2D Imaging @ CCNY

Course Description

This course focuses on the creation and "reading" of images. Throughout the course students will learn foundational technologies relating to the creation and manipulation of digital imagery. At the same time, students will hone their ability to successfully analyze both their own images and the images that surround them.

On the Internet, in newspapers, on television, and elsewhere, images compel us to make certain choices. An image may insight us to vote for a particular political candidate, to take up a cause, an image may be used to convince us to buy one product instead of another, or an image may be used to justify some ways of life while it demonizes others.

As creators of images, it is necessary to develop both our technical and analytic abilities. On the technical side, we will learn how to deal with formal aspects of images such as color, value, and contrast, as well as techiniques such as masking and compositing. On the theoretical side, we will employ a number of tools in our attempt to "read" images which range from Art History to Semiotics.

Objectives

Student Responsibilities

Method of Evaluation

The grade you receive will be based on participation, exercises, a sketchbook, and a final project. Attendance is required for every class and missing 3 classes = an automatic failure of the course. Late work will not be accepted without penalty. 1 week late = a subtraction of 2 letter grades. More than a week = a failing grade.

Sketchbook/Notebook

In your notebook you are required to keep notes on readings done for class as well as class lectures. I don't expect you to fill up an entire notebook on one reading but I do expect you to have at least a page or two of notes for each of the readings with you the day that the reading is due. You should also include sketches for projects and anything else you find useful in developing course assignments. The notebook you use should be only for this course, i.e. do not put work from other classes in this notebook. The notebook must be turned in the last day of class, failure to turn in the notebook will result in losing 20 points from your grade.

Class Etiquette

When I am presenting the class lecture I ask that students refrain from texting, checking their email, etc. I will not do those things when you are speaking and I ask for the same courtesy. This same respect should be extended to your fellow classmates. If someone is being disrespectful during critique they will receive a 0 for the day.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a faliure in the course. Please see CUNY's policy on academic integrity.

Class Readings

For this course you are required to purchase a copy of Adobe Photoshop CS5 One on One.

Besides the textbook other readings will be available for download or I will give out printed copies.

Class Schedule

A calendar with dates and corresponding class numbers is available for here for Monday and Thursday's session.

This syllabus is subject to change. The newest version will always be available at http://understandingnewmedia.com/2d/.

Class In Class Work due
Class 1

Discussion

  • Introductions
  • Go over syllabus
  • Discuss first assignment

Workshop

  • Scanning images
  • Setting up you Photoshop workspace
  • NA
Class 2

Discussion

  • Discuss reading

Workshop

  • Introduction to Photoshop
  • Exercise 1: Find an image that is important to you or has affected you in some way. This image should be a "hard copy," meaning a book, magazine, printed photo, etc. Scan this image to the .TIFF format, set resolution 360 dpi, and colors to billions. Bring your .TIFF to class.
    Consider: Why is this image important? What makes it different from other images? Do you think that other people would feel the same or different about the image? Why would other people feel the same/different? Have you seen other imges like this one? Write a 1 page response considering these questions.
  • Reading: Chapter 1 of On Photography by Susan Sontag
  • Reading: Lesson 2 and 3 in textbook.
  • View: An image collection for Chapter 1 of On Photography. Login to Artstor via the library databases in order to view the collection. If you cannot gain access to Artstor a Powerpoint version of the slides are avaiable here.
Class 3

Workshop

  • Basic Color Correction

Discussion

  • Discuss reading on semiotics
Class 4

Workshop

  • Making Selections
  • Reading: Lesson 6 in textbook.
  • Exercise 2: Create 3 versions of an image by adjusting the color and tonality in different ways. Alter color to influence the "mood" and "meaning" of the image. Each of the three versions should give your viewer a different aesthetic experience.
Class 5

Workshop

  • Retouching, Healing, Erasing
  • Reading: Introduction to Communication Studies Chapter 6
  • Exercise 3: Run an article on the web though the regender application. Look for changes in the meaning of the article when a person‘s gender is changed. When you find an interesting alteration take a screen shot and bring that to class (as an image file). To take a screenshot press cmd-shift-4 on Mac, prnt scrn (or fn-prnt scrn) and copy to an image editing program on Windows.
  • Work on Exercise 4.
Class 6
  • T.B.D.
  • Work on Exercise 4
Class 7
  • View and discuss Exercise 4
  • Exercise 4: Change the "meaning" of an image by removing something from that image, or otherwise altering a signifier in the image (color, context, etc). Turn in both the original and the altered version as files and print out the images using the laserjet printers.
Class 8

Workshop

  • Layers
  • Type

Discussion

  • Discuss Krauss and Drucker
  • Discuss related slides of historical and contemporary collage and photomontage
Class 9

Workshop

  • Masking
  • Work on Exercise 5
Class 10

Workshop

  • Advanced Masking Techniques
  • Smart Objects
  • Vector Shapes

Discussion

  • Critique Exercise 5
  • Reading: Lesson 10 in textbook.
  • Exercise 5: Exercise 5 is an image text collage that should be 8 x 10 inches at 360 pixels per inch.
    Consider: what you would like to communicate with you collage, why you chose those particular images, pieces of text, objects, etc, and who is your audience.
    As you begin importing images into the document to "collage" note that at 360 pixels per inch an image of say, 600 x 400 pixels is about the size of a postage stamp, so you will probably need larger images. I encourage scanning photos, drawings, books, magazines, and whatever else you can get your hands on. You might try scanning an object (don't scratch the scanner don't put anything too heavy on it!). Note that if you scan images at 360 pixels per inch they will print out at actual size if you print at 360 pixels per inch, which is the ppi we will be using for a future printing project. If you want to "blow up" part of an image you should scan it at a higher resolution. For example, scanning at 720 would double the size.
Class 11

Workshop

  • Proofing a document.
  • Printing to inkjet.

Discussion

  • Improving images for output
Class 12

Discussion

  • View Exercise 6 in class.
  • Exercise 6: Print two previouly created images using the available injet printers.
Class 13
  • Work on final.
  • Final proposal due.
Class 14
  • Work on final.
  • Work on final.
Class 15
  • Final Critique
  • Final and notebook due.