Discussion Points: Tara Nikolin

Soooorry I'm going to bulk-post because I completely forgot to contribute to Week 10 + 11 dicussions!!

WEEK 10

The Times 20

The Times 1912

Typographic conventions and traditions are the foundations to everything we experience in the contemporary publishing world. I find it interesting that the more traditional mediums of print, such as newspapers, have remained relatively unchanged in the past couple hundred years  Newspapers continue to use a grid system that is easy for the eye to follow and simple to understand, perfect for it's role as a provider of information. Through this use of traditional typographic conventions, a sense of routine and familiarity has been established in the newspaper industry, which is why I believe many people continue to buy newspapers, regardless of the fact that they are readily   available online. Magazines and graphic design publications  however, have gone in a very different direction. There seems to be a greater desire to push the boundaries of what we know in terms of typographic conventions and with the growth of the digital age and the capabilities of digital editing, the possibilities are endless. Designers can pretty much do whatever they want, as long as it is interesting, aesthetically pleasing and well, sells.

WEEK 11

I do a lot of illustration work in my free time and for my current 4th year Major Project I am illustrating a children's book. An issue I have always had is preparing a pencil drawing for further work in Photoshop. A lot of the time I lose the quality of line or I feel like I have to get rid of the pencil all together because it's so scrappy and go over it digitally instead. So I looked into it and I found out the following: Firstly, it is important to scan the image in black and white with a +800dpi. This option can be found in the Advanced Scan Settings in Photoshop. Once it's scanned, the file size should be minimised and the resolution changed to 300 dpi which retains the same level of quality as 800 but in a smaller file.  Then it is time to clean up the lines. A way of doing this is through Image>Adjustments>LEVELS in Photoshop, wherein you control the strength of the remaining lines and their contrast with the background. Also, an interesting way of colouring the drawing is to use the Multiply setting on the line work and create a layer underneath it to colour. This ensures that the original file is intact and allows for any editing. Being able to edit and critique illustrations throughout their process is pivotal and when you have the ability to do so using a computer it saves a lot of time and energy. 

http://voices.yahoo.com/scanning-preparing-lineart-drawings-into-photoshop-49706.html?cat=59

http://danidraws.com/2006/11/29/get-the-most-out-of-your-line-drawing/

 WEEK 12

I'm just going to put it out there and say that I don't think print will ever die (unless every tree in the world dies first). I feel like there is a massive human attraction to tactile objects and all kinds of print publications seem to be cherished by countless 'fans' - from newspapers, magazines and books to posters and post cards. Admittedly, new technologies/global networks have lead to a huge growth in online publishing, especially with the likes of iPad's, Kindles and tablets, yet this seems to be a matter of convenience and 'going with the trends' as opposed to a shunning of the traditional mediums that many of us have grown up with. That being said, I find it interesting that the iPad for example, offers users with the iBook - a way to read books digitally. Yet, it hasn't created something mind-blowingly different to traditional books, you still have to turn a page with your finger and you can see text through to the next page as you turn it. They have basically digitised a traditional medium, and this seems to be the case with most things in our consumer driven society. With the growth of the online world has come a greater desire to be seen in the online world. Every company with roots in the print industry has found that it needs to go online to stay 'current', or risk loosing customers. Even powerhouses such as Vogue have buckled and gone digital.


 

Vogue Magazine

Vogue iPad App

http://meanland.com.au/blog/post/new-publishing-models-a-shifting-of-power/