Extra: The “Fifteen Green Things” Project.
Logo, above, by Ken Hopson
> Here’s an exercise from the book. Try it yourself! Click the link to download a folder containing the 15 Green Things:
Once they’re downloaded, complete the exercise, save a copy as a jpeg, and email it to the author: scott@ligon-art.com. We’ll post the best ones on this site.
Of course, it would be a great advantage to read the chapter from the book first, on the expressive possibilities of photo-based work in Photoshop. Did I mention you can pre-order the book on this website?
The “Fifteen Green Things” in their original forms.
From Digital Art Revolution:
“There’s a project I often give to my digital classes when exploring the limitless, expressive possibilities of photographic source materials in Photoshop. I give students a folder containing fifteen images. All of them are lime green , of a similar value, and are processed in different, incompatible ways. Their task is to take these elements, which are nearly useless in their current state, and modify them to create a single, purposeful work of art.
This is a creativity exercise. Even when working with the most unusable elements, where the majority of design solutions are eliminated, the possibilities are still endless. My students have come up with many original and consistent images using only these elements. Their designs are very different from each other. Often, you would not have a clue that these images had originated from this project. Here are the rules:
1. Students must use all of the fifteen elements in the folder.
2. Students must use only the elements in the folder and nothing else. They must use every element. They can use some of the elements more than once.
3. Students cannot paint, draw, or create new elements from scratch. They can only use the photographic tools that we have covered so far.
4. Students may alter various elements in color, size, position, value, or texture in order to create themes and build structure. They may use image adjustment tools. They may crop or distort any object. They may use the Sharpen, Blur, Distort, and Liquify filters.
5. Students must create a balanced, interesting composition.
This project requires both careful thought and playfulness. Remember, any pixel can be changed in color and value. Since this is true, virtually any image can be created using only these “green things.” are the fifteen green things in their original form. Below, several artists have created solutions for this project. If these artists can create such sophisticated and varied works using only these fifteen lime green images, just imagine what you can do when you have no limitations on source material!”
Several artists created unique solutions for this assignment, using only these fifteen elements. From left to right, top to bottom, project solutions by: Gabriel Pons, Steven Vote, Donna LoGrasso Howson, Milvi Gill, Elizabeth Schumacher, Rebecca Kraushaar, Nicole Young, and Josh Hodges. All images are the property of their respective artists.
