Blog Final: Visual Arts

My class proposal is for a Photoshop class, which would make it an art class but there's an english twist!

Assuming we have the resourses and the technology, the class would be provided with computers, a PS program (preferably a newer program. i.e: CS, CS2, CS3), and Wacom tablets. The tablets make it easier to work the photoshopping programs as it allows the students to draw as if with pen and paper. The class purpose would be to teach students how to utilize digital media, especially with how much it is used today. We would start with the basics like how to work photoshop (very important) and then we'd learn different techinques used in photo manipulations and coloring techniques.

In this class we would use such texts as PhotoShop CS2 in easy steps by Robert Shufflebotham or Classroom in a Book: The official training workbook from Adobe Systems.

Photoshop CS in easy steps recognizes this fact and is specifically designed to take you step by step in a logical, structured sequence to a detailed understanding of the software. It uses concise explanations and copious screen shots to simply and effectively create a clear, logical path to understanding and mastering the software.

The book focuses on key features and techniques designed to help you understand complex processes with the minimum of effort. The early chapters set a framework that will underpin your work with digital images, starting with basic colour theory, then introducing the working environment and a range of essential features that get you started working with digital images.

Further chapters cover image file formats, making and refining selections and there are chapters covering the essential painting and editing tools - including the new Colour Replacement tool.

More advanced areas of the software are covered with chapters devoted to working with layers, paths and the pen tool, channels and masks as well as colour correction techniques.

The final four chapters address the increasingly important area of web and multimedia images, covering features and techniques such as slicing, image optimisation, animation, rollovers and image maps.

Classroom in a Book is the official training workbooks that have been developed by Adobe's staff. The beauty of this series is that they assume you know nothing and work from there. Step-by step lessons are very detailed with impressive fine-tuning and complicated features explained well. The books come with a CD-ROM that has all files required to complete each example. Both the start and end files are provided so you know what you are working toward as you go along. Each lesson has screen shots of the example so you have that as a guide to keep you on track.

Of course, we wouldn't read these books cover-to-cover because, well, that would be pretty boring. Both of these books, though, would be totally relevent to the class study because they both essentially break down step-by-step the process of using PhotoShop. Another thing that would be particularly useful to this class would be tutorials including visual guides to lead the students through different techniques. Here are a few examples:

-Photorealistic puddles

-Blending images

-And the use of the Liquify tool

There are thousands of other tutorials out there to be found and a lot of them can be pretty useful in a jam. But as well as the boring, drab instructional books the students would be able to use a fiction/non-fiction book of their choosing. As a final project the students would then use their photoshopping knowledge to create a piece of art based off of the book they chose whether it be a character visualiztion, a poster, a concept used in the book, etc. I would want the students to be able to visualize the action going on in the text rather than the words on the page. And with the increasing use of digital media a little know-how about the program would be nice especially if a student is planning on looking in to a career in the digital arts, advertising, and other similar topics.

Me Talk Pretty One Day.

"Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities."

In this chapter Sedaris introduces his father, Lou Sedaris, a conservative computer engineer who uses a concoction of vodka and jazz to melt away his daily stress. In fact, in this portrayal, Lou doesn't just sooth himself with jazz music, he is obsessed with it.

Sedaris recalls an evening during his childhood when his father takes him and his sisters, Gretchen and Lisa, to see the musician David Brubeck perform. It is notable that on this particular night, Mr. Brubeck is accompanied by his sons.

Shamelessly, Lou is the most active listener in a crowd of quietly observant fans. Unlike his quiet counterparts, he beats his head and chest wildly to the music, embarrassing his children.
During the ride home, Lou begins to daydream aloud about having a family jazz band. He then forces his children to pick up instruments.

David gets the guitar, even though he has no interest in playing the instrument. His teacher, a very short man, tells David the importance of a musicians instrument and that he should name his guitar and be devoted to it like a lover. David says he wants to give his guitar a name like Oliver but his teacher discourages this.

After a while of not practicing and lack of interest, David stops taking guitar lessons.

Observations

I've been thinking a lot lately. My grandfather had a heart attack recently and was in the hospital for about two weeks. He's fine now but my entire family's daily lives were thrown out of control. I while my mom was out at the hospital with her dad, I got left with a lot more responsibilities that I'm not used to. This all made me think about what I'm going to do with my life after college as well as thinking about my physical health.

I want to go to an art college and after I graduate I want to go into an ar career. But art colleges are very hard to get into. And with college competition and rising tutition, I'll proably end up at OSU or OU. More likely OU because its cheaper. I'm striving for CCAD but I need to keep my grades up or else my GPA won't be high enough and I won't be accepted. And this is me worrying just about getting to college. Afterwards is entirely different and far more negative.

And then there's my health both physical and mental. I'm average size, average weight, but my family is always pressing me to do more, more, more you're not doing enough to keep your weight off! And it makes me feel bad about my self, like I'm overweight. And I'm not. All my friends say that I'm not, and part of me says that I'm not but there's the other half of me that says that I am. I understand that I need to keep active because my family has a history of heart and weight related health problems but I feel that what I'm doing right now isn't good enough. I walk at least four miles every other day for more then two and a half hours. That's good, right? But my mom and my youngest sister, my sister especially, say that I do nothing but sit on ass and do nothing. Not only does this make me feel like heavy but it leaves me feeling very pissed off.

Sorry for the bitchfest. But now that I've said I feel much better.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent.

Because of the advancements in today's medical and criminal-related fields, I have a feeling that there are a lot of men that could be exonerated now when they couldn't have "back then". These articles, the ones Jen posted, could mean men that have spent the majority of their lives imprisoned on false charges can finally be free and live their lives.

T-shirts...?

I can't think of anyone, that I know, in their right mind that would wear a CNN t-shirt. Now if the headlines actually sounded funny or clever, I might consider buying one, but this, though, is a great example of our capitalist society wringing money out of the public in every way possible.

Honestly, CNN t-shirts.

In today's world, I don't think there isn't a thing that we can't sell. With internet access, a little money, and a creative/perverse/deranged mind, you could make and sell almost anything. My friend, Katie, once found a battery opperated yodelling pickle. No joke.

Me Talk Pretty One Day.

"Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris, one of his many entertaining autobiographies.

Chapter one: Go Carolina

David Sedaris begins this series of autobiographical essays with a story from his early childhood. While he is sitting in his fifth grade geography class, an unfamiliar teacher unexpectedly calls him out of the room. His mind flashes images of television shows where secret agents come knocking on doors in pursuit of a criminal. He then quickly runs through a list of crimes for which he might be punished. It is immediately evident that even as a child, Sedaris uses pop culture as a source of reference for many real life circumstances.

Further on in this chapter Sedaris talks more about how embarassing it is to be in speech thearpy. He says that only people in speech therapy boys that keep movie star scrapbooks and collect rose petals for use in a fragrant potpourri, addressing that a more proper name for the Speech Therapy Lab would be Future Homosexuals of America.

Sedaris also talks about the tactics he would use to avoid using his s's. Words such as "please" became "with your kind permission" and "yes" became "correct" or "affirmative". At the end of the chapter, it comes down to Sedaris and his speech therapist. His therapist is leaving for the year and wants to celebrate with cookies. She then starts to talk about her personal life and about how much of a failure she is at being a speech therapist. With teacher seemingly on the verge of tears, Sedaris says "I'm thorry." at which point his teacher looks at him and responds "Haha, I got you." She then signs him up for another session of speech therapy.

OC#1: Laptops at School.

I see why teachers would be concerned with students using their own computers rather than using the school's. It can be a waste of free time. For me that isn't a problem because even if I were to bring in my laptop, I still get all my work turned in and I maintain high grades, so bringing a laptop to school wouldn't affect my grades. Now, I can't say that for everyone. There are some kids that probably should be using their free time to do homework rather than surf the internet.