Computer Graphics:
It’s not just
Photoshop Anymore
Presented by
Jack Tovey
Computer Graphics: It’s not just
Photoshop Anymore
The Rationale for
This Brash Statement
Confluence of Forces

It’s a Digital World
 Students
have never known a world
without computers

The State is developing career paths in
High School
 To

try to make learning more relevant
Opportunities for careers in Art are
increasing

Those careers require digital skills
Digital Culture

This is a FUNDAMENTALY different environment than
the one we grew up in.

It’s a 600-channel TV universe.

It’s a 10,000 station radio universe accessible online.

It’s an 8,000,000,000 plus page internet.

World events can be viewed as they occur on TV
Understanding Digital Kids:
Training & Learning in the New
Digital Age
Ian Jukes
Digital Kids

Kids have grown up with technology
 Video
 Music
 Animations

Their brains function differently from
previous generations

Effects of viewing a bombardment of images



Video Games
Movies
Television
Effect On Teaching

While students are digital natives anyone 30 or older
is an immigrant with a digital accent

When students walk into our classrooms they will be
able to discern our accents and sometimes because
of the degree of that accent they disconnect

Teachers tend to unconsciously assume that
students’ skills are not as good and they are not as
literate as teachers because the students don’t seem
to value or prioritize the teachers’ literacies

Younger teachers may have grown up in the digital
age, but their educational institutions modeled a nondigital model of education
State plan for Career Paths (Draft)
Graphic Arts
Digital Arts
Commercial Art
Art 2D or 3D
Art 2D or 3D
Art 2D or 3D
Drawing 1- 3
Computer
Graphics
Commercial Art
1-3
Graphic
Design 1-2
Creative
Photography
1-4
Advanced
Computer
Graphics
Computer
Art
Applications
to
Printmaking
Printing and
Graphic
Communications
IB Art and
Design 1-2
Color
Photography
AP Studio
Art 2D
(Design
Portfolio)
Commercial
Photography
Technology
1-11
AP Studio Art
/2D
Design
Photography
Art 2D or 3D Art 2D or 3D
Current Course Offerings

Computer Graphics : to include 2D and 3D Vector and
Bitmapped graphics as well as 2D and 3D animations

Visual Technology : to include storyboarding, video,
graphic design, PowerPoint or other visual presentations,
and 2D and 3D animation

Multimedia Design : to include 2D and 3D graphics,
storyboarding, 2D and 3D Animations, video, PowerPoint
presentations, and web pages

Film : to include lighting, sound, scenic design, graphic
design, animation, direction, editing, as well as, business
management
Employment in Art

Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and
illustrators : 29,000

Artists and related workers, all other : 8,500

Median annual earnings of salaried fine artists,
including painters, sculptors, and illustrators,
were $38,060 in May 2004
http://www.bls.gov/OCO/DOL
Department of Labor Statistics
2006-2007
Multimedia Designers and
Game Designers
94,000 Multi-media artists and animators draw
by hand and use computers to create the large
series of pictures that form the animated images
or special effects seen in movies, television
programs, and computer games.
 Median annual earnings of salaried multi-media
artists and animators were $50,360 in May
2004.

http://www.bls.gov/OCO/DOL
Department of Labor Statistics
2006-2007
Opportunities for Careers in
Computer Graphics

Broadcast motion design artists
create the graphics used in multimedia or television broadcasting to display sports
statistics, animated logos, and advertising.

CG programmers
create the coding instructions that bring the characters to life.

Character animators
analyze the way people and creatures move and use specialized software to create a
simulation of that movement on the screen.

Digital painters
use traditional and digital painting techniques to create textures, flats, character patterns,
and colors as well as retouching and enhancing computer renderings.

Lighting specialists
create the effects of light and shade that make animation look real.

Render wranglers
manage the computer process that takes the work created by animators and artists and
creates the final images suitable for scan out to film.

Special effects animators
produce special effects, such as tornadoes, or exploding asteroids
What Students Should Learn In
Computer Graphics
•
•
How to use computers, software, digital cameras,
scanners, digital tablets, and printers to create 2D and
3D Digital Images.
How to produce objective and non-objective works of
art drawing directly on the computer and/or with
scanned images using the following software:
•
Vector Graphic Software: Examples: Adobe Illustrator,
Corel Draw
• Bit Mapped or Raster Graphic Software:Example:Adobe
Photoshop,Paintshop Pro, Painter 9
• 3D modeling software: Amorphium Pro, Carrara 3d Basics 2
Our Curriculum
Start off using Painter Elements :
Get students used to using the graphic tablets
Introduction to tutorials ( First 10 days)
Our Curriculum
Vector Graphics ( Adobe Illustrator) 4 weeks
Our Curriculum
2D Animation (Flash) 3 weeks or…..
Our Curriculum
2D Animation (Image Ready) 3 Weeks
Our Curriculum
Bit Mapped Graphics ( Photoshop) 4 Weeks
Our Curriculum
3D Animation (Amorphium 3, Carrara 3D Basics)
4 Weeks
Our Curriculum
Students create either a 2D picture for display in
school or Art Shows or A 2D 3D animation for
display on morning show news or Art Shows
1 Week
How this Helps Our Students

Experience with different types of computer
graphics




2D – 3D
Vector and Bit Mapped
Still and Animation
Experience with Industry Standard Software



Painter, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Image Ready, Flash, Amorphium Pro
Carrara, 3D Basics
That’s Great But I Have No Money

2 D animations



Vector Graphics:


If You already have Photoshop you have Image Ready Built in
for 2 D animations
Project Dogwaffle Win http://www.thebest3d.com/dogwaffle/free/
Inkscape Draw Freely :
http://www.inkscape.org/download/?css=css/base.css
3D software


Google sketch up : http://sketchup.google.com/
Free Seriff Software Win
http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/3dPlus/default.asp?S
P=G400&kwd=animation_software
How To Get Money

Use every opportunity to show students work






At School
In Art Shows
Public Functions
SAC
PTA
Become part of the organizations that control money



School Budget Committee
SAC
PTA
In Conclusion

Computer Graphics can’t just be Photoshop Anymore





Times Have Changed
Kids Have Changed
The State Wants Career Paths
The Job Market is Looking for Students With Skills
As Educators We Should Want To Teach What’s Best
For the Students



Make Changes
Show Off Accomplishments
Become part of organizations that can make things happen
Copy of this Presentation

Pinellas County Schools Visual Arts Web Page

Visual Art Teacher Resources :
http://www.arts.pinellas.k12.fl.us/Art/educators.html

E-mail: toveyj@pcsb.org