Creative Concepts 1: Week Eight, ISA #2

Your second Independent Study Assignment will take place next week, during Fall Break week, however you can begin immediately if you prefer. It would be advisable to not wait until that day to begin!

The assignment is to redesign the cover of an existing video game. Your new design must incorporate a montage of figures and heads. For example, here is an existing video game cover...



There are four parts to your 2nd Independent Study Assignment:

1.) a page of rough, exploratory sketching (Goes in the Week 8 Sketchbook dropbox)



2.) a minimum of four thumbnails (Goes in the ISA #2 dropbox)



3.) a full size pencil comp (Goes in the ISA #2 dropbox) NOTE that the design is now a montage of figures and heads.



4.) a jpeg of the actual existing video game box cover (Goes in the ISA #2 dropbox)



You must submit all pages to the dropbox(es) PLUS the existing image - four files all together - in jpeg format only - do NOT zip your files

Remember:

* Draw the image area to the correct proportion.

* Draw guidelines for all typographic elements.

* Leave construction lines in place so I can tell you are using the stickman construction method when drawing figures and the proportion method when drawing faces.

CC1, Week Seven: Stickman Construction

Take a good look at the page below. Copy all the stickmen onto a page in your sketchbook:

Watch this short video for a demonstration of how to take your stickman drawings to the next level:


Once you've watched the video, continue sketching all the matchstick figure constructions below...

Week Five Sketchbook Assignment:

Search the term "Google Doodle" and have a look at the many clever designs that have been done by various artists. Design your own Google Doodle on the theme of "Hallowe'en" or "Autumn." Create your own typographic style for the word "Google" and include at least five figures and other props. Begin your figures by sketching them as stick figures, then add volume and surface details as we did in class during our in-class exercise. Your figures can be 'regular' people, animals, fantasy characters or a combination.
Here are a few examples of well done Google Doodles by previous students:

CC2, ISA #3

Here are some layout mock-ups of spreads I did for the Target Christmas catalogue a couple of years ago...







You will design a spread for the Spring catalogue for a company of your choice, using an Easter theme. You may choose any subject matter that appeals to you (eg. food, pets, electronics, clothing, etc). You may design two pages side by side or a single image that crosses the gutter (as shown in the examples above). NOTE: Tape two 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of paper together to create an 11" x 17" sheet if you don't have any 11" x 17" paper.

There are four sections to complete for this ISA...

Part 1: Rough sketching/exploratory drawing to be done in your sketchbook. This page goes in the Week 14 Sketchbook dropbox.

Part 2: Thumbnails to be done in your sketchbook (including value exploration). This page goes in the ISA #3 dropbox.

Part 3: Finished comp to be done on the 11" x 17" paper (or two 8.5" x 11" papers taped together). Work with the paper in horizontal (landscape) position, draw the image area (1" border) and draw all visual and typographic elements neatly. Indicate values with either pencil shading or grey markers (or both). Render larger type elements - use greeking for smaller elements.

Part 4: Tape a clean sheet over your finished comp and explain your design strategy using words, arrows, diagrams, etc.

Thumbnails, Comp and overlay sheet go in the ISA #3 dropbox.

CC2, Week 12: Sketching Type, Part 1

For this week's exercise you may use a ruler. In each case, replicate as accurately as possible all the lines and letterforms in each of the three exercises.

Hour One: Draw the grid, then the letter forms on the same grid.

Hour Two: replicate these layouts as shown on one page in your sketchbook.



This week's sketchbook assignment: Go to the website of one of your favourite products, services or organizations and take a screenshot of the site homepage. In your sketchbook, draw all of the elements in the style of comprehensive sketching you practiced in this week's in-class exercises. Submit both the screenshot and your sketch to the Week 11 Sketchbook dropbox by the start of next week's class.

ISA #2 (CC 1, Week 10)

Your second Independent Study Assignment will take place next week, however you can begin immediately if you prefer. It would be advisable to not wait until that day to begin!

The assignment is to redesign the cover of an existing video game. Your new design must incorporate a montage of figures and heads. For example, here is an existing video game cover...



There are four parts to your 2nd Independent Study Assignment:

1.) a page of rough, exploratory sketching (Goes in the Week 10 Sketch dropbox)



2.) a minimum of four thumbnails (Goes in the ISA #2 dropbox)



3.) a full size pencil comp (Goes in the ISA #2 dropbox) NOTE that the design is now a montage of figures and heads.



4.) a jpeg of the actual existing video game box cover (Goes in the ISA #2 dropbox)



You must submit all pages to the dropbox(es) PLUS the existing image - four files all together - in jpeg format only - do NOT zip your files

CC2, Week Nine, Composition continued

Orient your sketchbook page in portrait format (vertical), draw four small vertical rectangles across the top of the page.
Study these illustrations. Sketch a thumbnail version of each one in the four small rectangles.

Now draw four larger vertical rectangles in the remaining space on your page. Choose one of the four images and imagine this image is the visual for a magazine cover. Sketch four different thumbnail compositions for a magazine cover in the four new rectangles. Using greeking, add a header, a footer, three story headlines and a UPC rectangle.


This week's sketchbook assignment: Choose your favourite of your four magazine cover thumbnails. On a new page in your sketchbook, draw a full-size comp of the design you chose. Use a tracing paper overlay to explain in writing and with diagrams why your improved composition works. Describe how you have applied the principles of composition studied over the last four weeks.

CC1, Week Four: Independent Study Assignment #1

You will be redesigning the current candy package below, maintaining the Valentine's Day theme.



Step 1.

Begin by doing some rough exploratory sketching (as we did in class when you were redesigning Valentine's cards) to familiarize yourself with the visual and typographic assets you may be using in your candy package redesign. Here's an example of a well done rough work sketchbook page. This was done by a Semester 1 student last year.


(Note how the whole page is filled with both picture and type sketching, exploring many different elements of the potential design. This page received full marks.)


This stage constitutes your sketchbook assignment for Week 4. Rough sketching should done in your sketchbook, scanned or photographed and saved as a jpeg and then uploaded to the Week Four Sketchbook drop box.


Step 2.

As we practiced in class, prepare a page in your sketchbook with the usual 1" border and your name between guidelines in the lower right corner.

Subdivide the page into four quadrants with an approx. 1/4" gutter (a double line) between the quadrants. Sketch four unique designs - one in each quadrant. Again, here's an example of some well done thumbnail sketches from the last group of students...





Step 3.

Prepare another page as usual with a 1" border and your name between guidelines in the lower right corner.

Choose what you feel is your strongest thumbnail design and create a full size pencil comp on this page. See the rubric in the ISA #1 dropbox to review my expectations for full marks. When done, take a picture or scan this page, save as a jpeg and upload it into the ISA #1 drop box.

Here's an example of a well done pencil comp from the last group of Semester 1 students...



All three pages must be in the correct drop boxes by the start of our usual class time during Week Four. You have one additional week to hand the assignment in late - at an automatic penalty of 20%.

CC1 Week 4: Drawing Animals Using Basic Shapes

Using basic shapes, follow the construction methods shown below to sketch the various simple cartoon animals...



Next, choose a favourite animal, find photo reference of it, then try sketching a simplified cartoon version of it using Ed Emberly's method from the examples above.