Hi everyone – I have to apologize that I won't be in class Tuesday 11/27. My wife's stepdad has been very ill for the past several months, and I'm in Arizona to be with him before he passes away. I will be back for Thursday's class.
I'd been planning on stepping you through the process of weaving your pages together into a book that can be uploaded to Lulu.com this Tuesday – instead, I'd like you all to work together to put the book together on Tuesday's class yourselves, following the instructions below. On Thursday, at the beginning of class, I'll want to upload the final book to lulu.
If anyone would like to get some extra credit, there are two steps below that I'll award extra credit for.
Here are the steps:
THE LULU BOOK:
All pages must be saved as flattened PDFs. In order to make it easier to put all the pages in the proper order, it will be necessary to name your pages in a proper numerical sequence. The front and back cover will be a separate PDF file, so there's no need to include them in the page numbers. However, it will be necessary to have a table of contents page - which will be the first page you see, on the right hand side, when you open the book (it's not part of a two-page spread).
EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY #1:
This is the first opportunity for some extra credit points: someone needs to create the table of contents page. That page should list the authors in the order they appear in the book. Name that page:
001-contents.pdf
Subsequent pages should take up that numbering, so that the first three sections in the morning class book should be named like so (with Matt's section coming first, then Jonathan's, then Tom's):
002-Matt.pdf
003-Matt.pdf
004-Matt.pdf
005-Matt.pdf
006-Matt.pdf
007-Matt.pdf
008-Jonathan.pdf
009-Jonathan.pdf
010-Jonathan.pdf
011-Jonathan.pdf
012-Jonathan.pdf
013-Jonathan.pdf
014-Tom.pdf
015-Tom.pdf
016-Tom.pdf
017-Tom.pdf
018-Tom.pdf
019-Tom.pdf
And so on. There should also be a single blank page added to the very end (this is the final, left-facing page of the book - the back side page of the final sequence).
For the afternoon class, you have the additional task of figuring out the order of the six-page sequences in your book - which one will start the book, which comes next, and so on. Take a look at each others' sequences and figure out a good flow.
EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY #2:
Once the pages have been saved and properly numbered/named, someone has to combine all the separate pages into one multi-page pdf document. Whoever wants to do that will receive extra credit. Follow the link below to learn how to use Acrobat Pro (which is on the macs, so a finder search for it) to combine the files:
http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/faq/mergepdfs/mergepdfs.html
LULU COVER:
The last thing both classes need to do is to choose the book cover. So please look over each individual "take" on the cover, and take a vote for the one you think is most successful. If there is another cover that comes in for a close second, you can decide to use that for the back cover.
That's it - I hope you impress me with your collective logistical skills. Looking forward to seeing the books on Thursday.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Titles and Orders
The title for the morning class book is:
Are You Seriously Distracted by the Logarithmic Curve of the Elephant's Tusk? You have no idea.
The title for the afternoon class book is:
Please Take Me Out of Context
Thursday will be an in-class work day, for you to finish your six pages, and to create a cover for the book (same dimensions as the interior: 7.75" square, 300dpi, including the 1/8" bleed). At the beginning of class on Tues, Nov. 27 (the tues after thanksgiving), the six pages and the cover are due. In that class, we'll vote on the cover we think is best, and put the pages together for the final book.
The page order for the morning book will be:
Matt
Jonathan
Tom
Caitlin
Stephania
Maiken
Flor
Alexandra
Alex
Diva
Justin
Thaddeus
Are You Seriously Distracted by the Logarithmic Curve of the Elephant's Tusk? You have no idea.
The title for the afternoon class book is:
Please Take Me Out of Context
Thursday will be an in-class work day, for you to finish your six pages, and to create a cover for the book (same dimensions as the interior: 7.75" square, 300dpi, including the 1/8" bleed). At the beginning of class on Tues, Nov. 27 (the tues after thanksgiving), the six pages and the cover are due. In that class, we'll vote on the cover we think is best, and put the pages together for the final book.
The page order for the morning book will be:
Matt
Jonathan
Tom
Caitlin
Stephania
Maiken
Flor
Alexandra
Alex
Diva
Justin
Thaddeus
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Lulu Book Project
Next Tuesdayy will be a work period for your six-page sequence, so come prepared with whatever raw materials you need (images, ideas) to use the work period profitably.
Here are the specs for the images in your "sequence" project -- the one we're printing up through lulu.com. You should have the images you need at the start of the class, so you can just jump into it when class starts. You need to have at least a basic sketch (drawn out on paper, or cobbled together in Photoshop) of your general idea for the sequence.
Dimensions for Lulu book project
You will have 6 pages to fill in an art book we're publishing through Lulu.com. One page is like an intro page for yourself and your work, which should include your name. It can be a sort of "artist's statement," or it can otherwise set the stage for the images to follow. The following five pages should be a series of images that somehow work together as a sequence.
The dimensions at which you should create the work are:
Final page size will be 7.5" x 7.5" at 300 dpi.
The pages need a 1/8" bleed all the way around, so you'll create your photoshop files at 7.75" x 7.75" (at 300 dpi, this comes out to 2325 pixels by 2325 pixels).
Keep in mind, as you're designing the sequence, that you will have three "two page spreads," where the image on the lefthand page will be facing the image on the righthand page. Think about how the images on those facing pages will affect each other, in terms of content, color, composition, and so on.
If you're still chewing through what a "sequence" is, remember that a potential starting place could be:
1. Time changes through a fixed location. What is a single place, that goes through changes as time passes, and how are those changes made visible?
2. Spatial changes with a fixed subject. Is there a character, or object, that travels through different spaces?
3. Transformations of a character or object. Think of Klinger's "glove" etching. Is there a common image that goes through a variety of changes of scale, of stature, of meaning?
4. Different aspects of a single thing. Think Hokusai's Mount Fuji series. Is there a thing, a person or a place that can be looked at through a variety of lenses -- the lens of history, of myth, of geology, etc?
5. Formal variation and rhythm. Remember that abstracts images can function in sequence, riffing on common formal elements throughout the multiple images.
6. Storytelling. Any sequence tells a story of some sort. Is there some sort of narrative that could occur through the five images? Think of Hogarth's "Harlot's Progess," or the comics examples I showed.
And you should "own" your artwork in this project -- you can shoot your own images, or draw your own images. You can use stock images (free or purchased).
Here are the specs for the images in your "sequence" project -- the one we're printing up through lulu.com. You should have the images you need at the start of the class, so you can just jump into it when class starts. You need to have at least a basic sketch (drawn out on paper, or cobbled together in Photoshop) of your general idea for the sequence.
Dimensions for Lulu book project
You will have 6 pages to fill in an art book we're publishing through Lulu.com. One page is like an intro page for yourself and your work, which should include your name. It can be a sort of "artist's statement," or it can otherwise set the stage for the images to follow. The following five pages should be a series of images that somehow work together as a sequence.
The dimensions at which you should create the work are:
Final page size will be 7.5" x 7.5" at 300 dpi.
The pages need a 1/8" bleed all the way around, so you'll create your photoshop files at 7.75" x 7.75" (at 300 dpi, this comes out to 2325 pixels by 2325 pixels).
Keep in mind, as you're designing the sequence, that you will have three "two page spreads," where the image on the lefthand page will be facing the image on the righthand page. Think about how the images on those facing pages will affect each other, in terms of content, color, composition, and so on.
If you're still chewing through what a "sequence" is, remember that a potential starting place could be:
1. Time changes through a fixed location. What is a single place, that goes through changes as time passes, and how are those changes made visible?
2. Spatial changes with a fixed subject. Is there a character, or object, that travels through different spaces?
3. Transformations of a character or object. Think of Klinger's "glove" etching. Is there a common image that goes through a variety of changes of scale, of stature, of meaning?
4. Different aspects of a single thing. Think Hokusai's Mount Fuji series. Is there a thing, a person or a place that can be looked at through a variety of lenses -- the lens of history, of myth, of geology, etc?
5. Formal variation and rhythm. Remember that abstracts images can function in sequence, riffing on common formal elements throughout the multiple images.
6. Storytelling. Any sequence tells a story of some sort. Is there some sort of narrative that could occur through the five images? Think of Hogarth's "Harlot's Progess," or the comics examples I showed.
And you should "own" your artwork in this project -- you can shoot your own images, or draw your own images. You can use stock images (free or purchased).
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
For Thursday's class, come prepared with a sketch for your idea for the "fair use" project. You will have one class period to work on it. The finished project will be due a week from today, at the beginning of class.
Please keep your source images as well as our finished image, so we will more clearly be able to evaluate whether you have a possible case for "fair use" of those source images. Remember, in class you will present your image, and make your case that your image is a legally protected image; the class will act as the "prosecution," making the argument that your image is not protected by "fair use,' and is in fact in breach of copyright law.
You need to be prepared with a written statement of roughly a page in length, outlining your legal "fair use" defense. What elements of your work correspond to the protections of fair use, and how can you back that up with an argument focusing on your intentions and the evidence of what's there in your work? For instance, you might think of your work as a "parody," but what is the actual satirical comment you're making with the work, and how is that commentary supported by the images and the way they're used?
The intended venue of the work could have a strong bearing on whether your work is "protected" or not -- so please explain if the artwork is intended to be shown on a T-Shirt, in a gallery, on a billboard, or what have you.
If you want to refresh yourself on some copyright info, there are free digital versions of the Duke Copyright & Fair Use comic here:
http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/digital.php
Fair use can be invoked for the following reasons:
To report on news
To make a parody
To copy for class
To criticize
To quote for scholarly purposes
For research
And these are the "four guidelines" for fair use:
1. The Transformative Factor: The Purpose and Character of Your Use
2. The Nature of the Copyrighted Work
3. The Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Taken
4. The Effect of the Use Upon the Potential Market
More detailed info here:
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/9-b.html
Please keep your source images as well as our finished image, so we will more clearly be able to evaluate whether you have a possible case for "fair use" of those source images. Remember, in class you will present your image, and make your case that your image is a legally protected image; the class will act as the "prosecution," making the argument that your image is not protected by "fair use,' and is in fact in breach of copyright law.
You need to be prepared with a written statement of roughly a page in length, outlining your legal "fair use" defense. What elements of your work correspond to the protections of fair use, and how can you back that up with an argument focusing on your intentions and the evidence of what's there in your work? For instance, you might think of your work as a "parody," but what is the actual satirical comment you're making with the work, and how is that commentary supported by the images and the way they're used?
The intended venue of the work could have a strong bearing on whether your work is "protected" or not -- so please explain if the artwork is intended to be shown on a T-Shirt, in a gallery, on a billboard, or what have you.
If you want to refresh yourself on some copyright info, there are free digital versions of the Duke Copyright & Fair Use comic here:
http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/digital.php
Fair use can be invoked for the following reasons:
To report on news
To make a parody
To copy for class
To criticize
To quote for scholarly purposes
For research
And these are the "four guidelines" for fair use:
1. The Transformative Factor: The Purpose and Character of Your Use
2. The Nature of the Copyrighted Work
3. The Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Taken
4. The Effect of the Use Upon the Potential Market
More detailed info here:
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/9-b.html
Thursday, October 11, 2012
The next assignment is to create a picture that will have four (or more) images of yourself in one single environment. Put another way, it'll be a picture of some space -- a room, landscape, whatever -- in which there are at least four images of you, realistically inhabiting the space. There should also be some overlapping among at least two of the "yous."
Part of this assignment is technical - thinking of how you are going to best execute your idea, making sure the lighting works in the way you want it to, making sure you've staged the scene in a way that works, utilizing a tripod perhaps in stabilizng your multiple shots. The other part of the assignment is creative -- thinking through what the realtionship between your four (or more) selves might be, and what their relationship to the environment might be. It will be relatively easy to just position yourself in a room in four different poses, and just piece the four photos together. But there should be some sort of drama that is expressed in the picture.
You can dress in different costume for your four or more selves, so that the multiple yous are multiple characters. Or you could take the multiple yous as different expressions of the same central personality. Is one version of you the ego, and the other the id? Is one a voice undermining you, and is another a contrary voice of optimism and hope? What are the different faces of your personality, and what sorts of relationships or conflicts do they have with one another? How could those relationships/conflicts be expressed through action, through expression, through gesture?
This doesn't have to be heavy at all -- you can have a comical take on the problem -- but the bottom line is that there should be some psychological relationship betwen the multiple "characters." It doesn't have to be obvious or over-the-top -- in fact, part of what made Mickey's image interesting was that there was a degree of ambiguity to the relationships, which invited the viewers to try and figure out what was going on. So it doesn't have to be "spelled out" -- but it does have to be there, somewhere.
You'll need to have your photos taken before next class -- which wil be a work period for combining the photos. It might be a good strategy to pair with someone else in class; it'll be a good way of covering people who don't have access to a digital camera, and it will be far easier to compose and shoot yourself properly with someone other than you taking the pictures. We will eventually be making prints of these images, so make sure you take the photos at print resolution.
Part of this assignment is technical - thinking of how you are going to best execute your idea, making sure the lighting works in the way you want it to, making sure you've staged the scene in a way that works, utilizing a tripod perhaps in stabilizng your multiple shots. The other part of the assignment is creative -- thinking through what the realtionship between your four (or more) selves might be, and what their relationship to the environment might be. It will be relatively easy to just position yourself in a room in four different poses, and just piece the four photos together. But there should be some sort of drama that is expressed in the picture.
You can dress in different costume for your four or more selves, so that the multiple yous are multiple characters. Or you could take the multiple yous as different expressions of the same central personality. Is one version of you the ego, and the other the id? Is one a voice undermining you, and is another a contrary voice of optimism and hope? What are the different faces of your personality, and what sorts of relationships or conflicts do they have with one another? How could those relationships/conflicts be expressed through action, through expression, through gesture?
This doesn't have to be heavy at all -- you can have a comical take on the problem -- but the bottom line is that there should be some psychological relationship betwen the multiple "characters." It doesn't have to be obvious or over-the-top -- in fact, part of what made Mickey's image interesting was that there was a degree of ambiguity to the relationships, which invited the viewers to try and figure out what was going on. So it doesn't have to be "spelled out" -- but it does have to be there, somewhere.
You'll need to have your photos taken before next class -- which wil be a work period for combining the photos. It might be a good strategy to pair with someone else in class; it'll be a good way of covering people who don't have access to a digital camera, and it will be far easier to compose and shoot yourself properly with someone other than you taking the pictures. We will eventually be making prints of these images, so make sure you take the photos at print resolution.
Naming conventions for the midterm CD
On the CD I'm collecting for the midterm, you should have the following projects. You should give them filenames like this:
"(2-digit project number)-(your last name)-(project title).fileextension"
So if your name is Jane Smith, and the project was the self portrait, you would name the file:
01-smith-selfportrait.jpg
If you have more than one image for the project, append letters (A,B, C):
01-smith-selfportrait-A.jpg
01-smith-selfportrait-B.jpg
All the files for the CD should be flattened files.
And here are the project titles I'd like you to use.
1. Digital self-portrait, from three scans:
01-lastname-selfportrait
2. Text/image combo project (at least two versions)
02-lastname-textimage-A
02-lastname-textimage-B
3. The response to the collage artist
03-lastname-collageresponse
4. The "composite" project (something small made large, or something large made small)
04-lastname-composite
5. The "fake news" project
05-lastname-fakenews
In a folder called "Writing," you should have:
1. A short reaction to "To Thine Own Selves Be True."
01-lastname-selves
2. A three-page response paper to a collage artist.
02-lastname-collagepaper
"(2-digit project number)-(your last name)-(project title).fileextension"
So if your name is Jane Smith, and the project was the self portrait, you would name the file:
01-smith-selfportrait.jpg
If you have more than one image for the project, append letters (A,B, C):
01-smith-selfportrait-A.jpg
01-smith-selfportrait-B.jpg
All the files for the CD should be flattened files.
And here are the project titles I'd like you to use.
1. Digital self-portrait, from three scans:
01-lastname-selfportrait
2. Text/image combo project (at least two versions)
02-lastname-textimage-A
02-lastname-textimage-B
3. The response to the collage artist
03-lastname-collageresponse
4. The "composite" project (something small made large, or something large made small)
04-lastname-composite
5. The "fake news" project
05-lastname-fakenews
In a folder called "Writing," you should have:
1. A short reaction to "To Thine Own Selves Be True."
01-lastname-selves
2. A three-page response paper to a collage artist.
02-lastname-collagepaper
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Next Assignment: Tutorial Presentation
On Tuesday (10/9), you should be prepared to give the class a photoshop tutorial, on any topic or effect you'd like to research. Google something you'd like to learn, or click around in the links on the "my blog list" column on the righthand side of this page (there are lots of good tutorials on those blogs). Remember, step yourself through it BEFORE you come to class, to make sure you understand all the steps, and have all the materials you need. You should be able to make your demonstration in about ten minutes.
Post a link or a one-sentence description of the tutorial you'd like to do in the "comments" to this blog post, including an indication of whether you're in the morning or afternoon section, checking to make sure no one else in your section has picked the same tutorial before you.
Post a link or a one-sentence description of the tutorial you'd like to do in the "comments" to this blog post, including an indication of whether you're in the morning or afternoon section, checking to make sure no one else in your section has picked the same tutorial before you.
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