READING TIPS

ABOUT THIS BOOK

what’s covered and why?
What it is
What’s not covered?
Who should read it?
What visual styles are included?

 

LEARNING TIPS

Don’t confuse this with school
Read it more than once
Practice and patience
Be project oriented

Wisdom

 

PART 1 – THE BASICS

CHAPTER 1 - A GRAMMAR OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION

You - the visual communicator
We start with visual grammar
My visual grammar
Visual grammar use

 

CHAPTER 2 - EXPLORING THE IMAGE ELEMENTS

Symbolism
Image Elements and their visual effects
The Image Elements in detail

 

2A. LIGHT AND COLOR

Our medium
Light - Electromagnetic Energy and Waves
Light effects - How light behaves in the world
Color, reflection and absorption – the most common light effects
The Color Wheel, your ‘Color Compass’
Colors together - Color Schemes

 

2B. ELEMENT 1 - PIXELS

Lots of dots
Pixel confusion

 

2C. ELEMENT 2 - LINES

Lines
Digital Lines - Vectors

 

2D. ELEMENT 3 - SHAPES

Shapes as both 2D and 3D
Shapes - Properties

 

2E. ELEMENT 4 - FORMS

Form from Shape
Edge contour for depth
Texture and form

 

2F. ELEMENT 5 - OBJECTS

Objects as your subjects

 

2G. ELEMENT 6 – SCENES

Scenes - your top level
Scene Depth effects
Figure/Ground - Traditional and Contemporary

 

PART 2 – PUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING TO WORK

WISDOM

 

CHAPTER 1 – THE NEW WAY OF MAKING 2D IMAGES

Overview - 3D modeling to make 2D images
Advantages of 3D modeling for 2D graphics
3D scene to 2D image workflow

 

CHAPTER 2 – SCENE PERSPECTIVE

Simulated camera Lenses

 

CHAPTER 3 – LIGHTING YOUR IMAGES

Why create your own custom lighting?
Light Rendering Basics
Light Rendering Methods
Lighting Render Bells and Whistles
Realism in lighting
Lighting Tips
Common lighting errors
Lighting for realism
More Ways to Improve your scene Lighting

 

CHAPTER 4 - IMAGE COMPOSITION

Introducing Composition
Analyzing a composition
More on composition

 

CHAPTER 5 – ATTAINING REALISM

Why bother?
Realism - common mistakes

 

CHAPTER 6 – ADDING DRAMA

Visual icons
POV (Point-of-View)
Symmetry
Gesture
Color drama
Fake media and perception errors
Drama lighting
Weather, time and mood
Color scheme for your whole image

 

CHAPTER 7 – THE IMAGE PROJECT PROCESS

First get a concept
Sketch it
Connect inside and out
Plan
Grow your sketch into a prototype image
When you have trouble
Think you’re done? Then it’s time to polish
Final render, another 'final' render, another…
Present it!

 

CHAPTER 8 – ON SEEING

Looking is not enough

 

CHAPTER 9 – SOME PERSONAL OPINIONS AND A THEORY

Signature and copyright are not art
Honesty and trickery in art
Digital Postwork
My art theory of ‘hooks and layers’

 

PART 3 – RESOURCES

TESTED AND RECOMMENDED TOOLS

SOFTWARE

2D Image Editors:
Image Databases:
3D Modelers:
Scene Generators/Assemblers/Renderers/Animators:
Web Editors:
Utilities:

 

HARDWARE

Stereo Glasses:
Display Calibrators:
Display Cards:

 

RECOMMENDED WORKFLOWS

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Images:
Models:
Stock Photo Resources:

 

ONLINE RESOURCES

Art and Art History:

Physics:
Vision:
Psychology of imagery:
Computer Graphics:
Lighting:
Math:

 

GLOSSARY

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