line, shape assignment

page one

Two Dimensional Design

Line to Shape to Point/Mark to Pattern to Invention

Description: After practicing drawing shapes on paper, we are going to choose the two most descriptive drawn shapes and redraw them on the computer. Then we will copy and resize them repeatedly to create a pattern of black and white images. Each shape will serve as a mark on the page. The sequence of marks create patterns. The arrangement of marks in patterns can create the illusion of space.

Repeated shape creates pattern of light and dark.

Part One

Pattern from repeated shape.

Working in Illustrator

Open Adobe Illustrator on a computer. Then go to the top menu and choose file>new. Name your document pattern1. Make sure the size says letter and the units are inches. Orientation should be verticle or portrait (the one on the left). Also select RGB as the color mode. Then clik OK.

You should see two rectangles. The outside one indicates the size of the paper. The inside one indicates that area that the printer can print. Make sure that the inside one or the dotted line is inside the paper area. If not, find the page tool>>go to the tool box on the left. The 12th tool in the left column is shaped like a hand. If you clik and hold down on that tool, other tools will appear. Drag over one and hold and the name of the tool appears in about 2 seconds. Find the page tool and select it. Then clik down on your document and drag to line up the printable area with the page size. Try to make them line up exactly.

Illustrator is a vector based drawing program. It creates lines according to mathmatical equations. The lines can be given different thicknesses and the shapes can be filled with color. Toward the bottom of the tool box you will see a solid square and a square made with line. If you put your cursor over these their names will appear—fill and stroke. When you select one it moves to the front. When it is selected you can change the color. When you select a shape or a line you can then apply color to it by selecting a color from the color palette. If a color palette is not on your desktop, go to the top menu>window>color.

We want to draw shapes that are filled with white and have a black stroke. You can also adjust the thickness of the stroke. A window called Stroke is available in the window menu. The stroke thickness is measured by points. Make a three point stroke.

With the pencil tool(5th tool down in right side column)draw one of the shapes (copy one that looks the most like the object or redraw it). Try to draw the whole thing without stopping and when you get back to your starting point, hold down the option key and it will automatically close the shape. It is important that the shape outline is continuous with no openings.

If after you draw your shape, Illustrator simplifies your drawing you will need to adjust the fidelity to the smallest amount. Double clik on the pencil tool and a dialoque box appears. There you can adjust the fidelity to 0.5 pixels.

When you complete the drawing, your image should be selected, that is it will have blue lines with small squares or anchor points showing. If you start to draw again it will deselect the previous drawing.

There are two selection tools—arrows—at the top of the tool box. The black one selects everything and shows anchor points that are solid blue. With the black arrow you can select and move your drawing. A bounding box appears also. You can clik on a corner and resize your drawing by dragging it. If you hold down the shift key when you drag, you will constrain the proportions so that the drawing does not distort. If you set your curser near the corner anchor point, a curved line appears. You can rotate your drawing if you clik and drag the curved line that appears.

With the white arrow you can select individual anchor points or line segments. When you do this the anchor points are white. When you select only one anchor point with the white arrow, it will be blue and the rest of the anchor points will be white. This allows you to reposition parts of your drawing in case you want to change a shape. This only works when you clik on the edge of the shape. If you clik into the shape you will select the whole shape, indicated by solid blue anchor points.

10.

To make copies of your shape you can select it and then go to menu>edit> copy and paste. Or you can simply select the shape and drag it while holding down the option key. A copy will be made.

11.

You can resize or rotate several shapes. To select more than one shape, hold down the shift key when you select them. You can also copy them once they are selected, hold down the option key when you drag to move the copy.

12.

If you want to create several copies lined up in a row to make your pattern, select the shape and drag it while holding down the option key. Set it in the exact location you want. Then you can transform again (menu>object>transform>transform again). The keystroke for this is command(apple)- d.

Procedure for creating pattern

13.

Draw your two shapes. Copy, resize, rotate. Set them together anyway you like.

14.

Select both by holding the shift key or dragging a marquee (clik down with the curser and drag a box around them).Then group them—menu>object>group. This will make it easier to get your original shapes back.

15.

This would be a good time to save your document. Go to file>save. Name your patterns with your initials and the workd "pattern". Pay attention to save your file to the desktop so it will be easy to find if you need to.

16.

Select your shapes and drag a copy to a location near or adjacent. Then transform again, several times to create a line of shapes.

17.

Then, select all the shapes and drag a copy of the whole line of shapes to a place just below or to the side of the first line of shapes. Then do transform again several times to create your pattern.

Final Pattern Project to turn in.

18.

Complete three differnt patterns using the same shapes. Create as much variety as you want. Put each pattern into a space roughly five by seven inches. Put a black line around it by drawing a rectangel with the rectangle tool which is the fifth tool on the right side of the tool box. Give it a black stroke and set the stroke to 4 or 5 points thick by going to the stroke window (or menu>window>stroke). You may need to crop your patterns. Draw white rectangles over the parts of the pattern that extend beyond the 5 x 7" rectangle.

19.

Try typing your name at the bottom. Then choose menu>file>print. Select the Design Center LJ as the printer. Turn in by beginning of class on Monday, June 9. You will have to work on this some outside of class time. Don't forget to save often.