Learning Graphic Design & Illustration

Vector Drawing Techniques Lesson 8 Discussion Topic

4. Get to the point. Follow the “I” statement with an explanation of the message How do you communicate differently
you are sending. Explain how or why you feel a certain way, or how or why you with the different people in your life?
think a certain thing. For example, say, “I want to leave at 3:30. I think that will Which of these communication styles
give us enough time to get there without having to rush.” are most like those you’ll use at work
with your boss/manager, co-workers,
5. Listen to the response. Pay attention and use active listening techniques to make customers, and people you supervise?
sure you hear the response.

6. Think before you respond. Make sure you understand the message. Repeat it, if
necessary, and ask questions for clarification. Use critical thinking to make sure
you are not letting emotions and preconceived ideas get in the way.

Different Types of Verbal Communication

As you already know, the ways you speak to your friends, your parents, your teach-
ers, your siblings, a person you’ve just met, or a stranger differ greatly. For instance,
you might get in trouble with your teachers if you spoke with them as if they were
your friends. On the other hand, speaking to your friends as if they were your teach-
ers wouldn’t be any fun.

Just as you use different types of verbal communication when speaking to your
friends and your parents, you use different types of verbal communication when
speaking to people with whom you relate on the job, such as your boss, your
co-workers, your customers, and your subordinates—the people you supervise.

• Your boss has a higher rank in the company than you do and has control over
your job. When communicating with a boss, you usually use a formal style of
verbal communication.

• Your co-workers, or colleagues, have the same rank in the company that
you do. This does not mean that you should joke around with them as you
do with your friends. It also does not mean you should use the same style of
verbal communication you would use with your boss. You can speak to them
more casually.

• Your customers are the source of your business. When communicating with
customers, remember the old saying, “the customer is always right.” This means
that in order to be successful, you must respect your customers and speak with
them positively.

• If you supervise others in the company, you communicate with them using the
respect that is due to any worker. You can also use an assertive or positive style
of verbal communication, so that they know exactly what is expected of them.

Not only is what you say important, but so is how you say it. In addition to the differ-
ent ways you can verbally communicate with others in the workplace, you can use
different tones to make your meaning clear. These include:

• Assertive speech, which includes action verbs such as “should,” “does,” and “will.”

• Aggressive speech, which you should avoid in the workplace, since it can lead
to arguments or hurt feelings. An example of aggressive speech would be, “You
better help me now!”

• Passive speech, which is usually best to use when you also want to show respect
or deference. Examples of passive speech include words such as “can,” “might,”
and “could.” What do you think it takes to be an effective communicator?

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Comprehension Check Lesson 8 Vector Drawing Techniques

1. Bitmap, or raster, images are based Communicating in a Diverse World
on a grid of pixels and are appropri-
ate for continuous-tone images such Throughout your career, you will interact with people from a variety of cultures,
as photographs or artwork created in people who differ in race, age, gender, sexual orientation, national and regional atti-
painting programs. Vector graphics are tudes and beliefs, family structure, religion, native language, physical and cognitive
made up of shapes based on math- abilities, experience, and educational background. Smart business leaders recognize
ematical expressions and are appropri- the competitive advantages of a diverse workforce that offers a broader spectrum of
ate for illustrations, type, and drawings viewpoints and ideas, helps companies understand and identify with diverse markets,
that require clear, smooth lines. and enables companies to benefit from a wider range of employee talents.
For all their benefits, diverse workforces and markets do present some communica-
2. To create a custom shape, select a tion challenges, and understanding the effect of culture on communication is essen-
path, and then choose Edit > Define tial. Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations,
Custom Shape. Name the shape; it will and norms for behavior. You are a member of several cultures, in fact, based on your
appear in the Custom Shape Picker. national origin, religious beliefs, age, and other factors.
Culture influences the way people perceive the world and respond to others, which
3. You use the Direct Selection tool to naturally affects the way they communicate as both senders and receivers. These
move, resize, and edit shapes. You influences operate on such a fundamental level that people often don’t even recog-
can also modify and scale a selected nize the influence of culture on their beliefs and behaviors.
shape or path by choosing Edit >
Free Transform. Comprehension Check

4. Smart Objects are vector objects that 1. What is the difference between a bitmap image and a vector graphic?
you can place and edit in Photoshop 2. How can you create a custom shape?
without a loss of quality. Regard- 3. What tool can you use to move and resize paths and shapes?
less of how often you scale, rotate, 4. What are Smart Objects, and what is the benefit of using them?
skew, or otherwise transform a Smart
Object, it retains sharp, precise edges. 194 LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION
A great benefit of using Smart Objects
is that you can edit the original object
in the authoring application, such as
Illustrator, and the changes will be
reflected in the placed Smart Object
in your Photoshop image file.

194 LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION

Enhancing a Design with Typographic and Vector Elements Chapter 4 REVIEW QUESTIONS

End-of-Chapter Activities 1. In addition to the Layers Panel, the
Typography workspace includes
Review Questions the Characters, Paragraph, and
Glyphs Panels.
1. Describe the features of the Typography workspace.
2. View > Rulers, then click and drag the
2. How do you add a guide in Photoshop? horizontal or vertical ruler you want
into place.
3. What are paragraph and character styles, and when would you use them?
3. A paragraph style is a collection of
4. Discuss various ways that you might be provided with paragraph type to add into a Photoshop composition type attributes that you can apply
and how you would then add the text. to an entire paragraph with a single
click. A character style is a collection
5. Describe the difference between an open path and a closed path. of attributes you can apply to indi-
vidual characters. Use paragraph and
6. Briefly describe the types of anchor points and segments you can create with the Pen tool. character styles if you frequently work
with type or need to consistently for-
7. Why is it a good idea to save work paths? mat type in your Photoshop images.

8. Briefly describe the different tones of speech you might use when speaking with others in the workplace. 4. Paragraph text might be provided
to you in a word processing docu-
Multiple Choice ment or email that you could copy
and paste into Photoshop. It might
1. Which of the following is not one of common formats for typefaces? be provided in a Photoshop note.
a. OpenType Click on the note to open it (or go to
b. EPS Window > Notes to open the Notes
c. PostScript Panel). You might also have to type it
d. TrueType in yourself.

2. What is the name for a single letter, word, or line of type added to a file in Photoshop? 5. An open path has a starting point and
a. paragraph type an ending point. A wavy line is an
b. wrap type open path. When you’re working with
c. point type the Pen tool, you end an open path
d. character type by pressing Enter or Return. A closed
path, like a circle, is continuous.
3. What is the name for multiple lines of text forming one or more paragraphs added to a file in Photoshop? When you’re working with the Pen
a. paragraph type tool, you end a closed path by recon-
b. wrap type necting with the starting point.
c. point type
d. character type 6. The Pen tool creates paths. Paths are
made of end, or anchor points (which
4. The ability to distort type to conform to a variety of shapes, such as an arc or a wave, is called can be smooth or corner) and con-
a. pointing nected by a segment, which can be
b. rotating straight or curved.
c. clipping
d. warping 7. Why is it a good idea to save work
paths? It’s a good idea to save work
5. What type of graphic retains its crispness whether it is moved, resized, or has its color changed? paths because if you deselect an
a. raster existing Work Path in the Paths panel
b. bitmap and then start drawing again, a new
c. pixels work path will replace the original
d. vector one, which will be lost.

6. In Photoshop, the outline of a vector shape is called a
a. pen
b. path
c. pixel
d. raster

LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION 195

8. Assertive speech includes action verbs like “should,” “does,” and “will”. Overly
demanding, aggressive speech, like “You better help me now!” should be
avoided in the workplace. Passive speech, which includes words like “might,”
“will,” and “can,” can help you show respect or deference.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. B
2. C
3. A
4. D
5. D
6. B

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MULTIPLE CHOICE Chapter 4 Enhancing a Design with Typographic and Vector Elements

7. A 7. Which of the following is not one of the tools or tool types you can use to create paths?
8. C a. selection tools
b. shape tools
c. Pen tool
d. Freeform pen tools

8. Which tool can you use to select a path point and move its direction lines?
a. Pen tool
b. Freeform Pen tool
c. Direct Selection tool
d. Move tool

Chapter 4 – Portfolio Builder

Using Creative Cloud Libraries with Linked Smart Objects

When you organize and share your design assets using Creative Cloud Libraries, you and your team can use those
library items in many Creative Cloud desktop and mobile apps. (If you do not have your own Creative Cloud
account, ask your teacher how to proceed with this exercise.)

DIRECTIONS Now all three elements will appear in Creative
Cloud applications and mobile apps. Because each
1. Open 08End_xx.psd, and choose Window > item is a linked Smart Object, the company can
Libraries to open the Libraries panel. edit the logo in the Kailua Koffee library and it will
update in all documents that use it. To edit a library
2. In the Libraries panel menu, choose Create New item, just double-click it in the Libraries panel.
Library, and name it Kailua Koffee_xx. Now add a color asset to the library.

3. In the Layers panel, select the Background layer. In 6. With the Eyedropper tool, click the red mug in the
the Layers panel menu, choose Convert to Smart document window. Then, deselect all layers in the
Object. This layer is now named “Layer 0”. Layers panel.

4. Select the Move tool. Drag the layer from the 7. At the bottom of the Libraries panel, click the Add
document window (not the Layers panel) into the Foreground Color swatch. That adds the color
Kailua Koffee library. you sampled to the current library. Use the same
method to sample a light blue from the sky in the
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the Logotype layer and background, and add that color to your library too.
the Coffee Cup layer.
8. Choose File > Close to close the file without saving.

The red foreground color added into the library.

The three assets added into the library.
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Enhancing a Design with Typographic and Vector Elements Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Critical Thinking Note: This file is a renamed
version of the 08End_xx.psd
Smart Guides file you saved.

Let’s take this design to the next level. You can use the coffee cup logo to make
a repeated motif at the bottom of the sign. Smart Guides can help you position
the images evenly.

DIRECTIONS

1. Choose File > Open. Navigate to the folder holding the data files for this
chapter, and double-click the CT04Start.psd file to open it in Photoshop.

2. Choose File > Save As, navigate to the location where your instructor directs
you to save files for this chapter’s projects, rename the file CT04End_xx.psd,
and click Save.

3. Choose View > Show, and make sure Smart Guides are enabled. If there’s a
check mark next to Smart Guides, they’re on. If there isn’t one, select Smart
Guides to enable them.

4. Select the Coffee Cup layer. Then select the Move tool, and press Alt+Shift
(Windows) or Option+Shift (Mac OS) as you drag the cup logo to the lower
left corner of the image. The Alt or Option key copies the selected object;
the Shift key constrains its movement. The magenta lines that appear as you
drag the object are Smart Guides.

5. Choose Edit > Free Transform. Then press Shift to maintain the proportions
as you scale the cup to about one-fourth its original size. Press Enter or
Return to confirm the transformation.

6. With the Coffee Cup copy layer still selected, press Alt+Shift or Option+Shift and
drag to the right until the measurements displayed in pink show you that the
images are 3.5 inches apart. As you drag, Smart Guides give you alignment
guides and display measurements to help you position objects.

7. Select the second image on the bottom, and repeat step 4. This time, when
you drag the image 3.5 inches, Photoshop displays the distance between
each of the sets of images.

8. Repeat step 5 so you have a total of 4 equally spaced logos.

9. Save and close the file.

The copied objects placed along the bottom of the image.

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Chapter 4 Enhancing a Design with Typographic and Vector Elements

Chapter 4 - Review Project 1

You work in a design studio with a team of several other designers with whom you are on a friendly basis. The
design firm has a fairly formal organizational structure, so you don’t often interact with the CEO. Yesterday, one
of your clients asked you to change the focus of a project you have been working on for several months—this will
mean starting almost from scratch to change a design you and a colleague had worked very hard on. On the up
side, the client is willing to pay what it takes to get the design she wants. You need to communicate the change in
scope of work both to your colleague and your CEO.
Review what you have learned about communications skills in this chapter, and then decide on the method you
will use to communicate with both persons. Create those communications, remembering to use appropriate
vocabulary and terminology and to adapt your writing style as appropriate for your audience.
After you have completed your communications, analyze and interpret how your “voice” differed for each communi-
cation. Did you use more formal vocabulary and grammar when writing to your boss? What kinds of casual com-
munication options did you feel comfortable using with your colleague? Add a summary sheet explaining how you
tailored your communications to each person and submit all three documents to your instructor as directed.

Review Project 2

Working with a partner, develop a list of 10 examples of slang in your own language that would probably be mis-
interpreted or misunderstood during a business conversation with someone from another culture who speaks a
different language. Next to each example, suggest other words you might use to convey the same message. Do
the alternatives mean exactly the same as the original slang or idiom? Summarize your findings in an email mes-
sage or post for a class blog.

Review Project 3

Work with a partner to practice active listening skills. Organize information to make an oral presentation to your
partner on a subject of interest to you, such as a film, a book, a video game, a television program, or a current
events subject. Your partner should employ active listening skills as you deliver your presentation. Then reverse
roles so you become the listener while your partner delivers a presentation to you. After both presentations have
been given, write a short synopsis of the presentation your partner delivered. How much did you remember?
Could you have listened more “actively”?

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198 LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION

Chapter 5

More Photo Refinements

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CHAPTER 5 Chapter 5 More Photo Refinements
OVERVIEW
Lesson 9 | Advanced Compositing Lesson 11 | Working with Camera Raw
This chapter reviews additional photo
refinements using Photoshop and Adobe Apply and edit Smart Filters Open a proprietary camera raw image in Adobe
Camera Raw. Use the Liquify filter to distort an image Camera Raw
Apply color effects to selected areas of an image Adjust tone and color in a raw image
Lesson 9 Key skills include using filters, Apply filters to create various effects Sharpen an image in Camera Raw
color effects, and the History panel, plus Use the History panel to return to a previous state Synchronize settings for multiple images
upscaling a low-resolution image for Upscale a low-resolution image for Open a Camera Raw image as a Smart Object in
high-resolution printing. The lesson con- high-resolution printing Photoshop
cludes with an overview of compositional Learn about compositional elements in graphic design Apply Camera Raw as a filter in Photoshop
elements in graphic design. Study a pro photo workflow
Lesson 10 | Painting with the Mixer Brush
Lesson 10 Key skills include customizing End-of-Chapter Activities
brush settings, mixing colors, and using Customize brush settings
brushes to blend color. The lesson con- Clean the brush
cludes with an overview of compositional Mix colors
principles in graphic design. Use an erodible tip
Create a custom brush preset
Lesson 11 Key skills include using Adobe Use wet and dry brushes to blend color
Camera Raw with Photoshop to adjust Explore compositional principles in graphic design
image tone, color, and sharpness. The
lesson concludes with an overview of 200 LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION
professional photography workflow tips,
including camera set up and the naming CHAPTER OPENER
and handling of raw images.
So far you’ve learned how to select and make changes to parts of an image file, to
Files Needed for This Chapter: apply quick fixes, and to add type and vector graphics. In this chapter, you’ll learn
09Start Folder, which includes: several more advanced Photoshop techniques, advanced compositing and paint-
ing with the Mixer Brush. You’ll also learn to use Adobe Camera Raw to adjust the
Bolts.psd raw images you import from a digital camera file.
Enhanced_Green_Forehead.psd
Franken.psd MEET INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
Green_Ear_Staples.psd
Green_Neck_Stitches.psd More advanced learners: Choose up to three more advanced learners—including
Green_Nose_Stitches.psd any who are already familiar with Photoshop—to act as the Photoshop Shortcut
Green_Skin_Texture.psd Police. As you move through the chapter—perhaps the whole book!—it’s their job
Monster_Hair.psd to point out keyboard shortcuts for pull-down menu options or other commands.
Backdrop.psd Have them keep a running list to display or distribute to the class.
T1.psd
09End.psd
Faces.jpg
10Palette_Start.jpg
10Landscape_Start.jpg
11A_Start.crw
11B_Start.nef
11Start Folder, which includes:
Mission01.crw
Mission02.crw
Mission03.crw
11B_Start.nef
PB05.jpg

200 LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION

Advanced Compositing Lesson 9 FOCUS AND ENGAGE

Lesson 9 Overview Introduce the Lesson

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to do the following: Based on what you know about the
words compose and composition, can
• Apply and edit Smart Filters. • Use the History panel to return to a previous state. you guess what compositing might be?
In Photoshop, compositing is the pro-
• Use the Liquify filter to distort an image. • Upscale a low-resolution image for cess of combining multiple images into a
• Apply color effects to selected areas of an image. high-resolution printing. single, unified image. You’ll do that in this
• Apply filters to create various effects. lesson with the parts of a monster for a
• Learn about compositional elements in graphic movie poster.
design.

Filters can transform ordinary images into extraordinary digital artwork. Smart Filters let you edit those transfor-
mations at any time. The wide variety of features in Photoshop lets you be as creative as you want to be.

In this lesson, you’ll assemble a montage of images for a movie poster as you explore filters in Photoshop. You’ll
create a poster that comprises a background, a monster image, and several smaller images. Each image has had
one or more filters or effects applied to it.

Creating the Project File

You’ll start this project by loading several files as layers in a new image file.

Try It!

1. Start Photoshop, and then immediately hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or
Command+Option+Shift (Mac OS) to restore the default preferences.

2. When prompted, click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file.

3. In Bridge, navigate to the folder holding the data files for this chapter, and then
open the 09Start folder.

4. Shift-click to select all the files in the 09Start folder, and then choose Tools >
Photoshop > Load Files Into Photoshop Layers.

The monster is composed of an image of a perfectly normal (though slightly threatening) guy with
several ghoulish images applied. These monstrous additions are courtesy of Russell Brown, with
illustration by John Connell.

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TEACHING TIP Lesson 9 Advanced Compositing

Point out that a layer’s visibility icon can Photoshop imports all the selected files as individual layers in a new Photoshop
be labeled by color (right click on the file. The visibility icon is labeled red in the layers that create the monster’s look.
visibility icon to show color menu). How 5. In Photoshop, choose File > Save As. Choose Photoshop for the Format, navigate
might students use this feature to orga- to the location where your instructor directs you to save files for this chapter’s
nize future projects? projects, and name the new file 09Monster_End_xx.psd. Click Save, and then
click OK in the Photoshop Format Options dialog box.

Arranging Layers

Your image file contains eight layers, imported in alphabetical order. In their current
positions, they don’t make a very convincing monster. You’ll rearrange the layer order
and resize their contents as you start to build your monster.

Try It!

1. Zoom out or scroll so that you can see all the layers on the artboard.
2. In the Layers panel, drag the Monster_Hair layer to the top of the layer stack.
3. Drag the Franken layer to the bottom of the layer stack.
4. Select the Move tool ( ), and then move the Franken layer (the image of the

person) to the bottom of the page.
5. In the Layers panel, Shift-click (select) every layer except the Franken layer, and

choose Edit > Free Transform.

Resizing the selected layers.

6. Press the Shift key as you drag down from a corner of the selection to resize
all the selected layers to about 50% of their original size. (Watch the width and
height percentages in the options bar.)

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Advanced Compositing Lesson 9

7. With the resized layers still selected, move them over the head of the Franken
layer. Then press Enter or Return to commit the transformation.

Move the resized layers over the face.

8. Zoom in to see the head area clearly.
9. Hide all layers except the Green_Skin_Texture and Franken layers.
10. Select only the Green_Skin_Texture layer, and use the Move tool to center it over

the face.

Move the Green_Skin_Texture layer over the face.

11. Choose Edit > Free Transform again to adjust the fit of the texture to the face.
Use the side handles to adjust the width, the bottom and top handles to adjust
the height, and arrow keys to nudge the entire layer into position. Use the eyes
and mouth as a guide. When you’ve positioned the skin texture, press Enter or
Return to commit the transformation.

12. Save your file.

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REVIEW THE Lesson 9 Advanced Compositing
VOCABULARY
Smart Filter Using Smart Filters
Smart Filter Mathematically defined
shapes that describe the letters, numbers, A filter that applies an effect Unlike regular filters, which permanently change an image, Smart Filters are non-
and symbols of a typeface like a regular filter but is destructive: They can be adjusted, turned off and on, and deleted. However, you can
nondestructive, meaning it can apply Smart Filters only to a Smart Object.
MEET INDIVIDUAL be changed, turned on and off,
NEEDS: or deleted. Applying the Liquify Filter

English language learners Have English You’ll use the Liquify filter to tighten the eye openings and change the shape of the
language learners translate the vocabulary monster’s face. Because you want to be able to adjust the filter settings later, you’ll
words and definitions into their native lan- use the Liquify filter as a Smart Filter. So you’ll first need to convert the Green_Skin_
guage and read them aloud to a partner in Texture layer to a Smart Object.
both English and their native language.
Try It!
TEACHING TIP
1. Make sure the Green_Skin_Texture layer is selected in the Layers panel, and then
Emphasize that regular filters perma- choose Convert To Smart Object from the Layers panel menu.
nently change an image—they cannot be
undone. Smart filters, which can only be 2. Choose Filter > Liquify.
applied to Smart Objects, are the excep- Photoshop displays the layer in the Liquify dialog box.
tion to this rule. You can even go back
into a Smart Filter you’ve applied and 3. In the Liquify dialog box, select Advanced Mode to see additional options.
make adjustments to it. You’ll do that with
the layers you apply to create the mon- 4. Select Show Backdrop, and then choose Behind from the Mode menu. Set the
ster’s face. Opacity to 75.

Discussion Topic You can change settings for Smart Filters such as the Liquify filter.

What effect does the Liquify filter have on 5. Select the Zoom tool ( ) from the Tools panel on the left side of the dialog box,
the green skin texture layer? and zoom in to the eye area.

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204 LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION

Advanced Compositing Lesson 9 TEACHING TIP

6. Select the Forward Warp tool ( ) (the first tool). The Brush Tool Options area in step #7 is
The Forward Warp tool pushes pixels forward as you drag. in the Brush panel.

7. In the Brush Tool Options area, set the Size to 150 and Pressure to 75. Students will find the nudge arrows help-
8. With the Forward Warp tool, pull the right eyebrow down to close the eye open- ful as they place the nose stitches and
other monster features.
ing. Then pull up from under the eye.
9. Repeat step 8 on the left eyebrow and under-eye area.

Warping the eye area.

10. When you’ve closed the gap around the eyes, click OK.
Because you’ve applied the Liquify filter as a Smart Filter, you can return later to
make additional changes to the face.

Positioning Other Layers

Now that you’ve got the skin texture in place, you’ll move the other layers into posi-
tion, working up from the lowest layers in the Layers panel.

Try It!

1. Make the Green_Nose_Stitches layer visible, and select it in the Layers panel.

2. Choose Edit > Free Transform, and then position the layer over the nose, resizing
it as necessary. Press Enter or Return to commit the transformation.

Position and size the layer with the stitches over the nose.

You’ll repeat the process to position the rest of the layers.

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Lesson 9 Advanced Compositing

3. Make the Green_Neck_Stitches layer visible, and select it. Then move it over the
neck. If you need to adjust it, choose Edit > Free Transform, resize it, and press
Enter or Return.

4. Make the Green_Ear_Staples layer visible, and select it. Move the staples over his
right ear. Choose Edit > Free Transform, resize and reposition the staples, and
then press Enter or Return.

5. Make the Enhanced_Green_Forehead layer visible, and select it. Move it over
the forehead; it’s probably a bit large. Choose Edit > Free Transform, resize the
forehead to fit the space, and press Enter or Return.

6. Make the Bolts layer visible, and select it. Drag the bolts so they’re positioned on
either side of the neck. Choose Edit > Free Transform, and resize them so that
they fit snugly against the neck. When you have them in position, press Enter or
Return to commit the transformation.

7. Lastly, make the Monster_Hair layer visible, and select it. Move it over the fore-
head. Choose Edit > Transform, and then resize the hair so it fits properly against
the forehead. Press Enter or Return to commit the change.

All the various layers have been positioned to create the monster face.

8. Save your work so far.

Editing a Smart Filter

With all the layers in position, you can further refine the eye openings and experi-
ment with the bulges in the eyebrows. You’ll return to the Liquify filter to make those
adjustments.

Try It!

1. In the Layers panel, double-click Liquify, listed under Smart Filters in the Green_
Skin_Texture layer.
Photoshop opens the Liquify dialog box again. This time, all the layers are visible
in Photoshop, so when Show Backdrop is selected, you see them all. Sometimes
it’s easier to make changes without a backdrop to distract you. Other times, it’s
useful to see your edits in context.

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Advanced Compositing Lesson 9 Discussion Topic

2. Zoom in to see the eyes more closely. What effect do the Pucker and Bloat tools
3. Select the Pucker tool ( ) in the Tools panel, and click on the outer corner of have on the monster’s face?

each eye.

Making edits to the Liquify filter. Note: To learn more about
blending modes, including a
The Pucker tool moves pixels towards the center of the brush as you click or description of each one, see
drag, for a puckering effect. “Blending modes” in Photoshop
Help.
4. Select the Bloat tool ( ), and click the outer edge of an eyebrow to expand it;
do the same for the other eyebrow.
The Bloat tool moves pixels away from the center of the brush as you click
or drag.

5. Experiment with the Pucker, Bloat, and other tools in the Liquify filter to custom-
ize the monster’s face. Remember that you can change the brush size and other
settings. You can undo individual steps, but if you want to start over, it’s easiest to
click Cancel, and then return to the Liquify dialog box.

6. When you’re happy with the monster’s face, click OK.

Painting a Layer

There are many ways to paint objects and layers in Photoshop. One of the simplest
is to use the Color blending mode and the Brush tool. You’ll use this method to paint
the exposed skin green on your monster.

Try It!

1. Select the Franken layer in the Layers panel.

2. Click the Create A New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel.
Photoshop creates a new layer, named Layer 1.

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Walk through steps 6, 7, and 8 with 3. With Layer 1 selected, choose Color from the Blending Mode menu at the top of
students—or demonstrate them in the Layers panel.
advance. In step 6, what does Ctrl-click
or Command-click on the thumbnail in
the Franken layer accomplish and how is
this helpful?

Note: To change the brush size The new layer’s blending mode changed to Color.
as you paint, press the bracket
keys on your keyboard. The Left The Color blending mode combines the luminance of the base color (the color
Bracket key ([) decreases the already on the layer) with the hue and saturation of the color you’re applying.
brush size; the Right Bracket (]) It’s a good blending mode to use when you’re coloring monochrome images or
increases it. tinting color images.

4. Select the Brush tool ( ). In the options bar, select a 60-pixel brush with a
hardness of 0.

5. Press Alt or Option to temporarily switch to the Eyedropper tool. Sample a green
color from the forehead. Then release the Alt or Option key to return to the
Brush tool.

6. Ctrl-click or Command-click the thumbnail in the Franken layer to select
its contents.

Usually, you select an entire layer in the Layers panel. When you do that, the
layer is active, but there isn’t actually an active selection. When you Ctrl-click
or Command-click the thumbnail of the layer, Photoshop selects the contents
of the layer, so you have an active selection. It’s a quick way to select all of the
contents of a layer—but only the contents of that specific layer.

7. Make sure Layer 1 is still selected in the Layers panel, and then use the Brush tool
to paint over the hands and arms. You can paint quickly where the hands are
against transparent areas, because painting outside the selection has no effect.
However, remember that the shirt is part of the selection, so you need to be
more careful as you paint the skin where it abuts the shirt colors.

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8. Paint any areas of the face or neck where the original flesh color shows through
the Green_Skin_Texture layer.

Paint within the selection on the new layer to apply the blended color.

9. When you’re happy with the green skin, choose Select > Deselect. Save your work.

Adding a Background

You’ve got a good-looking monster. Now it’s time to put him in his spooky environ-
ment. To easily move the monster onto a background, you’ll first merge the layers.

Try It!

1. Make sure all the layers are visible. Then choose Merge Visible from the Layers
panel menu.

2. Photoshop merges all the layers into one, named Layer 1.
3. Rename Layer 1 Monster.

Renaming the merged layer.

4. Choose File > Open. Navigate to the folder holding the data files for this chapter,
and open the Backdrop.psd file.

5. Choose Window > Arrange > 2-Up Vertical to display both the monster and
backdrop files.

6. Click the 09Monster_End_xx.psd file to make it active.

7. Select the Move tool ( ), and then drag the Monster layer onto the
Backdrop.psd file. Position the monster so his hands are just above the movie title.

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Pressing Ctrl+Z or Command+Z will 8. Close the 09Monster_End_xx.psd file, saving the changes when prompted.
undo the last thing you did. If you do this From now on, you’ll work on the movie poster file itself.
twice, the last step that you undo will be
the undoing you just did. (You may need 9. Choose File > Save As, navigate to the location where your instructor directs you
to demonstrate this). Press Alt + Ctrl + Z to save files for this chapter’s projects, and save the file with the name 09End_xx.psd.
(Windows) or Command + Option + Z Click OK in the Photoshop Format Options dialog box.
(Mac OS) to go back multiple steps.
Using the History Panel to Undo Tasks

You’ve used the Undo command to move backward one step. That’s as far back as
Undo can take you. This is a practicality, because Photoshop files can be very large,
and maintaining multiple Undo steps can tie up a lot of memory, which tends to
degrade performance. If you press Ctrl+Z or Command+Z to undo, and then press
the shortcut again, Photoshop restores the step you initially removed.
When you want to go back more than one step, you could use the Step Backward
command to undo steps one at a time, but it’s faster and easier to reverse multiple
actions by using the History panel.
Photoshop stores a record of the steps you perform in the History panel. Knowing
this, you can try a creative approach, easily return to your starting point if you don’t
get the results you want, and try going a different direction.

Applying Filters and Effects

You’ll add a tombstone to the poster, and you’ll experiment with filters and effects to
see what works, using the History panel to reverse course if necessary.

Try It!

1. In Photoshop, choose File > Open.

2. Navigate to the folder holding the data files for this chapter, and double-click the
T1.psd file to open it. The tombstone image is plain, but you’ll add texture and
color to it.

3. In the Tools panel, click the Default Foreground And Background Colors icon ( )
to return the foreground color to black.
You’ll start by adding a little atmosphere to the tombstone.

4. Choose Filter > Render > Difference Clouds.
You’ll leave the top of the tombstone in focus, but blur the rest using an iris blur.
The default blur settings will work fine.

5. Choose Filter > Blur Gallery > Iris Blur.

6. In the image window, drag the Iris Blur ellipse up so that the top of the tomb-
stone is in focus. Then click OK.
You’ll use adjustment layers to make the image darker and change its color.

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7. Click the Brightness/Contrast icon in the Adjustments panel. Then, in the Proper- Channel Mixer is the icon with the three
ties panel, move the Contrast slider to 70. overlapping circles. Exposure is the one
with the plus and minus signs.

Adding the first adjustment layer.

8. Click the Channel Mixer icon in the Adjustments panel.

9. In the Properties panel, choose Green from the Output Channel menu, and then
change the Red value to +37 and the Blue value to +108.

The tombstone takes on a green cast.

You can use the Channel Mixer adjustment to create high-quality grayscale,
sepia tone, or other tinted images. You can also make creative color adjustments
to an image.

10. Click the Exposure icon in the Adjustments panel. In the Properties panel, move
the Exposure slider to +.90 to increase the contrast in the image.

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Encourage students to experiment with Undoing Multiple Steps
the settings and adjustments they make
to the tombstone. The tombstone certainly looks different than it did when you started, but it doesn’t
quite match the tombstones that are already in the poster. You’ll use the History
panel to revisit the steps you’ve taken.

Try It!

1. Choose Window > History to open the History panel. Drag the bottom of the
panel down so that you can see everything in it.
The History panel records the recent actions you’ve performed on the image.
The current state is selected.

2. Click the Blur Gallery state in the History panel.

Choosing a state in the History panel to back up to that action.

The states below the selected state are dimmed, and the image has changed.
The color is gone, as are the Brightness/Contrast settings. At this point, the
Difference Clouds filter has been run and the iris blur has been applied. Every-
thing else has been removed. There are no adjustment layers listed in the Layers
panel.
3. Click the Modify Channel Mixer Layer state in the History panel.
Many of the states are restored. The color has returned, along with the bright-
ness and contrast settings. There are two adjustment layers in the Layers panel.
However, the states below the one you selected remain dimmed, and the Expo-
sure adjustment layer is not listed in the Layers panel.
You’ll return almost to the beginning to apply different effects to the
tombstone.
4. Click Difference Clouds in the History panel.
Everything following that state is dimmed.
5. Choose Filter > Noise > Add Noise.
Adding noise will give the tombstone a grainier look.

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6. In the Add Noise dialog box, set the Amount to 3%, select Gaussian, and select
Monochromatic. Then click OK.

Applying the Add Noise filter removes the dimmed History states. Note: The Lighting Effects filter
is unavailable if Use Graphics
The states that were dimmed are no longer in the History panel. Instead, the Processor is not selected in the
History panel has added a state for the task you just performed (Add Noise), Performance Preferences dialog
following the state you had selected (Difference Clouds). You can click any state box. If your video card does
to return to that point in the process, but as soon as you perform a new task, not support the Use Graphics
Photoshop deletes all dimmed states. Processor option, skip steps 7–12.

7. Choose Filter > Render > Lighting Effects.

8. In the options bar, choose Flashlight from the Presets menu.

9. In the Properties panel, click the Color swatch, select a light blue color, and then
click OK.

10. In the image window, drag the light source to the upper third of the tombstone,
centered over the letters “RIP.”

11. In the Properties panel, change the Ambience to 46.

12. Click OK in the options bar to accept the Lighting Effects settings.
The tombstone is ready to join the others in your movie poster.

13. Save the file as 09Tombstone_End_xx.psd in the folder where your instructor
directs you to save files for this chapter’s projects.

14. Choose Window > Arrange > Tile All Vertically.

15. Drag the tombstone you just created to the 09End_xx.psd file. Click OK if you
see a color management warning.

16. Drag the tombstone to the bottom left corner, with the top third of it showing.

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Note the size of the image (in the status 17. Choose File > Save to save the 09End_xx.psd file. Then close the
bar beneath the image) before you 09Tombstone_End_xx.psd file.
adjust it.

The poster with monster and tombstone.

You’ve had a chance to try out some new filters and effects, and to use the
History panel to backtrack. By default, the History panel retains only the last
20 states. You can change the number of levels in the History panel by choosing
Edit > Preferences > Performance (Windows) or Photoshop CC > Preferences >
Performance (Mac OS), and entering a different value for History States.

Upscaling a Low-Resolution Image

Low-resolution images are fine—even desirable—for web pages and social media.
If you need to enlarge them, though, they may not contain enough information for
high-quality printing. To scale an image up in size, Photoshop needs to resample it.
That is, it needs to create new pixels where none existed, approximating their values.
The Preserve Details (Enlargement) algorithm in Photoshop gives the best results
when you upscale low-resolution images.
In your movie poster, you want to use a low-resolution image that was posted on
a social media site. You’ll need to resize it without compromising quality for your
printed poster.

Try It!

1. Choose File > Open, navigate to the folder holding the data files for this chapter,
and open the Faces.jpg file.

2. Zoom in to 300%, so you can see the pixels.

3. Choose Image > Image Size.

4. Change the width and height measurements to Percent, and then change their
values to 400%.
The width and height are linked by default, so that images resize proportionally.
If you need to change the width and height separately for a project, click the link
icon to unlink the values.

5. Pan in the preview window so that you can see the glasses.

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6. Make sure Resample is selected, and choose Preserve Details (Enlargement) from Check the image size again after step 9.
the Resample menu. How much larger is it? Was the upscaling
The image is much sharper, but the sharpening has introduced some noise. successful?

7. Move the Reduce Noise slider to 50% to smooth the image.

You can reduce noise when resizing an image.

8. Click and hold on the preview window to see the original image, so you can
compare it to the altered image.

9. Click OK.
The final image quality is softer, but it holds up well, considering you’ve
quadrupled the image size and made a low-resolution image usable for print.
You’ll paste the image into a feathered selection on the poster.

10. Choose Select > All, and then choose Edit > Copy.

11. Select the 09End_xx.psd tab to bring it to the front, and then select the Elliptical
Marquee tool ( ), hidden beneath the Rectangular Marquee tool ( ).

12. In the options bar, enter 50 px for Feather to soften the edge of the pasted image.

13. Draw an oval in the upper right corner of the poster, above the monster’s head.
The oval should overlap the window and fire escape.

14. Choose Edit > Paste Special > Paste Into. Click OK if you see the Paste Profile
Mismatch dialog box.

15. Select the Move tool ( ), and center the pasted image in the feathered area.

16. In the Layers panel, choose Luminosity from the Blending Mode menu, and
move the Opacity slider to 50%.

Moving the faces into the poster.

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Share that the compositional elements 17. Choose File > Save.
this section reviews are line, shape, pat-
tern and texture, space, depth, and color. 18. Change to the Faces.jpg file. Choose File > Save As. Choose Photoshop for the
Consider defining each element on Format, navigate to the location where your instructor directs you to save files
the board as the class reviews the text. for this chapter’s projects, and name the new file 09Faces_End_xx.psd. Click
Remind students that the three dimen- Save, and then click OK in the Photoshop Format Options dialog box. Close both
sions here are length, height, and depth. files and exit Photoshop.

Discussion Topic Compositional Elements in Graphic Design

How can a line express emotion? Can Compositional elements are the building blocks of design principles. They can be
you draw a single line—by hand or in applied to photographic works, multimedia applications, and digital and print media.
Photoshop—that indicates how you feel For example, the principle of contrast becomes tangible only when elements such as
right now? What if you were happy, angry, color or texture create the contrast. The principle of direction is made real by bringing
sleepy, or afraid? the elements of line or depth to the page. A graphic design project might focus on a
principle to solve an intellectual idea, but the elements themselves make it concrete.
Analyzing and applying art elements in photographic works, multimedia applications,
and digital and print media enables the designer to develop work rooted in the prin-
ciples of design that is thoughtful, professional, and compelling. Line, shape, pattern,
texture, space, depth, and color are the most important elements to consider.

“Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks

like. People think it’s this veneer—that the designers are handed this
box and told, “Make it look good!” That’s not what we think design is.

”It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

—Steve Jobs (1955–2011)

Line

Line is one dimensional, having length, but no height or depth. It is the basic element
used to describe a shape and can be actual or implied, vertical or horizontal, diagonal
or contoured. Line has the power to activate its surrounding area. A thick, bold line
conveys a feeling of strength. A diagonal line that changes from thick to thin cre-
ates the illusion of spatial perspective. Line can define form, divide space, create the
illusion of depth, suggest movement or energy, or anything else the artist needs for
it to do. From a quickly sketched doodle to a hard-edged graphic, line offers endless
creative opportunities.
Designers can also use line to convey meaning or ideas. Lines used in this way are
often a learned response based on cultural norms, and their use in a design becomes
an important element not only in a composition but also in terms of meaning. For
example, a group of thin lines that encounter a bold vertical one can suggest the idea
of struggle. A jagged line might indicate stress or energy. A curved line can convey
playfulness because it seems to have a free-flowing life of its own. This free-flowing
quality is evident in signatures, where the expressive force of a personal characteris-
tic is effortlessly created. That same quality is used more intentionally when design-
ers use hand-drawn lines in their work.

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Designer Caroline Woolard used line quite inventively in her bird’s head logo for an Examine the shapes in the red posters.
exterminator. In the design, Woolard made the bird’s head a continuation of the line What do you see? What is the effect of
that inscribed the company name. But instead of sending a message to chemically combining those shapes? What does
exterminate bugs, Woolard has changed the logo to one for environmental policy. the addition of texture contribute to
Her bird is eating a bug, suggesting a more natural approach to pest control. the posters?

CAROLINE WOOLARD. Proposed logo for Bugoff Exterminators.

A quick stroke of chalk on a sidewalk would have had a much different look and
meaning than a broad brushstroke. Rhythmic strokes of ink on paper can suggest
rhythem or meditation. Lines can be both gestural and controlled. A very expressive
line can create the impression of kinetic motion a visual sort of “sound” that is ampli-
fied. Lines and shapes can tease, poke, pounce, push, and pull, with the vigor of form
enhancing the message.

Shape

Shape is a two-dimensional space, created by joining the two ends of a line. Shape
can be a predominant element in a design, from a random ink blob to a geometric
circle, triangle, or square. But shape can also be created from other elements such as
color and texture.

The poster series by Wax, and illustrated by Heads of State, uses color and texture to
create gritty, tactile shapes that have a dominant presence. We can’t help but try to
interpret their subtle ideas. The montage of a tree with a violin, a skyline with piano
keys, and a butterfly with a clarinet speak to the organic nature of live music. The
result is a communication that resonates with its audience.

WAX, CALGARY AB, CANADA. Illustration by Heads of State. Each poster (as part of a series for the Victoria 217
Symphony) uses montage along with color and texture to create shapes that resonate with meaning.

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Discussion Topic Lesson 9 Advanced Compositing

What is the difference between pattern Shape can also be brought to three-dimensional package designs. Christine Mau
and texture? How does texture add emo- converted a conventional box for facial tissues into a pyramid shape and added
tion to the Used Book Café logo? photorealistic illustrations to make the boxes look like pieces of fruit. The assign-
ment was to create a product that screams summer, and the result is a set of colorful
boxes that are functional, clever, and most definitely evocative of summertime.

CHRISTINE MAU, KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE. Tissue packaging Slice of Summer.

Pattern and Texture

Visual pattern is repeat of an element whose total effect is more than the individ-
ual parts. The repetition of lines or shapes of a pattern can bring visual energy and
motion to a composition. Pattern can be used to create texture, a two- or three-di-
mensional tactile quality, either real or perceived, that causes an emotion or sensa-
tion in the viewer. Designers are always hoping for such a response to their work.
In a proposed logo for the Used Book Café, Terrence McCarthy used a slice of pie
(with filling made of book pages), enhanced by the addition of texture. The rough,
worn finish of a used book on top of a cherry-red color is the final touch. The gritty
feel adds another dimension of emotional information to the logo image.

TERRENCE MCCARTHY. Proposed visual identity for Used Book Café—with and without a textured effect.

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The texture created by the materials and processes used to produce a design can What is white space? What are some syn-
also be part of meaningful form. For example, a woodcut illustration can lend an onyms for it?
antique handbill quality. An irregular frame image can have texture. Including the
illusion of a yellow and dented surface becomes an active, textured space. Layers of TEACHING TIP
thinking can be built into a design concept.
Examine the homepages of the Apple,
Space Adobe, and Microsoft websites. How is
white space used on each?
The area between elements on the page is called either white space (although it is
not necessarily white in color) or negative space. It is formed by the space between White space often evokes a sense of
and around shapes and in the background of the page. White space activates a luxury. Flip through the pages of a maga-
composition by creating contrast and tension. It can also improve a design’s legibil- zine that advertises high-end consumer
ity, giving the eyes resting points that allow the mind to comprehend the ideas being goods. Ask students to point out the use
presented. It gives a design a chance to breathe. of white space—reminding them that it
Negative space exists inside letterforms, too. The capital G shows us a counter shape, isn’t always white. What effect does the
the space held within the letterform. The form of the counter shape isn’t noticed as use of white space have on the viewer?
much as its positive letterform, but it exists and affects our perception of the charac-
ter of a letter, for example, making it bold, graceful, or authoritative. Looking at a full How does the white space between lines
page of type, you can see that white space also exists between each letter, between of text affect readability? Have students
each word, and between each typeset line of text, known as the leading. White space type a paragraph of text in Photoshop and
in typesetting affects the visual weight of a paragraph on the page and of the body experiment with line spacing adjustments.
of text in contrast to the margins. All in all, white space is a significant compositional
element in any design that uses text on a page.

Positive shapes and negative counter shapes are inherent in letterforms.

White space should also be a consideration in the design of websites. The balance
created between navigational elements, the information presented, and the images
allows the viewer to discern how to navigate the page, what to read, and where to go
next. Sites that are too busy, that don’t have enough negative space, give the viewer’s
eye no place to rest. White space is necessary for both print and exhibit design work.
Motion design, on the web or in video, also uses white space by providing a pause or
a bit of quiet in the midst of information being delivered. Viewers need a chance to
absorb what they’ve seen or learned.
You can see white space used to varying degrees in many kinds of graphics. White
space can be incorporated with many other compositional principles and elements
to bring organization and drama to a design. The result is a design that translates
information in a cohesive way that keeps the viewer interested.

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At this point, it may be helpful to think Depth
of the three dimensions as up/down,
sideways, and towards/away. Depth, the Visual perspective is an effective way of creating the illusion of depth—giving
towards you/away from you dimension, the viewer the perception of physical space. Developed during the time of the
gives the viewer a sense of physical space. Renaissance, the theory of vanishing points changed the way we perceive three-
Two ways to create the illusion of depth dimensional space on a two-dimensional plane. One-point perspective uses two
in a 2d design include overlapping objects lines (on two axes) that reach toward one vanishing point. Two-point perspective is
(particularly transparent ones) and using a little more complex visually. It uses two vanishing points instead of one, creating
size and scale (a larger object appears an image that is a little closer to the way we actually perceive distance on the curved
closer to the viewer than the same object earth. Three-point perspective adds another vanishing point or viewpoint above or
at a smaller size). Encourage interested below the object. Multi-point perspective adds additional vanishing points, typically
students to Google “depth in design” for all along a horizon, such as in a 360-degree panorama.
more ideas.
Two lines seem to reach toward one vanishing point (one-point perspective).

The sides of the cube converge toward two outer vanishing points (two-point perspective).

The Cannes Festival poster by Philippe Apeloig is a good example of how type itself
can be used with one-point perspective. The line tracks reach into the far distance,
with the words getting smaller as they move into space. The design serves as an
announcement for the festival, inviting viewers to experience the projected light in
a film theater setting. In this image, content and form meet beautifully in an almost
poetic way, with all the components working together harmoniously.

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Draw and merge a row of tall rectangles
in Photoshop to demonstrate use of
the Perspective tool (Edit > Transform >
Perspective).

PHILIPPE APELOIG. Cannes Festival poster. Projected type creates the illusion of depth and an appealing
dramatic effect.

Stacking shapes creates a three-dimensional effect of spatial depth. Layering and
perspective angles trick the eye into believing it is seeing physical depth. Of course,
objects can be stacked front to back, as well as top to bottom, to create an illusion
of space. Shapes and type also can be applied on a three-dimensional surface to
make it more interactive. For example, bending lettering around a corner where two
walls meets could be an ironic twist and an inventive use of typography in the third
dimension.

In addition, scale (the relative size, extent, or degree of elements within a design
composition) can also generate a sense of depth. Closer objects appear larger, while
objects that are further away appear smaller and typically sit higher (closer) to the
horizon line than objects in the foreground.

Color

The artist Mark Rothko (1903–1970) said that the colors he used in his paintings
were performers. In the work No. 14 (Brown over Dark) you can begin to see what
he meant. Using color as the primary element of his work, Rothko allows color to
define the painting, creating a sense of space, mood, dimension, form, and content.
Rothko’s portals, as he called them, are formal and aesthetic problems solved beauti-
fully through paint and color.

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Discussion Topic Lesson 9 Advanced Compositing

Reread the last three sentences on page Mark Rothko . No. 14 (Brown over Dark). 1963.
222. Ask students to paraphrase the mes-
sage they convey. When design elements including words, images, and shapes all using a specific color
palette, the elegant fusion can tell a story and create a formal unity. A design can
TEACHING TIP use colorful objects to capture the attention of the viewer. Color is a most active
visual component in design. Yellow expands outward and forward toward us, while
Share reference books or websites for blue recedes, drawing us in. Artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) described it well
color palettes. (And what does the fact when he wrote “Keen lemon-yellow hurts the eye in time as a prolonged and shrill
that hundreds of them are available trumpetnote in the ear, and the gazer turns away to seek relief in blue or green.”
indicate to students?) If you—or any of Color, alone or in combination with other colors or other principles and elements,
your students—downloaded the Adobe can bring contrast and unity. Colors can vibrate and move, create unity and discord.
Capture CC app earlier in this chapter, Artists can manipulate color with the rationality of a scientist or with irrationality
now would be a great time to demon- based on emotion. Arbitrary use of color can destroy an otherwise fine design, while
strate using it to generate color palettes truly brilliant use of color can make a design soar. Color should be part of the original
and transfer them into Photoshop. design concept, not something added at the end of the process.

Comprehension Check Choosing a specific color palette in advance can help in creating a unified design.

1. Smart Filters are nondestructive: they Comprehension Check
can be adjusted, turned off and on,
and deleted at any time. In contrast, 1. What are the differences between using a Smart Filter and a regular filter to apply
regular filters permanently change an effects to an image?
image; once applied, they cannot be
removed. A Smart Filter can be ap- 2. What do the Bloat and Pucker tools in the Liquify filter do?
plied only to a Smart Object layer. 3. What does the History panel do?

2. The Bloat tool moves pixels away 222 LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION
from the center of the brush; the
Pucker tool moves pixels toward the
center of the brush.

3. The History panel records recent
steps you’ve performed in Photoshop.
You can return to an earlier step by
selecting it in the History panel.

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Painting with the Mixer Brush Lesson 10 FOCUS AND ENGAGE

Lesson 10 Overview Introduce the Lesson

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to do the following: Ask if anyone in the class has experience
painting with brushes (house painting
• Customize brush settings. • Create a custom brush preset. counts, too!). What happens if you paint
a dark color onto a light background with
• Clean the brush. • Use wet and dry brushes to blend color. a brush that’s dripping wet with water?
What happens if you paint one color over
• Mix colors. • Explore compositional principles in graphic another with a wet brush? How do these
• Use an erodible tip. design. effects change is the brush is completely
dry or only has a little bit of paint on it? As
The Mixer Brush tool gives you flexibility, color-mixing abilities, and brush strokes as if you were painting on a you review the skills listed in the Lesson
physical canvas. In this lesson, you’ll experiment with the various capabilities of the Mixer Brush, and then you’ll 10 Overview, explain that the Mixer Brush
use it to create a final digital painting. tool lets users manipulate color, even
mixing colors or thinning them, as if they
About the Mixer Brush were painting on a canvas—or a house.

In previous lessons, you’ve used brushes in Photoshop to perform various tasks. The Note: If you plan to do a lot
Mixer Brush is unlike other brushes in that it lets you mix colors with each other. You of painting in Photoshop,
can change the wetness of the brush and how it mixes the brush color with the color consider using a tablet, such
already on the canvas. as a Wacom tablet, instead of a
Photoshop brushes have realistic bristles, so you can add textures that resemble mouse. Photoshop can sense
those in paintings you might create in the physical world. While this is a great fea- the way you hold and use the
ture in general, it’s particularly useful when you’re using the Mixer Brush. You can pen to change the brush width,
also use an erodible tip to achieve the effects you might get with charcoal pencils strength, and angle on the fly.
and pastels in the physical world. Combining different bristle settings and brush tips
with different wetness, paint-load, and paint-mixing settings gives you opportunities
to create exactly the look you want.

Opening the Practice File

In this lesson, you’ll get acquainted with the Mixer Brush as well as the brush tip and
bristle options available in Photoshop. Start by opening a file where you’ll do some
practice work.

Try It!

1. Start Photoshop, and then immediately hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or
Command+Option+Shift (Mac OS) to restore the default preferences.

2. When prompted, click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file.

3. Choose File > Open, and navigate to the folder holding the data files for this chapter.

4. Double-click 10Palette_Start.psd to open the file.

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Discussion Topic Lesson 10 Painting with the Mixer Brush

Has anyone ever painted with artist’s acryl- 5. Choose File > Save As, navigate to the location where your instructor directs you
ics or oil paints? How are they different? to save files for this chapter’s projects, and rename the file 10Palette_End_xx.psd.
Click Save, and click OK if the Photoshop Format Options dialog box appears.
TEACHING TIP

The Brush panel is really large. You may
need to rearrange your workspace to be
able to see behind it!

Note: If you have OpenGL You’ll practice with the Mixer Brush in this file.
enabled, Photoshop displays a
sampling ring so you can preview Selecting Brush Settings
the color you’re picking up.
The image includes a palette and four tubes of color, which you’ll use to sample
the colors you’re working with. You’ll change settings as you paint different colors,
exploring brush tip settings and wetness options.

Try It!

1. Select the Zoom tool ( ), and zoom in to see the tubes of paint.
2. Select the Eyedropper tool ( ), and click the red tube to sample its color. The

foreground color changes to red.
3. Select the Mixer Brush tool ( ), hidden under the Brush tool ( ).

Choosing a foreground color and the Mixer Brush tool.

4. Choose Window > Brush to open the Brush panel. Select the first brush.
The Brush panel contains brush presets and several options for
customizing brushes.

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Painting with the Mixer Brush Lesson 10 REVIEW THE
VOCABULARY
The Brush panel offers numerous settings.
Wet The Mixer Brush options bar setting
Experimenting with Wetness Options and Brushes that controls how much paint the brush
picks up from the canvas.
The effect of the brush is determined by the Wet, Load, and Mix fields in the options
bar. You can change these settings separately. However, it’s faster to select a standard Load The Mixer Brush options bar setting
combination from the pop-up menu. that controls how much paint the brush
holds when you begin painting (as with a
Try It! physical brush, it runs out of paint as you
paint with it).
1. In the options bar, choose Dry from the pop-up menu of blending brush
combinations. Mix The Mixer Brush options bar setting
When you select Dry, Wet is set to 0%, Load to 50%, and Mix is not applicable. that controls the ratio of paint from the
With the Dry preset, you paint opaque color; you cannot mix colors on a canvas and paint from the brush.
dry canvas.
Wet
2. Paint in the area above the red tube. Solid red appears. As you continue painting
without releasing the mouse, the paint eventually fades and runs out. The Mixer Brush options bar
setting that controls how much
paint the brush picks up from
the canvas.

Load

The Mixer Brush options bar
setting that controls how much
paint the brush holds when you
begin painting (as with a physical
brush, it runs out of paint as you
paint with it).

Mix

The Mixer Brush options bar
setting that controls the ratio of
paint from the canvas and paint
from the brush.

Painting with the Dry preset.

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Discussion Topic Lesson 10 Painting with the Mixer Brush

What is erosion? Based on what you know Note: When you Alt-click or 3. Sample the blue color from the blue tube of paint. You can use the Eyedropper
about erosion, what do you think an Option-click to load paint, the tool or Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) to sample the color. If
erodible tip is going to do? brush picks up color variations in you use the Eyedropper tool, return to the Mixer Brush tool after you sample
the sample area. To sample only the color.
solid colors, select Load Solid
Colors Only in the Current Brush 4. In the Brush panel, select the round fan-shaped brush. Choose Wet from the
Load menu in the options bar. pop-up menu in the options bar.

Note: The Live Tip Brush 5. Paint above the blue tube. The paint mixes with the white background.
Preview shows you the direction
of the bristles as you paint. To 6. Choose Dry from the menu in the options bar, and then paint again above the
show or hide the Live Tip Brush blue tube. A much darker, more opaque blue appears, and doesn’t mix with the
Preview, click the Toggle The white background.
Live Tip Brush Preview button at
the bottom of the Brush or Brush The bristles from the fan brush you selected are much more apparent than the
Presets panel. The Live Tip Brush bristles you used originally. Changing bristle qualities makes a big difference in
Preview is available only with the texture you paint.
OpenGL enabled.
7. In the Brush panel, decrease the number of bristles to 40%. Paint a little more
with the blue brush to see the change in texture. The bristles are much more
obvious in the stroke.

Reducing the number of bristles changes the texture.

8. Sample the yellow color from the yellow paint tube. In the Brush panel, select
the flat-point brush with fewer bristles (the one to the right of the fan brush).
Choose Dry from the menu in the options bar, and then paint in the area over
the yellow paint tube.

9. Choose Very Wet from the menu in the options bar, and then paint some more.
Now the yellow mixes with the white background.

Using an Erodible Tip

When you use an erodible tip, the width of the brush changes as you paint. Erodible
tips are represented in the Brush panel by pencil icons, because in the physical world,
pencils and pastels have erodible tips. You’ll experiment with erodible point and
triangle tips.

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Painting with the Mixer Brush Lesson 10 TEACHING TIP

Try It! In step 2, the softness of an erodible tip
affects how quickly it’s going to erode,
1. Sample the green color from the green paint tube, and choose Dry, Heavy Load or turn dull. In step 4, the Sharpen Tip
in the options bar. command resets the erodible tip back to
sharp again.
2. Select one of the erodible tips (any tip with a pencil icon), and then choose Erod-
ible Point from the Shape menu. Change the brush’s Size to 30 px and Softness
to 100%.
The Softness value determines how quickly the tip erodes. A higher value results
in faster erosion.

3. Draw a zigzag line above the green paint tube.

The line gets thicker as the tip erodes.

4. Click Sharpen Tip in the Brush panel, and then draw a line next to the one you
just drew.
The sharper tip draws a much narrower line.

5. Choose Erodible Triangle from the Shape menu in the Brush panel, and draw a
zigzag line with it.

You can choose from several erodible tips, depending on the effect you want. Note: Depending on the
complexity of your project,
Mixing Colors you may need to be patient.
Mixing colors can be a memory-
You’ve used wet and dry brushes, changed brush settings, and mixed the paint with intensive process.
the background color. Now, you’ll focus more on mixing colors with each other as
you add paint to the painter’s palette.

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TEACHING TIP Lesson 10 Painting with the Mixer Brush

In step 3, if you don’t see the pull-down Try It!
Mixer Brush menu, be sure that a brush tip
with bristles is selected. 1. Zoom out just enough to see the full palette and the paint tubes.

2. Select the Paint mix layer in the Layers panel, so the color you paint won’t blend
with the brown palette on the Background layer.
The Mixer Brush tool mixes colors only on the active layer unless you select
Sample All Layers in the options bar.

3. Use the Eyedropper tool to sample the red color from the red paint tube. Then,
with the Mixer Brush tool selected, select the round blunt brush in the Brush
panel (the fifth brush). Then choose Wet from the pop-up menu in the options
bar, and paint in the top circle on the palette.

4. Click the Clean The Brush After Each Stroke icon ( ) in the options bar to
deselect it.

Use the Eyedropper tool to sample the color, since it’s on a different layer. You can press I to select
the Eyedropper tool.

5. Use the Eyedropper tool to sample the blue color from the blue paint tube, and
then use the Mixer Brush tool to paint in the same circle, mixing the red with the
blue until the color becomes purple.

Note: Use the Eyedropper tool The blue paint mixes with the red to create purple.
to sample a color when the layer
that contains the color (in this 6. Paint in the next circle. You’re painting in purple because the paint stays on the
case, the Background layer) isn’t brush until you clean it.
selected.
7. In the options bar, choose Clean Brush from the Current Brush Load pop-up
menu. The preview changes to indicate transparency, meaning the brush has no
paint loaded.
To remove the paint load from a brush, you can choose Clean Brush in the op-
tions bar. To replace the paint load in a brush, sample a different color.

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Painting with the Mixer Brush Lesson 10

If you want Photoshop to clean the brush after each stroke, select the Clean
Brush icon in the options bar. To load the brush with the foreground color after
each stroke, select the Load Brush icon in the options bar. By default, both of
these options are selected.
8. Choose Load Brush from the Current Brush Load pop-up menu in the options
bar to load the brush with blue, the current foreground color. Paint blue in half of
the next circle.

Loading the brush with the current foreground color.

9. Sample the yellow color from the yellow paint tube, and paint over the blue with
a wet brush to mix the two colors.

10. Fill the last circle with yellow and red paint, mixing the two with a wet brush to
create an orange color.

11. Hide the Circles layer in the Layers panel to remove the outlines on the palette.

The final blended colors on the palette.

12. Choose File > Save.

Julieanne Kost is an official Adobe Photoshop evangelist.

Tool Tips from the Photoshop Evangelist

Mixer Brush Shortcuts
There are no default keyboard shortcuts for the Mixer Brush tool, but you can
create your own.

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TEACHING TIP Lesson 10 Painting with the Mixer Brush

Remember that you can type directly into To create custom keyboard shortcuts:
the Brush panel settings and press Tab to
advance from one value field to the next. 1. Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.

2. Choose Tools from the Shortcuts For menu.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the list.

4. Select a command, and then enter a custom shortcut. You can create
shortcuts for the following commands:
• Load Mixer Brush
• Clean Mixer Brush
• Toggle Mixer Brush Auto-Load
• Toggle Mixer Brush Auto-Clean
• Toggle Mixer Brush Sample All Layers
• Sharpen Erodible Tips

Note: Due to an anomaly, Creating a Custom Brush Preset
numbers you enter in the Size,
Bristles, Thickness, and Stiffness Photoshop includes numerous brush presets, which are very handy. But if you need
fields may not appear in the to tweak a brush for your project, you might find it easier to create your own pre-
correct order. To avoid the issue, set. You’ll create a brush preset to use in the following exercise.
select only the digits (not the
percentage sign) in the field Try It!
before entering a new value.
1. In the Brush panel, select the following settings:
• Size: 36 px
• Shape: Round Fan
• Bristles: 35%
• Length: 32%
• Thickness: 2%
• Stiffness: 75%
• Angle: 0°
• Spacing: 2%

2. Choose New Brush Preset from the Brush panel menu.

3. Name the brush Landscape, and click OK.

4. Click Brush Presets in the Brush panel to open the Brush Presets panel.
The Brush Presets panel displays samples of the strokes created by different
brushes. If you know which brush you want to use, it can be easier to find
by name. You’ll list them by name now, so you can find your preset for the
next exercise.

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Painting with the Mixer Brush Lesson 10

5. Choose Large List from the Brush Presets panel menu.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the list. The preset you created, named Landscape, is the

last preset in the list.

Scroll down to view your custom brush preset.

7. Save and close the 10Palette_End_xx.psd file.

Mixing Colors Within a Photograph

Earlier, you mixed colors with a white background and with each other. Now, you’ll
use a photograph as your canvas. You’ll add colors and mix them with each other
and with the background colors to transform a photograph of a landscape into
a watercolor.

Try It!

1. Choose File > Open. Navigate to the folder holding the data files for this chapter,
and then double-click the 10Landscape_Start.jpg file to open it.

2. Choose File > Save As. Rename the file 10Landscape_End_xx.jpg, and click Save.
Click OK in the JPEG Options dialog box.
You’ll paint the sky first. Start by setting up the color and selecting the brush.

3. Click the Foreground Color swatch in the Tools panel. Select a medium-light
blue color (we chose R=185, G=204, B=228), and then click OK.

4. Select the Mixer Brush tool ( ), if it isn’t already selected. Choose Dry from
the pop-up menu in the options bar. Then select the Landscape brush from the
Brush Presets panel.
Presets are saved on your system, so they’re available when you work with
any image.

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TEACHING TIP Lesson 10 Painting with the Mixer Brush

Encourage students to experiment with 5. Paint over the sky, moving in close to the trees. Because you’re using a dry brush,
brush stroke direction, color, and settings. the paint isn’t mixing with the colors beneath it.

Note: Remember that you can Painting over the sky.
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-
click (Mac OS) to sample a color 6. Select a darker blue color (we used R=103, G=151, B=212), and add darker color
instead of using the Eyedropper at the top of the sky, still using the dry brush.
tool. To sample only solid colors
using the keyboard shortcut, 7. Select a light blue color again, and choose Very Wet, Heavy Mix from the pop-
choose Load Solid Colors Only up menu in the options bar. Use this brush to scrub diagonally across the sky,
from the Current Brush Load blending the two colors in with the background color. Paint in close to the trees,
pop-up menu in the options bar. and smooth out the entire sky.
When you’re satisfied with the sky, move on to the grass and trees.

8. Select a light green (we used R=92, G=157, B=13). Choose Dry from the pop-up
menu in the options bar. Then paint along the top section of the grass to high-
light it.

9. Sample a darker green from the grass itself. Choose Very Wet, Heavy Mix in the
options bar. Then paint using diagonal strokes to blend the colors in the grass.

Adding light green with a dry brush Blending colors with a wet brush

Note: For different effects, paint 10. Sample a light green, and then use a dry brush to highlight the lighter areas of
in different directions. With the the trees and the small tree in the middle of the landscape. Then select a dark
Mixer Brush tool, you can go green (we used R=26, G=79, B=34), and choose Very Wet, Heavy Mix in the op-
wherever your artistic instincts tions bar. Paint with the wet brush to mix together the colors in the trees.
lead you.
So far, so good. The background trees and the brown grasses are all that remain
to be painted.

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Painting with the Mixer Brush Lesson 10

11. Select a bluer color for the background trees (we used R=65, G=91, B=116). Paint
with a dry brush to add the blue at the top. Then choose Wet in the options bar,
and paint to mix the blue into the trees.

12. Sample a brown color from the tall grasses, and then select Very Wet, Heavy Mix
in the options bar. Paint along the top of the tall grass with up-and-down strokes
for the look of a field. Across the back area, behind the small center tree, paint
back and forth to create smooth strokes.

13. Choose File > Save, and close the document.

Voilà! You’ve created a masterpiece with your paints and brushes, and there’s no mess to clean up.

Brush Variations

You can go beyond the settings in these projects to explore numerous varia-
tions in brush tips and settings. In particular, you may want to play with Brush
Pose and Shape Dynamics options.

Brush Pose settings change the tilt, rotation, and pressure of the brush. In the
Brush panel, select Brush Pose from the list on the left. Move the Tilt X slider
to tilt the brush from left to right. Move the Tilt Y slider to tilt the brush forward
and backward. Change the Rotation value to rotate the bristles. (Rotation is
more obvious when using a flat fan-shaped brush, for example.) Change the
Pressure setting to determine how much effect the brush has on the artwork.

Shape Dynamics settings affect the steadiness of the stroke. Move the sliders to
the right to increase the variability in the stroke.

If you’re using a supported stylus or Wacom tablet, Photoshop recognizes the
angle and pressure of the pen you’re using, and applies them to the brush. You
can use the pen to control such things as Size Jitter. Choose Pen Pressure or
Pen Tilt from the Control menu in the Shape Dynamics settings to determine
how the value changes.

There are many more options—some subtle, some not so subtle—to cre-
ate variety in brush effects. Which options are available depend on the brush
tip shape you’ve selected. For more information about all the options, see
Photoshop Help.

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Discussion Topic Lesson 10 Painting with the Mixer Brush

Where on pages 234 and 235 do stu- Painting Gallery
dents see evidence of techniques they’ve
just learned? The painting tools and brush tips in Photoshop let you create all kinds of paint-
ing effects.
Erodible brush tips give an added realism to your art. The following pages show
examples of art created with the brush tips and tools in Photoshop.

Image © Janet Stoppee for m2media.com

Image © Victoria Pavlov, Image © John Derry, www.pixelart.com
pavlovphotography.com

Image © sholby, www.sholby.net Image © sholby, www.sholby.net
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Painting with the Mixer Brush Lesson 10

Image © sholby, www.sholby.net

Image © John Derry, www.pixelart.com
Image © Lynette Kent, www.LynetteKent.com

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TEACHING TIP Lesson 10 Painting with the Mixer Brush

Share that the compositional elements Compositional Principles in Graphic Design
this section reviews are line, shape, pat-
tern and texture, space, depth, and color. Compositional principles are broad aesthetic strokes that organize elements into
Consider defining each on the board as pleasing visuals. They can be applied to photographic works, multimedia applications,
the class reviews the text. and digital and print media. Analyzing each art principle in any of these applications
starts by examining how it is formed in a particular situation. For example, if you place
Search online for additional resources a large single word on a page, then there are three compositional principles at work,
and illustrations of these principles. As some standing out more than others. The first is the principle of direction, created by
of February 2016, Steven Bradley at the word reading from left to right; the second is the principle of dominance, created
Smashing Magazine posted a helpful by the word’s ability to attract attention, either through its meaning or its visual quali-
series of articles illustrating them. ties; and the third is the principle of proportion, created by the word’s size in relation to
the page itself. In most cases, these principles are embodied by elements such as color,
Consider searching online for—or cre- texture, size, scale, and shape. All the elements must work together in the complex
ating—examples of artworks or page process of making compelling graphic design. Analyzing and applying art principles in
layouts in which these principles have photographic works, multimedia applications, and digital and print media enables the
not been applied, or have been applied designer to develop work that is thoughtful, professional, and compelling. Among the
poorly. Using a principle correctly is many principles that underlie good design, seven stand out: balance, contrast, direc-
often a matter of feel—when it’s right, it tion, dominance, proportion, rhythm, and unity.
just feels right. At first it can be easier to
identify examples of when it isn’t right. It Balance
just feels off.
Balance is the distribution of items in a composition to achieve equality either sym-
Discussion Topic metrically or asymmetrically. For example, both of the circle compositions shown
here achieve a sense of balance. In the first, the two equally sized circles are cen-
How can you tell when something is tered; in the other composition, a large circle is positioned on one side of the page,
balanced? Picture something as simple which is countered by a much smaller circle. The space is balanced by their relation-
as two children on a seesaw. Is it easier ship. One of the advancements explored in twentieth-century design is the premise
sometimes to see when something is that a design could be freed by moving type and imagery away from a centered axis
not balanced? to one that is not centered. It may seem so obvious to us now, but it was considered
quite daring at one time.

Balance and contrast are created by differences in scale in relationship
to each other and to the proportion of the page.

A design can use symmetry together with just a hint of asymmetry to create a har-
monious relationship. For example, if the main subject of the composition—such as
a logo graphic or cup of coffee—is centered, the text might be placed somewhat off
the center line to introduce asymmetry.
Balance can surprise you, however. Something that appears to break all the rules might
actually achieve a delicate balance both visually and through content. When thinking
about balance, consider additional principles such as contrast, rhythm, direction, and
the compositional elements that help create those principles such as color and texture.
All should work in harmony with the actual content to create an impact.

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Contrast You can also use contrast with something
as simple as boldfacing type. As with
Contrast occurs when juxtaposed forms, treatments, and ideas create visual or intel- boldface, use contrast sparingly. What
lectual tension. The result is an enhanced perception of differences between paired happens to a page of text when too much
or grouped elements. This dual function makes it a most useful and challenging of it—or the whole page—is boldfaced?
design tool.
Tension, visual strain based on imbalanced relationship of contrasting elements, cre-
ates energy which, in turn, can create power and impact on the page as well as in the
mind. The elements we use to create contrast and tension are quite simple—shape
(straight and curved), size (big and small), and value (black and white). The example
here demonstrates the potential of this energy using geometric shapes.

Complex compositions need elements that work off one another in order to create
pleasing visual contrasts.

Designers use contrast and unexpected juxtaposition to amplify the message they
are conveying. For example, by juxtaposing a fork and a chain (two objects that nor-
mally don’t go together), the resulting image will stand out because of the oddness
of the pairing. In bringing these two objects together, the image sends an idea that
is much more complex than the two objects alone might convey—the challenge of
eating with restraint. The message can be enhanced by heightening the visual con-
trast. For example, by using an ornately decorative fork against the blunt weight of a
heavy construction chain, you can create a higher contrast and thus relay a stronger
message. As a designer, you have to decide whether boldness or subtlety makes your
message more compelling.

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TEACHING TIP Lesson 10 Painting with the Mixer Brush

Suggest that students pay attention to the In the examples shown earlier, the circles, lines, and shapes work against one other,
way their eye travels from place to place and yet seem to belong together; they are all in the same family of black and white
on a web page they’re seeing for the first geometric forms.
time. Somebody probably planned that.
Direction

When we refer to the compositional principle of direction, we’re really describing the
orientation of elements within a design. When we consider direction, we’re thinking
about how to give a design vigor and life. A composition’s elements seem to move
because the eye moves to follow them. Without direction, a design can seem static
or dull.

The most basic shape can lead the eye through a composition.

Flow creates a stream of connections which, in turn, helps direct the eye to specific
focal points. For example, you could experiment with breaking a body of text into
smaller blocks arranged to flow in a particular way on the page. This enables you to
see a layout in a whole new way. After doing this simple exercise, you might want to
move the text around, create new areas of blank space, or change font size.
Direction has a diagrammatic aspect to it because something is placed in conjunc-
tion with something else. The diagrammatic expression causes occasional bursts
of visual energy. The clusters and breathing points create unexpected surprises—
valuable when the need is to hold someone’s interest.

Dominance

Unlike a painter or sculptor showing work in a gallery, a graphic designer rarely has
the luxury of an attentive audience. Usually a design needs to stand out, arouse inter-
est, reach from the page or the wall, and pull the viewer into the scene. So think of
dominance as the hierarchy of a composition in terms of what is emphasized first—
the core activity of design. Our page, space, screen, or package needs to grab the
viewer’s eye. If it doesn’t, it fails.
Notice in the next diagram how a single dominant element grabs the eye’s attention.
Once you’ve gotten your viewer’s attention, you can lead his or her eyes to other

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details within the composition. In this example, the dominance of the large shape The more dominant element is the
usurps the traditional hierarchy of top to bottom and left to right. one that gets noticed first. It has more
visual weight.

As with balance, sometimes it’s easier to
tell when something is out of proportion.

The dominant element draws the viewer into the composition.

Dominance may help explain the reductivist, or minimalist, nature of many design solu-
tions. One main point has to get across to the viewer, but just as with a short story or
short film, there is a limited space or time for an idea to be conveyed. In the same way
that a book cover must reveal the gist of the entire book and a film title must embody
the spirit of a complete movie, a design must reduce the elements to their essentials. A
concrete and succinct word, image, or shape will be more powerful and effective than
one that is vague or too general. It is a mechanism that the public understands.

You also can use a process known as cropping, or reframing, to refine the dominant
graphics in a composition. Pushing and pulling an image—left and right or in and
out—changes the area of focus. The designer can zoom in on the desired image,
framing it in relationship to the other elements. Each version will tell a slightly differ-
ent story. Cropping also can affect other principles and elements such as balance,
tension, and direction. But besides affecting the formal elements, it is important to
see that by altering the parts, the designer can change the entire meaning of a photo.

Proportion

Proportion is defined by relationships of size and number to the whole, and just
about every design project begins with this principle in mind. Whether a page, a
computer screen, a package, or an environment, design involves a relationship of
elements. The following diagram demonstrates this dynamic: the circles sit in rela-
tionship to one another, to each group, and to the page, centered left and right.

The elements (dots) are in proportion to one another and to the page.

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LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION 239

Discussion Topic Lesson 10 Painting with the Mixer Brush

What’s the rhythm of the example figure. Rhythm
Could you clap it?
In graphic design, rhythm is basically a pattern that relies on repetition— the recur-
rence of a shape, word, or thing—to create unity and energy in a visual design. In the
diagram shown here, repeating black dots move rhythmically across the composition
as the pattern appears to vibrate.

The rhythm of three dots repeats left and right within the composition.

The general public approaches a design with the expectation of harmony, of prin-
ciples and elements working together, in whatever form it takes. The audience can
appreciate this harmony when they see how a unified design is crafted, even if done
in unconventional ways. Just as with other team efforts, the emphasis is on the
success of the whole. However, sometimes that sense of unity isn’t so clear cut. You
might have to work a bit to discern the unifying features and spend some time look-
ing at a particular design before the full impact takes effect. Just because its message
isn’t immediate doesn’t mean the design is lacking, however. Complexity has its place
in the world and can be quite effective for a message that has depth of meaning.

Unity

Any given graphic design project might include words, images, colors, and shapes to
tell a complete story. The unity of the whole—the ability to work as one thing or idea—
offers a greater impact than the individual parts. The diagram on the next page is an
abstract example. The single circle contrasts with the group of circles, yet their con-
sistent size, shape, and color as well as the underlying grid that the circles are spaced
within unify the composition. Color also can be a dominant element in creating unity
in a design. Unity is generally important for a website, where each navigable section
needs to operate as if it is part of one system, and for a book design, where each chap-
ter becomes part of a larger whole, using a consistent typeface and page format.

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240 LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION

Painting with the Mixer Brush Lesson 10 Comprehension Check

The consistent size, shape, and color of the circles as well as the underlying grid that the circles are 1. The Mixer Brush mixes the color
spaced within unify the design. of the paintbrush with colors on
the canvas.
Stationery systems (business cards, letterhead, envelopes, mailing labels, etc.) need
to relay a similar sense of unity. The design elements, including the logo and address 2. You can load a mixer brush by
position, typeface, hierarchy of information, and color palette, should be consis- sampling a color, either by using
tent across all the components because they serve as immediate identifiers for the the Eyedropper tool or keyboard
individual or company. Since most companies have significantly reduced their use shortcuts (Alt-click or Option-click).
of paper and postage, they now apply these same design elements to websites and Or, you can choose Load Brush from
e-mail messages. the pop-up menu in the options
bar to load the brush with the
Comprehension Check foreground color.

1. What does the Mixer Brush do that other brushes don’t? 3. To clean a brush, choose Clean
2. How do you load a mixer brush? Brush from the pop-up menu in the
3. How do you clean a brush? options bar.
4. What is an erodible tip?
4. An erodible tip erodes or wears down,
Review Project changing thickness as you paint or
draw. It’s similar to the way a pencil
Review information in this lesson and the previous lesson on composition and or pastel tip changes shape as it
elements and principles of graphic design. Choose one principle of graphic design, wears down.
such as balance or proportion, and design a poster to illustrate the principle. Choose
appropriate elements of design such as shape or color to help illustrate the principle.
Add type to the poster to label the principle you selected and to explain how ele-
ments of design enhance the image. Try to integrate your typography into the poster
by paying attention to the overall composition of the poster elements. Present your
finished project to the class.

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LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION 241

FOCUS AND ENGAGE Lesson 11 Working with Camera Raw

Introduce the Lesson Lesson 11 Overview

Have any students taken photographs In this lesson, you’ll learn how to do the following:
with a digital camera (a real one, not a
smartphone camera)? There are some • Open a proprietary camera raw image in Adobe • Open a Camera Raw image as a Smart Object in
problems with photographs that are best Camera Raw. Photoshop.
corrected at the picture-taking level, not
afterward. As you review the skills listed • Adjust tone and color in a raw image. • Apply Camera Raw as a filter in Photoshop.
in the Lesson 11 Overview, explain that
Adobe Camera Raw, which comes with • Sharpen an image in Camera Raw. • Study a pro photo workflow.
Photoshop, lets them adjust images as if
they still had the camera in their hands • Synchronize settings for multiple images.
with the images still inside it.
Raw images give you greater flexibility, especially in setting color and tone. Camera Raw lets you tap into that
potential. It can be a useful tool even when you’re starting with a JPEG or TIFF image, or when you apply it as a
filter in Photoshop.

In this lesson, you’ll edit several digital images using Photoshop and Adobe Camera Raw, which comes with
Photoshop. You’ll use a variety of techniques to touch up and improve the appearance of digital photographs.

Note: We used Adobe Camera Previewing the Project Camera
Raw 8.5, which was the current Raw Files in Bridge
version at the time of publication.
Adobe updates Camera Raw You’ll start by viewing the original raw project images in Adobe Bridge.
frequently; if you’re using a later
version, some of the steps in Try It!
this lesson may not match what
you see. 1. Start Photoshop, and then immediately hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or
Command+Option+Shift (Mac OS) to restore the default preferences. (See “Re-
storing default preferences” on page 4.)

2. When prompted, click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file.

3. Choose File > Browse In Bridge to open Adobe Bridge.

4. Navigate to the folder that holds the data files for this chapter.

5. Adjust the thumbnail slider, if necessary, so that you can see the thumbnail pre-
views clearly. Then, in the Content panel, look at the 11A_Start.crw file.
The original photograph of a Spanish-style church is a camera raw file, so it
doesn’t have the usual .psd or .jpg file extension you’ve worked with so far in this
book. It was shot with a Canon Digital Rebel camera and has the Canon pro-
prietary .crw file extension. You’ll process this proprietary camera raw image to
make it brighter, sharper, and clearer, and then save it as a JPEG file for the web
and as a PSD file so that you could work on it further in Photoshop.

6. Now look at the 11B_Start.nef thumbnail preview.
This time, the start file was taken with a Nikon camera, and the raw image has
an .nef extension. You’ll perform color corrections and image enhancements in
Camera Raw and Photoshop to achieve the end result.

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242 LEARNING GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION