Intro to Computer Graphics Blog
For this cute puppy, we learned a new function. I file placed this puppy into my artboard. I then clicked on image trace and clicked the 16 colors option. Then I clicked image, object, expand, ungroup, ungroup so that each part of the picture was its own section now. I changed the green on the dog’s face by hitting select, same, fill color and changed it to another color in the dog’s face, using the eyedropper tool. I then deleted the whole background of green using the same method of select, same, fill color. I then used the eyedropper to make swatches from this dog image. After this, I opened the brushes panel and opened brush library. I opened bristle brushes and picked the 6.00 mop brush and the fan brush, alternating. I used these brushes (with a lowered opacity and width of the brush) to create fur on the puppy. After this, I recreated the nose by using the pen tool and a gradient in the middle, to cause some 3D aspect. After this, I recreated the eyes to show more of an emotion in the dog. I drew a perfect circle by holding down the shift while dragging out the ellipse tool. I added a radial gradient to this shape. I then added a color circle behind this circle, using one of my swatches. I then made two white circles, tiny. I dropped the opacity down to 80%. This dog was so fun to make!
For this piece, we worked with the pen tool. I had an image of a wine glass that I traced the left side with the pen tool, then copied and pasted and reflected that second copy. I then added them together using the pathfinder unite, and made one wine glass figure. I created swatches from the original image using the eyedropper tool. On the wine glass, I added a slight gradient. From there, I added the red out linings that were caused by the reflection of the wine on the glass by using the pen tool. I then made the red shape on the top of the wine to add some dimension, using the pen tool. Then, to create the shadows, I also used the pen tool, but I messed with the opacities so that it would all blend together better. On the bottom rings, I used the gradient tool to create dimension in the rings. And on the bottom I used the pencil tool to add some markings to make it look less flat of an image. On the actual wine glass, I made a highlight to show that the glass was 3D to an extent. I brought the opacity down so that it blended into the gradient of the original wine glass image.
For this piece, we were playing with the gradient tool. We had an image of a key we were basing it off of. I made swatches from the original key image with the eyedropper tool, so I could incorporate the same colors. I traced the entire key with the pen tool, creating a key shape. I then made that entire shape a gradient by going to window, gradient and selecting the gradient fill with linear style. I changed the colors on the gradient to be some of the swatches I had made. I then added a few colors to the gradient by clicking underneath the big spread on the right. I messed around with the gradient sliders until the pattern I wanted was what I was seeing. I then started from the left side and made layers of smaller gradient pieces, making it look more realistic, and followed the same steps as above. For the end of the key, I made a horizontal shape and made that gradient have a 90 degree angle to make it horizontal. In the end, I had a key that I had completely made using both the pen tool and the gradient tool.
For this piece, we opened an artboard and clicked on file, place, and a file of a horned frog logo. we used the pen tool to trace the entire exterior of the frog (the purple part) in four different sections. For this, I had the stroke color at bright yellow so it would stand out, and the fill color at no color. I then changed these pieces to be purple fill with no stroke, like the logo. Then, I traced all of the white pieces with the pen tool, filling them with white and taking away the stroke as well. In the end, I have a logo that looks exactly like the original logo, but it was created completely with the pen tool by tracing the image! So cool!
I started this piece with the vase. I used the pen tool to create the left side. When I wanted a curved line, I would hold down my mouse and drag until I saw the curve I wanted. Then on the anchor point I would press option and click the anchor point to allow for me to continue with my line. This made the left half. I then went to object, transform, reflect and set it to vertical and 90 degrees. I then placed both sides side by side, selected both by using the shift key, then I used my pathfinder tool called unite to make it into one shape. I then lowered the opacity to make it a little big see-through. Then, to make the flower petals, I created random shapes with my pen tool, making it look abstract. I made three of these shapes, then changed the colors and opacities once I positioned them on top of one another. I then grouped the whole flower cluster and copied and pasted it until there were three. With one of the clusters, I reflected it so they wouldn’t all look like the exact same flower. To make the stems I used the pen tool and created long stems that would make the flowers sit in the vase properly. I added leaves to the stems as well using the pen tool, and I changed all of these shapes to a fun green color! I then brought the vase shape to the front of the illustration, making the shapes fall behind it like they are inside of the vase.
What is it?
This is an ad for a smoothie company called Smooth the Fruit. The ad is a smoothie showing that the only things in the smoothie are milk, strawberries, and raspberries, showing that it is made with all natural ingredients and no added sugars. I think it’s a really fun design and makes me want a smoothie! I think it definitely works for what they are trying to accomplish. That Polish phrase loosely means “Smoothie is coming.”
What do you think was used to create it?
I think this was done in Illustrator, using some of the tools we have used in class. For example, the pen tool was used to make the milk surrounding the cup, and the mesh tool was used to make all of the shading and color variances in the milk. The ellipse tool was used to create the tiny circle beads of milk. The straw uses a linear gradient with three colors. The opacity was changed to make the shape on the lid blend in better. And the overall background is a radial gradient from white to blue. I think this poster was definitely done in Illustrator.
What design elements do you see?
I see the use of texture in this piece. The milkshake itself and the milk and berries are extremely three dimensional, while the background is very two dimensional, causing a contrast between the two, and subsequently making the smoothie look like it is floating in air. I also see the use of shape. The geometric shapes of the smoothie itself is a big contrast from the organic shapes that the milk makes.
Today I worked on Illustrator to make these Olympic Rings. I first downloaded an image of the Olympic Rings that I used for a tracing layer. I opened Illustrator and made an 11 by 8.5 horizontal artboard. Then I went to File, Place, and I placed the tracing image onto my artboard. In the Layers tab, I locked the tracing layer in place so that it would not move and so I could hide that layer when I was finished with the real Olympic Rings. I then added another layer, which I would use to draw on. I named the first layer “Tracing” and the second layer “Olympic Rings.” I started with making a perfect circle by using the Ellipse tool and holding down the shift button as I dragged out the first circle on top of the blue circle on the tracing layer. I made sure this was the exact size by lowering the opacity. I then made another smaller circle inside of the first circle, this one white. I again lowered the opacity so that I could make sure it was the exact size I needed. I selected both circles, and used the horizontal align center and vertical align center tools to make sure they were exactly spaced out. I then found the Pathfinder palette, selected both circles, and then clicked the button labeled “Minus Front.” This caused a donut shaped ring. I then copied this shape and pasted it 4 times. I dragged each donut on top of a ring of the tracing layer. Their opacities were all still lowered so that I could place them as perfectly as possible. Once they were on top of the tracing layer, I placed their opacity back to 100%. Then I made five new swatches using the Eyedropper tool on the tracing picture, and I used the “Live Paint Bucket” to ensure that I could easily paint each ring the specific color it was supposed to be and for ease. I then selected the three top rings and clicked the buttons labeled “Vertical Align Center” and “Horizontal Distribute Center” to make sure the rings were precisely spaced out. I then did the exact same steps with the bottom 2 rings. Now, to make sure the rings were interlocked in the correct way, I selected all 5 of the rings and opened up Pathfinder, where I clicked the “Divide” command. This made each overlapping section its own shape, so I was able to make the overlapping shapes the right color by using the “Live Paint Bucket” again. At this point, I tried to do the effects of 3D Extrude and Bevel and Stylize Drop Shadow, but for some reason there was a mysterious white circle blocking the effects’ full potential, so I decided to keep my rings as they are because it looked better without the effects! Overall a great day where I learned so much about Illustrator and its functions!
Thanks for joining me!
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Lizzy Kulas 