Introduction to Commercial Art

1. Introduction to Commercial Art
2. Seeing and Understanding
3. The Building Blocks of Perception
4. The Spice of Life
5. When "Cut and Paste" Could be Taken Literally
6. Jingle All the Way

• View Syllabus

You have a choice in how you can complete and each assignment in this course:

• Create them on a computer using a drawing program, or

• Draw them by hand using pencils or pens

If it’s at all possible, it would be most beneficial to do the assignments contained in this booklet on the computer, as that’s how they’re done by professionals in the business. But no matter how you do them, all the same concepts will apply, and the assignments will be graded the same—on content, not on the method of creation. If you choose to do your work on paper, you will need a few basic tools:

• A pencil (mechanical pencils are best)

• A black fine-tip felt pen

• Good quality colored pencils

• A ruler

• Plain white paper

If you choose to do your assignments on the computer, there are several good programs available which will work well. Some are included free in your computer’s software bundle, and others can be somewhat expensive. Here are just a few:

• GimpTM

• Adobe PhotoshopTM

• Adobe IllustratorTM

• Microsoft PaintTM

• Jasc Paintshop ProTM

While there is ample information to complete every assignment contained in Brainhoney, there is an endless supply of other helpful sources out there. For research, you can use the Internet or local libraries, visit design companies, or do field research in shops and stores. You can use a simple pencil and paper, or invest in some more expensive drawing tools.