THEATRE GRAPHICS GILLIAM
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP UNIT
In 1991, I purchased my first computer. Little did I realize at that time how this electronic devise would transform our society let alone theatre design. Hand drawing and drafting will continue to be an essential tool for the theatre artist, but the computer is now just as important. At this point in my professional career, it is interesting to observe old school and new school designers. The old school continues to draw, draft, render and view theatre design through pre 1991 filters. Many in the new school are enslaved to the computer. My fortune has been the ability to embrace both schools.
Hand drawing remains invaluable as a large portion of a designer’s communication process happens “on the fly”. You might find yourself in a bar where a concept is explored on a bar napkin. In a production meeting, an idea may need to be sketched. In the shop, you might need to explain how the fabric drapes or the staircase curves to an artisan working on the project. So, the computer will not replace the paper and pencil. However, as a tool, the computer can enhance and facilitate designer communication.
This unit will introduce Adobe Photoshop as perhaps the most important software a designer can use. There are several other software programs designers use including Vector works or AutoCAD (drafting programs), Adobe Freehand (an illustrator’s program) and Poser (a figure drawing program). For the purposes of this course, we will concentrate on Photoshop
At this point in the development of this Theatre Graphic course, we do not have a computer classroom for this unit. Therefore specific exercises and assignments will need to be made at a later date after these details are ascertained.
If you are interested in investigating Photoshop and its possibilities, log onto the following URLs:
For an overview to various and specific applications in Photoshop use
http://www.videotidbits.com/imagingresources/pstutorial.html
For a basic, self-taught course in Photoshop log onto