This is the YOU people see. We will begin by CREATIVELY taking source portraits with our Digital Camera. Use the HQ (Hight Quality) or SQ (Standard Quality) setting.

There is a saying in the graphics world that applies perfectly to computer art as well: GIGO! (Garbage In, Garbage Out!) It is very difficult to work with bad source images. Take the digital camera to outside or inside locations suitable for good lighting, shadow, depth of field, and background. Direct an assistant to take your composed portrait. Take your time, but be quick about it! We all need to share the camera.

Download the image and copy to your zip disk. NAME THE SOURCE IMAGE, "project 1 source". When you open this image in Painter, RENAME IT,

"Project 1, Portrait A". As you work on it, continue to save (command-S). This will guarantee that your original image will be preserved and that your artwork will be saved if the computer crashes. Save each additional version likewise, but with, "portrait B", etc… as appropriate.

Play with the EFFECTS MENU of Painter:

Tonal Control menu.

Play with these as well as SURFACE CONTROL, FOCUS, ESOTERICA and ORIENTATION. Use Painter Help (in the Help Menu) to answer questions about specific effects.

**Note: The two items at the top of the EFFECTS menu are always the previous two used.

Work on COMPOSITION. In this project, most of the CONTENT will be created by the initial pose: facial reaction, body pose, setting (scene), position in space relative to camera, etc. Although the FORM will be initiated by the source pose, much of it will be modified in Painter.

Save any additional versions of the self-portrait that you like as you go along. I want three (3) versions by class end! Turn them in by saving them as JPEG format (good quality setting). Name them as in this example (but with your last name), "mcginnis1a.jpg", "mcginnis1b.jpg", and "mcginnis1c.jpg".