Photoshop CS, by Cory Arcangel
DESCRIPTION
Introduction to the creation, manipulation and critical interpretation of graphic and photographic artwork. Includes input and output of digital work as it applies to artists. As an entry-level course, it assumes no prior knowledge of the tools and techniques covered.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- To create art using digital imaging tools and creatively communicate ideas through digital art.
- To achieve a level of comfort and skill with the tools and techniques needed to create digital artwork.
- To articulate your perspectives in relationship to digital art concepts during discussions and critiques.
- To experiment with new ways to connect digital technologies to one’s own creative practice.
- To gain an understanding of the context of digital imaging as it relates to contemporary art practice.
- To complete and output your own digital artwork for an exhibition.
MEETING TIME: Several sections of this course are offered each semester. check the current course schedule, type ART 3000 in the search box.
TEACHING METHOD
Through artmaking, readings, lectures, demonstrations, discussions, critiques, writing, and viewing art, students will explore contemporary, experimental uses of digital media. Class time consists of hands-on demonstrations in software and techniques, balanced with presentations of artist examples and discussions. Students will spend some time in class discussing and developing their creative projects, but will be expected to produce most of their assigned art projects outside of class.
Students will learn and apply digital tools in the production of artistic works, not works of commercial art. Lectures and discussions will be grounded in contemporary art practice, especially art concerned with technology and its effects on people, society, and the world. Students will work independently throughout the semester, producing four major project works as well as numerous smaller “sketch” assignments both in and out of class.
This is a 3-credit-hour, 15-week studio art course, consisting of 5.5 hours of time in class each week, with meetings occurring across 2 to 3 class periods per week, depending on the section. Students should expect to spend an additional 6 hours outside of class time, per week, independently completing exercises, homework, reading, writing, and mostly, creating artwork.
ASSIGNMENTS
Art 3000 consists of four (4) major projects, each resulting in images, created in Photoshop, Illustrator, and various other image-creation tools, such as Adobe Firefly, Google Gemini, or Copilot. Each project will provide opportunities for developing certain skills in the software while also engaging with aesthetic and conceptual issues. To support these projects, a number of assignments, both in-class and as homework, will focus on mastering artistic skills.
REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION
Your performance will be evaluated on the quality of your artwork, your understanding of the basic skills and concepts covered, your resourcefulness, initiative, active participation in all class activities, and overall rigor as a student.
- Grading is assigned as follows:
- 15% Art Project 1 – Constructed Still Life
- 15 % Art Project 2 – Posthuman Portrait
- 15 % Art Project 3 – Collaborating with the Machine (includes the use of AI)
- 15 % Art Project 4 – Final Series
- 30 % Homework – practice art skills, tech skills, research, and reflective writing
- 10 % In-class exercises – techniques to practice in class.
Each assignment will have grading criteria described on the assignment sheet. Assignments should be submitted on the scheduled due date. Students should be prepared to present their project to the class at the project critique discussion.
GRADE SCALE
93 -100% A 90 – 92% A-
87 – 89% B+ 83 – 86% B
80 – 82% B- 77 – 79% C+
73 – 76% C 70 – 72% C-
67 – 69% D+ 60 – 66% D
0 – 59% E or six absences
DEPARTMENT OF ART ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance is required for all class meetings. Tardiness, missing class, and poor preparation can impact your project/course grades in a detrimental manner. Attendance is recorded for every class period. Students are expected to be present and active for the entire class period. Attendance may be taken at any point in the course meeting therefore, you may be counted as absent if you are not present when attendance is taken. Four late entries or early departures = one absence.
You will be allowed two (3) sick, personal, physical, or mental health days without grading consequences (except for critique days). If you miss a class, for whatever reason, it is your responsibility to get ALL the information you missed from the instructor, or your classmates as soon as possible, and continue to complete all exercises, homework, and projects on time. If you do have to miss a critique discussion due to circumstances out of your control, an alternative assignment may be completed to make up lost points.
In the instance that you miss more than 3 class meetings, a 4th and 5th absence will reduce your final grade by a letter step for each (example, B+ to B, and B to B-). Students who are absent a sixth (6) time will receive a failing grade (E) in the course.
In the event of serious illness or other events that prevent you from completing work or meeting synchronously, please communicate with me as soon as possible and we can work together to create a new schedule to get you back on track.
COMMUNICATION
During class time I will make announcements and explain course content and assignment details. I will also use the Carmen Announcements section to communicate general information throughout the semester. The most up-to-date schedule, due dates for assignments and reference documents will be found on Carmen. Grades will also be posted to Carmen.
The best way to contact me outside of class time is through email or the Carmen Inbox. You should email me only from your OSU email or the Carmen Inbox. You can generally expect a reply to emails within 24 hours on weekdays. I expect that you are checking your Buckeyemail email and your Carmen Inbox regularly.
Remember, Ohio State will never ask for your Ohio State username or password. Do not reply to any email asking for your Ohio State username, password, or other personal information. Report such messages to report-phish@osu.edu.
MATERIALS LIST
Printing: There is no lab fee associated with this class, however, do plan to spend $30 – $100 on printing your artwork, depending on the size and quality. At least one project from this class will be printed and displayed in the Art & Technology show at the end of the semester.
Computer: All students must have a device that is able to connect to the Carmen Course and participate in Zoom meetings with video and audio.
Camera: cellphone camera is fine, as long as you can get your photos from your camera into your computer. Some assignments will require that you capture your own images.
Software: We will be using Photoshop, Illustrator, and Bridge from the Adobe Creative Suite. Students at Ohio State can get a free license of the Adobe Creative Suite Software for their personal computers, by request. Submit a request via ServiceNow
To download the software on your personal computer, a desktop or laptop running Windows 10, or MacOS X is recommended. See Adobe System Requirements
Computer Mouse: If you are working on a laptop you should use a mouse.
Small Notebook/Sketchbook: Often it is a good idea to write notes, or draw things on paper.
Digital Storage: Suggested USB storage drive at least 4 GB. A USB drive is a convenient way to transfer files between the computer lab and your personal computer.
OSU OneDrive (free) It is imperative to follow good digital practices by backing up your important work in more than one place. Hard-drive crashes, file glitches, and lost USB drives do happen, and they are not excuses for late projects.
LinkedIn Learning Tutorials: Ohio State Students can access these helpful tutorials for free. You do not need a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn Learning offers tutorials on a wide range of digital software related to this course and can be a valuable source of detailed information on techniques and tools. Login: https://www.linkedin.com/learning Make sure to log in with name.#@osu.edu & SSO password
COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AND LAB ACCESS
The Art Department has several computer labs available for student use outside of class time. Students can use any of these labs if there is no class in session. Students will have BuckID swipe card access to our labs after class hours.
BE PREPARED TO ENGAGE UNSETTLING IMAGERY, AND COPYRIGHT
Any an art class may involve looking at imagery that can disturb, unsettle, or offend. The contemporary art world trades in such imagery, and navigating this world means being prepared to engage with it. However, one must also look critically at it. That is your role as a viewer. As a creator, I hope that you consider the ethical implications of re-presentation of potentially shocking imagery. Likewise, please consider the ethics of copyright and ownership. Violating copyright law is not allowed. However, we will learn to use copyrighted imagery legally following the “Fair Use” principle. This class will follow the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use in the Visual Arts, as described by the College Art Association.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND STATEMENTS
All are posted on this page from OSU’s Office of Undergraduate Education