Joe Dockery

Drawing with Flash

We start by combining hand drawing with Flash Drawing to cover a variety of visual design concepts. I start by introducing the concept and students practice drawing allow with me creating basic shapes. Then they apply the concept in a finished drawing. This takes two days. Then we take two days to do the same thing with Flash. The last day of the week is used to catch students that either were absent or are slow. Students that finish early can practice more with Flash or use one of the many animation tools available (see resource page).

In addition to these drawing lessons I expect my students to draw as homework. First quarter they need to complete 5 rough sketches per week based on a theme (example: things in the kitchen). Second quarter they need to complete one rough sketch and one detailed/shaded sketch per week based on a theme. These are turned in every Friday. They pick their top 3-5 sketches to include in their portfolio. They may use one drawing from the computer. I do this because most Animation colleges require a hand drawn portfolio and most professionals have encourage me to require this.

Online Resources

Tracing

This unit takes one or two periods. Students will learn how to convert their own art work or photographs into customized art work ready to animate. Example

If you don't have a copy of the disk you can download the files for this project below.

If you finish before the other students, either try the process with one of these other images or find/create your own images to practice with.

Corporate Graphics

Drawing with Shapes

  • Start with basic shapes and bend them- 2:57
    In this lesson you will learn how start with basic shapes and then bend them into place.
  • Use shapes to cut out - 1:14
    In this lesson you will learn how to cut out parts using basic shapes and a trick to using the oval tool.
  • Copy and Paste in Place - 3:09
    In this lesson you will learn how to use the transform tool and "paste in place".
  • Ctrl + Click and Drag - 1:58
    In this lesson you will learn how to break apart a line by Ctrl clicking on a line.
  • Working with symbols - 2:42
    If you plan to animate your drawings you will need to learn to convert your art to symbols and continue to work with them.

Fill and Paint with Bitmaps

  • Using Bitmaps for your fills - 2:46
    In this lesson you will learn how to import and break apart bitmap images so you can use them as fill for painting.

http://zentextures.com/

Perspective Drawing Techniques

This is a two week unit. One week for each perspective. This unit lays the ground work for Flash. I have a great set of posters that illustrate these techniques.

3D Drawing Techniques

This is a three day unit. During the process of leading them through the hand drawing techniques we take a trip outside the classroom to look at the trees next to my classroom, across the field and up on the surrounding mountain sides. The Flash lessons focus on working with layers and symbols and will lay the ground work for the next units.

Assignment handout (pdf) Lesson (pdf)

 

Dump Truck Project (Deep Structure)

This unit is takes one week and lays the ground work for one of the advanced animation units. I use a photocopy from one of my "How to Draw" books on 11"x17". Students create two hand draw versions of their truck (rough and inked). This is when I introduce the concept of a light table.

Assignment handout (pdf) Truck Left Page | Truck Right Page | Tracing Assignment | Lesson (pdf)

Examples:Yellow | Blue