Thumbnail Sketches

                

Thumbnail Sketches are Shorthand Notes for Artists:

Thumbnail sketches are drawing quick, abbreviated drawings. Usually, they are done very rapidly and with no corrections - you can use any medium, though pen or pencil is the most common. Thumbnails sketches are usually very small, often only an inch or two high.

                                

Thumbnails are Memory Aids and Planning Tools:

Thumbnail sketches can serve as a memory aid to help you remember important features of a subject, when making notes for a painting or drawing. They are also useful when visiting a gallery, to help you remember important pieces. Ofen artists use thumbnail sketches to plan pictures. You can quickly experiment with format and composition, placing just the major features - such as the horizon and any large objects, and indicating movement and balance.

                                             

How to Draw a Thumbnail Sketch:

Imagine your subject or picture stripped of all details, through squinted eyes, or in poor light. All you see are big rough shapes and some lines. That's all you need for a thumbnail. First, sketch a rough box, smaller but in the same proportions as the finished picture might be. Then sketch in the horizon line, hills, or any major verticals or horizontals. The outline any key shapes, and quickly hatch in any strong dark areas. There are no right or wrong ways - that's my approach, and it might work for you.

                                            

      
Thumbnails can be Colored:

Thumbnail sketches are a great way to plan color schemes. Use textas, colored pencil or watercolor to put in major areas of color in your picture. Small but intense colors can also be noted, as these can attract the eye, but don't get bogged down with detail.

Making Notes and Working Drawings:

Once you've done your thumbnail sketch, you might want to make some notes alongside it. If at a gallery, you can record the artist's name and the title, along with your thoughts about the painting. If sketching outdoors, you might record notes about the position of the sun, the particular colors, or make additional sketches to show small details. If you are planning a painting, you might want to do a working drawing. A working drawing is usually fairly large, sometimes as big as the finished piece, and carefully composed. The subject is sketched in, and potential problem areas might be done in more detail. This is where you can fine-tune your drawing before embarking on the finished piece.

Thumbnail Sketching Rubric 

REFERENCES:

Thumbnail Sketching

How to Draw a Thumbnail Sketch

Thumbnails are Memory Aids and Planning Tools

Thumbnail Sketches are Shorthand Notes for Artists

Thumbnails can be Colored

Making Notes and Working Drawings

Thumbnail Sketching Rubric

CD Cover: Make a personalized CD or DVDcover. Use your digital photographs to makea personalized CD or DVD cover and a lot more. Just choose a photo, add some text (like a playlist or a note or a dedication), and follow the simple printing and folding instructions.


TEKS Correlations: 130.88 ( c) (1) (A) The student applies academic knowledge and skills in art and design projects. The student is expected to: apply English language arts knowledge and skills by demonstrating use of content, technical concepts, and vocabulary; …and composing and editing copy for a variety of written documents such as brochures, programs, posters, flyers, and magazine covers; 130.88 ( c) (2) (A) The student understands professional communications strategies. The student is expected to: adapt language for audience, purpose, situation, and intent such as structure and style; 130.88 ( c) (11) (F) The student develops an increasing understanding of graphic design and illustration. The student is expected to: employ a creative design process to create original two- and three-dimensional projects by; (i) creating designs for defined applications; (ii) applying elements of design; (iii) applying design principles and typography; (iv) using good composition (vii) creating a project by applying color; 130.88 ( c) (11) (H) The student develops an increasing understanding of graphic design and illustration. The student is expected to: apply art elements and principles to multimedia applications.

Album Cover Design

Using the Typographic Principles

A Thought:  Type is one of the most universal systems of design that visually communicates on a regular basis.

Problem: Branding & advertising play a large role in our day-to-day lives. Through advertising we are categorized by: economical status, social groups, age, and values. Musician’s use branding and advertising to create an identity and increase recognition and interest. This project will ask you to do something very similar; you will use type to “brand” musician/band.

*Keep in mind the end result will not be an AD, but a piece of cover art for a CD Jewel Case, i.e. an ALBUM COVER. We are simply borrowing the technique of branding and adapting it to our purpose.

Font selection will play an important role!  As you develop your ideas, find a minimum of three fonts that reflect your feelings about the musician and their musical style. Remember to look at the font’s physical characteristics as well as conceptual implications.

*Conceptual Question: Are you using a font the viewer would associate with a specific company (unrelated to the artist?) EXAMPLE:  If your font resembles the Coca Cola font you risk associating the musician with an unrelated identity. 

Materials: Musical Artist & Album (you may use earbuds to listen to your band as you work!); Photoshop CS3; Jewelcase Template (in the S:/ drive); website for font selection: dafont.com or fontface.com; website for custom brushes: brusheezy.com

Reading: Typeface & Choosing Fonts Handouts; Typography Notes; Elements and Principles of Design Notes

Things to Ponder while Designing:

• Which typeface category are you using?  What do these styles say to the viewer? Are you mixing styles inappropriately?  (REMEMBER:  Good typographic design means NO MORE THAN 3 FONTS!!)
• What are the unique characteristics of the font you have chosen? Is it readable?  Is it legible?  Does it convey the identity of this band or musician?
• How are you choosing color? How do the colors relate to the emotional aspect of your work?  Do they match the “feel” of the music?
• How can elements be arranged to be visually appealing and without creating conflict?
• For this project, letters should be considered as “shapes” – so, do not think of this as placing words on a page – think of this as composing shapes & lines (as you did in previous assignments).
• DO NOT STRETCH OR SQUASH YOUR TYPE.
• Your use of the design elements and principles as well as typeface choice will be considered during grading!  See the rubric on the reverse of this page for grading criteria.

Specifications:

• CD Cover Front & CD Cover Back listing 4 tracks; (bar code & CD ROM logo provided in the S:/ drive for your use.  These should be placed on the back.
• Use the JewelCase template provided in the S:/ drive.  Your finished artwork should fit within the dimensions of the template.
• Color  & Font Choice must relate to the emotional intent & meaning of the band’s style of music. (This image cannot be B&W or monochromatic gray)
• You must use a minimum of ONE brush, preferably a CUSTOM BRUSH to enhance your design.
• You must use a minimum of ONE layer blend mode (i.e. not NORMAL) on a layer.
• Your CD Cover should include the BAND NAME, and any artwork you feel conveys the band’s style and brand identity.
• Due: Tuesday, October 6

                                           CD Jewel Case Grading Rubric

REFERENCES: 

How to Make A CD Cover

CD Jewel Case Rubric