Week 4 – Advanced seeing and making it look good

Much has been going on in the family this week.

We have Super Moo searching for long lost relatives in Europe we have Stefanie sending coded messages to DR M:

 

And Dr M’s sidekick GifaDog is trying to crack the code: BkSy40fIUAA9Mf1   source image: http://imgur.com ( no attribution, trying to find source) 
 
We have cousin Froid, a much loved cousin the family has not seen for a long time, trying to get to Bovine and being hampered at every turn.

 

And so much more going on around the interwebz that this simple computer teacher cannot fathom. I need to get back to giving you instruction for this our week 4.

So this week we get to play with making fantasy images and bring to life our imagination. But have we not been doing that all along? I hear you say. Yes, we have. But we want our creations to look as goos as possible! So we had better take a few steps back and think about what makes good design.

 It’s not always clear where the line is between design and visual, but ds106 design storytelling assignments involves more creating and modifying in graphics software programs, and focuses on key characteristics of color, form, shape, typography, etc.

And let us put it out there from the outset. Good taste takes hard work and a lot of practice. If you doubt this take time to listen to Ira.

https://vimeo.com/24715531

If you are going for a drive around Bovine you might want to listen to DS106 guru Tim Owens on the topic ‘We are all artists’. Take some ice-cream for the kids, it is over an hour long! If you are lazy or too hot, here are a few bullets:

  • Creativity is not inherited
  • In sports we accept the idea that with practice, we can get better. Why can’t we translate that to art?
  • A creative environment can foster creativity
  • ds106 is giving you that environment
  • Do not accept the lie that you were just not born creative
  • We are more creative when we are uncomfortable
  • Take something ordinary and make it extraordinary
  • Take something complex and make it simple
  • Take something new and make it old
  • Find inspiration in the world around you

We in the family have mostly known this stuff for generations. Grown ups need reminding, kids. Be patient with them.

What is the one thing you will do this week? Do as much as you can from this week syllabus and remember to share your experiments here. You must take a day out with the family and do the design safari. I did mine using a cute little app called Shadow Puppet. You might want to try it. It was easy and fun and they have improved the app a lot lately.

Your guide this week is @GoodmanSeth but he may or may not be one of the relatives who had been lost. He was last seen making animated gifs in Gimp and he may be lost amongst the frames of his lovely first animated gif. Just find any member of the family at #burgeron106 on Twitter and we will help you find your way.

Seth's first Gif

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