2D Imaging
The City College of New York

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.

In our media saturated environment 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. In short, images can be understood as a kind of visual rhetoric.

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

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 two pages 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 olny be 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 10 points from your final 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

All readings will be available for download or I will give out printed copies.

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
    • Thursday 2/1

Discussion

  • Introductions
  • Go over syllabus
  • Discuss first assignment

Workshop

  • Scanning images
  • NA
  • Class 2
    • Thursday 2/8

Discussion

  • Discuss reading

Workshop

  • Introduction to Photoshop
  • Exercise 1:
    1. Find a printed image that is no more than 2 inches across in any direction. Scan this image to the .TIFF format, set scan resolution 360 ppi, and colors to billions. Bring your .TIFF file to class.
    2. Make 3 prints of your image, one where the print resolution is set to 360ppi, one at 200ppi, and one at 72ppi. Bring those 3 prints to class
  • Reading: Chapter 1 of On Photography by Susan Sontag
  • Optional Reading: A pdf on Color and Luminance
  • View: Some slides that go along with Sontag's essay.
  • Class 3
    • Thursday 2/15

Workshop

  • Basic Color Correction

Discussion

  • Discuss reading on semiotics
  • Class 4
    • Thursday 2/22

Workshop

  • Making Selections
  • Class 5
    • Thursday 3/1

Discussion

  • Critique Exercise 2
  • Reading: a pdf on selections.
  • 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. Print your original image plus the 3 altered versions using the laserjet printers.
  • Class 6
    • Thursday 3/8

Workshop

  • Retouching, Healing, Erasing
  • Exercise 3: Go on a "scavanger hunt:" find images in the world and preform a commutation test on them. When you have discoved an interesting change in meaning by mentally removing something from or adding something to the image, take that image. You may scan, photograph, or download the image as long as it meets the minimum dimensions of 8" in one direction at 360ppi. Find many examples, turn in your 10 best.
  • Class 7
    • Thursday 3/15

Discussion

  • Critique Exercise 4

Workshop

  • Masking Techniques 1
  • Exercise 4: Take one of your collected images from Exercise 3 and remove something from them using the tools covered in class: the stamp tool, healing brush, and the various selection tools. Print out the original and the altered version of each image.
  • Class 8
    • Thursday 3/22

Workshop

  • Masking Techniques 2
  • Work on Exercise 5
  • Work on Exercise 5
  • Class 9
    • Thursday 3/29

Discussion

  • Critique of Exercise 5
  • Exercise 5: Change what an image expresses by substituting something in the image. Turn in both the original and the altered version as files and print out the images using the laserjet printers.
    Your image file should be at least 8" in one direction @ 360ppi.
  • Class 10
    • Thursday 4/12

Workshop

  • Advanced Masking
  • Vector Shapes

Discussion

  • Discuss Krauss and Drucker
  • Discuss related slides of historical and contemporary collage and photomontage
  • Class 11
    • Thursday 4/19

Workshop

  • Blending Modes
  • Work on Exercise 6
  • Work on Exercise 6
  • Class 12
    • Thursday 5/26

Discussion

  • Critique Exercise 6
  • Exercise 6: Exercise 6 is an image collage that should be a minimum of 16" in one direction 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, how do they work together 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 13
    • Thursday 6/3

Workshop

  • Proofing a document.
  • Printing to inkjet.

Discussion

  • Improving images for output
  • Class 14
    • Thursday 6/10

Discussion

  • View Exercise 7 in class.
  • Proposal for final project due.
  • Exercise 7: Print two previouly created images using the available injet printers.
  • Class 15
    • Thursday 6/24
  • Final Critique
  • Final and notebook due.