Hand drawn type

Objective
To create a suitable typeface for your chosen design.
To evidence your understanding of the expressiveness of typography.

Task
Over two double pages of your sketchbook, experiment with hand drawn typefaces that could be used within your design. This could be a title or another graphic element.
You can work in colour or black and white. Leave in your mistakes.
Look on my Type Pinboard for inspiration... (HERE)

Presentation
Photograph or screenshot your progress.
Post to your blog.

Checklist for assessment
4 pages of experiments, beautifully bustling and busy pages of creativity.

Time needed
2 hrs.

Deadline
Only to be attempted when all other tasks are up to date.

Photos - Contact Sheet

Objective
To gather further primary research for your unit 1 project. 
To enable those who feel drawing is weak to collect useful primary research.   
Within the mark scheme, AO3 states: 'Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to their intentions in visual and/or other forms.'

Task
1. Consider the subject matter for your project. Take a collection of 30+ images that you could either edit and use in the final artefact or just use as drawing/illustration reference.
To get the best results form this task, be as creative as you can with your subject and composition. 
As an example, if you have a wise old wizard in your book—and don't have a wise old wizard to hand—dress up your friend/dad/self in a bed sheet, cardboard hat and long stick. Pose them in different, relevant positions. 
Or, look on YouTube for tutorials about how to create wise old wizard make-up. There are loads of tutorials (plenty on zombies) on make-up. Make sure you then photograph the 'making of' period.
You will get plenty of good results from using your initiative. 
Do not make excuses as to why you couldn't get interesting images, there is no excuse.

2. Screen shot the collection of thumbnail photographs. (see presentation above)
Open in Photoshop (or print off and write on the paper) and annotate -

• Circle image that are good. This might be due to them being in focus, correct composition etc. 
• Cross out images that are not to be used. Out of focus, badly cropped, wrong position etc. 
• Write simple notes against the photos, 'out of focus', 'too far away' or 'too dark', 
• Make your annotations obvious - write in pink? 

Within the contact sheet presentation, comment on the following:

• What were your intentions for the shoot? Why take these images? 
• What are the successful elements, What worked well? 
• What were the unsuccessful elements? What didn't work well? 
• If you were to take these images again, what would you do to make them more suitable? 
• Do you believe that you have all the shots you need for the project? If not, what others do you need to take? 

Presentation
Either in sketchbook or GSlides

Checklist for assessment
Lots of interesting photographs with concise and insightful evaluative annotations. 

Deadline
First lesson back after the Summer hols.

Subject Matter Drawings

Objective

You will need to evidence that you have looked hard at the world around you. You can do this by drawing from life, your own photos or web reference (pin boards?)

Task

Create sketchbook pages full to brimming with small / medium sized 'primary' drawings of your subject matter. A students - 4 pages+ / C students - 2 pages / E - students - 1 page.
Primary drawings are direct from photos or real life - not from other illustrators' work.

Presentation

Photograph the pages and post them to your blog. 
Post title- Drawing subject matter.

Checklist for assessment

Full, bustling pages / detail / obvious investment of time / different approaches to drawing

Time needed

2 hrs+

Deadline

Start of lesson, Tuesday 14th June.

Here's a little tip. Don't let your brain trick you into giving up as soon as your reach your first drawing hurdle. Keep on going and make a busy, messy drawing if you wish. Just don't throw away until all avenues have been exhausted. If you are drawing a load of smallish drawings, cram your page with examples. You will be amazed at how effective they look all huddled together.

Conventions of the form

Objective 
To increase your understanding of the elements needed to create a successful artefact. The 'form' relates to the artefact that you are making for unit 1. Graphics products have various 'forms': game covers, packaging, magazines etc.

Task 
In any medium you wish (by hand in your sketchbook, Google presentation etc), annotate one or more examples of artefacts to indicate the elements that are typical included.

If you find that there is not much on a single digipak or book cover, use a few different examples - especially if you are aiming for an A or B.

You will get more marks for your own research (Wem library?) But if you are struggling for Children's book spreads there is a link HERE 


Checklist for assessment 
Every element included and a clear, presentation.

Example
Frankie has produced a clear version on children's books HERE

Presentation
Post to your blog straight away — even if unfinished. Size: 720 x 420px

Time needed 
2 hrs

Scamps of other desginers' work

Objective

To further understand the part white space and layout plays in a graphic artefact.

To become aware of how designers balance elements on a page.

Task
Gather a range of similar artefacts. This can be via Pinterest or your own examples.

Draw them in your sketchbook.

Pay close attention to the light and dark tones—allow your brain to 'threshold' the greys in to either light or dark tones. See my measly example above.
The images above are of magazines - not book covers, or CD Digipaks or Children's book covers but you get the gist.

Remember, you can to look at my PINBOARDS if you are struggling for examples...

Presentation
See my example above.

Checklist for assessment
12 examples.

Time needed
Two hours.

Deadline
?

Pinterest research

Objective
To create a space where you can collect research from your chosen project.
To allow easy access to the pinboards from your blog.

Task
Create 3 Unit 1 boards in Pinterest. To begin with you are to pin loads of images on the 'Inspiration' and 'Similar Artefacts' boards. Leave the subject matter one for a while.

Inspiration (stuff you like at the moment)
Similar Artefacts (if you are designing a book cover, this will be full of book covers)
Subject Matter (If your artefact is about fish, this will be full of fish)

Presentation
Create links at the top of your blog for each of the 3 boards. See the image below. If you don't know how to create page links (not posts) watch the tutorial below.
Checklist for assessment
3 linked boards. First two have loads of pins.

Time needed
1 hr.

Deadline
tbc

Brainstorming

Objective

To allow you to retrieve and create a wealth of ideas for your unit 1 project.

Tasks

1. Create a post for the brief. Either copy in my example or write your own.

2. In your sketchbook, brainstorm all of the possible ideas / associations that you associate with your story / lyrics / title / synopsis / brand.
This could be evidenced in many forms:

Children's book cover - print the story out, double spaced and annotate in the margins. Highlight key scenes and subject matter that could be used on the cover.
Game cover - start with a few words in the middle of a page. For Epic City Limits is would write the 'name' of the game, 'city', 'jobs', 'youths' etc. Then, using a thesaurus, branch out with connections.
Digipak - brainstorm the name of the album... and print off lyrics by a similar band or singer and annotate them in the margins. 
Packaging design - Brainstorm the name of the product... and the overall 'feel' or 'message' of the product.

Presentation

Photographed and on blog.

Example
http://hollypearsonunit1gcsegraphics.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/brainstorm-research.html

Checklist for assessment

Loads of interesting ideas.

Time needed

1 hr

Deadline

Will be after science exam.