Week 1

Jan 15 - Monday
NO CLASS - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday
Jan 17 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • ​Introduction to the course policies and procedures, expectations, syllabus, announcements, portfolio review, introduction to your peers, etc.
  • Housekeeping: Set-up Blogger accounts
  • What is computer art? 

​HOMEWORK / BLOG
Email your instructor from your MV email to matusek@morainevalley.edu. Answer the interview question "tell me more about yourself" - be sure to include your major, link to your art if you have any online, share links to your favorite designers (or artists), include a photo of yourself or week 2 I will take one of you (this will be used in my grade book and to learn your names), etc.

Blog​ Post
  • What is raster?
  • What are photo composites?
  • 10 examples of photo composites.

​Week 2

Jan 22 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Bring your supplies (to every class from now on).
  • ​Blog Presentations: Composite Artists
  • Training: Adobe Photoshop: introduction, interface, tools, selection.
  • "Seeing"; Concepts
  • Project 1:  Introduction

​HOMEWORK 
Photoshop practice - selecting

​Project 1
  • Write proposal of concept, research, sketch your concepts
Jan 24 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Design Process
  • Principles / Elements of Design;
  • Training: Adobe Photoshop
  • Project 1: Present your proposal to professor

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Project 1
  • Gather / take images required to express your concept. 
  • Collage / composite your ideas. Create at least 5 variations of your design.

Blog​ Post
  • Your variations / progress.

Week 3

Feb 1 Deadline to petition for Spring Graduation
Jan 29 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 1: In-Progress Critique
  • Training: Adobe Photoshop
  • Studio Time

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Blog Post
  • Your progress, highlighting the improvements you have made to the project since critique.
Jan 31 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Training: Adobe Photoshop
  • Studio Time

HOMEWORK / BLOG ​
Project 1
  • Continue work on your design; your composition should be complete by Monday. We will work on color then.

Blog​ Post
  • Your variations / progress.

Week 4

Feb 5 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 1: In-Progress Peer-to-Peer Critique
  • Training: Adobe Photoshop
  • Printing
  • Studio Time

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Project 1: Finish up / prepare for submission
Feb 7 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 1: Critique & Submit
  • What is vector illustration?
  • Training: Adobe Illustrator Introduction
  • Project 2: Introduction

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Find or take 5 interesting images of yourself.
  • ​These images SHOULD SHOWCASE YOUR PERSONALITY; They SHOULD BE interesting, quirky, funny, strange, eerie, unique, edgy, etc. They SHOULD NOT BE a "super-modelesque pose", sexy, a driver's license / passport photo, etc.

​Play - The Béziér Game - how far can you get?

Blog Post
  • ​What is the difference between a Selfie and a Self-Portrait?
  • Post 5 artists that specialize in self-portrait - include artist name, time period they worked, why you chose them, and at least 2 images of their work

Week 5

Feb 12 - Monday
​IN-CLASS
  • Blog presentations - illustration artists
  • Training: Adobe Illustrator
  • Project 2a: Image selection, start  tracings

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Project 2a: Finish tracings of your image: Highlights, Mid-tones, and Shadows; Digitize them before next class.
Feb 14 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Lecture: Color
  • Studio Time
  • Project 2a: Begin vector illustrator

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Project 2a:
  • Complete outlines 
  • Start working on color palettes - no more than 6 colors (no solid white or black).
​Project 2b:
  • Begin conceptualization 
  • create a minimum of 5 sketches for the cover image.

Blog Post
  • ​Project 2a: Continue working and post your progress.

Week 6

Feb 19 - Monday - NO CLASS
Jan 19 Presidents' Day

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
​Project 2a: Continue working and post your progress.
Feb 21 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 2a: In-Progress Critique​
  • Project 2b: share your concepts during critique for 2a
  • Training: Adobe Illustrator

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Project 2a: Finish
Project 2b: Begin vector illustration based off of images (do not create 'from your head'.

​Blog Post
  • ​Project 2a & 2b: Post your progress.

Week 7

Feb 27 Staff Development Day - NO CLASSES
Feb 26 - Monday

IN-CLASS
Project 2: Critique ​- ONLINE
  • Please post Project 2a and 2b to the Blog
  • All students must post to everyone's blogs (remember the blogs are listed on Canvas > Pages). Write a critique for both Project 2a and 2b. 
  • The critique should include a minimum of 2 comments per project part. That means you will be writing 4 total comments for each person's Project 2; 2 comments for 2a and 2 comments for 2b. 
  • This will count for your attendance today.
  • DUE Feb 28

​Also, during class I will be available on Google Hangouts - check your email for the link. 

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Project 2: Continue working

​*updated Feb 26 due to events on campus
Feb 28 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Studio Time

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Project 2: Finish up and prepare for submission.
Blog Post
​This part is due Mar 5
  • What is layout design?
  • What is poster design? What is a poster purpose? What are some of the key design considerations when creating a poster?
This part is due Mar 19 (right after Spring Break)
  • Post 10 examples of poster design - choose 5 beautifully designed poster and 5 poster that you feel need improvement, write a few sentences about why you chose each design.

Week 8 - Midterm

Mar 5 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 2: Submit both 2a and 2b by 9a
  • Project 3: Introduction​
  • Lecture: Layout design principles, poster design
  • Training: Adobe InDesign & Practice
​
HOMEWORK / BLOG 
​​
​​Blog Post
  • Project 3: Conceptualize and sketch
  • Research icon design in preparation for your mid-term project.
Mar 7 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS​
  • Mid-term Project

HOMEWORK / BLOG
Play the Kerning Game.​


LOOKING AHEAD
  • Project 4: Student Proposed - take your favorite method of working / software and propose your own project concept.
  • Portfolio Design - Start thinking about portfolios.

Week 9

Mar 19 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 3: Begin work
  • Blog presentation: Layout Design

HOMEWORK / BLOG
Project 3: Continue work
Mar 21 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Printmaking Visit

HOMEWORK / BLOG
Project 3: Continue work and post your progress

Week 10

Mar 30-Apr 1 Easter Holiday
Mar 26 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 3: Critique

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Post
Mar 28 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 3: Finish up / prepare for submission​

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
Post 
  • Research design and techniques you love and post about it. Start thinking about project 4 - if you could make anything what would it be?

Week 11

Apr 2 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 3: Submit by 9a
  • Project 4: Introduction

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Post your Project 4 proposals
Apr 4 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS​
  • Project 4: Proposals DUE

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Post your progress

Week 12

Apr 9 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 4

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Project 4: Continue work
Apr 11 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 4

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Post your progress

Week 13

Apr 16 Summer Registration Begins
Apr 16 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Studio time: Work on Project 4

HOMEWORK / BLOG
  • ​Project 4: Continue work
Apr 18 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 4: Critique
  • Project 5: - Portfolio, an introduction

HOMEWORK / BLOG
  • Post
    • Project 4: progress
    • Project 5: What are artist portfolios. Post samples, analyze what you think works and why - write about it.

Week 14

Apr 23 - Monday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 5: Portfolio, what are they, what should they include, how should they be formatted, why are they important, etc.

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Project 5: Continue work
Apr 25 - Wednesday
IN-CLASS
  • Project 4: Critique
  • Project 5: Discussion - what are your plans

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Project 5: Post progress
  • Project 5: Continue work and post progress

Week 15

Apr 30 - Monday
​IN-CLASS
  • Project 4: Submit
  • Project 5: Peer-to-Peer Critique
  • Files: Organization

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Post
May 2 - Wednesday
​IN-CLASS
  • Project 5: Continue working
  • Studio time

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Project 5: Continue work and post progress

Week 16

May 7 - Monday
​IN-CLASS
  • Project 5: Submit and Print​

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Post
May 9 - Wednesday
​IN-CLASS
  • Files for Archive: Submit
  • Project 5: Finish production

HOMEWORK / BLOG 
  • Post
May 11-17 Final Exam Week

Week 17 - Final Exam
May 16 @ 8a

Attendance is Mandatory. Critique starts at 9a.
  • Purple denotes MV important dates
  • *Schedule subject to Change; You will be notified
Chris Matusek | Copyright © 2023