Graphic Design
FALL Semester 2014
Final Examination
FINAL FOR RICHARD CASTILLO
Instructions: Please read all of the following information carefully:
Create a new folder on your “My Documents on daisy” student folder, call it “lastname_final.” All of the work for this final will be saved into this folder and the folder will be submitted for grading. Download the file called "CD_Cover_Template.PSD" and save it into your Lastname_final folder. Open this file in Photoshop.
This final is a “mini project” which will allow you to demonstrate
all of the skills that you have learned over the year. It is primarily a “Graphic
Design Process” exercise, but please make sure to incorporate as much
of your learning as you can into the project:
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Filters • Blending Options • Fills
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Layer Blends • Attach Text to Path • Cutting Objects from Backgrounds
•
Shapes • Strokes • Image Adjustments
•
Patterns • Gradients • Transformations
In addition, I would like to see evidence of the various Visual Communications exercises which we did this year, as well as some of the “History of Graphic Design” problems completed this semester.
THE MINI-PROJECT:
You are a graphic designer and you have been given the opportunity to create the CD graphics for a new album. Before you get started, you should review the following information regarding your album:
| Genre: | R&B |
| Artist: | Code Red |
| Album Title: | "All Aboard" |
| Short Review: | The best thing to come out of Kentucky since Colonel Sanders drumsticks.” That’s what has been said of the foursome known collectively as Code Red. Their debut album, All Aboard, is at once a homage to what has become known as “the golden era of rap”—strong, explosive percussion; party-oriented rhymes—and a nod to more progressive music like that of the Nappy Roots and the under-rated (they said it themselves in their bio) Black Eyed Peas. The songs “For My People,” “Elbow Room,” and “Atomic” are just what they profess: frenetic, gutsy, and ready for the club, Southern style, without being engulfed by the cliché of Crunk music. When these guys say they’re ready to get the party started, they’re not just whistling Dixie, they’re asking you to let your hair down, take it to the edge, and break some shit. This train ride is not just one-sided, however, as reflection time comes over into a well established and perfect Curtis Mayfield ridden sample for the song “All Aboard,” and an equally well produced “Brother Louis,” a song that updates the 1973 hit of the same name about interracial couples. Here, vocalist Demi Demaree, seems to have channeled the deep, sincerity and molasses drawl of Anthony Hamilton. And then, when you thought it could get no better, the group hits you with “Give Me A Reason.” Many people have made comments on the current state of war affairs, but two of these guys are actual vets and their words linger. Thought it was all Uncle Sam and apple pie? They give you an opportunity to question that sentiment without guilt. Another track, “Summer Jam,” does what it is supposed to do—offer up feelings of carefree summer days, however, the choice of El DeBarge’s “I Like It” as the background just doesn’t play as well as other samples pilfered from the crates. But that’s just a small flaw in an otherwise stellar outing. As debut releases go, this one will be hard to beat. So grab your dancing shoes and thinking caps, leave the boundaries at home and enjoy the ride. |
| Sound clips from your album: | -Clip #1: Summer Jam -Clip #2: Brother Louie |
| Song Listing: | 1. All Aboard |
| Production Company: | ©2006, Toucan Cove Records |
NOTE: I HIGHLY recommend that you do not look up the actual graphics of this album, or if you are familiar with the album, put the graphics out of your mind, as preconceived notions will make this assignment MORE difficult, not easier.
To start, download this template file for your CD graphics and save it in to your “lastname_final” folder. You will be creating your CD cover on this Photoshop file.
You will be creating the following for your CD graphics:
1. A nice typographic representation of the Group or Artist’s name, as
well as a typographic representation of the title of the Album (these SHOULD
NOT look the same!) Create these two graphics on separate files and copy them
into your final project when needed. Please save these two files as .JPGs into
your “lastname_final” folder.
2. Graphics for the front cover of the CD (and possibly continuing onto the
back cover, as well) which fit the mood and theme of the Album. This is where
much of your Graphic talent with Photoshop will come in. Use your blending,
cutout and filter skills here! Feel free to get images from the Internet, as
needed, to bring about your graphic. Remember, the Template is the outside
border of your CD, do not go over it!
3. Text for the spine of the CD which includes the Group or Artist’s
Name and the title of the CD.
4. Graphics for the back of the CD which follow a similar theme to the CD.
On the back of the album, you will include the Song Listing.
5. Include the production company information on the back of the CD as well.
6. Place your Artist and CD Title graphics onto the cover of your CD as you
see fit to enhance the look of the work.
When you have completed your design, please save the work as a .JPG file and
place it into your “lastname_final” folder.