Alphabet Poster

 Summary:(Begin thinking of a topic, we will talk more about it on Saturday)

1. Choose 3 Topics for an ABC poster

2. Doodle some ideas on 3 pages

3. Make a list of words from A-Z, that fall within the topic.

4. Make more sketches

5. Check to make sure the text is age appropriate, use spell check.

6. Begin finalizing sketched ideas and concepts.

7. Create handmade mock up, we will pick the final design in class.

8. Begin building in illustrator.

9. One Tabloid page, vertically formatted, ai. file.

At first glance, coming up with a topic isn’t all that hard. The difficulty comes in choosing just the right angle for your topic.

To start this process, I recommend looking at recent ABC books on the market (within the past 5 years). Find out what’s selling and why.  A quick check of on line retailers for popular books can provide good ­­ideas and trends.

In general, the more specific you can get with your topic, the better. Instead of animals, choose a particular category of animals, such as those that live in a certain region, or those you might find at a zoo. Another general rule is to think globally.

It’s important to spend adequate time researching your potential topic to make sure you can actually write a complete alphabet on your topic. “A” though “D” may be easy, but what about “X” through “Z”? This, of course, is the downside of choosing a too-specific topic. But that’s where more research comes in, and that’s what we’ll talk about next time. 

Select the link below to see common words used by grade

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/basic-spelling-vocabulary-list

Publishers today are looking for a more sophisticated approach—one that really brings the alphabet to life for a young reader, or perhaps just helps that reader see it in a new way. One example is to make your way through the alphabet backwards. Another is to connect the alphabetical words in such a way that one logically leads to another. Alphabet books can either be nonfiction or fiction, but nowadays there needs to be some form of story involved. Gone are the days of simply listing words in alphabetical order, even if those words all center on a certain theme.

Sample artwork

April 15 Homework

Alphabet Project

1. Go to the Internet and search for alphabet books. All kinds, ones for adults and children.

2. In your sketchbook copy 4 different pages from the images you find on the web. Fill the page. 

3. If you have Alphabet books at home, you can use them to copy from. Try to find a wide style of sources that show different types. 

4. Below are sample pages from different books, DO NOT COPY MY EXAMPLES... find some of your own. 

5. Use pencil only, this is in preparation for the next project.
6. Make sure you save a copy of the original image you drew from, you can print it out when you come to class next week. If you are working from a book you have, take a picture on your cell phone or scan it. Then you can print out the image when you get to class next week.

7. Next week we will finish the box project and I will talk more about the next project.

4/1/17 Homework

Homework:
When we meet next on April 15, bring in the inked character that you designed for your product. We will work on converting your image, text and look at bar code design.
Have a great week off.