For the first in Three part visual Fluencies “module”we will start with a simple but fun Photoshop/ Visual Collage project. You may use Photoshop, GimpLinks to an external site., Procreate or whatever software you indicated you would use. I’ll be in touch with each of you about this to make sure you are up and running with software and hardware.

Directions: 

Create a Visual Blooper or Visual Anachronism . You can think of this as a kind of meme, or a funny/ ironic/ meaningful re-take on an ad or historical photo. For example, you might use an historical photo and insert someone or something that will change the meaning or change the customary ways it is received. 

Goals: familiarize you with photoshop or other digital imaging software. have fun. Goof around or explore in an application you already know or  one you want to learn. We will cover some of the basic functions of image editors such as, opening, closing and saving files. File formats, resolution, color modes, layers, types of selection tools, cutting out and moving elements, balancing color and matching directional light sources. Our creative and Design goals are ( among others) to understand how meaning/information is communicated through composition and arrangement. Composition works to communicate in an image. Color, scale and contrast can operate as a delivery service for meaning, message or content. 

Software: I will work with each of you to get a baseline on an application – or a few– that you might use to complete your assignment. You will have a week and a half to finish. I want to allow time for experimentation and software learning/ comfort- This includes your recently created websites.  You may use whatever software best suits your means and goals. I’ll work with you regardless of  software.

DESCRIPTION: Visual Anachronism OR Visual Blooper. 

There are two parts to each Project: visual and written

PART One: VISUAL Project
Options for the visual assignment:

Option One: 

1. Create a visual blooper or visual pun. Create a 2D digital image by to altering  the meaning, mood or impact of a well known ( in your own circles)  or historical image, meme or ad. Try to be as convincing as you can. move beyond subtlety (like changing a color) , attempt to walk the line between obvious and probable mistake…if weren’t so spot on…your visual choices should have purpose and intention.

Option Two: 

2. Add, visibly alter, replace or subtract items or environments from an historical image, or image from popular culture/media in order to create an anachronism– a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place. This chronological mis-match can be funny, serious, poetic, or whatever suits your style for this project. This alteration should be deliberate and intentional. 

Digital parameters:

Please create an image from an existing photos or publicly available imagery. Please do not use a digital drawing you created. It can be a sample form anime/ movies/ personalities or video games. Keep in mind that inside knowledge about a subject must be made accessible to an audience who may know much less that you do. In other words if your punchline, or ironic twist require an intimate knowledge of a particular subject, story arc, etc, please explain in the written portion. 

Using a digital imaging software, such as Photoshop, GimpLinks to an external site., KritaLinks to an external site., Procreate etc. create a work of art with the following parameters:

Document Size: 

12’x 12″

200 dpi

RGB color mode.

save a full resolution copy with layers in the native format of the Application you created it in.

export or save a copy as a flattened  .TIF/ TIFF  200dpi. 

save a web version of your image as a .jpg, .png, .gif at 72 dpi (typical screen resolution) 

Part Two:  Written Analysis/ Description:  

Please write thoughtfully about the questions below.  Please post this digital written response/ analysis below you image or linked on your site. 

a. What gave you the idea for your project?
b. Where did you find the images you used? (cite them if you can) what file types were they?
c. Explain why and how your-arrangement of these elements communicates what it does.
d. Challenges and Successes? yes I know that this sensitive territory for some… but- what went right? what went not so right? take a step back and separate the technical / application struggles with the visual/ communication challenges. 

Directions for Submitting/Turning In Assigned Digital Art Projects: 2 parts 

Important:  There are two (2) steps to submitting your artwork and written analysis. 

1. Post your visual project and written analysis to your website.

2. Submit via CANVAS- Uploaded project, and written analysis. Please provide Link to the page you uploaded image and written analysis on your website. ( I added this in case any one has trouble uploading projects to their site )

Project Notes/ Tips: 

1. When finished with an assignment ( digital images, composite, video etc) SAVE Original Working File ( ex. .wmm, .psd, indd, .fcp, .ai) to your computer, cloud storage or external hard drive. You will use this to create web ready images. Write/ copy and paste your written analysis for each project on your site, either below, or descriptively linked to your submitted Project image.
 
2. Upload to your website on a separate page, your project and written analysis can be pasted below, or linked to an entirely separate page. 

Directions for Submitting Written Analysis, reading analysis or other written assignments

3. Typically all digitally created / completed visual ART projects need a written part to be complete.

4. Written portion of the projects will contain the following:

a. written composition of at least two to three paragraphs responding to the question related to the topic, reading or prompt that inspired your artwork. 

b. webliography, bibliography and image source credits with links if available. 

5. Submit your written analysis on your Website in any of the following ways: 

a. add spell checked written/text  analysis either above, below or on a separate page : on your Website. 

Nuts and Bolts:

Images from the Web and using downloaded stuff for your projects. 

Creative commons and free/attribution sources for video and imagery. Below you will find some links to sites that you can acquire royalty free or limited attribution/ distribution stock video and imagery. Please review each site’s requirements- (usage) as these will vary. Stick to the Creative commons or FREE portions of the site, unless you wish to purchase a clip for creative distribution. Here are some sites to find royalty free imagery to work from. You may also download images from the web, however you MUST cite the source, and photographer/artist/ archive. 

You can use Creative Commons designated images and videos without attribution. In other words you can create a work of art and call it your own using these free and widely available resources. IF you download an image form a website that you know to be the property of another then you must attribute/ cite the sources in your project.

Here is a link to the Creative CommonsLinks to an external site. for more information: Note this is not an image site just the Creative Commons info site. 

Here are some commonly used sites for free/ creative Commons images. Note that some sites also have a combination: creative commons , royalty free and paid image licensing. 

https://freestocks.org/Links to an external site.

https://pixabay.com/Links to an external site.

https://stocksnap.io/Links to an external site.

https://www.pexels.com/Links to an external site.

https://unsplash.com/Links to an external site.

https://www.vecteezy.com/Links to an external site.

https://www.loc.gov/free-to-use/Links to an external site.

https://library.si.edu/image-galleryLinks to an external site.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pingnews/sets/72157594333669521/Links to an external site.

https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/freeLinks to an external site.

If you search Royalty free, Public Domain or Creative Commons, you will find what you are looking for OR you can recreate the image using your own camera. 

TUTORIALS: or- How the heck do I do this? 

Yes!

I’ll post tutorials for you for photoshop and other topics. Including a lecture where I complete the project. Please allow a day or two for these to post. for now just review the assignment and get some ideas flowing!