Semester 1 Graphic Design

Raccoon Postcard

This project was to create a raccoon using a tutorial and make a background for it to lay out on. This raccoon needed to be somewhere on your postcard and everything had to be made in adobe Illustrator. The last requirement was to use written typography, scan it, and place this in your post card as well. In total this project took about 3 weeks. The biggest challenge I faced was the written typography. I don't have the best hand writing but I went slow and used a ruler. Along the way I learned time management, and ow to use almost every tool in Illustrator. I mostly worked with the shapes tool and pen tool, but along the way I learned how to use swatches, create a color pallet, and the line tool. Some feedback I got was the color pallet matched very well with easter, and others told me to add the bunny ears onto my raccoon, and to add something other than the eggs. After i received this feedback I added bunny ears, and also changed all the colors of my raccoon to pink and changed some of the parts to make it look for like a bunny. My overall opinion was that it looked very cute and kid friendly.

Vectored Self Portrait

This project was to use our head shots that we took in the beginning of the year and use them to create a vectored self portrait in Illistrator. This project took about 2 weeks. Some challenges that I faced was trying to create dark and light highlights. Along the way I learned how to use the pen tool accuratly and presisly. Some feedback I received was to use the eyedropper tool to find the exact shade of color my skin, eyes, and other features were. I changed all of the colors to match the ones in the original headshot using the eyedropper tool. My overall opinion was that I was very proud of the outcome and I really think it looks like me.

Infographic

This project was to pick a topic and create graphics and text to create a well thought out infographic.This project took about 3 weeks. The challenges that I faced was getting the original layout to fit all my topics and text. I learned the importance of hiarche and fonts. My feedback that I received told me that I needed to simplify my work and take out most of the text. After I got this feedback I imediantly started to re read and simplify my information. My overall opinion was that I worked haRd and I loved the way my polar bear graphics turned out.

In class we got lots of work days and I used them very wisley. I never had to come in after school and got every project turned in on time. I though I was done many times during this semester but every time I knew I wasn't. When I had this extra time I would check everything constantly trying to improve anything and everything that I could. When I went home after receiving a new project I would research this project and ideas about what I could do. 

My strengths as a graphic designer are using the pen tool to make creative graphics and finding good color schems. I maximize my strengths by trying my best and constantly asking for help and feedback by not only by the teacher but my peers to. 

My areas of improvement include understanding each tool in illistrator and completing each project to the best of my ability. I can improve this by asking for help and using all time possible. 

This semester I loved having the ablitly to pick your own topic and have creative freedom. If I could change one thing it would be to reconize how much time I had and to create accordingly. I will take away lots of adobe skills and hoe to create almost everything in illistrator. One goal I have for next semester is everything I make needs to be to the best of my ability. I love graphic design and am looking forward to what we are doing next semester.