The Pencil Project

We've spent the last week or so working on our first big project this year in Graphic Design. It included three parts: Follow a set of instructions and create a generic pencil and can, create your own pencil and can, adding personal touches, and, finally, creating two objects that match with each other (peanut butter and jelly, for example). In this post, I'll outline my work, and share my three big takeaways from this project.

The generic pencil and can.

The first part of this project was the creating the normal pencil and can following the instruction booklet. While working on this project, I discovered two of my three takeaways from this project.

1. Live Paint Tool

This tool is very useful for filling in parts of the illustration that aren't necessarily its own shape. This allows for some creative coloring on your illustrations; in this case, filling in different parts of the pencil and can.

2. Direct Select Tool

Using this helpful tool, I was able to copy and paste one half of the oval from the top of the can and move it down to create the body of the can, creating two equally-curved lines and the appearance of a smooth curved surface.

My personalized mechanical pencil and can.

For the next part of the project, I created a mechanical pencil and my own can, adding gradient to the can to represent the cylindrical shape, my name on the side of the pencil, and adding patterns to both of the objects. 

An LG flat screen TV and remote.

For the third part of the project, I decided to make a flat screen TV and a remote. While creating this, I found my third takeaway.

3. Lining Up Components

It's very important to make sure all of the components you create is lined up to one another. On the remote, it was especially important to do this. I made sure the 'snap to grid' setting was on so the different components would align with each other.

Overall, I enjoyed this project. It started off with set instructions, but progressed into more freedom for the designer with the personalized pencil and can, and then the two complementary objects.