California Institute of the Arts

Introduction to Imagemaking

This course is part of Graphic Design Specialization

Gail Swanlund

Instructor: Gail Swanlund

Sponsored by Syrian Youth Assembly

123,216 already enrolled

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.5

(2,875 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 11 hours
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.5

(2,875 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 11 hours
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

  • Make informed design choices using image-based research

  • Create ranges of representation using images

  • Compose spreads for your own book

  • Design a book with your own images

Details to know

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Taught in English

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This course is part of the Graphic Design Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate
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There are 4 modules in this course

Welcome! This week we will introduce image-based research and investigate these images in a design context using a range of techniques. You will then choose a subject of your own to research that will become the basis for your experiments and designs in the coming weeks.

What's included

7 videos11 readings2 peer reviews1 discussion prompt

This week is a making session! You will take the subject you selected last week and think about it in different ways. From simple to complex, hand to digital, realistic to abstract and everything in between, we'll explore and experiment freely. We'll also consider different modes of representation, and try a hand at creating our own ranges of representation with images.

What's included

3 videos7 readings2 peer reviews1 discussion prompt

In this third week, we will define and investigate core principles of composition, and begin to compose simple spreads for your book.

What's included

7 videos1 reading1 peer review

In this final week, we will pull together your work from the previous weeks to make spreads using 10-20 of your favorite images from your assignments and compile them into a 8-page book. I am also sharing with you a few image-based books to give you some ideas on how to structure your book. Note that for the final assignment I am asking you to submit a digital book through Issuu (instructions are included in the assignment). If you choose to create your images by hand, you will still need a computer loaded with InDesign or a similar program to clean up the images and prepare the files for upload to the Coursera platform.

What's included

8 videos14 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.4 (371 ratings)
Gail Swanlund
1 Course123,216 learners

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4.5

2,875 reviews

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Recommended if you're interested in Arts and Humanities

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