Lesson: Shaping Meaning

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Title: A Slow DAY

By: Jamie Giorla

Year: 2009

Teacher: Jamie Giorla

Grade: 9th -12th

Lesson: Shaping Meaning

Background:

Digital art is being taken much more seriously as a respected art form within the last ten years. It is being scene in more galleries, museums, and is featured on the internet. There are galleries that show only digital art (http://www.lacda.com/index.htm).

One resource artists use to create digital works of art is Adobe Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop was originally developed in 1987, by Thomas Knoll, as an image-editing program. The program was later bought by Adobe, which is a company owned by Apple Computer INC. Now, Adobe Photoshop is one of the most used programs in creating digital using photography.

Goal: To create a digital piece of art, which depicts a silhouette, by using Photoshop and internet sources.

Objectives:

• The students will learn how to create a digital piece of art using Photoshop.

• The students will develop a better understanding for the various tools in Photoshop.

• The students will analyze the different effects and techniques that can be utilized in Photoshop.

• The students will produce a digital piece using Photoshop by superimposing multiple images from the Internet.

• The students will apply their knowledge of silhouettes and collage in their final piece.

• The students will improve their knowledge of using layers in Photoshop.

Standards:

9.1.8.A. Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities.

9.1.8.B. Visual Arts: • paint • draw • craft • sculpt • print • design for environment, communication, multi-media.

9.1.8.H. Demonstrate and maintain materials, equipment and tools safely at work and performance spaces.

• Analyze the use of materials.

• Explain issues of cleanliness related to the arts.

• Explain the use of mechanical/electrical equipment.

• Demonstrate how to work in selected physical space/environment. .

• Demonstrate methods for storing materials in the arts.

9.2.8. K. Identify, explain and analyze traditions as they relate to works in the arts (e.g., story telling – plays, oral histories- poetry, work songs- blue grass).

9.3.8.A. Know and use the critical process of the examination of works in the arts

and humanities.

• Compare and contrast

• Analyze

• Interpret

• Form and test hypotheses

• Evaluate/form judgments

National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Students:

1. Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, anddevelop innovative products and processes using technology.

Students:

A. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

B. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

C. Use modelsand simulations to explore complex systems and issues.

D. Identify trends and forecast possibilities.

3. Research and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

Students:

A. Plan strategies to guide inquiry.

B. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

C. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

D. Process data and report results.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

Students:

A. Understand and use technology systems.

B. Select and use applications effectively and productively.

C. Troubleshoot systems and applications.

D. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

Materials:

• Computer

• Internet access

• Adobe Photoshop

• Camera

• Digital Photos

Teacher Preparation:

• Prepare demonstration

• Create a direction sheet

• Create internet links for students to view

• Create sample project

Resource Materials/Visual Aids:

• PowerPoint

• Exemplars

• Internet

• http://delicious.com

Introduction:

For this project you will be creating a digital work of art using Photoshop. The central theme of your project will be around using the silhouette to shade meaning in your work. In this piece I would like you to think about your sense of place and how it can be represented using images.

Where is your sense of place?

How does it make you feel?

What mood comes to mind when you think of your sense of place?

The students will then be shown the example project.

How does this project shape meaning?

What mood does using a silhouette in this work create?

What is the sense of place depicted?

Directions:

1. Search the Internet for the appropriate pictures for the shaping meaning project. Place Images into a folder on desktop entitled, Shaping Meaning followed by your name.

2. Open Photoshop create a blank document

Width-576 pixels
Height-729 pixels
Resolution-72 pixels/inch
Color Mode: RGB color
Background: White

3. Select a picture for your background photo.

4. Drag the photo into Photoshop program.

5. Once background picture is in Photoshop, resize to fit background.

6. Go to edit at the top of the page

7. Go to Free transform-scale

8. Scale the picture up or down to fit canvas proportionally

9. If there is white space, the image will need to be cropped

10. Cropping:

On tool sidebar there is a little picture of a rectangle
Click rectangle ( rectangular Marquee tool)
The pointer will become an x
Place on the corner of the background picture and drag over the whole picture
Once the whole picture is selected, go to image on menu bar

Go down to crop and select crop

11. Now that background is formed, it is time to learn filters. On the menu bar click on filter.

12. Scroll down to filter gallery.

13. Now, experiment with at least 10 different filters.(adjust levels, change colors, and open up the folders to create different effects).

14. After all experimenting is completed choose the filter or filters of your choice.

15. Next, Go to your folder and select another picture. This will be the silhouette that you are adding into your background. It can be a person, object, or animal.

16. Drag image into Photoshop, it will automatically be put onto another layer.

17. Click on layer with the added image.

18. Now, you will be cutting the section that you would like to become the silhouette out of the image.

19. On the tool-bar select the tool that looks like a lasso.

Hold the mouse down on the lasso and select the one titled magnetic lasso
Then, trace over the object, person, or animal that you would like to cut out until the image is selected. (If you over or under select, use the quick selection tool to adjust using the plus or minus)

20. Once the whole image is selected go to edit copy.

21. After image is copied, click, edit paste.

22. This will place the cut out image on a separate layer.

23. Now click on the layer containing the uncut image (not the background image), and click on layer on the menu bar. Next hit delete layer. This will leave you with two layers, your background layer and cut cutout image layer.

24. Now, click on the layer with the cutout image.

25. You will need to reselect the image by using the magic wand tool (it is in the same place as the quick selection tool).

26. Set the tolerance at 200 and drag over image to select it.

27. Using free transform, resize image to fit properly into background

28. Next you will be turning the image into a silhouette. First, you select the tool that looks like an eyedropper.

29. Place the eyedropper on a color within your background that you would like your silhouette to be.

30. Now, select the tool that looks like a paintbrush and paint over your selected image until the image appears to be a solid color.

31. After the silhouette is made you will need to add a shadow to your image. First, copy and paste image again.

32. Click on the image and move it over a little bit, so you can view what you are working on. Now there will be two silhouetted images.

33. Go to edit and click free transform, and flip the image and place it at the base of your superimposed image. (This will give the illusion of a shadow).

34. After the shadow is in place go to the layers window on the right top of the panel you will see a box titled opacity.

35. Change the level of opacity to the level that you desire.

36. Make any final adjustments to your piece after all steps are competed.

37. The last thing you will do is flatten your piece (this means combine all layers). Go to layer on the menu bar, and select flatten on the bottom.

Closure:

Save your piece as a jpg with first and last name.
Begin your self-reflection

Time Budget: One Week

Day One: Introduction

Day Two: Internet search for images

Day Three and Four: Photoshop

Day Five: 15 minutes- finishing touches

30 minutes- Class critique

Vocabulary:

Superimpose: place or lay (one thing) over another, typically so that both are still evident.

Composition: Is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art. It can also be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art.

Symmetry: Is what occurs when one side of something balances out or mirrors the other. If you were to draw a midline from the top of your forehead, down the middle of your nose, over your lips and to the bottom of your chin, you could see that your eyes, ears, nostrils, and teeth all mirror each other on either side of the line.

Color Scheme: an arrangement or combination of colors used in a design.

Silhouette: A representation of someone or something showing the shape of an outline only.

Critique/Evaluation/Assessment:

When all projects are completed there will be a class critique, and all students will present their projects to the class. They will also have to write a one page reflection on their work.

Questions: