Module 2: Applying PhotoShop

Module 2: Overview

In this module students use the skills learned in the previous module to create images that will later be incorporated on their personal web site. In the first lesson students take a digital picture of themselves. Then they select and lift their form off of the original background and place their form on an exotic or whimsical background. When they redesign the home page for their personal web site in Unit 4, this will become the focal image of that web site. In the second lesson students make a generic navigation buttons which will also be for use in the redesign of their personal web site.

Module 2: List of lessons:

• Lesson 1: Self Portrait (Lesson length 200 minutes)
• Description: Students start with either a digital image or a scanned image of themselves. They then find a suitable image of a location, someplace exotic or whimsical. Using selection and layer techniques, they place their body in to the exotic or whimsical background.
• Learner Outcome: The student will be able to-
• Scan images and save them in the appropriate file format in an accessible location.
• Use a digital camera and save images in an accessible location.
• Resize an image to make it porpotionate without distortion.
• Use the selection tool in PhotoShop best suited for the task of removing a form from its background.
• Create, adjust and retouch a layer to make it blend with the overall image.
• Set an image onto a transparent background and save using the appropriate file format.
• Feather an image to create a vignette effect.
• Activities:
  • Teach students to operate digital cameras and then pair students up to shoot each others picture. Advise them to use a patternless, light-colored background.
  • Teach students to operate a scanner. If they brought a print picture, have them scan it.
  • Teach students ethical and legal practices for obtaining images on the Internet. Refer to the assignment guidelines concerning such practices. Students that did not bring print images should search to find a suitable background.
  • Have students open both the portrait and the background images in PhotoShop and have them do the self portrait exercise.
• Handout/Resources Needed:
  • an exotic background image, supplied by the student, either a digital or a print (postcard, page from a magazine, etc.) image,
  • flat bed scanner,
  • digital camera(s),
  • Adobe PhotoShop
  • some sort of sort of storage for student image files.
• Suggested Assessment: Check student monitors as formative or ongoing assessment to see if they successfully apply the PhotoShop skills from the previous module. As a summative assessment, use the Applied PhotoShop Skills Rubric for evaluation.
• Lesson 2: Navigation Buttons (Lesson length 200 minutes)
• Description: Students view on-line tutorials that demonstrate how to create a button using PhotoShop.
• Learner Outcome: The students will be able to-
• Use Photoshop to make a basic shape and fill it with color.
• Select complementary colors.
• Use layer effects to create a 3-D effect.
• Use gradients to create a 3-D effect.
• Create and align text layers.
• Read and watch an automated tutorial and be able to apply the skills demonstrated.
• Activity:
• Students research the two tutorials for creating buttons on the SitePoint web site.
• Have students do the navigation buttons exercise.
• Handout/Resources Needed:
• PhotoShop,
• Browser
• Suggested Assessment: Check student monitors as formative or ongoing assessments to see if they successfully apply the PhotoShop skills from the previous module. As a summative assessment, use the Applied PhotoShop Skills Rubric for evaluation.