Course Calendar
COURSE WEEK ::
Calendar Notes:
- Reading assignment listed on a date are to be completed before the next class session.
- Exercises are homework assignments that are due at a future class period, while Lab Exercises are assignments that should be worked on and completed during the current class period. Both types of exercises have point values and count towards your final grade. Calendar items labeled as Lab are activities we will complete in class.
Week 01 | Mac OS and Lab Orientation
Monday :: 09.28.2009
| Welcome | Course Introduction and Welcome Graphic Design Software Overview |
| Lab | Resource Review: Hardware, software, operating system, copyright laws, & file management. VC Lab Orientation: Login & logout, the Mac OS X experience, VC‘s XServe and your server storage space. |
| Reading | VC Policies & Procedures Handout |
| Handouts | Week One Class Notes — Introduction to VC114 (pdf) VC Policies and Procedures (pdf) |
Wednesday :: 09.30.2009
| Lecture | Introduction to Raster & Vector Artwork |
| Lab | VC Tour: Work spaces, printers, & resources. Hands-on with: Mac OS Dock, keyboard shortcuts, Suitcase Fusion, VC printers, and photo management. |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Photoshop CS4 Chapters 1, 4, 5, & 6 |
| Handouts | Week One Class Notes — Raster & Vector Artwork (pdf) |
Week 02 | Photoshop
Monday :: 10.05.2009
| Lecture | Understanding Image Resolution & Color Spaces |
| Project | Introduction to Multiplicity Project |
| Lab | Photoshop Overview: Work area, tools, menus, & panels. Artwork Setup: Understanding Canvas Size and Image Size. |
| Lab Exercise | Understanding Pixels & Resolution |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Photoshop CS4 Chapter 8 |
| Handouts | Week Two Class Notes — Photoshop Overview (pdf) Image Resolution Comparison (pdf) Project: Multiplicity Exercise: 01 Understanding Pixels & Resolution |
Wednesday :: 10.07.2009
| Lecture | Understanding Transparency Selections and Quick Masks |
| Lab Exercise | Working with Selections |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Photoshop CS4 Chapters 7, 9 (pages 145–155 only), 14, & 19 (pages 309–316 only) |
| Handouts | Week Two Class Notes — Selections (pdf) Exericse: 02 Working with Selections |
Week 03 | Photoshop
Monday :: 10.12.2009
| Lecture | All about Layers: Working with, blending modes, opacity, & effects. Understanding the History Palette |
| Lab | Transformation Tools Image Acquisition: Working with scanners and their settings. |
| Lab Exercise | Layer & Transformation Techniques |
| Exercise | Scanning Practice |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Photoshop CS4 Chapters 9 (pages 156–164 only), 10 & 18 (pages 290–296 only) |
| Handouts | Week Three Class Notes — Layers, Transform, and Cloning (pdf) Scanning Hints (pdf) Exercise: 03 Scanning Practice Exercise: 04 Layer & Transform Techniques |
Wednesday :: 10.14.2009
| Lecture | Editing Basics: Brush, Eraser, Clone and Healing Brush tools. |
| Exercise | Working with the Clone Tool |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Photoshop CS4 Chapters 11 & 13 |
| Handouts | Exercise: 05 Working with the Clone Tool |
Week 04 | Photoshop
Monday :: 10.19.2009
| Due | Working with the Clone Tool Exercise |
| Lecture | Working with Color: Understanding color numbers & tools. Introduction to Adjustment Layers |
| Lab | Image Color Adjustments: Using Hue/Saturation & Levels |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Photoshop CS4 Chapter 27 (415–420) |
| Handouts | Week Four Class Notes — Image Adjustments (pdf) |
Wednesday :: 10.21.2009
| Due | Scanning Practice Exercise |
| Lecture | Image Color Adjustments: Using Curves Miscellaneous topics in Photoshop |
| Lab | PDF creation within Adobe applications |
| Lab Exercise | Applying Image Adjustments |
| Project | In-class time to work on Multiplicity Project |
| Handouts | Week Four Class Notes — Miscellaneous Topics (pdf) Exercise: 06 Applying Image Adjustments |
Week 05 | Photoshop + Illustrator
Monday :: 10.26.2009
| Critique | Multiplicity Project |
| Exam | Over Photoshop demonstrations and exercises |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Illustrator CS4 Chapters 1, 3, 4, & 6 |
Wednesday :: 10.28.2009
| Lecture | Introduction to Vector Artwork |
| Project | Introduction to CD Jewelcase Project |
| Lab |
Illustrator Overview: Work area, tools, menus, & panels. Drawing Basics: Geometric shapes, fills, strokes, and colors. |
| Exercise | Landscape Illustration |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Illustrator CS4 Chapters 7, 8, 14, & 21 |
| Handouts | Week Five Class Notes — Introduction to Illustrator (pdf) Exercise: 07 Landscape Illustation Project: CD Jewelcase |
Week 06 | Illustrator
Monday :: 11.02.2009
| Due | Landscape Illustration Exercise |
| Lecture | Paths, Points, Bézier Curves and the Pen Tool Selection Basics: Appearance, tools, and the Select menu. |
| Lab Exercise | Drawing with the Pen Tool |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Illustrator CS4 Chapters 9, 11 & 12 (pages 143–150 only) |
| Handouts | Week Six Class Notes — Paths, Points, Bézier Curves and the Pen Tool (pdf) Exercise: 08 Drawing with the Pen Tool |
Wednesday :: 11.04.2009
| Lecture | Object Transformations: Scale, rotate, perspective, and blend. |
| Lab Exercise | Practice with the Transform Tools |
| Exercise | Draw and Transform |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Illustrator CS4 Chapters 13 & 25 |
| Handouts | Week Six Class Notes — Object Transformations (pdf) Exercise: 09 Practice with the Transform Tools Exercise: 10 Draw and Transform |
Week 07 | Illustrator
Monday :: 11.09.2009
| Due | Draw and Transform Exercise |
| Lecture | Working with Layers in Illustrator Advanced Paths: The Pathfinder and Compound Paths |
| Lab Exercise | Stroke, Gradient, & Pathfinder Practice |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: Illustrator CS4 Chapters 19, 20 (pages 245–267 only), 27 and 32 |
| Handouts | Week Seven Class Notes — Layers, Pathfinder & Compound Paths (pdf) Exercise: 11 Stroke, Gradient, & Pathfinder Practice |
Wednesday :: 11.11.2009 | No Class — Veteran‘s Day Observance
Week 08 | Illustrator
Monday :: 11.16.2009
| Lecture | Typography in Illustrator Filters, Effects & Transparency Importing & Exporting Artwork |
| Exercise | Working with Type in Illustrator |
| Project | In-class time to work on CD Jewelcase Project |
| Handouts | Week Eight Class Notes — Typography, Effects, and Importing/Exporting (pdf) Exercise: 12 Working with Type in Illustrator |
Wednesday :: 11.18.2009
| Due | Working with Type in Illustrator Exercise |
| Critique | CD Jewelcase Project |
| Exam | Over Illustrator demonstrations and exercises |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: InDesign CS4 Chapters 1, 2 & 10 |
Week 09 | InDesign
Monday :: 11.23.2009
| Lecture | InDesign Overview: Work area, tools, menus, panels, understanding frames, and document setup. Working with Pages and Master Pages |
| Project | Introduction to Newsletter Project |
| Lab | Document Setup in InDesign |
| Exercise | Practice with Columnar Layout |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: InDesign CS4 Chapters 3 & 15 |
Wednesday :: 11.25.2009
| Lecture | Typography in InDesign: Panels, text frame options, text flow, and character and paragraph styles. |
| Lab Exercise | Creating Character & Paragraph Styles |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: InDesign CS4 Chapters 4 & 8 |
Week 10 | InDesign
Monday :: 11.30.2009
| Due | Practice with Columnar Layout Exercise |
| Lecture | Images in InDesign: Placing & resizing techniques, specialty frames, and text wrap. Working with Color in InDesign |
| Exercise | Working with Images and Frames |
| Reading | Visual QuickStart Guide: InDesign CS4 Chapters 19 (pages 467–472 only), & 20 (pages 473–487 only) |
Wednesday :: 12.02.2009
| Due | Working with Images and Frames Exericse |
| Lecture | Managing Links with the Links Palette Preparing Documents for Print: Preflight, Package, & PDF Creation |
| Project | In-class time to work on Newsletter Project |
| Review | Of all class material and techniques in preparation for final exam |
Friday :: 12.04.2009
| Due | Completed Newsletter Project (4:30 PM) |
Week 11 | Finals Week
Monday :: 12.07.2009 (8:00 AM – 10:00 AM)
| Final Exam | Over all course class demonstrations, projects, labs, and homework assignments. |