GDES 120

Professor Golden

Quang Tran
Jeff Golden
October 21, 2015
GDES 120
Strategies for working on project #2:
In your own words, what is a picture plane? :
In my mind, a picture plane is actually a flat solid surface of a painting or
drawing in any form from a pencil and brush to a digital computer program
like Photoshop, but is only 2 dimensions as opposed to 3 dimensions.
What are the boundaries of our picture plane in Photoshop? :
The normal boundaries of the Photoshop picture plane is none other than
the border of an image in a digital painting or in any art form be it a
painting or drawing which are shown as the confines of an image.
Start by deciding what the 2-Dimensional space of your canvas will be.
This is the space that an object or character is leaving. This could be
anything from a computer screen to a book or a painted canvas.
What is your 2-Dimensional space?
My 2-Dimensional space for the character/object jumping from the virtual
fantasy world to our world is my laptop or main bedroom computer (the
latter for my project), a natural setup for me since Ive mostly hooked
myself onto it each day without stopping.
What is your subject? (The object, character or creature that is leaving
your 2-Dimensional Space)
My subject for the project jumping from my 2-D space will be a train due to
my resurfaced childhood passion in recent years.
Next, decide the new space/realm/reality that your subject is moving into.
Your subject is leaving the 2-dimensional space of say your computer
screen or painted canvas. Consider what happens when they enter the
new space?
What is your subject doing as they move to the new space? Did
they break the computer screen or tear the canvas to escape the 2Dimensional space?

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Professor Golden

While moving to the new space from the old one, my train appears to be
breaking through my computer screen to escape its current 2D space its
once stuck in. Itll be like its jumping from the pages of a storybook coming to
life as it breaks through the computer screen.
What is your character doing in the new space? Are they standing
around or are they using spray paint to color their new world? Consider
how the two spaces (the original 2-dimensional space and the new space
your character has entered) change or need to change as your subject
enters into them or leave them.
Upon reaching the new space where I am, the train will be careening across
over my head from my perspective as I look on in shock from my own
perspective (1st Person perspective) instead of a 3rd Persons perspective and
starting to panic as if it is coming towards me which holds an element of
drama and suspense from a 1935 French film called, The Train Leaving the
Station.
What is your project goal for our second work Beyond Confines?
My goal for the overall project was to create something that is more than
meets the eye, something of a serious piece like the previous one but adding
an element of surprise to the piece as well as giving a short story to the piece
the view can picture in his/her mind over what couldve caused the train to
break through the screen over to the person in the artwork.
Take a moment to brainstorm and visualize what it is you want to
create. In this pre-visualization, take note of all the pieces (separate
images) that will need to be combined and arranged to create your idea.
Look for imagery online that will allow you to generate your idea. The
perfect image many students search for does not exist on the web. This
perfect image is what your project should be. You need to find images
that will allow you to build/piece together your piece.
Next, open Photoshop and go to File>New. Enter in a name that reflects
what you are working on as well as contains your last and first name.
For example: Name: Project_2_Golden_Jeff
Next, look to the information in the preset dialogue box. Enter in a width of
at least 8 x 10 with a resolution of at least 300 ppi (pixels per inch).
With your high-resolution imagery selected and saved to your desktop,
bring that same imagery into one blank Photoshop document. Use the
File>Place Embedded command to bring all of your found imagery into a

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Professor Golden

Photoshop document. Hit enter on your keyboard or Okay on the option

bar as you bring in the imagery one at a time.
As you bring in your found imagery; keep in mind the goal of the project.
You are to work with the idea of the picture plane and how objects that
were confined within a set space can move into another space and vice
versa. Please see student examples as well as the sample project #2 idea
folder if this notion still feels too abstract.
With all your imagery placed in Photoshop and rasterized, begin by
isolating the parts of the imagery you want viewers to see with a mask.
These masks should be crafted with care leaving no unwanted
imagery/artifacts floating in your image.
Before you begin working with blending modes and filters, which should be
a finalizing step, move your isolated (masked imagery) around your
canvas. Experiment with multiple layouts until you find the one that is not
only most pleasing to you, but also, is one that allows you to communicate
your idea in the best way/makes the most sense in fitting with your intent.
As you work use the following checklist to make sure your project meets
all of the project #2 requirements.
-Project was created completely within Photoshop.

-I have worked creatively with layers and how played with

how they
interact (i.e. opacity/blending modes/masks) as well as
various
transform options.

-Used at least two Layer masks.

-Used at least two elements of typography (at least two

words somewhere in
your canvas that contribute to your project intent/idea).

-Final Photoshop document co n t a i n s at le a s t 8 la y e r s.

-PROJECT DIMENSIONS ARE AT LEAST 8 BY 10 INCHES.

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-PROJECT RESOUTION IS AT LEAST 300 DPI.

Professor Golden

This project requires at least 8 hours of solid work. It is very easy to

see which projects were made in haste and which ones were crafted with
care. Do your best to create the image you have in your head.