Post #18

Semester Reflection: What did you learn?  What was your favorite and least favorite projects?  Any suggestions for improvement?

I learned a lot this semester.  Graphics designing was always an interest of mine so I really wanted a chance to learn more about it before I fully committed to it as my potential majors.  I didn't really have a favorite or least favorite project just because I felt like each one was good to explore new techniques although, as I am aware of limited time, I wish we were given more time to work on them.  For improvements, I, as well as other people, are always lost because although you write things on the board, everything just feels too overwhelming.  

Post #17

Identify 5 colleges that offer graphic design (or related) majors.  For each, list the school name, location, graphic majors that are offered and requirements for admission.


1) Art Center in Pasadena, California
 Graphic Majors: 3D Motion Graphics, Cinematic Motion, Lettering, Editorial Print, Transmedia, Font Design, Motion Design, Sequential Design
Requirement: Portfolio for chosen major, good academic record, application, test scores, transcripts

2) FIDM in San Diego, California 
Graphic Majors: Outdoor Marketing, Environmental Advertising, Video, Web, Motion, Alternative Advertising
Requirement: Portfolio and entrance project for major, test scores, transcript, application, essay, letters of recommendation

3) Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California
Graphic Majors: Advertising Design, Animation, Collateral Design, Environmental Design, Exhibition Design, Illustration, Photography, Print Design, Web Design
Requirement: Portfolio, application, essay, transcript, test scores

4) Pratt Institute in New York, New York
Graphic Majors: Digital Media, Typography, Illustration, Imaging, Motion Graphic, Photography, Web Design
Requirement: Portfolio, application, transcript, test scores, letters of recommendation, essay

5) Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island
Graphic Majors: Film, television, publishing, retail, web, interactive media
Requirement: Portfolio, drawings, application, transcript, test scores, writing samples, letters of recommendation

Also, answer the following questions in your own words.

What is a portfolio?
A showcase of an artist's collective work. 

What is the importance of a portfolio?
It shows a story/reflection of the artist.  

Post #16

How many points are in an inch? How many points are in a pica?

72 points in an inch and 12 points in a pica. 

Of the seven classifications, which classification(s) would best work as body type? Why?
Serif would probably work best because it is simple and very legible. 

Identify the lowercase characters that have ascenders?
b, d, f, h, k, l, t

Identify the lowercase characters that have descenders?
g, j, p, q, y

Classify the following typefaces and briefly explain why you believe it should be classified that way:

Because of it's thick lines, it should be classified as blackletter. 



Because it has constant (in size) serifs, it should be serif old style. 

Because of its handwritten look and brush-like strokes, it should be calligraphy. 

Because the lines vary from thick to thin, it should be serif modern. 

Post #15 (Video #4 Typography)

Define typography?
The style and appearance of printed things. 

What is the difference between font and a typeface?
font is a subset of typeface which is the family of fonts.

What is the waist line and what does it indicate? What is a base line and what does it indicate?
The waist line is an imaginary line that indicates the top of letters.  The base line is an imaginary line that indicates the bottom of letters.

What is counter?
The negative space between or within letters.

What is cap height?
The height of uppercase letters.

What is x height?
The height of the letter "x". 

What is an ascender?
A stroke that rises above the x-line.

What is a descender?
A stroke that goes below the base line.

Describe a serif?
A decorative stroke added to the end of the main strokes of a character.

What is leading?
The space between consecutive lines of text.

What is tracking? 
The equal spacing between letters.

What is kerning
The varying spacing between letters.

What is a point? How many points are in an inch? 
A unit of measurement used in type. There are 72 points in an inch.

What is a pica and how many are in an inch?
Units of measurement larger than a point. There are 6 picas in an inch.

How many points are in a pica?
12 points

When was Blackletter invented and how was it used?
Was created around the time of Johannes Gutenberg.   It was used for writing in books.

Describe the characteristics of a Blackletter typeface?
It has thick vertical lines and thin horizontal connectors.

When was Old Style invented and what was is based on?
In 18th century England which was based on Roman fonts.

Describe the characteristics of an Old Style typeface?
It is legible with relatively unchanging size in strokes.

When were formal scripts developed?
During the 17th and 18th century.

When were casual scripts developed?
During the early 20th century.

Describe the characteristics of a Script typeface?
Appears to be formal and handwritten.

When was Modern typefaces developed and why?
In the 1700's to create more stylized fonts.

Describe the characteristics of a Modern typeface?
It has very thin serifs and high contrast between strokes.

How early can Sans Serif typefaces be found? What happened?
Created during the time of Caslon IV.  He decided to get red of serifs. 

When did they become popular?
During the second industrial revolution.

What does "sans serif" mean?
Sans-serif means "without serif".

Describe the characteristics of a Sans Serif typeface?
Doesn't have serifs attached.

When was Slab Serif developed and why?
Around the same time as when sans-serif became popular.  People manipulated it. 

Describe the characteristics of a Slab Serif typeface?
Has thick serifs and thick strokes.

Describe Decorative typefaces?
Fonts combine different aspects of fonts to create a stylized typeface.  Usually used in advertisement. 

Post #14

Who is Stephen Kroninger?
A writer and illustrator famous for his collages.

What kind of art/design does he produce?
He creates collages of recent news. 

In what publications/media studios has his work been featured?
Time Magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Newsweek. 


Post 2 samples of his art.  Answer the following questions for each piece...

Was this piece published? Where?

Published in 2007 for the New York Times.  

What principles of design were utilized within the piece? How?

He uses repetition for the hair by copy and pasting it to create the look of actual hair. 

What elements of design were utilized?

He uses eye-catching colors and shapes. 

Was this piece published? Where?

It was published in the New York Times. 

What principles of design were utilized within the piece? How?

He used contrast.  The contrast is in the background which is white.  It makes the people stand out more. 

What elements of design were utilized?

He uses proximity to show that those people on the bike are all close to each other. 

Post #13

How can you as the designer use principles of design to help compose a page?
Utilizing principles and elements of design.

What are the principles of design (define each in your own words)?
1) Repetition - a repeated design
2) Alignment - the placement of a design 
3) Proximity - distance of objects that are manipulated
4) Contrast - the light and darks of an object

For each of the 4 principles of C.R.A.P., find an example that utilizes the principle 

within the design. You should have 4 DIFFERENT sample designs. For each, discuss how the particular principle is used.

This uses repetition by repeating that design over and over.  Only difference is the opacity for each design. 

 Zebras are perfect examples of contrast.  The black and white are the contrasting colors that make the image stand out. 

The iconic logo of Adidas would not be the same without its proximity.  The proximity gives it an almost triangle like look. 

When something is aligned, it looks more in place rather than out of place.  

Also, answer the following questions in your own words.
How do you add a layer mask to a particular layer?
Select the desired layer then click 'add layer mask'.  You will be able to reveal or hide the layer under.

What two colors are used to create the mask?
Black and white. 

Describe the process of using a layer mask?
It changes the transparency.