Navigate this page:
- Week 5: September 19 to September 25
- Week 6: September 26 to October 2 (Hybrid - Online)
- Week 7: October 3 to October 9
- Photoshop Folio (summary handout - how to organize your files, check list, peer grade sheet)
Week 5: Goals this Week
By the end of this week you will be able to:
- Analyze the tonal range of a photographic image
- Adjust the tonal range of an image using Levels, Curves, and Hue/Saturation adjustments in Photoshop
- Sharpen an image using Photoshop
- Create a composite image using Layers in Photoshop
The assigned activities on this page are designed to help you practice these learning goals and demonstrate your learning. Doing these activities in the order presented below is recommended. However, you are ultimately responsible for your own learning, and you may proceed in any way that helps you acquire the above knowledge and skills.
Completion checklist for Week 5
- Before class: Reading Assignment: Chapter 9 (online)
- Before class: Reading Assignment: Tonal Range (online)
- Before class: Video: Image Editing Goals (online)
- Before / during class: Practice: Complete Chapter 8 Exercises 1-6 (save result as a PSD and turn into DropBox by end of class
- During class: Photoshop project discussion, Q&A
- Before / during / after class: Complete Chapter 12 Exercise 1 (save your result from Chapter 8 Exercises 1-6 as a JPEG)
- Before / during / after class: Reflection Blog: Post your JPEG to the Class Blog, evaluating your goal and results (online)
Reading Assignment: Chapter 9: Layering and Collage
Complete before coming to class on September 23
In preparation for Week 6, when hybrid classes won't meet face to face, I would like you to read Chapter 9 in Digital Foundations: Intro to Media Design with the Adobe Creative Suite. Chapter 9 will form the basis of your Photoshop project. You will create a double exposure during Week 5, an exquisite corpse collage during Week 6, and you'll choose one of these (or combine them) as the central image for your final postcard layout. You'll do both of these projects using your own scans and digital photographs. You may also use stock images you found through search provided you attribute them properly in your project notes. I want you to skim through Chapter 9 so that you can begin thinking about your project creatively, and so that you can come into class ready to ask questions. We will review your Photoshop project assignment requirements during class, and discuss your questions and concerns before beginning studio work.
Reading Assignment: Tonal Range
Complete before beginning practice Exercises 1-6
Read 8. Tonal Range in Digital Foundations: Intro to Media Design with the Adobe Creative Suite. Make sure you follow the links to look at the included visual references. In particular, look at the common problems that can be solved by adjusting tonal range. Time needed: 5 - 15 minutes.
Video: Image Editing Goals
Complete before beginning practice Exercises 1-6
Watch this video on setting goals for editing tonal range. I want you to set goals for the image you decide to work with for practice Exercises 1-6. Time needed: 22 minutes.
You can click the Full Screen button in the lower right corner of the video player to enlarge the video, or watch in a larger player on Blip.tv.
Practice: Ch 8 Exercises 1-6
Complete by the end of class on September 23
Exercises 1-6 are meant to be completed all at once using the same image. You can begin the exercises before coming to class, save your work, and continue where you left off during studio work in the classroom. Time needed for all six exercises: 30 - 60 minutes (This is a guess. It took me 35 minutes to do the reading and all the exercises.)
Before beginning, choose an image to work with that has one of the common problems discussed in the Tonal Range reading assignment. You may work with your own scanned image or digital photograph, use an image from a stock photography site, or download and save the authors' Chapter 8 exercise file and use rgb-trees.psd to complete practice Excercises 1-6. Think about what you can change to improve the image. Should it be lighter, darker, lower or higher in contrast? Is there a color cast you would like to correct? Once you have a clear goal in mind for how you want to improve your image, work through the exercises as follows:
- You'll make any necessary changes to the cropping, orientation and print resolution in Exercise 1: Minor adjustments to the original file
- You'll evaluate the tonal range within the image using Photoshop's Histogram panel in Exercise 2: Understanding the histogram
- You'll correct the tonal range of the image using Levels in Exercise 3: Adjusting the image with Levels
- You'll improve the color of the image using Curves in Exercise 4: Adjusting the image with Curves
- You'll tone down or enhance the vibrance of the image using Hue/Saturation in Exercise 5: Targeting saturation levels
- You'll restore image sharpness using a Filter in Exercise 6: Sharpening the image
Remember, if you use your own image, what you see on screen as you work will not match the demonstration images captured by the authors. To gain the best understanding of these Photoshop techniques, consider completing practice Exercises 1-6 first with the authors' image, to get the hang of the process, then with your own image, to test your understanding by making your own decisions about how to best improve your image.
After completing these exercises, save your Photoshop file as lastname-firstname-tonal-range.psd. You will place this file in the DropBox before leaving class on September 23 (worth 4 points), and you will need it for the final assignment for this week.
Save a JPEG: Chapter 12: Exercise 1
Complete before posting your Reflection Blog
Learn to save an image for publishing on the web by completing Chapter 12: Exercise 1: From digital input to web ready. Begin this exercise with step 4, using your completed PSD file from practices Exercises 1-6. You will reduce the size of your image, resharpen it, optimize it for web display, and save it as a JPEG file.
Reflection Blog
Complete before midnight on Sunday, September 25
It's time to sum up what you've learned by reflecting on this week's assignments. Create a new post on the class blog, give your post any title you like, upload your JPEG file to the post, and underneath it write a reflection on your experience editing the tonal range of your chosen image. In your reflection, answer the following:
- What was your goal for the image you used?
- What adjustments did you make to achieve your goal? You don't have to give the exact values from dialog boxes, but do explain what type of adjustments you made (levels, curves, hue/saturation, etc.).
- Evaluate your results: did you make progress toward your goal? was there something you wanted to do but couldn't quite achieve it?
If you think showing the "before" version of your photo would help you explain the changes you made, you can include it in your Reflection post, too - just follow the steps from Chapter 12: Exerise 1 to save it for the web, and label which image is "before" and which one is "after." If you need help making a blog post, look in the right sidebar under Help Using Blogger for how-to links.
The table below shows what I will be looking for in your reflection responses. Provided you complete the Reflection Blog Post by the due date, each item is worth 4 points for a total of 16 points possible.
| 0 points | 4 points | 4 points | 4 points | 4 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student does not complete the Reflection by the due date | Student displays JPEG image of completed tonal adjustment within the blog post | Student clearly states his or her goal for image improvement | Student identifies the tonal range adjustments made to achieve goal | Student evaluates whether goal was achieved, and whether there is still room for improvement |
Week 6: Goals this Week
By the end of this week you will be able to:- Create a composite image using Photoshop's Layers and layer Blending Modes
- Crop an image to specific measurements using the Crop Tool and Options Bar
- Resize an image without distortion using the Free Transform command and Options Bar
- Create a composite image using Layers in Photoshop
- Use Photoshop's Layer Blending Modes
- Colorize an image with a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer
- Keep track of your Photoshop Layers by naming them
- Duplicate a layer
- Reposition a layer using the Move Tool
- Create a layer group
- Merge layers while maintaining an "unmerged" copy of the original layers
- Isolate an adjustment layer using a Clipping Mask (so that it only affects some of the Photoshop document layers)
The assigned activities on this page are designed to help you practice these learning goals and demonstrate your learning. Doing these activities in the order presented below is recommended. However, you are ultimately responsible for your own learning, and you may proceed in any way that helps you acquire the above knowledge and skills.
Completion checklist for Week 6
This is an online week for hybrids, so all tasks are completed online. Hybrids do not meet face to face, but I will be available in the Graphics Lab during normal class times. Feel free to stop by you want to use the classroom computers or if you would like some one-on-one assistance.
- Reading Assignment: Layering and Collage
- Chapter 9 Exercises 1-4 (use images provided by author, save a JPEG of your result and email to instructor
- Create a Double-Exposure, save PSD version and JPEG version
- Reflection 2 Blog: Post your Double Exposure JPEG to the Class Blog, evaluating your goal and results (online)
- Read brief explanation of the Exquisite Corpse parlor game
- Create an Exquisite Corpse, save PSD version and JPEG version
- Reflection 3 Blog: Post your Exquisite Corpse JPEG to the Class Blog, evaluating your goal and results (online)
Reading Assignment: Layering and Collage
Complete before beginning CH8 Exercises 1-2
Read 9. Layering and Collage in Digital Foundations: Intro to Media Design with the Adobe Creative Suite. Make sure you follow the links to look at the included visual references. Also, download and save the authors' image file .zip archive. After unzipping, you can use these images to complete practice Exercises 1-2 this week (and Exercises 3-4 next week). Time needed: 5-10 minutes.
Practice: Chapter 9 Exercises 1-4
Complete before midnight on Friday September 30
These exercises will teach you the Photoshop skills necessary to create your Double-Exposure and your Exquisite Corpse. Use the authors' files provided with Chapter 9 for practice. Later you'll make a double exposure and an exquisite corpse from your own images. Time needed: 1 - 2 hours.
- In Exercise 1: Using layers to create a double-exposure, you will learn to combine two digital photographs into one Photoshop document by placing each photo on its own layer. You will learn to use the Free Transform command to resize each photo without distortion. You will learn to use the Move Tool to position images within each layer. You will learn to activate Layer Blending Modes.
- In Exercise 2: Cropping and adjusting the hue, you will learn to use the Crop Tool to create a document of specific width, height and resolution. You will learn to colorize an image using a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.
- In Exercise 3: Creating and manipulating layers, you will learn to name your layers to keep them organized, and change the stacking order of your layers. You will learn to create a Layer Group for further organization within the Layers Panel.
- In Exercise 4: Adding an adjustment to some layers, you will learn to merge layers together (while keeping an un-merged copy of the original layers). And you will learn to use a Clipping Mask to confine the effects of an Adjustment Layer (so that it does not affect all layers in the document).
How to turn in for credit: Use the Save for Web and Devices technique you learned in Chapter 12 Exercise 1 to save a JPEG of your result. Name your file lastname-firstname-week6.jpg and email it to your instructor.
Create a Double-Exposure
Complete before writing your Reflection 2 BlogYour double-exposure will be one of the two Photoshop native (.psd) documents you turn in with your Photoshop Folio. Think about the images you want to combine in your double-exposure. What can you express by superimposing one image with another? Make something you would be happy to use on the front of your postcard.
You want this file to be the correct dimensions and resolution for printing on a 4x6-inch postcard with a bleed. So I recommend you create a new, empty Photoshop document by choosing File > New from the menu bar, set your document size to 6.25 inches by 4.25 inches (if you want landscape orientation) or 4.25 inches by 6.25 inches (if you want portrait orientation) and set your dpi to 300 (not 72, like in the exercises). Then bring the two images you want to use for your double-exposure into this document using the method you learned in Exercise 1, Step 2. This will ensure you meet the assignment requirements.
Assignment Requirements:
- Image dimensions and resolution must be 300dpi and 4.25x6.25 inches (can be portrait or landscape orientation)
- At least one source file must be your own scan or photograph
- Name and organize your files according to the guidelines provided in the Photoshop Folio Handout
- Use techniques learned in Exercises 1-2
- Name your layers descriptively
- Use of a Layer Blending Mode to combine images effectively
- Use a Hue/Saturation Adjustment layer to colorize your image
- Make a "credits" document (.doc, .rtf or .txt)
- List all source files with a creator credit (credit yourself if you own the image)
- Write a proper attribution for any stock imagery used (you learned how in Week 5 during class)
How to turn in for credit: Save a JPEG version of your double-exposure and include it with your Reflection 2 Blog Post (see below). Save all files associated with your double-exposure and bring to class during Week 7, when you will present your work and place your Photoshop Folio in the instructor's ART100 DropBox.
Reflection 2 Blog Post
Complete before midnight on Sunday, October 2
Create a new post on the class blog, give your post any title you like, upload your Double-Exposure JPEG file to the post, and underneath it write a reflection on your experience creating your double-exposure. In your reflection, answer the following:
- Why did you choose these particular images to combine? What were you trying to explore or express? (For example, our textbook authors mention that double-exposure is often used by artists to explore subjects such as the passage of time, dreams, paranoia, otherworldliness, and duality. Did you have any of these themes in mind? Something else?)
- What did you need to do in Photoshop to combine them into a successful double-exposure? Describe your process or any problem solving.
- Evaluate your results: Are you happy with the way your double-exposure turned out? Was there something you wanted to do but couldn't quite achieve it? Do you think this would make a good image for the front of your postcard?
The table below shows what I will be looking for in your reflection responses. Provided you complete the Reflection Blog Post by the due date, each item is worth 5 points for a total of 20 points possible.
| 0 points | 5 points | 5 points | 5 points | 5 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student does not complete the Reflection by the due date | Student displays JPEG image of completed double-exposure within the blog post | Student comments on the subject or theme of posted work | Student identifies specific Photoshop tools and techniques used to create posted work | Student evaluates success and/or improvements needed in posted work |
Reading Assignment: Exquisite Corpse Game
Complete before beginning your own exquisite corpse
This description of the exquisite corpse parlor game is taken from Chapter 9 of Digital Foundations: Intro to Media Design with the Adobe Creative Suite:
“Exquisite corpse” is a parlor game that the Surrealists developed in 1925. In this game, each player submits images (drawings, paintings, photographs) of heads, torsos, and legs, and they are combined to produce surprising new bodies. We have played this game with students using images of each other that we captured in class on a digital camera, as well as by using images from pop culture, found on the web. Collaging celebrity and politician body parts can provoke thoughtful discussion. Images of students are on the wiki, but it's more fun to try this with pictures of your friends or family!
Create an Exquisite Corpse
Complete before writing your Reflection 3 BlogYour exquisite corpse will be second of the two Photoshop native (.psd) documents you turn in with your Photoshop Folio. Think about the images you want to combine in your exquisite corpse. You will be combining the "body part" photos we took in class during Input week, plus stock images you find through search to make a self-portrait. What can you express about yourself with the different images you decide to superimpose together? Make something you would be happy to use on the front of your postcard.
You want this file to be the correct dimensions and resolution for printing on a 4x6-inch postcard with a bleed. So I recommend you create a new, empty Photoshop document by choosing File > New from the menu bar, set your document size to 6.25 inches by 4.25 inches (if you want landscape orientation) or 4.25 inches by 6.25 inches (if you want portrait orientation) and set your dpi to 300 (not 72, like in the exercises). Then all images you want to use for your exquisite corpse into this document using the method you learned in Exercise 1, Step 2. This will ensure you meet the assignment requirements.
Assignment Requirements:
- Image dimensions and resolution must be 300dpi and 4.25x6.25 inches (can be portrait or landscape orientation)
- You must use at least six source files to create your exquisite corpse self-portrait
- At least three source file must from the digital photos you imported during Week 3
- You may include stock images located through search, but all these must be attributed in your Credits file
- Name and organize your files according to the guidelines provided in the Photoshop Folio Handout
- Use techniques learned in Exercises 3-4
- Name your layers descriptively
- Group layers for organization
- Merge layers (but keep an "un-merged" copy of any merged layers)
- Use a Clipping Mask to confine an Adjustment Layer's effect
- Make a "credits" document (.doc, .rtf or .txt)
- List all source files with a creator credit (credit yourself if you own the image)
- Write a proper attribution for any stock imagery used (you learned how in Week 5 during class)
How to turn in for credit: Save a JPEG version of your exquisite corpse and include it with your Reflection 3 Blog Post (see below). Save all source files associated with your exquisite corpse and bring to class during Week 8, when you will present your work and place your Photoshop Folio in the instructor's DropBox.
Reflection 3 Blog Post
Complete before midnight on Sunday, October 2
It's time to sum up what you've learned by reflecting on this week's assignments. Create a new post on the class blog, give your post any title you like, upload your Exquisite Corpse JPEG file to the post, and underneath it write a reflection on your experience creating your exquisite corpse. (If you're not sure what to write, you can always run your post by your instructor via email before publishing it.) In your reflection, answer the following:
- Why did you choose these particular images to combine? What were you trying to explore or express? What did you want your self-portrait to say about you?
- What did you need to do in Photoshop to combine them into a successful exquisite corpse? Describe your process or any problem solving.
- Evaluate your results: Are you happy with the way your exquisite corpse turned out? Was there something you wanted to do but couldn't quite achieve it? Do you think this would make a good image for the front of your postcard?
The table below shows what I will be looking for in your reflection responses. Provided you complete the Reflection Blog Post by the due date, each item is worth 5 points for a total of 20 points possible.
| 0 points | 5 points | 5 points | 5 points | 5 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student does not complete the Reflection by the due date | Student displays JPEG image of completed exquisite corpse within the blog post | Student comments on the subject or theme of posted work | Student identifies specific Photoshop tools and techniques used to create posted work | Student evaluates success and/or improvements needed in posted work |
Week 7: Goals this Week
By the end of this week you will be able to:
- Use computer file management to organize digital files for a graphic design project
- Attribute source files for your project
- Determine whether a project meets assigned requirements
- Give a short presentation about your project to your peers
The assigned activities on this page are designed to help you practice these learning goals and demonstrate your learning. Doing these activities in the order presented below is recommended. However, you are ultimately responsible for your own learning, and you may proceed in any way that helps you acquire the above knowledge and skills.
Completion checklist for Week 7
- Before class: Watch Preparing for Presentation video (online)
- Before class: Read the Photoshop Folio document; use the Check List to make sure your project meets requirements (online)
- Before class: Prepare a 2-3 minute verbal presentation about your Photoshop projects (online)
- During class: Present your Double-Exposure and Exquisite Corpse projects (in class)
- During class: Use Photoshop Folio Check List and Peer Grade Sheet to evaluate the Photoshop Folios of two fellow students (in class)
- During class: Photoshop Folio Due (place in Instructor DropBox by end of class)
Preparing for Presentation (Video)
Complete before coming to class on October 7
This video covers the preparations you should make so you will arrive in class fully prepared to present and turn in your Photoshop Folio. Time needed: 5 minutes.
Photoshop Folio Checklist
Complete before coming to class on October 7
Read the Photoshop Folio document (below). Use the Check List page to make sure your Photoshop Folio meets the assignment requirements. You will not have an opportunity to complete this check at the start of class. Your Photoshop Folio should be ready to turn in when you arrive. Time needed: 20-30 minutes.
If you have questions about any of the checklist items you should contact your instructor before coming to class. Take the time to make sure you have everything! Your Photoshop Folio is your opportunity to demonstrate all the skills you have acquired up to now, including file management, image attribution, image resolution, and Photoshop techniques. Your Photoshop Folio is worth 160 points.
Prepare Your Verbal Presentation
Complete before coming to class on October 7
Each student will make a two- to three-minute presentation about your two projects, the Double-Exposure and the Exquisite Corpse. Your presentation should be a short recap of your Reflections blogs. Tell us what you wanted to express through each project and whether or not you achieved your image-making goals. Please don't dwell on tools and techniques used - that takes up more time than you think! Plus, we all used the same tools and techniques, and no one will want to hear them reviewed during every presentation. The most compelling information you can share is how the process has been unique for you. End your presentation by telling us which image you will place on your postcard, and why. Time needed: 10-30 minutes.
Presentations
Complete during class on October 7
At the start of class we'll take 10 minutes to set up for presentations and review. Each student will copy their Photoshop Folio onto their computer desktop so it is easy to find for review. Each student will also display both Photoshop (.psd) files on screen.
Verbal presentations of your on-screen work will take up to 40 minutes. I will explain the process just before we get started. It will be relatively informal, but I want everyone to have this chance to practice talking about your work to a group of people. There is no rubric to judge how well you present your work do at this stage of class; if you present, you receive points. Your verbal presentation is worth 10 points.
Peer Review
Complete during class on October 7
Peer evaluations will take 20-30 minutes. Each student will evaluate two other students' Photoshop Folios using the Check List and Peer Grade Sheet. Thorough, accurate peer reviews are important because they serve as a final check on project requirements before turning in the Photoshop Folio. You receive 15 points for each Peer Grade Sheet you fill out, for a total of 30 points. (If you miss something that could improve someone's score, I reserve the right to lower the points you receive for your evaluation.)
Photoshop Folio Due
Complete during class on October 7
After reviewing the Peer Grade Sheets for your Photoshop Folio, you have until the end of class to correct any errors or omissions spotted by your fellow students. Place your completed Photoshop Folio into the Instructor Drop Box by the end of class. Hand in the Peer Grade Sheets for your project to your instructor before leaving. Your Photoshop Folio final grade will be available in Blackboard by midnight October 14.
Photoshop Folio Handout
This handout provides a summary of the files you will create during Weeks 5 and 6. The second page is a Check List you can use to make sure you have everything you need to turn in, and the third page is the Peer Grade Sheet you will fill out for 2-3 other students during class in Week 7. You can enlarge to full screen or download the PDF (1MB) file.
