Digital Design – An Introduction

Use your imagination and explore the powerful design tools using Adobe Creative Suite in an easy to understand fashion.

Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash Professional and InDesign are the perfect choice for designers and animators to create exceptional digital work. This unique introductory course offers you a complete introduction into the design possibilities of these most popular design based Adobe software packages. Whether you are a first time user or just need to brush up on the basic skills, this course will form a foundation and allow creative exploration over several different design platforms, giving you the knowledge to expand upon for future projects and interests.

Your tutor Sarah Shirtcliffe, will introduce you to the basics of the most creative programs. During the 10-week course you will be taught how to design and sketch a subject using Illustrator drawing tools then import the files in to Photoshop to add layers of colour and texture. Animate the different elements with Flash Professional interactive tools and create a Digital pdf booklet of the processes using the print and layout options InDesign offers. This will provide you the basic knowledge needed to start creating within these four powerful programs and get you started on your way to create unique, inspiring and fun Digital Art.

During the course you will explore, examine and experiment with:

• Creating new files and setting sizes
• Tools – where they are and what they do
• Layers and Layer Styles – what they are and how to use them effectively
• Common File Formats
• Colour pallets – painting, filling and subtracting colour
• Importing and reshaping textures
• Image and Video Files
• How integrate files from one program to another
• Vector and Bitmap files
• …and much more!

A desire to explore, experiment and release your imagination.

A notebook and a pen, USB memory stick (8Gb recommended)

Autumn Term

• Thursday 13th October – 15th December 2016

Spring Term

• Thursday 26th January – 30th March 2017