This is the YOU people don’t see, but only learn about after getting to know you better. Also, this is the stuff they may not have ever known about you until now. Maybe there are things they would be afraid to find out! Think about these things: hobbies, obsessions, interests, desires, strengths, fantasies, weaknesses, spirituality, fears, personal values, symbolic imagery, Sources can be from books, magazines, fragmented artwork, text (words) and photos (limited- they must be compositionally strong). Real objects can also be used, such as charms, flora, small toys, coins and any other meticulously interesting thing. I suggest using slightly less than new stuff, or downright old and deteriorated. Textiles and patterned items make good backgrounds or overlaid textures.

Bring a lot of source images to scan on the flatbed scanner. Don’t take your time. In fact, be VERY considerate and be very quick. The flatbed scanner is notoriously slow and we only have one. Assist each other in any way possible. If you have access to a flatbed scanner elsewhere, please take advantage of it and come to class with your scans ready. Save all of your images as TIFF or PICT (either one works). Name the scans appropriately, but always end with the word, "scan" as in these examples: "earring scan", "petunia bud scan", etc. Put them in a folder called, "Project 2 Scans". This way, you can organize a collection. Digital photos can also be taken of your items to speed up the process. Don’t erase, trash, alter, save over, delete, spindle, mutilate, or otherwise destroy these source images! Keep it all, just in case.

Overall, I want you to use at least a dozen source items. It is possible to scan more than one thing at a time. Place small images or items on the scanner at the same time and scan the whole group, or selectively scan if different scalings are desired. REMEMBER: be quick! Everyone needs to scan. Suggestion- scan at a better resolution than you think you need (if you have the memory). Images can always be made smaller. If you need to enlarge images after they are scanned, you will run into quality problems.

Painter 5 has many tools that will be useful in working with your collage elements. These include EFFECTS menu items like TONAL CONTROL, SURFACE CONTROL and OBJECTS (Drop Shadows) as shown below.

Surface Control and Objects menus

LAYERS are a big part of this project… so big that they won’t fit on this handout!

Save additional versions of the project as you go along. I want one (1) version by class end! Turn it in by saving it as the JPEG format (good quality setting). Name it (them) as in this example (but with your last name), "mcginnis2a.jpg", "mcginnis2b.jpg", etc.