Minimalist Vector Poster Day 4: Setting Up Our Illustrator Files for Our Posters

Today’s essential question: How can I begin tracing over my poster design in Adobe Illustrator?

If you have not already done so, you must sketch your layout for your poster design, color it with marker, photograph it, and publish it to your blog.

Today we will begin tracing over our poster designs in Adobe Illustrator. Make a folder (Right-click on the desktop, New-> Folder) drag your reference photo into this folder, and save your Illustrator document to this folder. You must keep your Illustrator file and your reference photo in the same folder, or the photo will disappear the next time you open the Illustrator document and you will have nothing to trace!

Part 1: Crop the image to the correct dimensions in Photoshop

1. Open the image in Photoshop
2. Select the crop tool 
3. At the top of the screen, set the dimensions to 12×18″ (or 18×12″ if you want a landscape poster)
   
4. Drag the edges of the crop tool to select just the poster
5. Hit the “Enter” key
6. Save your image as a new file (File -> Save as -> Newfilename)

Part 2: Create the vector self portrait Illustrator file

1. Open Adobe Illustrator
2. Create a new file. File -> New.
   Set the dimensions as follows (flip the height and the width if you want a landscape orientation):
   
3. Place your reference photo. File -> Place. It may not fit the dimensions of the paper exactly.
   That is ok. You can scale the image to fit by holding down the shift key and scaling from the corner. Make sure you do this or you will distort your proportions! Also, pay attention to the box with the black border – the black border defines the edges of your paper, and anything that extends beyond the border will be cut off.
4. In the layers palette, double-click to rename Layer 1 “Reference.”
   Then click the space to the left of the layer to lock it:
   
5. Now press the new layer button  to make a new layer, and name it whatever you plan on tracing over (ex. Hair, hair highlights, etc)
   You may also want to create and name a new layer for each image you plan to vectorize. You can group sub-layers within layers, and close and expand these layers like folders to organize your file.
   
   Start naming and organizing your layers right away, or your project will become a mess with hundreds of layers. If you can’t figure out what layer you are on, the teacher will not be able to help you, either!
6. Use the eyedropper tool  to select and match a color from your reference photo.
   Use the pen tool  to trace create vector illustrations.
7. Use the rectangle tool  to create boxes. (To color your background, you will draw a box over the entire page.)
8. At the end of class, save your file as a PDF (File -> Save as -> PDF) and upload the PDF to your blog.
   
   Also, create a new folder with your project PDF file and any images you are using, and back it up to your Google Drive.

Today we will:

• Create a new 12×18 or 18×12 file in Adobe Illustrator
• Place our layout sketch in this file
• Begin vectorizing our layout sketch
• Save our file as a PDF and upload the PDF of our progress to our blog

Minimalist Poster Day 3: Words as Image

Today’s essential question: How can I integrate words as imagery in my poster?

Image Credit: Julian

Image Credit: Sophia

Graphic designers treat words as another shape when they plan out designs.
Here are some things to think about as you add words to your poster:

• How can you use lettering to convey the principles of design (ex. movement, balance of positive and negative space, unity)?
• What type of mood are you trying to convey with your poster?
• What type of lettering will help you convey this mood (ex. blocky, cursive/script, jagged, bubbly, graffiti)?

Need inspiration? Go to dafont.com and preview some of the typefaces on that website.

Today we will:

• Continue sketching our poster designs in pencil, making sure they follow the rule of thirds.
• Show Ms. Lawson the finished pencil sketch
• Color the sketch in with Sharpie
• Hang the colored drawing on a wall and photograph it from straight on
• Post the photograph of our sketch (finished or not) to our blogs at the end of class
• Begin tracing over our poster designs in Illustrator

Minimalist Vector Poster Day 2: The Rule of Thirds

Today’s essential question: How can I use the rule of thirds to create a prominent focal point in my poster?

Today we will continue sketching our poster designs, making sure they follow the rule of thirds. When we have finished sketching in pencil, we will consult with Ms. Lawson whether the design is ready to be colored with Sharpie.

Rule of Thirds

To apply the rule of thirds to your poster design, break an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. Place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines to create a more balanced and visually interesting composition. Studies have shown that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points rather than the center of the image. When we use the rule of thirds, we make the way people naturally view images work for us rather than against us.

The students below have created aesthetically appealing posters.
How do their designs follow the rule of thirds?

How do the sketches from this class follow the rule of thirds?

Image Credit: Reggie

Image Credit: Paris

How do they create movement?

How do they balance positive and negative space?

Today we will:

• Continue sketching our poster designs in pencil, making sure they follow the rule of thirds.
• Show Ms. Lawson the finished pencil sketch
• Color the sketch in with Sharpie
• Hang the colored drawing on a wall and photograph it from straight on
• Post the photograph of our sketch (finished or not) to our blogs at the end of class

New Project: Minimalist Vector Poster

Today’s essential question: What band, musician, or movie will I create a poster for?

Today we will begin working on our Vector Poster Project. You will brainstorm project concepts and then post a sketch of your poster design and brief write up of your concept to your blog.

You may choose to create a poster in Adobe Illustrator for one of the following:

• Band or Musician of your choice
• Movie of your choice (as long as your poster does not contain copyrighted characters)

Here is an example of what I am looking for in the sketch (you will eventually color it in with marker):

Here are some examples of finished vector posters created by past SOTA students:

Image Credit: Beatrice

Image Credit: Lily

Image Credit: Subash

Image Credit: Victoria

Image Credit: Quamae

Image Credit: Lauryl

Project Requirements:

• Create a 12×18 vector poster in Adobe Illustrator
• All artwork used in the poster must be original
• Poster must show an understanding of the following design concepts:
  • visual hierarchy
  • rule of thirds
• Poster must contain at least one word or phrase
• Words should be part of the design. Words should be hand-drawn in the sketch and then traced over with the pen tool in Illustrator – no fonts or text tool!

Today we will:

• Brainstorm ideas for our minimalist poster project
• Create a new blog post with the following:
  • Project concept (What is your poster advertising? Write a few sentences about it.)
  • Any images you are inspired by
  • A sketch of your poster design (it is ok if you do not finish it today, but you should post a photo of whatever you have drawn today). Keep in mind that you will be using the pen tool to trace over your design in Illustrator, so use markers to create flat areas of color.

In Progress Self-Portrait Rockstars

We have 3 classes left this marking period (including today).

Here are some excellent self-portraits that students in this class are working on:

Today we will:

• continue working on our low-poly self-portraits
• create a new blog post with both a PDF and PNG of our progress