Digital Graffiti

VAC_1.jpg

 

Graffiti:

pl. of graffito.

 

2.

(used with a plural verbhttp://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png) markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray-painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom, or the like: These graffiti are evidence of the neighborhood's decline.

 

3.

(used with a singular verbhttp://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png) such markings as a whole or as constituting a particular group: Not much graffiti appears around here these days.

Origin:
1850–55; < It, pl. of graffito incised inscription or design, deriv. with -ito -ite 2 of graffiare to scratch, perh. influenced by presumed L *graphīre to write; both prob. deriv. of L graphium stylus < Gk grapheîon; cf. http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png

 

A brief overview of the history, theory and practice of graffiti

Graffiti as a means of cultural expression which many times expresses resistance.

 

Ancient graffiti

 

graffitifromJordan.jpg

Ancient graffiti from Wadi Rum in southwest Jordan, a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock

 

Graffiti tells us things that history books and records kept by scribes do not. They tell us about the character of a people that have long since passed into history.

Ancient Graffiti on the walls of Pompeii http://www.orbilat.com/Languages/Latin_Vulgar/Texts/Pompeii_Graffiti.html

 

Contemporary Graffiti:

http://www.graffiti.org/

 

Graffiti challenges mainstream notions of what counts as art, what counts as public space, and what counts as property.

http://csdt.rpi.edu/subcult/grafitti/culture/index.html

 

Graffiti becomes accepted artform:

Keith haring http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR-MbMDmq4w

 

Grafitti in Japan: RACKGAKI – Japanese Graffiti Culture

 

Graffiti Research Lab
http://graffitiresearchlab.com/?page_id=6#video

James Powderly founder Graffiti Research Lab

Sol Lewitt: wall drawings

http://www.wcma.org/modules/LeWitt/index.html

 

 

Wallpaper Lab: Ron Keyson http://wallpaperlab.com/

digital projection and other emerging, non-permanent forms of graffiti. (Photon Bombing, Guerilla Projection, Urban Projection)

World Builder

by BranitVFX

http://vimeo.com/3365942

Related articles:

http://motionographer.com/2009/03/05/bruce-branit-world-builder/

http://shapeandcolour.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/bruce-branit-world-builder/

http://www.rexduffdixon.com/2009/03/04/world-builder-by-bruce-branit/

 

Lens: Showcase: The Walls Speak
By Tim Hetherington
The dreadful strife of existence on Liberia, Tim Hetherington has found, can be measured by the vivid and sometimes violent graffiti left behind.

 

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/06/digital-graffiti-festival/

http://www.computerarts.co.uk/in_depth/features/digital_graffiti

 

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Screening:
Kroystof Wodzesko
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/wodiczko/

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Studio:

- picking a site: what you say and where you say it

- Expressive gesture with digital drawing stylus: work with gestures and see what images or patters you make

- Then tile your image
How to create seamless tiled images:
Adobe Photoshop tutorial 


 

 

 

 

You may need seamlessly tiling textures for website backgrounds, 3D mapping, and other design projects. To create these seamless tiles
you will need to match the edges of your images so that when you repeat the individual image by putting it next to itself you shouldn't be
able to tell the pieces from each other. This tutorial uses a continuous toned image, like a photograph, but the same principles apply if you are using images like colored line art or logos.
To create such a seamless tiling texture in Photoshop first you need to crop a good area from your texture image.

Let's create a tile from scratch!

Although a self-tiling image can be non-square, it is much harder to accurately proof. I also always start with an image size based on a power of 2 (i.e. 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 = 16). Why? There are two main reasons, the first being that many of Photoshop's filters (most notably Clouds) will create already seamless tiles, but only if the original image is based on a power of 2. Secondly, powers of two are easy to manage and check. Also powers of 2 are useful for 3d mapping textures. Even your monitor resolution is based on a power of two.


SIMPLE: Then use the Filter> Other> Offset command and fix the visible edges with the stamp and healing brush tools.
You should repeat this same procedure several times until your image is tiling perfectly and no edges are visible.
At this point you can save your image as a high quality jpeg or gif image. Otherwise you can create a pattern to be used in PS by selecting
Edit> Define Pattern. You can fill an area with this pattern if you select Edit> Fill and select Pattern from the Contents menu and choose
the newly created custom pattern.

 

MORE DETAILED: Step One: Getting Set Up

We start by creating two new images: one that will tile, and one that we will use to check the work.

Go to File >> New

This will be our tile. Under image size, type in your image dimensions. 256 x 256 is a good one to start with. Make sure that you're using pixels as a unit of measurement, and that your image resolution is 72 dpi. Work in RGB color space initially (Image>Mode>rgb)

For checking the pattern, create another image, using all of the same settings except for size. Input a file size that is some multiple of your tile. For example, a tile that is 256 by 256 pixels might have a "checking" file of 1536 by 1536 pixels. This will repeat the tile six times across and six times down, and will give you a good idea of what the resulting pattern will look like.

 http://www.pixelpoke.com/Tutorial%20One/new%20file.jpg

Now let's get tricky.

Go to File >> Preferences

Choose Guides and Grid

Set up your guides to show you where the edges of your tile are when repeated in on our checking file. Taking our 256 by 256 pixel example, we would set up a gridline every 256 pixels, and maybe a subdivision of 2, to show where the center of the tile is. Choose a style and a color that you are comfortable with.

To view your guides (or turn them off), choose View >> Show Grid

 

Step Two: The Tile

You can start by picking a base color, and then going to

Edit >> Fill, choosing the foreground color.

I then reset my colors to the default of black and white (select "D" on the keyboard), and chose Filter >> Render >> Clouds, which renders a fractal image using the foreground and background colors on top of whatever color may already be present.

http://www.pixelpoke.com/Tutorial%20One/new%20color.jpg

To give the tile some interest, I then chose Filter >> Texture >> Texturizer and chose the preset of Sandstone, playing with the settings there.

 

Edit >> Fill

 

http://www.pixelpoke.com/Tutorial%20One/CLOUDS.jpg

Filter >> Render >> Clouds

http://www.pixelpoke.com/Tutorial%20One/texture%20render.jpg

Filter >> Texture >> Texturizer

 

Step Three: Getting it Seamless

First I duplicate the layer I'm working on:

(Layer >> Duplicate Layer)

Then I choose Filter >> Other >> Offset, choosing offset values 50% of my texture's dimensions (in this case 256 X 256). I also make sure that "wrap around" is selected.

http://www.pixelpoke.com/Tutorial%20One/offset.jpg

At this point it's now easy to edit out any seams that are visible, by erasing to the image below. You can also use the rubberstamp tool to paint back in areas. As you can see from the example image, I create a very rough cross shape, trying not to make the cross shape too obvious. This helps eliminate those annoying horizontal and vertical lines that you will see in many patterns across the web.

Filter >> Other >> Offset

 

http://www.pixelpoke.com/Tutorial%20One/transparent.jpg

A very rough cross shape

Step Four: Check Your Work

Now let's make this baby sing!

To have Photoshop make a pattern, first go to Select >> Select All. With everything selected (it doesn't matter what layer is active, only what's visible), go to Edit >> Define Pattern.

 

Now let's switch to our checking document or you can simply increase your canvass size using:

(Image>Canvas Size>8.5 x 11”) make sure your background is white or clear (whichever you prefer for your pattern)

Choose Edit >> Fill. Select the "Fill with pattern” option.

Voila! Your image is tiled.

Turn your grid on to see where your edges are. View >> Show Grid

http://www.pixelpoke.com/Tutorial%20One/grids.jpg Edit >> Fill (Select "Fill with Pattern " )

 

Now at this point I generally go back and work on the tile image until I've reduced as much of the obvious patterning as possible. If you are finished at this point, flatten your image (choose Layer options, and select flatten) and save it as your file of choice.

Other tutorials on seamless pattern tiling images:
http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/tilings/tilings.htm
How a Turn a Texture into a Seamlessly Tiled Background

 

- Tiling and printing There are a number of ways to do this: see which of the following work for you:

* When ready to print: go to cmyk (Image>Mode>cmyk) at 300 dpi (Image>Image size>300ppi) (make sure Scale Styles, Constrain Proportions and Resample Image are checked. Also use Bicubic (best for smooth gradients) interpolation.
For more info on interpolation please see:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-793ca.html

* Check to see if your printer has a Poster or Tile function. Many do and will do it for you. Should appear in the Printer Properties.
* InDesign and even Illustrator have the ability to "tile" the printed output exactly in the way you need. Take the Photoshop document into one of those to do the job. They also compensate for the fact that most printers don't print to the edge of the sheet by automating the necessary overlap needed when assembling the composite poster.
* For Mac users: http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/20738/posterazor

 

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Project:
Create a wall of digital wallpaper which reflects ideas you have about that area. You start by creating an image (it can be either realistic or abstract). Make a seamless pattern out of it and then print it out using at least 4 x 4 x 4,  8.5” tiling prints (16 total) and install it in a particular place which dialogs with your design in some way. It could be in a room, a hallway, a forgotten place somewhere. (Please do not harm the surface you are working upon in any way.) You can use soft tack to adhere your digital graffiti. (Or you can project your digital graffiti if you have access to a data projector.)

 

Deliverables:

One of each of the following:

*Texture: 256 by 256 pixels at 72 ppi

*Tiled "checking" file: 1536 by 1536 pixels at 72 ppi

*Installation image: 1024 x 682 at 72 ppi


digital graffiti.jpg 

 



 

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Grading Criteria: 

1. Assignment completed on-time

2. Adherence to the size and file format specifications

3. Appropriate use of tools.

4. Exploration and application of creative tools in Photoshop  

5. Quality and clarity of class presentation

6.The quality of the dialog you set up with your installed texture graffiti

7. Quality of your texture file