Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Welcome to Digital Tools!
My name is Mary Anne Funk, and I’m your instructor for this section of ART 106: Digital Tools.

This course is an in-person class that meets twice a week in a studio-based lecture/lab format. It’s structured to give you time to explore, experiment, and build digital work that reflects your own creative direction. Throughout the term, you’ll be introduced to a variety of creative techniques and approaches, with the space to discover what works best for your ideas.

Course Flow

The term is divided into two main parts:

Weeks 1–6: Studio Labs & Creative Workshops
Each week, we’ll explore a different area of digital media—such as Photoshop compositing, animation techniques, 3D printing and design, and immersive spaces like Second Life. These weeks are meant to support hands-on learning and experimentation. You’ll get a chance to try out different tools and processes, reflect on what excites you, and begin shaping an idea for your final project. Weekly labs include time for both guided instruction and in-class creative work.

Weeks 7–11: Final Project Development
This is your independent production time. You’ll choose your own creative direction, whether that’s digital illustration, animated storytelling, a visual poem, immersive media, or something else, and work toward a final project that demonstrates your creative thinking and technical growth. I’ll continue offering support and optional mini-workshops based on group interest, but the focus will be on helping you follow through on your individual vision.

Week 12: Showcase and Reflection
We’ll spend our final week sharing our work, reflecting on our creative process, and discussing what we’ve learned.

What This Class Is About

This class isn’t about becoming an expert in any one tool. It’s about learning how to see, how to express yourself, and how to experiment using digital media in ways that support your creative voice. I’ll help you find tools. You’ll help yourself figure out what works for you.

We’ll also explore what accessibility looks like in creative digital practice. That means thinking not only about what you make, but how others experience it. We'll discuss captions, descriptions, alt text, sensory considerations, and inclusive design choices as part of your creative workflow.

What You’ll Explore

• Blended Illustration & Compositing
  Create layered compositions using photographic, drawn, or scanned imagery to communicate visual ideas and themes.

• Animation & Movement
  Use timeline or frame-based tools to create motion-driven narratives or expressive animated visuals.

• 3D & Interactive Media
  Learn how 3D printing and virtual environments like Second Life can be used for visual storytelling and creative experimentation.

• Visual Poems & Time-Based Media
  Explore how image, text, narration, and rhythm work together to tell stories and evoke mood using sound and video.

• Accessibility in Digital Media
  Develop inclusive practices using accessible design principles, from captions and image descriptions to thoughtful presentation formats.

• Creative Workflow & File Management
  Organize your work and learn strategies for managing projects across platforms, formats, and tools.

• Contemporary Practice & Artist Spotlights
  Discover artists, designers, and creators who use digital tools in meaningful, experimental, and community-centered ways.

By the end of the course, you’ll have built a small collection of digital pieces and one final project that showcases your ability to express ideas visually and conceptually using digital media tools and creative strategies.