Description

The course will introduce the student to the principles of color theory via an exploration of color families and their associations, color variations, and an examination of the skillful distribution of color to achieve the desired impact.

Skill Level

Beginner

Software Requirements

• Microsoft Word, Works or equivalent
• Adobe Reader, QuickTime

Hardware Requirements

• A computer capable of viewing PDF lessons and QuickTime video
• Mouse and keyboard input devices

Course Gallery

Before Class

Please take some time to become familiar with the navigation of the site and our classroom set-up.  Be sure to review this course syllabus and all documents uploaded to the classroom carefully.  Please take a moment to view the video on how to navigate Digital Art Academy and your classroom.

Week One

The Color Wheel: Color Families and their Associations

Week one includes a careful review of the color wheel, focusing on color families and specific types of color schemes.  There will also be a discussion of objects and emotions associated with specific colors.

Week Two

Complimentary Colors: Opposites Attract

Week two includes an examination of complimentary color schemes.  Complimentary colors are those colors that are directly across from one another on the color wheel.  There will also be a focus on the creation of neutrals derived from mixing two complimentary colors together.

Week Three

Shades, & Tints: Developing a Monochromatic Color Scheme

Week three includes a focus on the development of shades by adding black to colors, and tints by adding white to colors.  There will be an emphasis on developing monochromatic compositions.  A monochromatic color scheme is a color scheme based on one color and its derivative shades and tints.

Week Four

Distribution of Color: Balance and Rhythm

Week four includes a focus on the skillful distribution of color to achieve balanced compositions with a desired impact.   There will be an emphasis on color relationships, including a review of color families, complimentary colors, neutrals, monochromatic color schemes and the visual and emotional impact of specific colors.  There will be a focus on how to use intensity (brightness or dullness) to help balance the overall composition.

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Description

Whether you are just starting out on your wonderful digital photo adventure or you have already ‘dipped your toes’ in the digital pool and now want to throw abandon to the wind and jump feet first into the creative pond, this course will give you a rock solid foundation!

One of the most common questions asked by fresh, keen image makers when faced with their first picture in Photoshop is “So, now what do I do?”. This course will answer that question and many more. From first opening your camera or imported image; to saving it as a fully corrected and clean digital file ready for more advanced work; this course will guide you through the various steps required in an easy to learn way.

Skill Level

Beginner

Software Requirements

• Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista or Apple Mac OS X operating system
• Adobe® Photoshop® CS3* or above (Many of the methods taught can be applied to other earlier versions of Photoshop and other software.)

Hardware Requirements

• A computer capable of running Adobe Photoshop
• Mouse and keyboard input devices

Course Gallery

[View with PicLens]

 

Before Class

Knowledge of the standard Adobe graphical user interface.

Week One

Getting started

• Digital Images-Vector or Raster
• Image “Modes”
• Bitmap
• Grayscale
• Bit Depth
• Why is Bit-Depth Important?

Week Two

Getting to work

• Opening an Image in Photoshop
• File formats
• Which format to use?
• Analyzing the Image
• The Info Palette
• Assessing Tones and Colors
• The Eyedropper Tool
• Color Samplers
• Histograms
• What is It?
• Analyzing images with the Histogram
• Assessing Exposure
• Assessing Image “Mood”
• Lost Tones and Posterization

Week Three

Preparing a New Image

• The Rotate Canvas command
• The Ruler tool
• The Crop Tool
• Cropping with Perspective
• Blemishes and Artifacts
• Types of Blemishes
• The Editing Tools
• Spot Healing Brush
• Healing Brush
• Clone Stamp Tool

Week Four

Saving a Clean Image

• Choosing the right file format for saving
• Adjustment Layers and Layer Masks
• Dodge and Burn tools
• Hue and Saturation
• Replace Color
• Making Selections
• Color Editing
• Localized Editing

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Description

Examples of solarisation and hand-colouring (from bw original)

This course will introduce you to a collection of fascinating photo/image techniques used by experienced photographers and fine art print makers. With this set of creative photo effects you will discover and enjoy an exciting new journey of self-expression.

With digital technology, image manipulation has never been easier and this course will open the way to self-expression by giving you the confidence to enhance your own photographs and elevate them to the realm of ‘fine art’.

Each easy to follow technique will be clearly explained so that you can understand the background behind the process and not just blindly follow a step-by-step process. In this way, your imagination will be stimulated and at each stage you will be encouraged to explore your creative impulses.

The techniques are fully supported by video tutorials to make the learning experience more enjoyable.

Skill Level

Beginner to intermediate.

Since this is a creative techniques course, I will be assuming everyone has some prior knowledge of and hands-on experience with a mouse (clicking, dragging etc) and the computer’s operating system e.g folders and files management.

I will also assume some basic knowledge of Photoshop BUT will explain in detail virtually everything you need to complete the course. Those of you with good expertise in Photoshop should forgive me if at times it seems I am ‘teaching my grandmother to suck eggs’ since there will be others with less expertise! Have patience!

All the techniques have been prepared in PS CS3 but should still be workable in most previous versions and CS4 as I have tried to avoid CS3 specific features in favour of a more general approach.

Software Requirements

• Adobe Photoshop  – windows or mac version.

Hardware Requirements

• Any computer capable of running Adobe Photoshop
• A graphics tablet makes life a lot easier but a mouse will do the job

Course Gallery

[View with PicLens]

 

Before Class

I recommend you read the ‘How to get the most from your course’ information. Then open your mind to creative input and output!

Week One

Any colour you like as long as it isn’t black!

Week one will be all about adding colour to images. We will deal with a variety of methods for replicating the traditional ‘darkroom toning’ of an image and also explore hand-colouring; another highly effective and popular technique for adding your personal touch to a photo image.

Week Two

Beyond the range of the eye and into the infra-red!

Week two will deal with adding pseudo 3D effects to an image based on the traditional darkroom methods and an exploration into replicating the astonishing visual effect of infra-red black and white film.

Week Three

Move over Hockney, Warhol and Man Ray!

Week three will deal with posterisation and the ‘pop art’ look followed by another very popular darkroom ‘arty’ technique; pseudo-solarisation. These two techniques can produce very stylish, graphic images.

Week Four

Lith it here, lith it there! SX-70 it everywhere!

Week four will explore a real favourite amongst traditional fine-art photographers known as the ‘lith printing’ technique. This is a technique capaple of producing beautiful and unusual images. We will complete the course by learning to simulate digitally one of the truly unique techniques ‘discovered’ by art photographers when Polaroid introduced their SX-70 instant film and cameras. The digital Polaroid SX-70 technique, like the original method, is capable of producing quite individual and beautiful results.

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Description

One of the fastest growing movements in the digital art world is the embellishment of digital prints, using acrylic gels and paints. Embellishment can add a new dimension to your artwork, combining some of the techniques of traditional art with a digital print. In the Digital Print Embellishment Course, you will learn how to turn your digital print into a one of a kind work of art with added texture and color. You will see what a difference adding painted highlights, coloring shadows, or simply adding texture with gels can make. This class will get you away from the computer monitor, and get your hands messy! No previous traditional art experience is required – the process is easier than you might think. The course will include lessons on sealing your digital print, choosing brushes, acrylic gels and paints, embellishing with gel and paint, and finishing off your print. Included in the course is close to 90 minutes of video from the DVD “Finishings – A Basic Guide to Digital Print Embellishment”, along with a written lesson and supplemental files (such as using markers in embellishment) for each week.

Skill Level

Beginner

Material Requirements

• Several prints on inkjet canvas for practice – 8 x 10 is fine. You can either order these from a printer (www.easyonlineprints.com is a good source – 8 x 10 prints are $13), or print them at home. Office Depot carries a good inkjet canvas that is only about $1 a sheet.
• An assortment of brushes, acrylic gels, and acrylic paints. If you like, you can use the pre-filled order form for Dick Blick on my website.

Hardware Requirements

• n/a
• n/a

Course Gallery

Before Class

Materials required for the course:

1) Several prints on inkjet canvas for practice – 8 x 10 is fine. You can either order these from a printer (www.easyonlineprints.com is a good source – 8 x 10 prints are $13), or print them at home. Office Depot carries a good inkjet canvas that is only about $1 a sheet.

2) An assortment of brushes, acrylic gels, and acrylic paints. If you like, you can use the pre-filled order form for Dick Blick on my website.

http://www.cadmiumdreams.com/Resources.html

It lists the products that we will be using…feel free to adapt it for yourself.

• Essential Supplies: Archival Varnish

• Soft Gel -Gloss

• White Acrylic Paint

• Assortment of Brushes

Week One

Organizing your materials

• Organizing materials
• Canvas preparation
• Testing your canvas
• Sealing the canvas
• Brush Selections

Week Two

Embellishing with Gels

• Learning about the different types of Gel mediums
• Getting comfortable with painting with gels
• Color mixing

Week Three

Painting Techniques

• Let’s paint
• Brush technique
• Making the right choices

Week Four

Your final print

• Drying and sealing
• Embellishing with markers

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Description

Scanning “plein air” style…Scan ‘n’ tan? Scanning al fresco? “Scan Your Garden” in situ. Who wants to be stuck inside at your digital easel on a beautiful summer day? Bring your scanning studio outside into your garden- yes, outside where the sun’s back lighting will allow you to create delicate, pastel hued translucent watercolors. Unlike studio scanning where the background is typically black and the specimens opaque, the sky will determine the color of your background from white to robins egg to prussian blue- the background changes according to the time of day, while the position and intensity of the sun will affect the specimen’s translucency.

You simply won’t believe your eyes! To set up an outdoor studio you’ll need a laptop or portable computer (a desktop PC with a mini tower, a compact Mac or a tablet PC), an Epson photoscanner set up on a picnic table or folding banquet table. A long lawnmower extension cord will bring power to your studio. An unobstructed view of the sky is essential, but interesting effects can be made by overhanging tree branches!

Bring plenty of patience and sunscreen. This technique is so cool and so creative that you may never want to use your scanner inside again!

Skill Level

Intermediate

Prerequisites

• Students should have experience with studio scanning or have completed the Scan Your Garden: Introduction course before enrolling in this course.

Hardware Requirements

• A Flatbed Scanner

Course Gallery

[View with PicLens]

 

Before Class

Prerequisite: student must have experience with studio scanning or have taken the “Scan Your Garden” class

Week One

Setting up a plein air studio

• Capturing a “blue-sky” composition
• Quirky captures that you may or may not like

Week Two

Translucent specimen effect

• Capturing delicate watercolor-like images

Week Three

Background colors

• Time of day and weather conditions and how they will determine your background color
• How to get just about any color light or bright background

Week Four

Krazy color

• More color modifications that have a “psychedelic” or pop art look

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Description

Your ordinary flatbed scanner is a camera with a macro lens! It will allow you to make sensual “Georgia O’Keeffeesque” visions of living specimens at a resolution so high that the 1:1 life size image can be enlarged to fill an oversize canvas. Use your full color or monochrome digitized scan as a “photo realistic” composition or as the source image for an enhanced interpretation or as a study for impressionistic painting or a scientific botanical illustration.

This workshop focuses on capturing the most challenging three-dimensional subject matter- living botanical specimens. Scan them individually or as a “bouquet” in natural poses. While scanning a daisy is a no-brainer, try a German Iris, a Casablanca lily or a complex arrangement of multiple stems!

All of the technical “fundamentals” of buying and installing a scanner and setting up a scanning studio are covered immediately so that participants can begin creating eye-popping images right off the bat. We’ll “tour” some of the cyber galleries of the top floral scanographers that demonstrate the diversity of the medium that will inspire, challenge and awe you. (And, trust me, there are still plenty of new interpretations and live subject matter left to explore!)

The processing of scanned images involves: the posing and arrangement of flowers; the various background options; fine retouching; file saving/image management; color and value modifications. More advanced skills include selecting and layering individual specimens, adding decorative calligraphy and type. Tips for printing your proofs or final composition on plain or coated artist paper (watercolor paper, mulberry paper), fabric and canvas or using a service bureau.

All aspects of scanography can be accomplished with the image editor of your choice- Photoshop, PaintShopPro, etc. The scanning driver can be used as a “stand alone” program or Imported from Painter, PS, PSP or any other image editor. (I will be demonstrating on a PC with Photoshop CS with interpretations for Mac users, PSP and Painter artists when necessary.

After you experience this class you may want to continue exploring “Scanning en Plein Air” if you have a “portable” compact desktop computer or laptop. In this class we will set up our studio (with the help of a long extension cord!) in our garden, deck or patio to scan your garden in site or collect fresh flowers from the location. If you would like to explore more creative ideas, for example, scanning objects d’art, insects, self portraiture, “over-size” objects, and assembling a composition of “curiosities” tune into “My Scanner is a Camera”. Artists who need to scan their own artwork for printing or web display or use a large-format scanner to reproduce over-size artwork should consider “Scanning Two Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Fiber Artwork for Reproduction”.

1) potential students that are “thinking” they might want to enroll, but aren’t convinced it will benefit them because they have always had problems using scanners OR they don’t quite grasp the “multi-purpose” uses for artistic scanning.

2) participants that have enrolled and need to “test” the scanner or the scanner driver so that they are set up for the instructions.

3) participants that are having trouble installing the scanner.

4) participants who need to buy a scanner but feel the need to comparison shop.

Skill Level

Beginner

Software Requirements

• Adobe® Photoshop, CS3, CS4
• Paintshop

Hardware Requirements

• Recommendation Epson scanner
• Printer

Course Gallery

Before Class

Before class text.

Week One

Basic Studio Scanning

• Organizing your object scanning studio
• Installing your software and scanner
• Setting up your printer
• Testing your set-up
• Capturing a few garden specimens on a black background
• Fundamental Value/Color adjustments in scanner
• Basic retouching or dust gremlins with PS tools

Week Two

Capturing a realistic flower arrangement

• Methods to capture that often elusive velvety black background
• More retouching methods
• Precision value adjustments in scanner and in Photoshop
• Color Modifications, Color saturation recipe
• Alternative color backgrounds
• Proof printing your composition

Week Three

Creative techniques

• Black and White captures
• Color tints and sepia images
• Krazy Kolor
• Creating a professional image for printing
• Hi pass sharpening method
• More advanced retouching
• Advice on Giclee print making and other printing methods
• RGB vs CMYK

Week Four

Advanced creativity

• A tour of “X=treme” scanning methods
• Over-size scanning and stitching multiple scans together in Photoshop
• Taking a scanner outdoors and into the garden

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