Exercise 1 – Pen Tool Control
Using the pen tool, retrace the contours of this well known logo.
Watch this video for a description of how to proceed.
Due Week 2
Exercise 2 – Drawing Tools
Create a brush from vector forms and create a picture with that brush.
Due Week 3
Exercise 3 – Create a “drawing” with three different color schemes.
First Assignment: Neighbourhood Banner Illustration
Create a design/illustration for a light post banner for a local community of your choice.
The chamber of commerce for this community has asked you to design a light post banner to highlight that community’s unique characteristics (e.g. shopping, parks, history, landmarks etc.). The banners are meant to be used year round so they must not be seasonal.
Dimensions: 18″ x 36″
Due: Week 8
Step 1: Research
- Research your community. Walk through the area. Bring a sketchbook.
- Observe the people in that community and what they are doing. What are the demographics?
- Observe the architecture and buildings. Are there any landmarks? Is there a colour theme?
- Research the community’s history. Are there any past events that could be referenced?
- Look at other light post banners to see what other designers have done.
Step 2: Incubate and Articulate
- Once you’ve assembled your research “material”, begin drawing and writing. Don’t worry about layout or banner dimensions. This is a time to internalize the information you’ve gathered.
- Try to “articulate” your thoughts about the community. This is a good time to “restate” the problem in your own words.
Step 3: Plan
- Sketch possible solutions. Work small and quickly. Try to fill a page with as many possible layouts as possible.
- This is often the most difficult part for artists. We often fall in love with an idea too soon and begin refining it before we’ve properly explored other solutions.
- Get feedback on your sketches.
Step 4: Refine and Execute
- Once you’ve decided on a direction, refine your sketch. You may need to do several versions.
- Once you have a refined sketch, scan it and begin working in Illustrator.
- Develop the large shapes first while simultaneously developing the color scheme.
Assignment 2: Rain City Coffee House Logo and Packaging
Create a logo for Rain City Coffee House and apply it to a 3d model of a to-go cup. When submitting your assignment please place the logo in a single Adobe Illustrator file showing both the full sized logo with it’s intended colors as well as a small greyscale version of the logo. The link below will allow you to download the cup model and then watch this video to see how to apply your logo to it.
