Posts Tagged graphic
Wacom Bamboo Graphic Tablets
Posted by Jim Black in Higher Graphics on May 8, 2010
A few months ago we bid for ‘Determined to Succeed’ funding to purchase twenty graphic tablets. We were granted funds to purchase ten, and advised to apply next time around for funding for another ten.
Our funding bid specified that the tablets would be a ‘whole school’ resource. This post is a review, with accompanying pupil work, for the benefit of other teachers here at school who may be interested in using them.
1. Make and model.
The tablets are the ‘Bamboo Pen and Touch’ model by Wacom. They cost around seventy pounds each.
2. Software installation.
Provided you have ‘administrator access’ to the computers at school, the software installs in the usual way from the disc provided. However, if you want to get the most up to date release of the software, visit Wacom’s site and download it, then install.
3. Use
Pupils took to them immediately and they’ve proved especially useful for digital drawing. They’re much easier to draw with than a mouse. It’s easy to set the two buttons on the pen of the mouse to left click, right click or double click; whatever you find useful. Pupils are very comfortable accessing the control options and doing this. Although the active (sensitive) drawing surface area of the tablet is quite small at around 160×110 mm, it is easy to achieve controlled pen strokes.
4. ’Pen and Touch’
Pupils didn’t find the ‘touch’ controls – similar to those on an i-Phone – of much use. I suspect that if our computers were a bit more powerful, and had graphic cards, there’d be less of a time lag evident when using the touch controls. Conversely, the pressure sensitivity feature of the pen works really well. Provided you’re using the tablet with a programme that recognises pen pressure sensitivity, pressing harder with the pen can be set to increase line width, or opacity, or rate of ink flow etc. Our pupils have been using the tablets with ‘Gimp’ primarily. Gimp is an open source (free to download and use) alternative to Photoshop. It’s good for digital painting and photo manipulation. The tablets have also been used with ‘Inkscape’, another free drawing programme, and with Serif PagePlus and Scribus – both DTP programmes. PagePlus is a commercial programme, but Scribus is free to download and use, and is our preferred option for Advanced Higher Graphics pupils laying out magazine articles etc.
5. Setting up and storage
The tablets plug in to any USB socket. When using with particular drawing programmes, experiment to find out if you need to plug the tablet in before launching the programme, or visa versa. The tablets appear to be reasonably robust, though the nibs of the pens may be liable to damage. This may be because of the pressure sensitivity feature of the pen. However, each pen comes with several replacement nibs. Our funding allowed us to purchase a few extra pens, in case of future damage. Each tablet has a small fabric loop that the pens slide in to, for storage. This is a very useful feature. Our box of ten tablets is small and light enough to transport around school. One pupil can easily carry it.
6. Summary
We’re happy with our purchase. The tablets have proved useful and popular and we’ll be bidding for another ten in future.
7. Borrowing the tablets
Check with us beforehand to confirm availability, then nominate one of your more responsible pupils to collect and return them. A second pupil should also be sent, to open doors. If you’d like a bit of initial instruction in using them, contact me. I’ll be happy to get you started.
8. Examples of pupil work.
In addition to the slide show included with this post, examples of pupil work created with the aid of a graphic tablet are available to view as follows:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1261007 – Robert Hackett
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1317051 – Rachel O’Donnell
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1259063 – Elliot Sutherland
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1277908 – Rebecca French
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1259414 – Kaitlin Pietersen
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1320058 – Ben Muir
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1267778 – Hamish Gentles
Technical Drawing
Posted by Jim Black in technical drawing on October 19, 2009
Technical drawing in progress in Mrs Hislop's Higher Graphics class
Some of the girls in Mrs Hislop's Higher Graphics class
Higher Graphics interpenetration orthographic
We currently run Graphic Communication at Standard, Higher and Advanced Higher grades, and traditional technical drawing is still a major part of these courses.
With the new ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ subjects beginning to be rolled out over the next few years, will SQA use the reorganisation to reduce or completely remove technical drawing from the courses on offer? Just how useful is the skill out in industry? There’s no doubt that doing technical drawing helps pupils learn to read orthographic layouts, and I expect that reading drawings is a useful skill out in industry. However, interpreting drawings could be learned without actually drawing with a pencil and instruments. Additionally, industries are moving towards a workflow that goes direct to 3D CAD design, cutting out the need for ortho drawings / printed drawings.
A reduction in the time spent on technical drawing would allow time for pupils to learn such skills as:
Animation; 3D graphics for video games and product simulations; web design; 3D CAD for CAM; video recording, editing and compositing; more in-depth DTP and illustration skills.
We’re dabbling in most of the above skills, but as things stand there are limited opportunities to tie some of them in to SQA graphics courses, to allow pupils to gain credit for their work. In some cases we’re interpreting the current arrangements documents in unusual ways to do so.
Jim
Myrna MacLeod, Napier University Graphics Tutor
Posted by Jim Black in Guest Speakers on October 3, 2009
Myrna discussing her students' booklet designs.
Myrna is the lead tutor on the BDes(Hons) Graphic Design course at Napier University. She visited us on 01 October to deliver a presentation about the course.
Myrna brought along lots of work by current students on the course, including display boards and booklets. She also made use of students’ portfolio sites and blogs to show off their work.
Some of the key / interesting pieces of information she divulged:
- The number of applicants versus number of places is rising each year and is currently around 10:1. The figure will probably continue to rise.
- A good pass at Higher Art & Design is the most important entry qualification for those applying direct from school. Higher Graphic Communication is not a requirement.
- The course includes a fair amount of theory / essay writing, and applicants require to have a ‘C’ pass at Higher English. The requirement may rise to a ‘B’ pass in future.
- This year’s first year intake was thirty-two, up from twenty-four last year.
- Students are worked very hard, with demanding deadlines and high standards. The course is not suitable for those who aren’t committed to design.
- First year is a common course with other design degree courses such as product design. Specialisation commences in second year.
- Although students learn a wide range of technologies, drawing and the ability to draw, remains at the heart of the course.
- Currently, the availability and relative inexpense of ‘on-demand’ printing has made the production of booklets and books a popular presentation format.
- Post cards are another popular presentation format at present on the course.
- Students are required to create and maintain portfolio web sites and blogs.
- The course includes overseas placements at partner universities. Current third year students will soon be off to cities in Canada, Israel, France and USA, among others.
Jim
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