Preliminary + HSC Design Course Overview

Welcome to the Preliminary + HSC Design page.

VISUAL DESIGN

Here you will find postings and links to content relevant to your current course.

Course Overview available for iBooks

Term 1 | Photoshop Preliminaries

This is a series of Photoshop tutorials to support your introduction to working with Adobe Photoshop.

Make sure that you have Adobe Acrobat reader installed. You can download it here for PC

The following ‘Photoshop Preliminary’ tutorials are basic introductions to the workspace and working with files. These are here to simply refresh your memory.

The Workspace

Working with Workspaces

Working with files

Working with Selections

The current set of lessons on the network server can also be complimented by these  Photoshop Intermediate tutorials for the more adventurous in the class or for those whose previous experience with Photoshop warrants a more challenging approach.

At the completion of the 5 Introductory Lessons (not the tutorials), on the school server, you will have learned how to:

  • open files,
  • create a new file and set the file parameters,
  • navigate the work-space, make selections,
  • copy and paste selections,
  • create layer masks,
  • use reveal all and conceal all masks,
  • paint onto a mask to define a selection,
  • use a gradient on a mask to blend layers,
  • merge layers,
  • create layer sets,
  • make snapshots in history,
  • paint into a layer with a history state,
  • use paste into, use and adjust levels,
  • adjust saturation,
  • apply colour adjustments,
  • apply and adjust filters,
  • delete selections,
  • invert selections,
  • refine selections,
  • use layer modes,
  • create a path,
  • turn a path into a selection,
  • stroke a path,
  • copy layers,
  • delete layers,
  • delete history states,
  • apply and adjust transformations,
  • apply adjust layer transparency;
  • use and define parameters for the move tool,marquee tool, lasso tool, magic wand tool, quick selection tool, healing tool and patch tool,
  • use and adjust parameters for brushes,
  • use the history brush,
  • apply gradients,
  • use paint bucket and pen tools.

Once these lessons are completed you will have a good working knowledge of Photoshop basics and should be proficient enough to begin more sophisticated projects.

Term 2 | Typography and Publications

This term’s work looks at hard-copy and desktop publishing. The underlying skill sets are derived from working with text and image in a variety of contexts. These contexts include concrete poetry, zines and more conventional approaches to publishing.

To support this, we will also cover the history of typography, font design and working with grids and grid layouts.

Supporting documents

Font Design

Designing Typefaces

Grid Based Design

Term 3 | Packaging and Publications

This task takes skills from the previous terms work and gets you to think in a more formalized manner in terms of layout and design.

The task at hand is a CD packing and publications project, which requires you to take an alternative approach to designing a distribution solution and related artwork, including a 2 page insert booklet, disk artwork and an A3 poster advertising the CD launch.

Supporting documents

Create Impact

 

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