compose: Focus point and draw attention by contrast and color difference.
Collage is not graphic design, so be aware of a more interesting arrangement. For example, the chimney motif as Fig.2-6. Backgrounds may narrow the idea of composition. It is also important to get inspiration from plain backgrounds.
Week 3
Week 4
Digital collage: COMPOSITION #2 is selected as the best of my composition. Next, it should apply stronger contrast in the adjustment layer exercise.
REFLECTIONS
ExperiencesThe physical collage, in particular, required dexterity. When completed, it did not look as good as expected.
Observation
I did not see much material throughout this assignment. Perhaps I should have done more research and considered the design.
Findings
Even if the same materials are used, the appearance can be beautiful or ugly depending on who makes it. I have learned that a sense of balance is important.
Comments
Post a Comment