Graphic Design 2nd Semester Final

2nd Semester Final 

What did I do this semester?

Graphic design students (me) learned how to use typography and using what your learned from 1st and 2nd semester to make a logo. We also learned how to use mock ups for our projects as well. other projects had us create a picture of ourselves using abstract or other methods taught during class. Recent projects had us create envelope designs and business cards. We also made a letterhead for the logo project. 

Projects?

Logo Design:

This project is pretty straightforward, you take a non well known company and recreate a better logo for the said company. This project took a little over 2 weeks to have a rough sketch of the logos and to choose six to be drawn on Adobe Illustrator. The not choose one logo design to add 2 colors of your choice for to be a official logo. Next is to design a business card, an envelope, and a letterhead. After designing those, you have to make a mockup of uniforms, merchandise, billboards, and a picture of the exterior and interior of the building. The challenges to this project was making the design of the letterhead envelope and the business card (for me). Mostly because it was my first time doing something like this. I learned how to make business cards and letterheads. I changed the look of the final logo design and what colors I wanted the log too look like. My overall opinion and final outcome of the project was pretty good. Other than the challenges I faced, this project was really well done for myself.

Quote Posters:

This project is also pretty straightforward, you have to choose four quotes from anything and use typography and your creative mind to have this quote stand out. First was to choose quotes. For me, I chose quotes form Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, Tech N9ne, and Miles Davis. Next was Creating them in Illustrator and that was it. This project took as long as the logo design project. The challenges for this projects was how you wanted the quote poster to look like. You wanted to use colors that compliment each other, and have the typography work with what the quote was. I learned that the quote is the main focus over anything else. The reader needs to see and focus on the quote. Feedback for this project was to keep the quote in focus. have the colors make the font easy to read or it won't be able to read clearly. I change the colors and the big the words were. I hated and loved one I made for this project. Some of the Poster I really hated. 

Poster/ Design style/designer Presentation

These next 2 projects go hand in hand with each other. The poster project was a poster of your designer or movement you were given by the teacher. You were to make a poster the way the movement looked or how the designer would make it. The other project was a presentation of a designer or graphic movement. The powerpoint was to look like the movement or how the designer style was. I had very little challenges other than how I presented my designer because this presentation was timed. I learned about my designer, the designer was Saul Bass. A legend in the movie industry and the graphic world. M overall opinion was positive because I enjoyed making the powerpoint and the poster.

Time Usage during class and on projects:

Time In Class

I used my time on finishing and learning about graphic design and projects.

Finished Early?

If I finished early with projects then I would go back and see if I can make it better. If I'm satisfied the n I would work on other school work. 

Outside of School?

What I do outside of school now is messing around with adobes software and seeing the work of other graphic designers through social media. To get inspired by almost anything I see for these projects and maybe the future for myself.

Area of Strengths as an employee or Graphic Designers/Improvement?

As a graphic designer is to meet the deadline and have the project look as good as you can with the abilities given to as of right now. In the future, it can look 20 times better than your previous work from the past. improvements would to understand how to use the adobe illustrator and photoshop to create something I can make on my own.

Summary:

Love about his semester?

What I loved for this semester was learning new things as a graphic designer and how I can use these new abilities for the future. I also enjoyed helping my friend for almost all his projects. I loved making some of the projects I mentioned earlier in the post. I also love how I don't have to leave classes during my 3rd and 4th hour. 

Change? Do differently?

What I would change, changes constantly is happening throughout the days, but the biggest would be how I would work for my assignments. Giving more effort and taking the new learnings more seriously. This would also fall under my overall take away from this semester.

Goals and Final thoughts:

Goals for next year would be making better things for this class. Final Thoughts are none.

Marks and Symbols

Marks And Symbols

What Ive learned:

     I learned that there are different types of logos or like certain categories for each logo. One is symbols, which use simple and unique imagery to represent whatever the company is or making. I also learned for logos is that there are disadvantages for each logo typing. Symbol logos are expensive and more complex to explain to people. 

Difference between a symbol and a logo:

     A symbol is an image that represents an object whether it be for a car or for a meaning. It could also represent the sky or the night. Logos use imagery with words to represent companies or other industries. When symbol and logo are used together, they become a combination mark, I say combo mark for convenience. 

Important things to bring up: 

     A logo should compliment itself to make it look appealing to the audience or viewers or however you want to call people. Symbols are the same way, they also should be easy to understand when someone brings up this certain logo/symbol. Lastly, an important thing ti know is to keep it simple and not complicated to follow for the viewer to see when able to identify this symbol/logo.

Favorite thing That I learned over this Article:

     My favorite thing learning in this article is how there are different ways to make a logo. Whether its a typography like logo or using imagery for a use of a logo. And even the logo becoming a combo mark to create something anew. 

General thoughts and questions:

     No questions for me. thoughts would have to be on making a logo to match the product to company the logo/symbol is being used for.

Typography

Typography Videos

What I learned:

I learned that typography is more than a bunch of fonts slapped around a piece of paper. Having to use different fonts using emotion towards the product you are working with. Creating a product using negative or positive aspects to show a theme or topic for the reader. There also a set of families for different fonts and also using bold or italics. There are sets for typography, serifs and sans serif. serifs use lines coming out of certain posts of a letter and a sans serifs are the opposite. They don't use any lines sticking out of the letter. you also combine different fonts or families to create a better visual

and blend with the topic. 

Biggest Take Away from the Videos:

The biggest take away from the video series is that you can combine different fonts to make something cool out of it. Having to learn that the upper and lower case letters can create a big impact with your work. 

Summary of what I learned from the article and three pints that are important:

Create a visual hierarchy with the product for the viewer to like and enjoy so they can but it. having to combine fonts and creating headlines using weight and spacing. Making the viewers eye think how attractive and easy the visual is. mixing serifs and san serifs that can work well together using contrast. Contrast is basically using the weight and space of each font. you also want to use italics and upper or lower case letters to make it appealing.

Favorites and what is valuable for the future?

My favorite thing reading about is how each design creates a story for the reader to understand and relate with the product. Seeing how your work can affect others through emotion. Also using emotion to connect with you and the reader or viewer. What is valuable for the future is how you use typography. Seeing how the fonts contrast with each other. or how fonts can make the design feel alive and such. 

Thoughts and conclusion?

My thoughts are realizing how typography is a big deal used for graphic designers. also how its used for a lot of marketing brands and daily life images for other people to enjoy.

The Castle Maya Project

     In this project, I learned about the software system Maya and what it is used for. I learned the how to create shapes and as the title suggests, a castle. I know the basics on using the light tools to give a realistic look towards the Maya projects we have done so far. How I learned to do this is basically messing around with the tools until I have a basic understanding on what they can do. Being taught helps but actually doing it makes the better experience. I picked this project because I am more proud of this work compared to my other projects, and I had more fun creating a 3d like model from a software based on my design of the castle. I most likely won't use any of the things I learned outside of school or for the future of my career. I have nothing to change over me or the way I work or I won't have anything done period. 

Strengths and Weaknesses/ Improvements 

     My strengths is to turn in my projects on time, the exceptions is the blogs. My weaknesses is to pay more attention towards the teacher. I also need to take notes so I can go back and look over to understand what to do. What to improve on is the weaknesses. 

The Walking Cycle

I learned how to draw my character and scan it into the computer. Then we have the character be placed into photoshop, give it color and place each main body part into layers. After that, we place the photoshop character into a software called after effects. After that, I put the character together and have it start moving. The learning process is the same for everything else when I work on projects. I can use this to enhance my drawing skills and have better ideas for my future career. I would change on how the cycle ended up as but it still turned better than I had hoper for. 

The Polything

     I learned how to use the shapes and how to use the channel box. Having to change size and adding blind color on the polishing. Having to Create a cylinder and duplicate it to have the sphere become abnormal. I understood that you need to have the cylinder shape out the inside out of the sphere to create whatever we made. I also freestyled pos the coloring and the lighting. Oh yea, we used lighting to give it, you know, light. Again, not much to change in regards of this project. 

Walking animation 

    We used the walking cycle character or made your own character and put him into a multiplane cycle. the multiplane is the background the character is walking through. We basically placed it into a cycle of a background. I learned how I did this by watching videos of others and seeing what a multiplane is. I, again won't be using these types of skills into any account for myself or the future. What I want to change is making my character walk correctly and worked more on my multiplane. I personally didn't enjoy making this project mostly because of how I made it into.

The Multiplane

I learned how to make a back round move on its one using multiple layers. How I learned to do this is listening to the teacher and watching Disney use their big freaking machine have a few layers move to have a cool movie animated. There would be nothing I would change over this project.

Semester Final: Graphic Design

What Did I do during 1st Semester? 

     What kind of Projects?

One of the projects we made during the first semester is making a vector portrait using illustrator. This project has us use the pen tool to create shapes along the picture to make a abstract picture. you can also make the picture as you see fit as well. Another project is making a raccoon, also in illustrator, and then using the raccoon for a holiday card. 

How long did each project take?

     The Vector portrait had taken at least half a week in on making the face. Then it took the other half week to make the upper half of the body on my picture. It also took an hour to make the neck to have the picture look human. The making of the raccoon took a week to finish and the creating it into a jpeg took an hour. The postcard had taken, I believe a week to make or maybe it was less than half a week. We also had to make a fall like background for the raccoon which took two days. 

What were some challenges I faced?

     The main challenge I had were using the pen tool and having each pen drawing be put in a layer together. Each shape I had created for its certain layer would always go back to the picture layer. I also had to then realize that you have to complete a shape to have it on its own layer. After realizing that, I was able to have a abstract face. For the raccoon, the hardest challenge was having to fit the shape that falls behind the raccoons eyes. Then having to find a panel that had no directions on finding it. 

What Did I learn along the way?

I learned that I favor graphic design over animation. I already learned that video is not a course I would enjoy. I learned more about the tools within photoshop and illustrator. I figured out on how to use the pen tool. Not everything has to be curved. 

What was some feedback you were given?

     

The only feedback I was given over my work in this class was to fix the order of my raccoon for Behance.

What did I change?

     I changed the order of the raccoons.     

What's my overall opinion on the design process and final outcome of the project? 

     Other than the raccoon project, most of these were do this how see you see fit. I don't mind this at all, though I never really appreciate the work I create for anything. There are times where I do like my outcomes but that rarely happens. I do like my postcard and how it turned out to become. 

How did I use my time during this class?

Time in class?

     Mostly creating ideas on each project I've made and finishing them hopefully on time. if I have extra time, I go look up music and other examples on whatever project the class has Been given. I also look up random stuff and proceed to do research over them. Or finish any homework I have for other classes. I don't often work outside of school for graphic design unless its homework that doesn't require adobe such and such. not even research over the projects we have done.

Strengths as and employee or graphic designer, how do I maximize these strengths?

     My strengths as a worker or designer would be putting my creative mind into work to have something made how I would want it. Me being able to space my work to suit my own pace when using time management. This kind of class lets me just goes for what I want make.

Improvements?

     Things to improve one is actually pacing my time on a deadline. I need to see things more broad and then having to narrow down and decide on what to create. I also should look more into my own designs than having to look on someone else's cartoon. 

What did I like over this semester, what to change, goals for 2nd semester, and final thoughts

     If we are talking about events that happened in and out of school during this semester, then I didn't like much over this semester.  As for G. Design, I enjoyed the projects given out for this semester. If I had to change anything about myself then I'm becoming who I want to be or who I really am.  Goals I have for the next semester is to keep up grades over a c-. I also want to at least pass my permit test before second semester ends. And overall have a great time before I graduate high school.

     

 

PhotoShop

PhotoShop

     What I learned with using photoshop is that it is not easy to use during the beginning (for me) of photoshopping certain pictures. I learned about certain tools that lets you photoshop pictures. Like the clone stamp tool, having to take a part of the picture and fill it in another spot of the picture. I also learned to merge pictures together to make it into one picture. Also to have creating each product with each set of tools recommended for each picture.

3 Three Key Tools Important for Photoshop

     The Lasso Tool:

A tool used to close in on certain areas of the picture and to proceed into replace it with something within the picture.

     The Clone Stamp Tool:

The clone stamp is what I explained already. This is important so you don't have to go back and select a certain area to cover over.

     The Quick Selection Tool:

The selection tool lets you drag and select a certain part of the photo and replace it with something else you have selected without selecting the whole object. This makes things easier when you want a certain area colored in with something else.

Favorite Skills I learned for Photoshop

Im not sure whether our not if I am going to use these skills for/in the future. My favorite skill is Taking the picture and regroup it with another picture to create something cool. Like the challenge when we had to take a picture to create with a nature picture.

My Strengths and Weaknesses 

     My strengths for this project tutorial was understanding what each tool did for each product(for the most part). Another strength is each of my products turned out to be pretty ok. My weaknesses was to complete each of these products on time. Also that I had a hard time trying to remember what each tool key it was. 

What Would I do Different and Do the Same?

     I would do different is to have my products looks semi decent with the one shown during the tutorial videos. I also would want to have spent more time on each of these products. What I would keep the same is all of my work made from myself than to have it look like the videos product.

General thoughts and Conclusions

     My thoughts is that I learned a lot of new things with photoshop that I may or may not even use in the future of my life or career.

Why Animation

Why Animation?

     I chose animation because I got an interest in animation after watching a youtuber create an animation over his character in a video game. I watch other yotubers do the same thing. I also am fasinated of how each frame of a drawing creates now motion animation. I also watched animation shorts created by other youtubers based over video games or cartoons. Theres also why I did animation, mostly because I didn't want to do video.