Tuesday, April 26, 2011

KU Senior Show 2011 from KU Senior Show on Vimeo.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Make it better from Sebastianbap on Vimeo.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Typography Tips for Motion

"When designing for the screen, people tend to underestimate the importance of type. You would be wrong to think that only print designers have to kern, adjust, weight and organize type meticulously."
click here for all the tips

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

more motion



Tuesday, April 12, 2011

kinetic type examples

looking for examples outside the norm...

The Ten Commandments - motion (kinetic) typography from Vit Ryznar on Vimeo.


War of the Worlds Kinetic Typography from J.R. Schmidt on Vimeo.

speech...

in print don't forget to push your self and the speech typographically. HOW can we see the intonation? How can we see where the person pauses. How can we see what was stressed. How can we see how a word is said. How can we see how you think it should be said, stressed, pauses.... and what is the mood, tone, feeling: somber, happy, call to action, quite, stress, sadness, angry, calm, anxiety, ... Need some inspiration look at Dada, Futurism, Concrete Poetry...

for motion
please have your favorite motion piece you found online handy, and why you like it. also have your least favorite example handy, why it a "least".

links to tutorials / blogs / resources are listed on the right and don't forget about Lynda.com she is very helpful.

some examples from last year 
also at the end of the project last year i asked the students to give future students tips. this is what they had to say....

---
Start with a Concept.
Realize that AfterEffects is not a solution, it's a tool that will help you execute your all-ready-developed idea.
Posted by Brian Rio
---
1) Learn how to work with a null object. Parenting your camera to a null object will make camera movements exponentially easier.

2) Figure out all the idiosyncrasies of masks. My project would be nothing without them. Especially pay attention to :

a. Whether the mask is set to "Add" or "Subtract"
b. Changing mask position with nodes - Shift+Click on one of the anchor points on a mask. This allows you to alter the mask shape as you move keyframe to keyframe, creating the illusion of something growing or receding.
c. Working with mask feathering is tricky but can add a great illusion of depth if used correctly.

Posted by michael selby

---
Watch the tutorial videos and have ideas of what you want to do before you start so you're not clueless and just clicking around aimlessly. It saves you time, so none is wasted!
Posted by Camille

---
1. When working with sound, be sure to match up your keyframes with your Audio waveform, not with what you hear. It will enable you to visualize what the sound is doing and where sound actually starts versus when you think it starts.

2. Try and discover all of the quirky little things after effects has to offer, be they different effects or shortcuts on your keyboard.
3. Use the pre-compose feature. It helps keep your main composition organized and will save time in the long run.

4. Always think of your composition as a 3D world, where you can go back, forth, turn around, look up, down, etc. It will be easier to use cameras/null objets when you think in a 3D state of mind.

Posted by Jordan Jacobson

---
Don't be afraid to get into your video and start editing. Unlike flash, you do not have to start over with every edit, you can simply move your layers around.

Posted by Sarah Rew

---
add your sound first.  it is much easier to time things and make them line up with the words being spoken if you go ahead and put it in first.

Posted by josey

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

LULU costs

** we need to change the pages 8.5 x 11 inches
do this before you start designing your workbook.
if you are starting your workbook over spring break contact me.

costs
size to full color, hard bound
150 pages = $48 + shipping

size to full color, soft bound
150 pages = $35.50 + shipping

add .20¢ per page another 10 page is $2.00.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Fonts: One sans serif and one serif family can be used from the list below
_ Mrs Eaves _ Adobe Garamond _ Sabon _ Archer_ Memphis _ Melior _ Minon _ Myriad_ Univers _ Interstate _ Meta _ Gotham _ News Gothic _ Officina Sans _ Officiana Serif _ Helvetica Neue

Spreads must have all of the following on them
_ Title
_ by line (author's name)
_ year it was written
_ intro text
_ body text
_ at least 2 callouts (something from the article that you call out and make large on the spread)
_ page numbers (odd number goes on left side) use the number as a horizontal or vertical alignment

Be cautious of/avoid...
_ avoid making your type into organic shapes, type in circles, text on a curve
_ avoid checkerboard layouts
_ avoid too much space between elements
_ avoid filling the page, start with the text lower on the page
_ avoid a symmetric spread, think as spreads not pages.
 
Tips
_ avoid all the text being "high" on the page - works better lower on the page
_ have elements align on the same baseline
_ avoid white more white space "inside" the page. have your white space outside of the elements
_ do not crowd the page
_ do not have too little on the page
_ take your time be neat
_ explore some layouts conservative/traditional, other really push scale, tension, overlap,...

FINAL CHECKPOINTS_ clear hierarchy: headlines, subheads, intro text, body copy and callouts
_ used leading grid correctly (margins, alleys. modules)
_ everything locked to the baseline grid
_ most of the body text is 9/12 (or 8.5/12, or 8/12 depending on font)
_ dynamic composition, use of the page, is a spread not 2 pages
_ typographic rhythm
_ typographic color
_ clear clothesline in compostion
_ title treatment
_ intro text treatment
_ 2 call outs
_ no hyphens in callouts
_ page numbers (odd numbers on the RIGHT)
_ paragraph breaks (are you following the rules?)
_ justification: word spacing, letterspacing, hypenation
_ ragged text has a nice rag? no shapes
_ use of dashes, quote marks and apostrophes 
_ no widows or orphans (none)

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Wanting your own printer?

you can go to Epson.com and read all the specs... but you can buy it from various places: buy.com
bestbuy, office depot, office max, nebraska furniture mart...

Epson WorkForce 1100 Wide-format Printer
C11CA58201

Prints up to 13" x 19
Some students bought it last year and are happy with it.
look for it to go onsale some got it for around $100 normally on Epson.com $179


NEXT Step up would be ...
Epson Stylus Photo 1400 Ink Jet Printer
C11C655001

Auto photo correction
Brilliant, 13" x 19" photo enlargements
Direct CD / DVD printing
if you could afford it is a bit nicer and you may see the difference and prints directly onto CD/DVD

then there is this one, don't think you need it but...if you print a lot of photos...
Epson Stylus Photo R1900 Ink Jet Printer
C11C698201t55

Superior glossy prints with Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss® 2 pigment ink
Improved vibrancy and facial tones with Red and Orange ink cartridges
Unpredecented print quality with new Radiance™ technology

Friday, February 25, 2011

Designer's Toolbox

Bookmark it and keep it handy
http://www.designerstoolbox.com/

Useful Typography Tips For Adobe Illustrator

bookmark it, print it do whatever it takes to put this where you can refer to it when using Illustrator.  link



 

 

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Bookcovers on behance

















visit the book cover collection and appreciate...
http://www.behance.net/collections/view?collection=1615805

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

animate your bookcovers

you need to bring your files and I can show you how in class.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

cover, spine, back, flaps, end papers

























make it works as a unit something that is 3d that we want to pick up and turn around. by jim tierney

3 different directions























the goal of the project to have three directions that really look and feel and make us feel different. examples by Jim Tierney



Benjamin covers are examples of different IDEAS

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Upcoming Events...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb 07:
Hallmark Symposium (Bobby Martin)
Feb 08:
Hallmark, (Wichita, Dallas) prep workshop (2:30 pm room 200)
Feb 13:
Wichita, Hallmark, Dallas prep workshop (2pm room 200)
Feb 15: Hallmark recruiters visit and presentation about internship

Feb 18: Wichita: AIGA portfolio day
Feb 24:
IntroActive, lecture 2
Feb 27: Hallmark and Dallas prep workshop (2pm room 200)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 01:
Dallas entries due to me by Feb 28 and I can ship it for you.
March 01: Hallmark Internship Application Deadline
March 14:
Timmy Fisher (MK12)
March 24:
IntroActive, lecture 3
March 31 - April 2:
Dallas, National Student Show ($150.00 it is worth it)
Spring xx: AIGA Portfolio Workshop {required $
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April xx:
AIGA KC A7: Deadline Call for Entries
April 21: IntroActive, lecture 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 11: Sophomore Review
May 12
: KU Senior Show

Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/boards/?sort=picks

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Snow Day

everything EXCEPT the compound word is due on monday. we need to do that in class but you can do the type studies and sketches so I do expect to see them.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

By its cover...

The first project next semester (type 2) you will be redesigning a bookcover. Based on feedback last semester the students said they would have liked the break to identify the book(s). You must have read the book to be able to redesign the cover. DO not pick something FAMOUS or well know, something that is well designed or designed a over and over. Must be a work of FICTION. Come to class on the the first day with at least 3 choices and you need to have the book(s) with you and have READ THEM. Do not design something that you haven't read. Feel free to run any books by me before the first day. 

By the first day of class BLOG... (you will need this 3xs for each book you are considering) * your first choice.
1) title of the book
2) author (short bio)
3) other books by the same other
4) short synopsis / plot / summary
5) what is the feeling of the book (descriptive words at least 12)
6) what is the message?
7) protagonist does...
8) antagonist does...
9) 1 - 3 quote(s) from a character(s)
10) what did you pick this book to redesign? 

Links and Resources...(please check out)
http://bookcoverarchive.com: The Book Cover Archive is edited and maintained by Ben Pieratt of General Projects and Eric Jacobsen of Whisky Van Gogh Go.

http://shelvedbooks.blogspot.com/ A blog dedicated to the cover that never happened. The blog of designer Kimberly Glyder chronicles the journey of design from first comp to completion, with all of the revisions in-between. 

SIGN UP for DROPBOX it is free and will make getting your files onto the server EASY. http://www.dropbox.com/

If that is not enough and you want to keep going to get started. You can do the research... go here for instructions... Early Start.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Idea vs Variation

Benjamin covers are examples of different IDEAS






















examples of 3 different IDEAS






















the Torontonians covers are an examples of VARIATION












Exposed covers are examples of VARIATION












If you are having trouble with ideas you need to go back to your research, back to your concept. Reread the foundations reading and relook at all the bookcover reference material you have. As a designer you will always be asked to come up with lot and lots of ideas. You can do it.

textures, type and more

_ looking for vintage type examples for mood, tone
_ like to call this circus and swirls
_ high res textures
_ 50 must have brushes