In the Lab

Introduction:

Images can be powerful ways of communicating. We respond to images based on associations and previous experience.  Anyone who used images uses this instinctive response to visually communicate ideas and information. (Think of advertisements in print and media). They work with different tools and mediums to convey a message from a client to a particular audience. In this lesson, students will create a message on a Tombstone of a famous American.

click to see more samples

Tombstones are great representation of someone’s life.  This is the resting place for Antonio Cattaruzza, found in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. The Appalachia is a wonderful blend of many people from Germany to Scotland, and many more countries that immigrated into the area to find work and a new beginning. This gravestone tells you something about Antonio. Perhaps he was a woodcutter and belonged to the Order of Woodcutters. Maybe he didn't have enough money so the Order took care of his burial and headstone.

Procedure:
This is a great culminating activity after you have researched your famous person from history. The focus of this project should not be on analyzing the person, but communicating the accomplishments of his life visually.

As a class, look at the sample ImageBlender Tombstone. Does the Tombstone reflect the character of George Washington?

Graphic designers need to think about the goal of the images they create. A Gravestone design should not only give the viewer an idea of the character of the person, but should also be eye-catching.

Think about the message you want to convey with your Gravestone and sketch out a rough draft using Skrbl or Microsoft Paint. Save your image!

Task:

Once you have in mind how you want your tombstone to look, it’s time to get down to business and import your image using ImageBlender:

On the computer:
1. Open ImageBlender.
2. Click the New button on the toolbar. At the New Image dialog, change the Units pull-down menu to inches and change the Height to 8 and the Width to 5. Click the OK button.
3. Use the Insert image from File button to begin adding your resource images as layers.
4. Use the Selection tool (magic wand) and eraser tools to remove parts of layers you do not want.
5. Click and drag the layers to control their order in the image.
6. Click and drag the opacity slider to change the transparency of a layer.
7. Click the Effects tab to add effects to a selected layer.
8. Click the Text tool on the tool palette to add your epitaph
9. Use the settings on the Options panel to change the font and size.
10. Click the Save button to save your layered image.
11. Click the Export button to save your Tombstone as an image file.
12. Click the Print button to print a copy of your new creation.

I will walk you through this, so don’t panic!

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