This document provides instructions for a middle school media arts project involving photoshop and poetry. Students will first write a poem using various poetry forms and literary devices. They will then take a photo of themselves and convert it to black and white. Images will be selected to represent elements of the poem and layered over the student's photo in photoshop using effects like overlay and filters. Finally, the student's poem will be added as text to create a finished photomontage project.

1. Photoshop
Portrait Photomontage
Mrs. McMath
Media Arts
Benton Middle School
A H i g h T e c h M i d d le M e d i a Arts P ro je c t
An th o n y/R an d all

2. Project Purpose
• To visualize your poetry into images
• To enhance your Photoshop skills
We will learn more about the following Photoshop skills:
• Overlay
• Creating a Layer mask
• Adding text
• Magic wand/Quick selection tool
• Opacity
• Layers (naming, moving, hiding)
• Filters

3. Part 1
poetry writing

4. Poetry
– Poetry is a literary work in which special intensity is given to
the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive
style and rhythm.
– What types of poetry have you written?
– Please use the website below as a guide when writing your
poetry.
– http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-poetry.html

5. Poetry-Literary Devices
– Literary Devices are an important part of poetry and creative
writing. Literary Devices keep your writing interesting and
allows you to express yourself in different ways using
language.
– Please see the websites below for more information about
literary devices.
– http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/resources/litdevices/index.html
– http://literary-devices.com/
– Please use at least one literary device in your poetry writing.

6. Poetry Types
– There are many different types of poetry. You may write a
Haiku, Narrative, Free Verse, Lyric, Sonnet, Or “I Am”.
– Poems must be at least 3 stanzas, and 5 lines each with
exception of Haikus.

7. Haiku
– Haiku’s originated in Japan.
– Unrhymed poetry.
– First Line: 5 syllables
– Second Line: 7 syllables
– Third Line: 5 syllables

8. Narrative
– A poem that tells a story.
– Must have at least 3 stanzas with 5 lines each. You may
have more.
– It may or may not have a rhyme scheme.

9. I Am
– A poem that describes yourself.
– Please see the below link to the website for the I Am poem
starter.
– http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/iampoem.htm

10. Lyric
– A poem which expresses feeling and do not tell stories.
They are usually short and simply a single strong emotion.
– Does not have to rhyme
– No more than 3 stanzas with 5 lines each.

11. Sonnet
– In the 19th Century people wrote poems to friends instead of
giving flowers. These poems were written in the form of a
Sonnet
– Usually 14 lines.
– Follows this rhyme scheme:
– abab cdcd efef gg

12. Free Verse
– Does not follow a regular rhyme scheme or meter.
– Alliteration is a common literary device.
– Must be at least 3 stanzas, with 5 lines each.

13. Part 2
Poetry Visualization
and
photoshop

14. Artist Inspiration- Mee Kyung Shim
• Began painting at the age of
11 in her hometown, Suwon,
South Korea.
• 1999- She received her
Masters of Fine Art at the
Wayne State University in
Michigan.
• Her art attempts to combine
her Korean cultural heritage
with contemporary Western
pop culture.
• Her hope is help others
discover "self-awareness in an
increasingly multicultural
world" through her paintings.

15. More works by Mee Kyung Shim

16. Step One-
Changing your Image to B&W
What you need:
• Find your headshot image
BEFORE and open in Photoshop
• Go to Image --> Image
adjustments--> Black &
White
• Click "Auto" then "OK"
• Duplicate the background
by going to Layers -->
Duplicate Layer
AFTER

17. Step Two-
Creating a Layer Mask Your layers should
look like this in this
• Add a new layer order for now...
• Click the Paintbucket tool
• Select color black
• Click the new layer
• Go to "Duplicate Background
copy" layer and use quick
selection tool to select your
body
• Click back to the black layer
and click "delete"
You should appear with a black
background around you-->

18. Step Three-
Choosing images to convey the poetry
LOOK AT THE TEXT:
The oak tree stands noble on the hill
Find images that
even in cherry blossom time
are photos and
illustrations to
SEPARATE OUT THE VISUAL ELEMENTS:
vary the look.
The oak tree stands noble on the hill
even in cherry blossom time
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

19. Finding Different Types of Imagery
In poetry, sometimes you have to convey feelings or emotions,
or other concepts with an image.
How do you visualize concepts like "Love", "Anger",
"Suffering"?
Think about what the words mean to you, and how they can be
described? What images can represent these ideas?
REPRESENTATIVE SYMBOLIC LITERAL

20. Step Four-
Using Overlay, Filters, and Layers to
create the Photomontage
• In order for the images to fit inside of
your own image, they must be between
the layers of your background and the
layer mask.
• To put an
image over the
black
area, place
on top of layer
mask.
• For the effect of transparency, use layer overlay,
change opacity, and experiment with filters to get
desired look.

21. Step Five-
Adding the Poetry Text Layer
Make sure your text layer is the
top layer and that the color
contrasts with the background.
You can change font,
size and color when
you are on the Type
tool.

22. Example of Finished Product
Finished Product!-
Save as Format --> JPEG when complete.