Unit 1: Things To Cover
- Photoshop and Illustrator shortcuts and basics of how to use
- Concept Art and Importance in Digital Media Plaforms
- Vector vs Rastor
- File Sizes and Descriptions
- Game Background Design Principles
- Stick to Figure Drawing method and principles
Photoshop and Illustrator Basics:
Illustrator:
- Pen Tool - P
- Click to create a node
- Click and drag to create a curve
- Click and shift to create straight lines
- Click and ALT to move end of nodes
- Can add anchor points to create more curves/detail
Photoshop:
Vector vs Rastor:
Vector:
- Path-Based
- Illustrator
- EPS, AI Files
- Infinitely Scalable
- Good of designing logos
- Can scale up images without losing quality
Rastor:
- Pixel Based
- Photoshop
- Good for editting photos
- Finite Scalability
- Will lose quality if scaled up
File Formats:
Photoshop Formats:
JPG - lossy - 24 Bit - Flattened Image - NOT transparent
TIFF - lossless - retains original quality - Huge file size
PNG - lossy - Transparent
GIF - lossless - supports animation
Illustrator Formats:
AI - Only in Creative Suite
EPS - Highly Sharable
RAW - Retains all sensor quality - Huge file
PDF - Can access using any digital media platform
PSD - Only in creative suite
Vector Based Backgrounds
Foreground: The images closest to the frame/image
Background: Things that are seen in the farthest region of the image. Usually they are less clear and blend in with the back
Midground:
Side Scroller: Vector Background must be able to repeat itself one after the other so they must meet each other on opposite ends and must look repeatable.
Adding Layers: Create layers in order to separate the drawing of items so we can eliminate only one if needed.
Importance of Concept Art
Concept Art is used to help portray the theme of a digital media platform through Character. The character can either portray the theme or may even create the theme. Depending on the mood, personality, and style of the character/art, we can design games, films, and etc from it.
Stick-To-Figure Drawings:
- Gesture Drawings first with the hips and chest.
- Add Shapes the the gesture and then
- Add foreshortening and shadows to add depth.
