Lesson video

Hi, I'm Rebecca, your computing teacher for the vector graphics unit.

For this lesson, you're going to need Inkscape, which you should have downloaded in lesson one with your parent or carer's permission.

You also might want a pen and paper, if you want to make any notes.

And if you really important to try and remove as many distractions as possible out of the way so that you can really get focused this lesson.

Once you've got all of that, we can begin.

In this lesson, you will combine multiple tools and techniques to create a vector graphic design.

Let's start by just looking at different categories of vector graphics that you might create.

So these categories could be in either vectors that are used for logos or illustrations, or might be icon.

So take a look at these images and see if you can put them into those three categories.

Pause the video while you think about that.

Awesome, let's have a look at the answer then.

So icons are going to be things that are very simple, like that house and the mail icon there, because they need to be visible when they are extremely small.

If you think about the ones that are used on the toolbars in Inkscape, they are very small, and they allow you to be able to see and give you a clue about what they might actually do.

For logos, they need to be fairly simple drawings with not too much details because logos could actually be blown up, so they're huge like they're on a billboard or there could be very tiny on a badge or something like that so that they don't really need too much detail.

Whereas illustrations probably will have much more detail, like those on the right hand side.

And there are beautiful illustrations that are done using vector graphics.

You can really take your skills to the limit with what you can actually do with vector graphics and illustrations.

Now, this lesson is all over to you.

It's going to be you working on your own project that you choose.

So during your independent task, you will be choosing a drawing project, form a selection, and you're going to use the worksheet to make your decision, and then start designing.

Projects option one is to create some icons.

So it says, you are part of a website development team working on a website for a zoo.

To make the website more user friendly, the zoo would like to have icons on the navigation buttons.

It says, create monochrome icons.

So that just means two colours, so black and white.

For the following navigation buttons.

So you've got primates, reptiles and amphibians, big cats, insects, and arachnids, small mammals and marsupials and large mammals.

Now if you're not sure what those categories are, then you can do some research online about that, but you must ask your parent or carer's permission and do that under supervision, if you'd like to search for any images or do some research online.

And then option two, you work for a graphic design company.

You have been asked to design a logo for a theme park called Solar City.

The park is based on the theme of space.

An example theme park logo can be seen on this page.

You've got that treasure Island one there, and you need to create a logo for the theme part that uses relevant texts and symbols.

So probably just the theme part name, and maybe think of one or two symbols to go along with it.

Use no more than six colours, so keep it really simple.

And it should look effective, whether it's really small or really large.

So again, if you do want to do some research to do with that, to have a look at other company logos, then do ask your parents or carers permission before you go searching on the internet.

And then the third one is the option of creating an illustration.

So you work as a freelance illustrator.

You have been hired to design the characters for a collection of children's books called "beneath the waves".

The books will tell the story of Leon, the lobster and Trina, the turtle and the adventures they have together.

Create character illustrations for Leon and/or Trina.

So if you just want to do one, then that's fine, but if you can do both then that'd be great too.

And there's just two pictures there for a bit of inspiration, but again, if you do want to do some research there then do ask your parent or carer permission before searching online for images.

So, it's over to you.

You pick one of these projects yourself, and have a go at it.

If you want to do all three, then you're quite welcome to, but you should do at least one of those projects.

So pause the video while you have a go at that.

Fantastic, so hopefully you've spent some really good amount of time not working with Inkscape and doing your own imaginative designs.

And if you'd like to, please ask your parent or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter tag in @OakNational and #learnwithOak.

'Cause I would really, love to see some of those designs that you've come up with this lesson.

I'll see you again soon for next lesson.