Assignment 1: Pattern Studies

1. Set up a new document in Adobe Illustrator that is 20 inches wide by 14 inches tall.

2. Using RECTANGLES, ELIPSES, POLYGONS, AND STARS ONLY, create 6 pattern studies.

3. Your pattern studies should be 4 inches by 4 inches using only Black and White Stroke and Fills.

4. Keep an even 2 inch border around each pattern study.

5. Make 6 BLACK AND WHITE pattern studies based on the following concepts:

6. Before you start, make a simple "super unit" form to build into a pattern using repetition:

Units and Super-Unit forms

Wucious Wong defines a Super-Unit form as a complex form composed of a group of simple geometric figures.  These figures are called “units”. 

• #1 experiment with GRID STRUCTURES to create patterns (NO use of Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.)
  Reference reading
• #2 experiment with ROTATION to create patterns (NO use of Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.)
• #3 experiment with SCALE CHANGES to create patterns (NO use of Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.T)
• #4 experiment with GRID STRUCTURES to create patterns (WITH use of Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.)
• #5 experiment with QUANTITY(WITH OR WITHOUT Illustrator's Repeat Cmd.)
• #6 experiment with EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR OWN PATTERN (No restrictions)

6. You can use White Rectangles to create borders around your patterns.

7. Save your file named firstname_lastname_shapes.ai

*see example below for some ideas

** all 6 pattern studies will be on the same document (20 x 14 inches)

Parameters:

No Effects, Transparency, Filters, Brushes, Variable Stroke Widths, Gradients, Color etc.

Keep shapes as primitive geometric shapes (ellipses, squares, stars, polygons)

No shapes other than primitive shapes

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

A. Document Set Up, Guides, Grids, Workspace

1. Select tool

2. Primitive Shape tools

3. Rotate tool

4. Transform tool, Transform panel

5. Stroke and Fill

6. Stroke and Fill color

7. Constraints

8. Repeating

9. Align tool

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

1. name your AI file:

firstname_lastname_shapes.ai

2. Submit your file to SIU Desire to Learn > HERE

-Log into your D2L Account (Click on the Drop Boxes Module and follow the instructions)

Assignment 2: Pen Tool Primer

Guidelines:

Download and open the following AI file.

Pen Tool Primer file

Parameters:

• Using the PEN TOOL ONLY, trace the simple outlines.
• Use the recommended number of anchor points.
• Make your lines curve smoothly and accurately according to the sample.
• Use rulers and guides if necessary.

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

• Pen Tool
• Select Tool
• Direct Select Tool
• Anchor Point Tools

Fun Practice Game

The Bezier Game

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

1. name your AI file:

firstname_lastname_primer.ai

2. Submit your file to SIU Desire to Learn > HERE

-Log into your D2L Account (Click on the Drop Boxes Module and follow the instructions)

Assignment 3: Animal

From Adobe Stock, download a digital photograph (bitmap) of an animal, reptile, or insect, you are to remake the image with layered shapes in Illustrator as a vector illustration. Images must be real photographs from Adobe Stock, not AI generated or previous Illustrations.

Animal Selection:

• Choose an animal that has a strong, directional light source. Low light and diffuse light that doesn't provide shadows won't work well
• Choose an animal with short fur, no fur, or smooth skin.
• Choose an animal with some type of form to its body (butterflies and many birds won't work)
• Choose an animal that has light colored features (an all black animal will not work well)
• Choose an animal image that is framed well (the animal takes up the frame and we can see its whole body) and has some type of natural background (not on white or on transparent)
• Choose an animal image that has a sharp focus for the whole image.
• Choose an image with a high resolution (1200 px width or height at the very minimum). All photographs should be from Adobe Stock.

Getting Started

• Pay special attention to the image as shapes rather than textures and lines.
• When looking at the image, break it down from the largest shapes to smallest shapes. (don't start with the feathers, spots, hair, bumps, etc.)
• Think of creating your animal as if it's a stack of cut pieces of colored paper.
• Think of creating your animal like a topographic map (topology). The biggest pieces will be at the bottom of the stack.
• Use the topology of your animal by breaking your shapes down based on cross-contour lines.
  (you won't be drawing the lines in your file, but visualize them as you look at your animal)

Guidelines:

• File size should be 7.5 inches by 10 inches.
• Original image must be placed and embedded into the Illustrator file for tracing.
• Color palette limited to 5 BASE COLORS. You can add tints (white) and shades (black) to each of these BASE COLORS.
• No Stroke Colors, Filters, Effects, Brushes, or Gradient, or Transparency are to be used.
• NO OPEN PATHS OR LINES
• Solid Color Only. ALL OF YOUR SHAPES WILL BE CLOSED PATHS (NO LINES)
• Save your file and name it firstname_lastname_animal.ai
• As an option, you may use a maximum of 3 shapes with a feathered edge.

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

• Paths and Shapes (pen tool)
• Color Panel, Swatches Panel, Color Guide Panel
• Layers
• Composition
• Pen Tool
• Hand-Eye Coordination

Requirements:

• A minimum of 3 layers (all layers must be labeled)
• All paths must be closed.
• All colors in artwork must be saved in the Swatches Panel
• Simple background to describe the animal's environment.
• File named correctly and put into the Drop folder
• As mentioned in class, original source file must be embedded.

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

1. name your AI file:
2. firstname_lastname_animal.ai
3. Submit your file to SIU Desire to Learn > HERE

Assignment 4: Postage Stamp

Using your illustration of an animal completed for assignment 3, compose and set a mockup for a Postage Stamp following these guidelines:

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

• Type tools
• Pathfinder tools
• Alignment tools
• Art board tool
• Color Modes
• Scale Tools - (scale strokes and effects preference)
• Stroke Tools
• Drop Shadow and Effects
• Appearance Panel

Stamp Requirements: Focus

• Animal Illustration - include your complete illustration from Assignment 3.
• Create a serrated border with Stroke and Drop Shadow (really examine the stroke width and appropriate size for the serrated edge of a real stamp) that creates the illusion of a real stamp.
• Use the Pathfinder Tool to cut your serrated border into the stamp shape to make a single shape for the stamp's "paper"
  
• Add Text for the following elements:
  • Animal Name
  • Country
  • Year
  • Monetary Value and Currency
• Convert all text to Outlines
• Label all layers.
• Two versions of your stamp (see below) saved and submitted as Illustrator files.

Presentation Requirements:

• Art board size = 7.5 inches by 10 inches (landscape orientation)
• 2 versions of stamp - large and small

• Small version size:

• Overall Size = longest side will be 2.0 inches.

• Large Version Size:

• Overall Size = longest side will be 6.5 inches.
• Title - (Bottom Right Corner in 8 pt type):
  • Postage Stamp Mock-up
  • AD 219 Spring 2025
  • First Name Last Name
• Save your file and name it firstname_lastname_stamp.ai

Parameters:

• No Photoshop Effects, SVG Filters, gradients,
• No Illustrator Brushes or added Appearances

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

• Name your AI file: firstname_lastname_stamp.ai
• Submit your file to MyCourses > HERE
• Log into your MyCourses Account (Click on the Drop Boxes Module and follow the instructions)

Assignment 5 - Appliance

Starting with a black-and-white image of a house-hold appliance or hand-held power tool, you are to recreate the image in Illustrator using shapes, gradients, and tracing. Your Image will be "placed" in Illustrator as a template to trace. Final illustrations should be very representational of the original and use gradient fill colors to recreate the original light source, textures, surfaces, and form. Pay close attention to shadows, highlights, and perspective.

Objectives: Adobe Illustrator

• paths and shapes
• gradients - linear, radial, freeform,
• layers
• transparency
• pen/pencil tool, blob brush,
• perspective
• shadows and highlights
• other tools in illustrator - free transform, puppet warp, blend, warp, mesh, distort, etc.

Parameters:

• No Brushes, Filters, or Effects.

• Edge Feather ONLY may be used on a maximum of 4 paths
• No colors...grayscale only
• No Image Trace, live paint
• Minimum of 5 layers (labeled)
• Placed file should be embedded in your document

Presentation:

• Art board should be 7.5 inches by 10 inches.
• Title - (typed at the bottome right of artboard in 8 pt type)
  • Appliance Illustration
  • AD 219 Spring 2025
  • First Name Last Name
• Save files and name them firstname_lastname_appliance.ai

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

• Name your AI file: firstname_lastname_appliance.ai
• Submit your file to SIU Desire to Learn > HERE
• Log into your D2L Account (Click on the Drop Boxes Module and follow the instructions)

Assignment 6 - Dada Photomontage

Collage Def:

The word Collage is derived from the French; "to glue" or to "stick together". Different types of collage have been explored by artists that include various materials.

A Photomontage uses photographs or parts of photographs.

Dadaists worked to expand notions of art by making art that was the opposite of art. They used collage, asemblage, and found objects to create new forms with new meanings.

Different approaches have been used to categorize collages. The Dadaists and others used a form of Photomontage that displays the TAMED CHAOS approach.

Step 1

• Search and collect images from the Metropolitan Museum's Open Access Library
• To save image in Google Chrome > Right + Click > Choose > Save Image As
• Collect at least 15 source images to include in the Photomontage. Save ALL IMAGES IN A SINGLE FOLER.
• Following guidelines in Step 2, create a Dada inspired photomontage in Photoshop

Step 2

• Create a NEW DOCUMENT in Photoshop that is 7.5 inches by 10 inches (resolution 300 pixels/inch)
• Using Photoshop and the tools for making selections, SELECT elements from their backgrounds to manipulate on different layers in Photoshop.
• COPY selections to your clipboard and PASTE into your new document.
• USE at least 15 different source images in your collage.
• REUSE one of your items at least 10 times.
• SAVE your file as firstname_lastname_collage.psd with ALL LAYERS SEPARATE

Objectives: Adobe Photoshop

• Understanding file types - TIFF, JPG, PSD
• Photoshop Selection Tools - Marquee, Lasso, Color Range, Object selection, Quick Mask, Select and Mask
• Layers Panel
• Transform Objects (Move, Rotate, Scale)
• Resolution, File Size, Saving

Objectives: Collage Idea

• LAYER objects on many layers to create overlap
• Make clean, natural selections of each objects that are smooth and natural looking.
• Organize your elements into some sort of arrangment.

Parameters

• Prohibited items: ANYTHING THAT DOES NOT COME FROM THE MET OPEN ACCESS
  (ie. Brushes, Gradients, Paint, Solid Shapes, Type, Text, Textures ,Lines, Paths.,etc. )
• No Filters or Effects or Adjustment layers - leave source images in their natural state
• Maintain the integrity of the objects so they aren't distorted. Allow the imagery to represent itself as you found it.
• Fill the entire area with collaged content, leaving no blank areas.

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

When your photomontage is complete:

• In Photoshop, from the Image Menu, choose Image Size
• Make sure the box for Resample Image is checked.
• Choose Pixels for your Width and Height.
• For Pixel Dimensions, set the longest side to 2000 pixels
• Save your file with a new name so you don't overwrite your original.
• Submit your new PSD file to MyCourses.

What to Turn in:

• name your PSD file:
• firstname_lastname_photomontage.psd
• Submit your file to MyCourses > HERE
• -Log into your MyCourses Account (Click on the Drop Boxes Module and follow the instructions)

Assignment 7 - Image Correction

1. Download the Image Correction files from D2L under:

ASSIGNMENT RESOURCES > ASSIGNMENT 7 > CHALLENGE FILES

2. Follow the instructions for each file (the instructions appear as a layer IN the file)

Objectives:

This assignment will introduce the concept of Non-Destructive editing in Photoshop for image correction and repair. For additional reference on class demos, check out the Photoshop User Guide for the following tools specifically the use of Adjustment Layers:

Levels Adjustment layer

Curves Adjustment layer

Color Balance Adjustment Layer

Hue and Saturation Adjustment Layer

Brushes and Blending Modes:

Blending Modes

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

What to Turn in:

1. When finished, put all of your files in one folder and name it color_correction_yourname

2. Right Click (Control Click) on the Folder and choose > Compress

2. Submit your COMPRESSED file to SIU Desire to Learn > HERE

-Log into your D2L Account (Click on the Assignment 7 Module and follow the instructions)

Assignment 9 - Fantastical Object Composite

Overview

Using the same family of tools and techniques from the Challenge Files assignment, create a digital composite from original source images.

We'll borrow from the cinematic term "matte painting" to help understand the process.

"A matte painting is a painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is nonexistent in real life or would otherwise be too expensive or impossible to build or visit." -Wikipedia

This object composite will involve taking a photograph of on object and building a "set" around it and compositing in into a believable scene

• The goal will be to create a convincing and realistic look like movie stills (not cartoons, or graphics).

Process

Start by selecting an object to be the subject of the composite. Objects should be easily recognizable and made in a professional way. (ie. avoid abstract objects, parts of objects that are difficult to identify, etc.) Choose from:

• Food and Drink Products
• Food items
• Clothing and accessories
• Tools and equipment
• Toys and figurines
• Household items

2. Using a DSLR camera, your Phone using Adobe Lightroom, or other camera that can shoot in RAW, photograph your object to be the starting imagery for your composite

• pay careful attention to the camera's position and distance
• pay careful attention to the camera's angle
• pay careful attention to the light source
• use the photo room in the Pulliam Design wing for best results
• bring additional colored paper, fabric, or materials to use in the photo shoot
• the source image must be shot in RAW format

3. EXTEND YOUR ORIGINAL OBJECT to create a Photoshop composite with a DRAMATIC EFFECT. Dramatic effects can be achieved through various types of manipulations that include:

• Surrealism -irrational spaces, bizzare combinations, illogical or dreamlike juxtopositions
• Scale - Exaggeration of small/large, vast/minute
• Natural elements - rocks, clouds, water, splashes, waves, rivers, oceans, ponds, puddles
• Plants, trees, grasses, moss, overgrowth, forests,
• Wildlife - small or large
• Lighting Special Effects - optical flares, stars, sparks, lightning, fire
• Volumes - Smoke, Fog, Explosions

4. Composite the original object within the frame using additional objects, backgrounds, textures, etc.

• Use Layer Masks to create transparency where needed
• Use Adjustment layers and Blending Modes to match color and value
• Use Adjustment layers and Blending Modes to match light sources
• Use Filters to match Depth of Field (Blur), light, texture
• Use Color (paintbrush, paint bucket, cloning, patching, etc.) to add new color, light, texture, etc.

5. Set up your NEW document in Photoshop and paste compositing items into them

• Document size: 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 px) - portrait or landscape orientation
• 72ppi

6. Use your orginal object and a minimum of 3 additional images (excluding generative fill elements)

7. You will submit ALL your original source images including the original RAW file.

8. Print a color copy of the matte painting on letter-sized paper.

Parameters

YOU MUST START YOUR COMPOSITE WITH AN OBJECT YOU PHOTOGRAPH LOCALY. From your original object, you can use any of the following types of files:

• Your own photos and textures taken with a digital camera.
• Original materials that you scan yourself.
• Images from Adobe Stock (ALL STOCK IMAGES USED IN THE FINAL VERSION MUST BE SUBMITTED -10PTS. FOR EACH ELEMENT NOT SUBMITTED)
• UP TO 3 GENERATIVE FILLS IN PHOTOSHOP
• Digital painted elements created from scratch
• Photoshop Brushes used in an original way
• NO ADDITIONAL INTERNET IMAGES.
• The requirement is to EXTEND YOUR OWN OBJECT

Objectives: Adobe Photoshop

1. Camera Raw

2. Compositing techniques - layer masks, blending modes, blur effects, light effects, etc.

3. Photoshop Layer Styles

4. Brushes and Blending modes

5. Layer Comps

6. Photoshop Actions

7. Generative Fill and Generative Expand AI prompts in Photoshop

LINKS

20 Matte Painting tutorial - links from Vanderlay Designs

Brusheasy

Other Brush sites - Freepik

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

FOCAL POINTS for convincing blends

• Light - what direction is the light coming from, what color is the light, does the light cast shadows, do your objects have shadows,
• Color/Value - what is the color temperature for each image being used. Unify the darkest darks and lightest lights for each element.
• Focus - try to match the focus to create a believable depth of field. Things farther away will be in a softer focus.
• Scale - look at scale and perspective when compositing different source material.

What to turn in:

1. Put your finished PSD (with layers), Adobe Stock images used, and ANY source images used in one folder.

2. Compress the folder into a .ZIP file

3. Name the folder landscape_yourname

4. Right Click (Control Click) on the Folder and choose > Compress

5. Submit your file to MYCOURSES