Comic Strip Creators

For this project, students came up with comedic story lines and completed sketches of the layout of each panel of their comic strip. Using their sketches as a guide, they shot photographs to create each scene (or part of a scene) in a digital format. These photos were then cropped and manipulated in Adobe Photoshop and effects were added to create the look of a drawing or newspaper copy. Students also added word and thought bubbles while carefully considering the placement, font and color of each. Lastly, an Adobe InDesign document was created to bring the panels together in their final layout and a title was added. Enjoy!

Self Portrait Tiles- Ink Transfer Onto Clay

Seventh grade artists incorporated digital photography into clay work by using an image transfer process. First, students took simple self portrait photos before cropping and manipulating them in Photoshop to reduce the photos to simplified black and white line and shape. The resulting photos were printed on an inkjet printer. Students then rolled slabs of soft clay and transferred the image by rubbing the ink onto the damp clay, allowing it to bleed. The slabs were trimmed and students used various tools to carve away the lines of their portrait. After the first firing, students painted the entire tile with black glaze before wiping away the surface glaze and leaving black inside the carved lines, In the last step before the second firing, colored glaze was added to the background and shiny overglaze to the whole tile, resulting in fabulous portrait tiles. Check out the process and the finished products below!

Lots on Our Plates!

We've been very busy in our Digital Photography class these past several weeks. Minus a quick Spring Break, we've been working on three different projects, which we are looking forward to showing you!

First, we transferred self-portraits onto slabs of clay. What an amazing project! Mrs. Kamp came up with the idea and we tried it out as a class. The slabs are in the kiln as we speak, so we'll be sure to post photos as soon as they are ready!

Another project we've started is a cartooning assignment. Students are taking photos and will then apply visual effects in Photoshop to create a comic strip!

Lastly, our class was asked by Mr. Skeen to design the planner cover for the 2009-2010 school year! We have about six designs in the works now and are selecting our favorite this week!

Stay tuned as we clean off our plates so we can deliver some visuals!

How Did You Do That?!?

Our students continue to "wow" us with the projects they produce! We asked them to take a photograph of themselves as well as a photo of a scene of their choice that would serve as the background for the finished piece.

The goal: create an unlikely scene.

The trick: successfully integrate two images in a realistic and believable way.

As in Project #1, students used Photoshop to apply shadows, adjust color, and resize/rotate photographs to make the viewer believe what he sees.

Take a look at what the class created! You'll be "wowed" too!

Self Portrait Collages

A collage is a work of art made from a collection of items that, when placed together, creates a completely different masterpiece.


Students in the 7th Grade Digital Photography class created collages consisting of original digital photos, found art (3-d objects you can photograph), and stock images (found on the internet). Rather than creating a traditional self portrait that represents one’s likeness, the students were challenged to express his or her own personality, interests, and philosophies through the use of their various collage elements. Using Adobe Photoshop, the 7th Graders learned how to extract and manipulate images, cast shadows, add text, adjust color, and more. These full-color posters exhibit thoughtful composition and unbelievable creativity! Using our large-scale printer, the final products are 18 x 24 and are displayed in the 2nd floor lobby of the Middle School. Please come by for a visit! It is worth the trip!

Digi Photo

What a pleasure it was to teach our 8th graders this past semester. The projects were outstanding, and I hope that a love of design and multi-media production stays with them for years to come.

We are now starting something new! Our seventh graders are now exploring the fascinating world of Digital Photography. This new offering is taught by Mrs. McGraw, Technology Specialist & Mrs. Kamp, MS Art Teacher.

Our first project is titled "Self Portrait Collage." Students were asked to use photos, stock images, and found art and incorporate them into an 18 x 24 inch poster. In the process, we learned about Adobe Photoshop, an industry standard image editing program. We've learned more from the kids than they've learned from us! They are not afraid to experiment with different effects and tools, and the results are stunning.

We will post the finished products sometime next week. Stay with us to learn more about what we're creating in this new class!

White Board, Camera, Action!

Have you ever seen the UPS White Board commercials? You know the ones where the guy draws on the board to illustrate how packages travel from place to place? Well, our class decided to tell their own White Board stories, except, they added a technical element (after all, this is Digital Arts)!

The students worked in groups of two or three to make a stop animation video! They took hundreds of photos and pieced them together to create action and movement, which you will see in the clips provided below. Even though our movies are only 30-45 seconds long, the students can tell you all of the work they put into this assignment to make their story come alive. Take a look and talk to some our class members if you want to learn how to make your own stop action video!