ART 127 - Project#1-Digital Hybrids

Image requirements: Image must be 200 dpi resolution, RGB, 640 x 480 pixels (like a video/web screen) and contain at least 3 layers.

The "map" must include a "key" which includes information about the scale, colors, symbols used, etc.

In the current world of images including print, television, and movies, nearly every image is "retouched"-- the image has been digitally changed or is a composite. A fashion model's face might contain skin color from one type of lighting, lipstick from one shoot, and hair from another. A news photo might contain the president simply collaged or composited onto a more desirable background.

For this assignment, you will be creating composite images using Photoshop 6.0. This means that the final image is made up of several (or many) parts: scanned photos, drawings, objects, text, images from the internet, marks painted or drawn directly in Photoshop, text typed in Photoshop, etc. edited (stacked, positioned, distorted (filters), masked, or changed in transparency, etc.) to make a final UNIFIED image.

For the Hybrid Being: Create a being that has functions or appearances that you wish you had. Think carefully about the fusing of parts as you, like Mary Shelley, create your own "Frankenstein" or like today's genetic engineers, create a new hybrid of plants and animals and clones. You will be asked to discuss your reasons for choosing the pictorial elements you did.

This organism, plant, animal, human, machine, robot should appear to have some kind of functional life or activity. What do you want it to be able to do, or appear to be able to do? Where is it situated? Does the place, landscape, location give the viewer additional information about this mythic being? Are there other props in the picture, such as clothing, furniture, art, other "beings?"

Simple examples might be to attach a machine part to a human body, making certain activities that were physically impossible possible. Consider human/animal/machine combinations, or organic with inorganic,photo images with non-photo media such as drawings, scientific information, texts, etc.

Have fun!!

For the MAP: Composite and draw a single map 640x480 pixels that defines a specific place, person, or thing. Please include a key to the visuals in the map (eg color key, codes, etc.)

We are using the word "map" loosely to mean a diagram that connects physical location with information, data, or an idea. For this assignment, we will use the word "Map" to mean diagram, interface, 2-D representation. The primary goal of this project is to design/layout your own space and designate its divisions, hot spots, pathways, territories, or densities (to name a few) according to your own personal needs. This map should not be a perfectly physical replica of the object being mapped. This digital imaging project is about using photoshop to express your ideas.

Typically, geographical maps are divided into two types: ones divided by POLITICAL boundaries, and ones designated by PHYSICAL boundaries and landmarks such as altitude, longitude, latitude, etc...What will your map be divided into? Maps give information about the overall trends of a place: think precipitation, radioactivity, internet traffic, ethnicity, gender. What information will your map provide? Maps provide information about a place and how that place is used or understood. Sometimes maps are wrong: think about the early historical maps of the earth or the Americas. Columbus thought he had hit India, when really he had struck the Americas. (Thus the name for Native Americans: Indians).

To get started, think about a place or thing you would like to MAP. This could be a person, brain, body part, object, your book bag, your room, house, neighborhood, the path to treasure, a pet. How do you want to represent that place? Drawing? Re-touched photo collage? What information about this place or thing do you want to show? Frequency of a certain activity? Pathways, traffic, other conceptual similarities? Are there points of importance? Why are they important? What are they named? Do certain colors or codes signify amounts of a certain characteristic (eg. pink sections of my brain map indicate areas that are over-stimulated)?

Have fun. Don't worry about making it realistic or to scale. It's most important that the map convey informative and idea-driven information about this PLACE.