DIGITAL ARTS LAB @ Salinas Public Library

2012-01-18T12:33:00.001-08:00

A Video about Snappy the Tortoise created in the Digital Arts Lab at the Salinas Public Library.

2011-12-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

Saturdays at the John Steinbeck Library in Salinas.

10:30 am Video Editing Class

12:00 pm Photoshop Class

DAL Classes

2011-10-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Free Classes available for the month of October!

Saturdays at John Steinbeck Library

10:30 am Video Editing

12:00 pm Photoshop Graphic Design

Photoshop Classes in the DAL

2011-09-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

FREE Photoshop classes are available in the Digital Arts Lab every week at 12 noon!

Tuesdays at Cesar Chavez Library

Saturdays at John Steinbeck Library

There are no advanced sign-ups required, so arrive early to get a seat!

Snappy the Tortoise

2011-09-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Snappy the Tortoise has his own Facebook Page! Check out his page at http://www.facebook.com/snappythetortoise

Photoshop Basics - Tutorial #6

2011-09-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

Photoshop Class

2011-08-23T15:30:00.001-07:00

The Photoshop classes start on September 3

Photoshop Basics for beginning Photoshop users

Photoshop Basics - Tutorial #5

2011-08-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

This file has been updated and new sound has been added.

Photoshop Basics - Tutorial #4

2011-08-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

Edited and updated sound for this video.

Photoshop Basics - Tutorial #3

2011-08-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

Edited and updated sound.

Glow Effect in Photoshop

2011-07-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Turn your ordinary photos into epic battles using Photoshop. Add a glow effect to your lightsaber or simulate a few blaster shots. Learn how at the Digital Arts Lab!

Check the Digital Arts Lab Calendar at salinaspubliclibrary.org for schedule of classes.

Photoshop Basics - Tutorial #2

2011-07-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

The sound in this tutorial has been updated to remove background noises.

Photoshop Basics - Tutorial #1

2011-07-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

The sound has been updated on this video (no more annoying background noise)

Photoshop Blending Tutorial #4

2011-06-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Photoshop Blending Tutorial #3

2011-05-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

Photoshop Blending Tutorial #2

2011-05-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

Photoshop Blending Tutorial #1

2011-05-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

May Photoshop Classes

2011-04-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

The schedule of Photoshop Classes for the Month of May is online at salinaspubliclibrary.org

Sign-ups are FREE!

Digital Scrapbooking classes are available every Tuesday at Cesar Chavez Library at 1:00 pm and every Saturday at John Steinbeck Library at 1:00 pm.

Final Cut Pro - Simple Animation

2011-03-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is Cynthia Martinez from Hartnell College, working as a Digital Media Intern of Salinas Public Library.

Final Cut Pro can be used to animate your own cut-out images. You can even draw a character in real life, cut out its arms, legs, torso, head, and then scan and animate it! There are other ways to do this as well, you can create the character digitally, and not only characters, you can make objects too. Be creative with your ideas!

If you'd like to make your very own animated creation, a storyboard of what you want to do with your Animation is always helpful, it doesn't matter how short it will be. You can create the storyboard by physically or digitally drawing it. Make sure you have your creative ideas all set and written down before you start to animate.

Here is an example on starting to animate the pieces. It involves an animated figure walking on the moon! This is a tutorial on how to make a 2D Cut-Out Animation using Final Cut. It will show you the tools you will need on Final Cut to do this.

If you'd like to follow along with me in this video tutorial, here are two files you will need.

(If RoboPartsCharacter.psd is too big in size to fit inside the FCP canvas, you can resize it in photoshop by Height: 250 pixels, Width: 195 pixels)

Click to download RoboPartsCharacter.psd

Click to download Background.psd

Here is an advice as a beginner in Animation: While Animating your images on Final Cut, it's always best to be very sure about the way you want every piece before moving on to the next step while modifying, or setting key frames on the movements. Most of the time, it can be a distraught when trying to go back to edit one thing all over again. That's a reason why a storyboard is always important in any kind of Animation.

Photoshop Retouching - Tutorial #4

2011-03-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Photoshop Retouching - Tutorial #3

2011-03-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

Photoshop Retouching - Tutorial #2

2011-03-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Online Library Videos

2011-03-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

Library Videos, including News Events and DAL Tutorials, are available on the Salinas Public Library website at the following link:

http://salinaspubliclibrary.org/videos/categories

Photoshop Retouching#1.mov

2011-03-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

Sign Up for March Classes

2011-02-22T14:27:00.001-08:00

You can now view and sign up for the Photoshop and Final Cut classes for the month of March online at salinaspubliclibrary.org

"Photoshop Retouching" is available at 12:00 pm on both Tuesdays (Cesar Chavez Library) and Saturdays (John Steinbeck Library).

Video Editing classes are available on Tuesdays at 3:00 pm (Cesar Chavez Library) and on Saturdays at 10:30 am (John Steinbeck Library).

February DAL Classes

2011-02-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

The February DAL classes have begun!

Tuesdays at Cesar Chavez Library:

12:00 pm Photoshop Graphic Design

1:00 pm Photoshop Tutoring

3:00 pm Final Cut Video Class

Saturdays at John Steinbeck Library:

10:30 am Final Cut Video Class

12:00 pm Photoshop Graphic Design

1:00 pm Photoshop Tutoring

No pre-registration required!

DAL Classes

2011-01-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

Photoshop Classes are available on Tuesdays at Cesar Chavez Library and on Saturdays at John Steinbeck Library at 12:00 pm. No sign-ups necessary.

Final Cut Video Editing Classes are available on Tuesdays at Cesar Chavez Library at 3:00 pm and on Saturdays at John Steinbeck Library at 10:30 am. No sign-ups necessary.

How to Zoom, Rotate & Crop in Photoshop

2011-01-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

How to Undo Mistakes in Photoshop

2010-12-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

Photoshop Overview

2010-12-11T11:08:00.000-08:00

How to Create a New Blank File in Photoshop

2010-12-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

How to Save a File in Photoshop

2010-12-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

How to Open a File in Photoshop

2010-12-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

Photoshop Classes

2010-11-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day of Photoshop and Final Cut classes in the Digital Arts Lab for the year 2010. Classes will start up again in January 2011.

Until then, you can still receive help in Photoshop and Final Cut from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm in the Digital Arts Lab on:

Tuesdays at Cesar Chavez Library - - - - - - Saturdays at John Steinbeck Library

Photoshop Animation

2010-11-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

You can create movie files using Photoshop's Animation panel. The Timeline will allow you to make keyframes to change a picture's POSITION, OPACITY, and STYLE.

This picture starts out black & white. Color is added gradually using OPACITY. When the color is at 100%, cookies are added one by one. Each cookie is a separate layer.

Photo Booth

2010-11-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

Need a profile picture for Facebook? The iMac and MacBook computers in the Digital Arts Lab have built-in cameras. You can take your photo using Photo Booth and then upload to Facebook. NO cameras or memory cards needed!

Create a Poster

2010-11-13T13:51:00.001-08:00

You can combine text and photographs together using Adobe Photoshop to create fun and colorful posters.

Come by the Library on Tuesdays and Saturdays to have free Photoshop lessons on how to create your own poster!

Learn Photoshop at the Library

2010-11-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

Photoshop classes are being held at the Salinas Public Library Digital Arts Lab during the Month of November.

- Glamour Photo -

Cesar Chavez Library:

Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 1:00 pm

John Steinbeck Library:

Saturday, Nov. 13 at 12:00 pm

- Creating Cartoons -

Cesar Chavez Library:

Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 1:00 pm

John Steinbeck Library:

Saturday, Nov. 20 at 12:00 pm

Gradient Blending

2010-10-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

The "Gradient Tool" in Adobe Photoshop can be used as a quick way to blend two pictures together.

1. Open 2 pictures in Adobe Photoshop

2. Use the "Move Tool" to drag & drop 1 picture onto the other

3. Click on the "Layer Mask" icon at the bottom of the Layers Panel

4. Using the "Gradient Tool" draw a vertical line in the center of the picture

The smooth transition between these two photos is created when the "Gradient Tool" is used on the "Layer Mask"

This can also be used for horizontal as well as vertical pictures

Fixing Shadows

2010-10-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

A quick and easy way to lighten shadows in a photograph using Adobe Photoshop:

1. With your photo open click "Image" on the menu bar

2. From the drop down list select "Adjustments"

3. Then select "Shadows/Highlights"

4. Raise the "shadows" amount until the dark parts of the photo can be clearly seen

5. Click "ok" and you are done!

Final Cut Classes

2010-10-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Final Cut Classes are being held next month at the Digital Arts Lab!

These are FREE classes that teach the basics of video editing. Classes will be held for three weeks in November at both Cesar Chavez Library and John Steinbeck Library.

Check the Library website salinaspubliclibrary.org for dates and times.

Photo Blending

2010-10-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Want to put two pictures together so that they look like one? You can learn Blending techniques at the Saturday Photoshop classes this month starting at 10:30 am.

The classes are Free! You can put a picture on a tv, put yourself in any picture, or turn a picture of your computer into stone! The possibilities are endless....

Photoshop Animation

2010-10-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can create animations in Photoshop?

It can be done in three simple steps:

1. Create a layer for each frame of your animation

2. Click on "Create frames from layers"

3. Export the animation as a .mov file

Then you can watch your video or upload it to the web for your friends to see!

Draw with Photoshop

2010-10-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Photoshop can be used for so much more than just fixing up photographs. You can draw or cartoon using the mouse or a digital drawing pad.

If you don't know how to draw, a good starting point in Photoshop is to trace a photograph, and then you can fill in the details and the color.

This fish was made by tracing over a photo of a toy fish and then colored in using the "paintbrush" tool in Adobe Photoshop.

Create a Poster

2010-09-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Learn how to create a poster or banner using Adobe Photoshop this Saturday, Sept. 18, at 12:00 noon. Space is limited so show up early!

Glamour Photo

2010-09-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

Want to create a glamour photo from a normal snapshot using Adobe Photoshop? Learn how at the Free Glamour Photo Workshop at the Cesar Chavez Library Digital Arts Lab on Tuesday, Sept. 14 and Tuesday, Oct. 12. No sign-ups are necessary. The classes start at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

Current Events

2010-09-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

A three minute video of the weekly Current Events at the Salinas Public Library is available for viewing at salinaspubliclibrary.org

This video is created each week using the Digital Arts Lab resources. If you are interested in creating a similar video, the DAL has all the programs you will need to create your very own video.

The Current Events video is created using Final Cut, Live Type, Photoshop, a camera, and iDVD.

Crazy Techie Summer

2010-08-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

This Photo, by Emily Doughty-Wood, is the winner of the "Capture Salinas" photo contest for the Salinas Public Library. Check out the video and graphic novel winners at salinaspubliclibrary.org

Create a Photo Collage

2010-08-24T12:27:00.001-07:00

Create your own Photo collage at our FREE Photoshop Workshop! There are two classes coming up on Tuesday, September 7 at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. No sign-ups are needed, just show up ready to have some fun with photos!

Contest Winners Announced

2010-08-18T11:13:00.001-07:00

The winners of the Teen Summer Contests are being announced

this Saturday and next Saturday.

Click on the flyers above to view the dates and times.

Black & White Photographs

2010-08-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

Learn how to create "hand painted" black and white photographs using Adobe Photoshop. Classes available this fall. Sign up at salinaspubliclibrary.org

Comic Life

2010-08-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

We now have a program called "Comic Life" at both our Digital Arts Labs. This is an easy to use program for creating a comic book, scrapbook, or anything you want to make using pictures and text.

This program comes with special filters, text bubbles, colors, and special effects to turn your ordinary photos or sketches into a graphic novel.

You can put together one page, or take your creativity to the max and make a whole book!

No tutorial required for this program...just drag and drop your pictures and text bubbles right onto the page!

Come to John Steinbeck Library or Cesar Chavez Library to check out this fun new program.

Cartoonize Yourself

2010-08-07T12:07:00.001-07:00

Turn yourself into a cartoon using Photoshop!

Classes coming this Fall at the Digital Arts Lab.

Photoshop Cs5

2010-08-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

The Digital Arts Lab at Cesar Chavez Library has the newest version of Photoshop. Come check out the cool new things you can do with Photoshop Cs5!

New HD Cameras

2010-08-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

The new HD video cameras have arrived! They were just purchased with grant funds. Visit the John Steinbeck and Cesar Chavez libraries to checkout a Kodak Zi8 video camera. These cameras are perfect for gathering video footage that can be edited at the library's Digital Arts Lab. Teens can also use these video cameras to make a movie for the Crazy Techie Summer film contest.

Win $100!

2010-08-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

New Digital Arts Lab

2010-07-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

A new Digital Arts Lab has opened up at Cesar Chavez Library. The new lab has two Imac computers, two macbooks, a scanner, and the same variety of programs as in our lab at John Steinbeck Library. Come check out the lab and create your own music video, photo collage, and much more!

Digital Arts Lab Teen Film

2010-04-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Back Country Bugs is a short film by Salinas teens, Daniel Coulter and Jake Fox. Jake has the lead role in the movie and actually wrote, sang and played the original song!

With a story outline and a digital camcorder Daniel and Jake traveled to Los Banos, CA and captured their footage. Then Daniel came to the Salinas Public Library's Digital Arts Lab to complete the post production. The final "explosion" scene was shot using the Digital Arts Lab's green screen. Very resourceful gentlemen!

Daniel finished cutting the movie using Final Cut Express film editing software and then uploaded it to YouTube!

What did YOU do on your Spring Break?

Adobe Photoshop Tips #9

2010-01-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

Adobe Photoshop allows you to "warp" your text for a fun presentation in a greeting card. From "Flag" to "Squeeze" to "Arc" you can get creative and send someone a stylized note. The Intro to Photoshop class held in the Digital Arts Lab each month teaches how to warp your text as well as create your own personalized greeting card. Check with the Library for class availability.

Adobe Photoshop Tips #8

2009-12-17T13:51:00.000-08:00

Coming up in January, 2010 there will be a four-week Photoshop class held in the Digital Arts Lab at the John Steinbeck Library. The class will start on January 9 and will be held each Saturday from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

The class will cover some of the basics of Photoshop: selection tools, copy and paste, working with layers, creating text, adding layer effects, paint bucket and gradient tools, brush tool, and more.

The photos here are examples of the greeting cards the class will be making as they learn how to use the tools within Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop Tips #7

2009-11-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

Photoshop is a good program for making a poster. You can add in many layers of text, photographs, and illustrations.

The color of the text, background, and even the photographs can be changed to fit your color scheme. It is easy to change the size of anything in your poster to make everything fit just right.

Text can be created within Photoshop using the "Text Tool." Colorful shapes can also be created; for example, in the poster to the left, the two red lines were created using the "Shape Tool." The photographs and illustrations were imported to this poster and resized using the "Free Transform" tool.

Filling in color is easy as well. This poster was given its tan color by using the "Paint Bucket Tool" on the "Background Layer." The photographs were tinted using "Hue/Saturation" in the "Adjustments" drop-down menu.

LiveType Tips #2

2009-10-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

LiveType can generate some fun backgrounds for your text. A few examples are shown in the video above.

To look at the moving backgrounds offered in LiveType, first open up LiveType, then click on the "Textures" tab in the "Media Browser." Change the "Category" to view different textures. Click on "Apply To New Track" to add it to your project.

Final Cut Pro Tips #1

2009-10-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Final Cut Pro has some fun effects you can add to your video. The video above samples a few video and transition effects. There are many more to choose from in this program.

To add effects to your video, click on the "Effects" tab in the "Browser" window. Choose a video or transition effect and drag and drop it onto your video in the "Timeline" window.

Adobe Illustrator Tips #4

2009-09-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

In Adobe Illustrator, a coloring book page can be easily created by tracing photographs.

For this coloring page I took a picture of a toy dinosaur and traced over it on another layer. Then I copied and pasted it three times, making the copies smaller each time.

A demo will be coming soon to the Digital Arts Lab where it will be shown step-by-step how to create a coloring page like this in Adobe Illustrator. Check with the Library for the upcoming dates.

Adobe Photoshop Tips #7

2009-09-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Making a picture frame in Photoshop is very easy. With a picture frame you can insert a picture behind the frame, print it out, then insert a different picture if you want. The frame above is one of the frames being offered the children when they get their picture taken with Dora and Sponge Bob at the Digital Arts Lab during the big Birthday Bash on Sunday, September 27, 2009.

To make a picture frame in Adobe Photoshop, follow these simple steps:

1. Create a new document with a white background

2. Paste the frame onto a new layer above the background

3. Delete the center of the frame where the picture is supposed to be

4. Paste your picture onto a new layer sandwiched between the background and the frame layers

5. Print your completed picture frame

Adobe Photoshop Tips #6

2009-09-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what you would look like with blue hair? With Photoshop you can change the color of anything: from hair to clothes, from nature to man-made. You can make the sky green and the grass blue if you want. You can change the color of your shirt or give yourself digital make-up.

The flowers in the video above were white. With Photoshop I changed them to yellow, pink, blue, purple, and green.

There are many ways to change the color of an object in Photoshop. For a quick and easy way to change the color of something, follow these simple steps:

1. Select the object you want to alter using any of the selection tools

2. Click on "Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation"

3. Check mark the box that says "Colorize"

4. Change the "Hue" to whatever you would like and click on "OK"

5. Deselect the object and view your results

Adobe Illustrator Tips #3

2009-09-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

In Adobe Illustrator you can work with Vector Objects. Three advantages of working with Vector Objects are these:

1. You can copy your object as many times as you want so that you don't have to redraw the same picture over and over. The pictures above were created using one flower copied over and over until the picture was filled with flowers.

2. You can resize your objects without losing any quality. For example: I started with a small flower, copied that flower and made it bigger. The large flowers look just as clear as the small ones because they are Vector Objects.

3. You can change the color of your objects at any time. The top left picture is what I created first. Then I changed the color of each individual flower to create the other three pictures you see here.

DAL Panorama

2009-08-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

This is a Panorama of the Digital Arts Lab created using the computers there. The books on the table in the picture are available for reference if you need a few creative ideas when working in the lab.

If you are interested in making your own panoramic picture, there will be a class held during the month of September in which you can learn how to put one together yourself. Check with the Library for the upcoming date.

GarageBand Tips #1

2009-08-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

With GarageBand you can create layers with a different instrument on each layer. This way you can easily add or delete parts of your song. The example above demonstrates how each layer created adds another instrument to the song.

GarageBand has many synthesized instruments available to use, from pianos to drums to violins. Any style of music is possible with the options in this program.

The video above was created using GarageBand for the audio, LiveType for the Text, and Final Cut Pro to put the two together into the final movie. These programs are all available for public use at the John Steinbeck Salinas Public Library.

Adobe Photoshop Tips #5

2009-08-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

- Panoramas and the Clone Tool -

The above picture is a 360 panorama of the Children's Area at Cesar Chavez Library. To make a panoramic picture like this, the photographer needs to stand in one spot and carefully turn around in a circle, taking pictures at the same level all the way around.

There may be some gaps on the sides after the picture is put together, which you can crop off to make the picture look neater. In this case, I wanted to keep as much of the picture as I could, but the bottom sides and some of the top had too much missing (see picture below).

In order to make the picture look nicer, I recreated the missing parts of the picture from scratch. This was made possible by using the "Clone Tool." I used it like a paint brush to draw the missing carpet, rug, chairs, and tables. The "Burn Tool" can be used to create shadows to make the objects look more realistic.

Adobe Photoshop Tips #4

2009-08-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

In Adobe Photoshop you can create your own animated gif files.

You can work either in Frame Animation or in Timeline mode.

This animated gif file was created in Timeline mode using color, opacity, and layer effects.

To export the file click on "Save for Web and Devices" under the "File" drop-down menu.

Change the save format to "HTML and Images"

Uppload the gif to your website and watch it play.

iTunes Tips #1

2009-08-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

Converting MP4 to MP3

iTunes automatically imports songs from CDs as MP4. This is because the iPod uses this type of file. If you have an MP3 player, then you need to convert your songs to MP3 files or your device will not be able to play the songs.

Follow these steps to convert from MP4 to MP3 in iTunes (these instructions are for a Mac):

1. In iTunes, under “Library” click on “Music” to bring up your list of songs to convert (this is for songs that are already in iTunes)

2. Under “iTunes” at the top of the screen click on “Preferences”

3. Click on the “Import Settings” button

4. Change the AAC Encoder to “MP3 Encoder”

5. Click “ok” then “ok” again

6. Select which song you want to convert to MP3 and push “control” on the keyboard and click on the song at the same time

7. Click on “Create MP3 Version”

8. Drag and drop your new MP3 version of the song to your MP3 player

If you want to convert a whole CD to MP3, follow steps #2 through #5 and then download your CD to iTunes.

Adobe InDesign Tips #1

2009-08-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

The Adobe programs make it easy to create a project because you can easily bring your work from one program to the next.

The graphics on the bookmark above were created using Adobe Illustrator. The file was then imported into Adobe InDesign and text was added.

The completed bookmark was duplicated and laid out side by side to print three bookmarks per sheet. This was done for both the front and the back since InDesign allows you to have multiple pages for your project.

This project could have been completed in Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop instead of InDesign, depending on what effects needed to be added in.

Adobe Illustrator Tips #2

2009-08-01T10:47:00.001-07:00

Customized Stationary can be a fun thing to create. These stationary pages were created using a combination of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

Illustrator is a good program for creating smooth shapes. The hearts, stars, and streamers were created using Illustrator.

Photoshop was used to change the color of the objects, create the snowman, and fill in the background gradients.

If you are interested in creating your own personalized stationary, come to the Digital Arts Lab at the John Steinbeck Library and get started on your artwork today!

Adobe Photoshop Tips #3

2009-07-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

Fun cartoon drawings can be made from real photographs in a few simple steps.

1. Open up a photograph in Photoshop

2. Create a new layer and trace the object you want to use for your cartoon

3. Fill in your drawing with color

4. Create new layers in front or behind the object and draw the scenery in them

5. Merge all the layers together and save your work

Adobe Photoshop Tips #2

2009-07-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

There is more to Photoshop than just working with photographs. You can create animations with pictures or with drawings (as in the example above). To create an animation, follow these simple steps:

1. Open up a picture or create a drawing (like the stick man)

2. Create a new layer and change something about the picture (do this many times until you have lots of layers)

3. From the "Window" drop-down menu select "Animation" and the Animation box will appear

4. On the right side of the Animation box there is a drop-down menu: select "Make Frames From Layers."

5. Set the length of time you would like each frame displayed (you can work either in "Timeline" mode or "Frame" mode in CS4)

6. Under the "File" menu, under "Export," click on "Render Video" to complete your animated video clip

LiveType Tips #1

2009-07-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Do you need text in your home video? In LiveType you can create fun text that moves, bounces, changes color, disappears, etc. The text can be created in LiveType and then imported to Final Cut Pro (or Express).

LiveType automatically creates a blank background for you so that you can overlay your text over any movie you want in Final Cut. You can also bring your movie footage into LiveType to preview how the text will look with it before you render your text project.

The Snappy video above was created using the following process:

1. Create the text using LiveType

2. Render the project to be a .mov file

3. Import the Text.mov file to Final Cut Pro and overlay on the Snappy.mov file

4. Export as a Quicktime movie

Adobe Photoshop Tips #1

2009-07-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to take a picture but couldn’t fit everything you wanted into the size of the camera frame? Adobe Photoshop can fix that problem for you. Panoramic pictures are really easy to put together from multiple shots in Photoshop. The picture above was created by combining 10 different pictures together.

1. Take your pictures with overlapping objects. Notice how all three of these pictures have the same bushes and area of the building in them. Try to overlap around 20% or more of the same area between pictures.

2. Open Photoshop and under “File – Automate” click on “Photomerge”

3. Make sure the “Auto” choice is selected and click the browse button to choose your pictures. Then click on “ok”

4. Your panorama will be created automatically. There may be some blank space on the top and bottom of the picture

5. Use the “crop” tool to trim off the blank space and complete your panorama

Adesso CyberTablet 6400 Available

2009-06-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Digital Arts Lab has acquired a NEW piece of equipment!

You guessed it, we now have an Adesso Tablet!

This tablet allows you to easily simulate drawing and painting. Use a digital pen instead of a mouse! It works great with drawing programs like Art Rage, Photoshop or Illustrator.

We only have one tablet currently, so inquire about using it the next time you sign up for a computer. Come check it out!

Special thanks to Daryl Wise (StreetWise PR) for donating this Adesso tablet!

Try Digital Painting With Art Rage 2.5

2009-06-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

ArtRage 2.5 is now available at the Digital Arts Lab!

The good folks at Ambient Design (New Zealand) have donated several copies of this software for you to use at the lab. ArtRage is already used on over 30,000 school computers in Australia and New Zealand to teach art fundamentals to students. Now, they have given YOU the chance to use ArtRage for FREE...

ArtRage 2.5 allows you to paint sketch and draw realistically with art tools that are easy to use. ArtRage provides a vivid simulation of pen and paper, oil brush and canvas, rulers and stencils, as well as support for layers, PSD files and other professional tools.

ArtRage is available for Mac and Windows computers. ArtRage supports popular pressure-sensitive graphic tablets from companies such as Wacom® and Adesso. ArtRage can be purchased online for $25 USD and educational pricing is available.

ArtRage realistically simulates painting! You can easily use mediums like oil paint, spray paint, pencil, acrylic to create realistic digital art. Other tools include tracing, smearing, blurring, mixing, different types of paper for the canvas.

If you like to draw or paint, you gotta visit the Digital Arts Lab to check this out!

Special thanks to Daryl Wise (StreetWise PR) for connecting the lab with this software!

iDVD Tips #1

2009-06-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Do you want to make a DVD where you can view a slide show of your pictures while a song of your choice plays? iDVD makes this easy with only a few simple steps.

First you need to put your pictures in folders; each folder will be it's own slideshow.

1. Open iDVD and click on the icon for "Magic iDVD"

2. Choose a "Theme" for your DVD

3. Drag the first picture folder from your documents to the square that says "Drop Photos Here"

4. Drag a single music file from your documents on top of the first picture folder in iDVD - the pictures in that folder will automatically play for the length of the song (you can keep adding your picture folders and a song for each one until you are done or until you run out of disk space)

5. Click on the "Create Project" button if you want to preview your project, otherwise click on the "Burn" button to burn your project straight to your DVD

Magic iDVD automatically sets the length each picture is shown and adds in transitions between each picture. If you want to change the timing of the pictures or if you want different transitions, you can change it in the preview mode when you click on the "Create Project" button.

Adobe Illustrator Tips #1

2009-06-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in learning to use Adobe Illustrator but don't know what to start drawing, you can have fun with the pre-made graphics within the program.

While Adobe Illustrator is open on your computer, you can go to the "Window" drop-down menu at the top of the page and you will see

Brush Libraries

Graphic Style Libraries

Swatch Libraries

Symbol Libraries

Under each of these Libraries you will find many pre-made patterns, icons, and pictures. These can be used to create a whole picture or to accent a picture or a text project. There are page borders as well as picture stamps for you to use.

This picture was created using the pre-made symbols and one color swatch (for the tree). This is a fun and easy way to learn to use the basic tools within this program.

Fun, Easy, Powerful Keynote Presentations

2009-06-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

This short video was made at the Digital Arts Lab using Apple's Keynote software. Keynote is Apple's version of Powerpoint. Of course, this means it does a great job connecting various media elements. The BEST part is you can export your Keynote presentation as a Powerpoint file or a Quicktime movie!

Check out Keynote... experience the difference.

Garland Demos GarageBand @ The Bash

2009-05-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

The Digital Arts Lab setup shop at The Bash on Saturday, May 16th. The Bash was an event for Salinas youth hosted by Jammin 97.9 There were lots of music performances, visual artists, workshops and food!

Throughout the day we presented short demos on Apple's GarageBand software (See Garland above). We also spread the word about the FREE services available seven days-a-week at the Salinas Public Library.

The young adults we spoke to were very excited to learn about the Digital Arts Lab. Many of our visitors took some time to explore GarageBand and make their own beats! We even burned them audio CDs of their session...

Check out more pictures of this event HERE!

Jammin 97.9 The Bash

2009-05-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

The Digital Arts Lab will be attending the Jammin 97.9's The Bash!

The Bash is a large community event for young adults featuring local music artists, rappers and DJs. There will also be a Baby Bash concert!

The Digital Arts Lab will be at this event from 10am - 4pm. We will be hosting GarageBand demos and telling everyone about the library. We will also have 4 iMac computers setup for making beats. Join us... for music and creativity!

The Bash happens on May 16th at the Sherwood Community Center, Salinas CA from 10am - 4pm. Come by the Digital Arts Lab at the John Steinbeck Library this week for your FREE tickets.

P.S. The lab will be closed all day on Saturday, May 16th. We're at The Bash!

Gale Video Contest - $2,500 Prize

2009-04-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Check out the Gale Video Contest! This contest is a great opportunity to get creative and support libraries.

You could win $2,500 for yourself and $2,500 for your favorite library. Simply create a short video (between 30 seconds and two minutes) describing how libraries bring power to users. If you are thirteen or older you are eligible to participate.

Entries must be received by June 1, 2009.

You can always mix YOUR video project at the Digital Arts Lab. We have iMovie and Final Cut ready to use. If you enter this contest we would like to feature your video HERE on the Digital Arts Lab Blog.

Intro to Adobe Illustrator

2009-04-14T14:31:00.001-07:00

Join us at the Digital Arts Lab for a NEW Learn & Play Demo!

Fred Oberg (above) is a CSUMB student of Graphic Design. Fred will be leading a Learn & Play Demo at the Digital Arts Lab on Monday, April 20th, at 4pm. This Demo will include a brief tour of Adobe Illustrator and he will also show YOU how to create a clipping mask. A clipping mask is an easy way to place an image layer behind a text or shape.

Learn & Play Demos will continue each Monday through the month of April. Stop by the lab and check them out...

Monterey Film Student Scholarship

2009-04-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

The second-annual scholarship and awards program for film students is being offered by the non-profit Monterey County Film Commission. Applications are available at the film commission office or forms may be downloaded at www.filmmonterey.org.

This scholarship was created to provide financial aid and incentive to students of film and beginning filmmakers who reside in Monterey County or are currently enrolled in a community college or university in the county. The fund was established as a permanent endowment with the Community Foundation for Monterey County.

Applications must be returned by April 30, 2009.

The recipient of the award of $1,000 (or two $500 awards) will be announced in May 2009.

For additional info contact:

Monterey County Film Commission
801 Lighthouse Ave., Suite 104
Monterey, CA

(831)6460910
info@filmmonterey.org

Learn & Play Demo - Intro to SEO

2009-03-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

How does YOUR website rank on Google?

Getting Google to find your website can be a challenge. Afterall, there are billions of websites... and more arriving everyday!

When people go online they are searching for information. The BEST way to get your site found by search engines is to offer valuable information about a specific topic.

SEO - Search Engine Optimization is the science of achieving high ranking on Internet search engines. High ranking = findability = connecting with your audience!

How you create information for your site makes a difference. Join us at the Digital Arts Lab to learn MORE about the SEO process...

Monday, March 30th, 4-5pm

We will be exploring Google Keyword Tool and Google Analytics.

These FREE tools are can help YOU understand and improve your site's findability.

Check'em Out!

Digital Arts Lab - Best New Tech Hub

2009-03-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

Monterey County Weekly's Best of Monterey County 2009 issue is now available... yes, it is TRUE. We are named the BEST New Tech Hub in the Monterey area!

This is NO surprise. We offer FREE access to some of the coolest computers and software. We also provide FREE digital art information and software demos.

Clearly, the Digital Arts Lab is YOUR chill spot to make graphics, music, movies and websites!

Thank you Monterey County Weekly for recognizing the Salinas Public Library. We hope lots of people see this article and come check out the Digital Arts Lab.

Right On!

Teen Tech Week & MySpace Photos Demo

2009-03-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Why do young people LOVE MySpace so much?

MySpace is a revolutionary tool for communicating with friends and expressing yourself. The power of MySpace is truly undeniable!

For Teen Tech Week the Digital Arts Lab team set out to help local teens learn about the HTML code that makes their MySpace pages work. This was a FUN opportunity to meet the young people of Salinas where they are... on MySpace.

We gave a "HTML Basics For MySpace Photos" demo at the Digital Arts Lab (John Steinbeck Library) on Monday, March 9th. This demo was a big success with 9 young people participating.

We also offered the same Learn & Play Demo the next day at the Cesar Chavez Library. The picture above shows me (Bjorn) explaining HTML image tags and attributes to the group of 12 participants.

The two Learn & Play Demos were a great beginning to Teen Tech Week 2009. We are looking forward to the Dance Dance Revolution (Wednesday, March 11th), Cool Tech Careers Video (Thrusday, March 12th) and the Rock Band Open Jam (Friday, March 13th).

Visit the John Steinbeck Library this week to catch ALL the action!

Salinas Art Song Festival 2009

2009-03-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

Art Song Festival is an exhibition of local art in all mediums. This includes live performances of dance, music, and theatre by middle and high school students from Salinas, California.

The Art Song youth have been working hard to develop this year's promotional materials at the Digital Arts Lab. It has been fun to have them HERE at the lab. We are excited to be a part of this great event!

The time has finally come... Art Song Festival begins this month!

Check out the Art Song Visual Art Exhibit at the Hartnell Gallery from March 15 - April 15, 2009. Daily hours: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Also...

Check out the Art Song Performing Arts Festival is in Oldtown Salinas on Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

For more information click HERE

Remixing Videos at the Digital Arts Lab

2009-03-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

YOU can remix music videos at the Digital Arts Lab!

Amber Shaeffer (a.k.a 0dessaangel) created this version of A Fine Frenzy's "Almost Lover". Amber is an artist from Sonoma, CA. She has a passion for audio/visual media. Amber has currently created over a dozen video mashups at the Digital Arts Lab.

Her method is simple...

She searches www.youtube.com for videos she wants to remix.
Next, she downloads them using KEEPVID.COM.
Then she edits the video and adds effects using iMovie HD.

You can make your own artistic videos too!

Come by the Digital Arts Lab and give it a GO...

Teen Tech Week @ Digital Arts Lab

2009-03-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

Salinas Public Library (& Digital Arts Lab) celebrates Teen Tech Week by offering events and learning opportunities for Salinas teens.

Teen Tech Week annually connects teens with different technologies available through the library. Salinas Public Library will celebrate Teen Tech Week by hosting the following FREE events starting March 9, 2009...

Monday, March 9: MySpace Photos Demo. Learn the HTML basics for displaying images on your MySpace profile. Where: Digital Arts Lab, John Steinbeck Library. When: 4:00pm - 5:00pm.

Tuesday, March 10: MySpace Photos Demo. Learn the HTML basics for displaying images on your MySpace profile. Where: Cesar Chavez Library. When: 4:00pm - 5:00pm.
Wednesday, March 11: Dance Dance Revolution. Try your dancing skills using the Nintendo Wii gaming system. Where: Young Adult Lounge, John Steinbeck Library. When: 2:00pm - 8:00pm.

Thursday, March 12: Cool Tech Careers Video. Learn more about exciting careers in technology. Where: Young Adult Lounge, John Steinbeck Library. When: 3:00pm - 5:00pm.

Friday, March 13: Rock Band Open Jam. Join the band and rock out on the Xbox. Where: Young Adult Lounge, John Steinbeck Library. When: 2:00pm - 6:00pm.

For more information contact:

Don Gardner
John Steinbeck Library
(831) 758-7455
donga@ci.salinas.ca.us

Digital Art Classes From SoMoCoCAT

2009-02-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

What a mouthful... South Monterey County Center of Arts & Technology (a.k.a. SoMoCoCAT) is an organization designed to provide access and training in current multimedia and digital arts technology for all South Monterey County residents. They are focused on providing underserved populations with equal access to education and employment opportunities.

If you live in the Southern portion of Monterey County (it's a big place) you should check out the services SoMoCoCAT are offering. They have partnered with L3 Communications to offer a FREE (bilingual) technology classes. This is very exciting!

WHAT: Video Workshop for Teens

WHERE: Employment Training Center, 930 Los Coches Drive, Soledad, CA

WHEN: 10am - 1pm, February 14, 21, 28 & March 7

CONTACT: Megan Heath, megan@somococat.org, 831-869-6055

Monterey Bay Teen Film Festival

2009-02-11T12:17:00.000-08:00

Have YOU made a film lately?

If you are a teenager you can enter your film project in the Monterey Bay Teen Film Festival! This is a great opportunity to exhibit your hard work and meet other local artists.

Click HERE to signup!

Good Luck...

Digital Arts Lab Partners With ArtSong Festival

2009-01-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

Each year, Trish Sullivan leads a group of teens as they present the ArtSong Festival, a Salinas Union High School District student art exhibit. The ArtSong Festival requires much preparation that includes designing and producing marketing materials, websites and videos. This time around the ArtSong students will be creating their digital projects at the Digital Arts Lab. We are looking forward to being involved with this exciting event!

Apple Keynote Presentations

2009-01-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

Here's an example of what you can do using Keynote and Garageband. Both applications are a part of the I-Work and I-Life application suites. Enjoy!

Garland Thompson Jr.
Your DAL Advisor!

Learn & Play - Intro to iMovie HD

2009-01-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

This video mashup is an example of what YOU can learn to create this month at the Digital Arts Lab.

The Digital Arts Lab is presenting two FREE Learn & Play classes the month of January 2009. These classes will be introducing iMovie HD. This is an easy-to-use video editing software from the Apple iLife series.

The objective of the iMovie HD Learn & Play classes will be to create a video mashup of YOUR favorite movie. This process is simple:

Download the trailer of your favorite movie from youtube.com
Cut the trailer into clips
Arrange the clips into something new
Add a music score
Save and burn your new video mashup

WHEN are the iMovie HD Learn & Play classes?

January 13th 5-6pm

January 26th 5-6pm

Click the above links to sign up for one of these classes!

Happy Holidays From The Digital Arts Lab

2008-12-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

Local digital artist, Andre Walley, created the above image for the Holiday Card Project 2008. Andre contributed 50 copies of his card to the project. The card image above was created using the Photoshop software at both Hartnell College and the Salinas Public Library's Digital Arts Lab.

The Holiday Card Project distributes holiday cards to both U.S. and international hospitals. Cards are delivered in-person by select deviant artists in the areas of the respective hospitals. The patients who receive the cards range from children to seniors who have illness or injuries that vary from mild to terminal.

Kudos to Andre for spreading Holiday Cheer to those who are spending the holidays in the hospital. The Digital Arts Lab is proud to support his efforts!

We also wish YOU a Happy Holidays wherever you may be...