By Jenna French
What did you learn?
By completing this project, I learned a lot about Photoshop. For example, I learned how to create and save textures, create shapes, use the gradient tool, the brush tool, and so on.
What was easy?
When reflecting on the processes I had to use to create this project, I thought the gradient tool was easy to use. Photoshop was able to do a lot of the hard work for me, and all I had to do was click on the right layer and use the cursor to create the gradient. Then, I used the brush tool to clean up anything or reveal parts of the image that I wanted to show.
What was challenging?
I had a lot of trouble figuring out how to create a shape layer using one of my images. I am not the best at using the pen tool, which made this more challenging and it took me a few tries to get it right. I had to some more research to figure this out and also used the videos from our class sessions.
How could your submission be improved?
I think that my shape layer could be improved because some of the edges on the butterfly shape are rough and could be cleaned up. If I were to revise this project, I would make sure to go back to this portion of the project.
How could the professor improve the assignment for the next class?
Since I have little experience with Photoshop and creating appealing images, I think it would be helpful to go over how to successfully composite an image. Even though we went over in-depth how to do this, I think I lacked skills in how to make the image more aesthetically pleasing.
How might you apply your knowledge in future assignments or work scenarios?
As a journalism major, it is more important than ever to have skills other than writing. In the future, if I decide to stay on this path, I will have to be able to have some basic skills mastered in Photoshop or other software. For example, I might have to create a graphic for our social media account, and by having these skills I will be able to create a graphic.
How did a specific reading or video inspire or help you?
To get some inspiration, I looked at one of the links provided in the slideshow for this project. I ended up scrolling through Behance and came across an image that used colorful flowers to draw the viewers’ attention to the subject. I decided to use some of the flowers I included in the previous project and I also ended up making my project my project colorful similar to the one I came across on this site.