DINOLOOPS

1. Create a project folder named Surname_DinoLoops. Inside it, make Working, Exports and Evidence folders. Extract the classroom ZIP; keep the supplied assets together.
2. Look at the reference for five seconds, then look away. Write the first three things you noticed. The intended order is the name, the mascot/product scene, then the smaller information.
3. Sketch three zones: a large wordmark at the top, a mascot in the middle, and a bowl across the bottom. Draw an arrow from the upper left to establish the light direction.
4. Choose the build route to make the shapes and cereal yourself. Use prepared support PNGs only with teacher approval; record exactly which ones you use.
5. Use the illustrated DINO LOOPS version for your first pass. After it works, propose one intentional change to the palette, character or flavour story. Keep a readable product name.

Tool documentation: S1 S11. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Choose File > New. Set Width 1800 Pixels, Height 2520 Pixels, Resolution 300 Pixels/Inch, Color Mode RGB Color, 8 bit, and Background Contents White. Turn Artboards off.
2. Expand Advanced Options and choose sRGB IEC61966-2.1 where available. Set Pixel Aspect Ratio to Square Pixels. Click Create.
3. Choose File > Save As, save on your computer as Working/Surname_DinoLoops_FRONT_v01.psd, and keep layers. Enable Maximize Compatibility if asked.
4. Open Window > Layers, Window > Properties and Window > Character. Choose the Move tool (V); turn Auto-Select off so clicking the canvas will not unexpectedly change layers.
5. Read the Control desk before continuing. Its shape, gradient and coordinate conventions are used throughout this guide.

Tool documentation: S4. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Click the folder icon at the bottom of Layers to make 00 BACKGROUND. Make 01 MASCOT, 02 BOWL, 03 IN-BOWL CEREAL, 04 MILK FRONT, 05 FLYING CEREAL, 06 WORDMARK and 07 COPY. Arrange 07 at the top and 00 at the bottom.
2. Add a 90 LOOP MASTERS group for protected working copies. Keep it hidden after the four colours are ready. Lock the original white Background layer at the bottom.
3. Choose File > Place Embedded and select layout_trace_1800x2520.png. Confirm the placement, name the layer 99 TRACE GUIDE, and drag it above all groups.
4. Use Free Transform with the top-left reference point. Set the guide to W 1800 px, H 2520 px, X 0 px, Y 0 px. Press Enter/Return. Lower opacity to 25%, then lock the layer.
5. Turn the guide eye on only while placing or tracing. Turn it off for every checkpoint and final export. Save the PSD.

Tool documentation: S4 S12. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Choose Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient. Name it BG radial, click OK, then click the gradient preview to edit it. Use colour stops #F64E37 at 0%, #D02B35 at 58% and #70182C at 100%. Keep every opacity stop at 100%.
2. Set Style Radial, Scale 130%, and turn Dither on if offered. While the dialog is open, drag on the canvas to place the bright centre around x760, y980. Reverse only if the centre is dark. Click OK.
3. Choose the Ellipse tool (under U), set mode Shape, and Stroke to None. Create Tabletop at x −360, y2075, w2520, h910. The shape deliberately extends beyond the canvas.
4. Give Tabletop a vertical gradient from #238D96 at the top to #123C55 at the bottom using the Control desk gradient routine. Keep it above BG radial.
5. Turn the trace off and save. The lower arc is a table surface, not the bowl.

Tool documentation: S2 S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Select the Ellipse tool (U). In the options bar choose Shape, New Layer under Path Operations, and no stroke. Click once to enter 1420 × 555 px, or draw roughly and enter those dimensions in Properties.
2. Set the upper-left position to x210, y1715. Name this shape Bowl body. Keep it inside 02 BOWL.
3. Open the shape Fill gradient. Use a vertical gradient with #64C2BF at 0%, #21838A at 45% and #123E4C at 100%. Flip the gradient direction if needed so the bottom is darkest.
4. Leave the ellipse complete. Later rim and milk layers will cover its top half; do not erase that area.
5. Toggle the layer off and on. This is the first of several separate shapes that will create the bowl.

Tool documentation: S2 S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Create an ellipse above the body named Rim outer. Set x190, y1630, w1460, h480. Fill it #113D47, with no stroke.
2. Create another ellipse above it named Rim inner. Set x204, y1642, w1432, h456. Fill it #72CBC5, with no stroke.
3. Check that the two ellipse centres align at approximately x920, y1870. The dark outer shape should make a thin continuous boundary, not a thick uneven crescent.
4. Keep the order Rim inner / Rim outer / Bowl body, from top to bottom. Turn the guide off and compare the checkpoint.
5. Save. Do not merge the three shapes: their independent dimensions control the bowl’s apparent depth.

Tool documentation: S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Create an ellipse above the rim named Milk surface. Set x245, y1670, w1350, h380, and Stroke None.
2. Use the Fill gradient controls to choose a Radial gradient: #FFFFFF at 0%, #F5FBF9 at 62%, and #B1CDD0 at 100%. Keep the centre nearly white and the edge cool and slightly darker.
3. Leave Milk surface separate. Do not paint cereal or splashes directly onto it; we need an untouched copy for the overlap effect in Step 20.
4. Compare both side edges. A band of pale ceramic must still be visible between the milk and the dark outer rim.
5. Save your front PSD. You now have a four-shape bowl structure.

Tool documentation: S2 S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Choose the Pen tool (P). In the options bar set Shape, Fill #F4FBFA, Stroke None, and Path Operations New Layer. Name the new shape Splash main.
2. Zoom to about 75%. Start near (570,1810) at the lower-left base. Follow the purple outline upward toward (425,1460), around the tallest crest near (545,1340), and through the remaining numbered anchors in the Splash map.
3. At a curved point, click-drag in the direction the curve travels instead of clicking only. Use as few anchors as possible. Close the shape by clicking the first anchor. The full anchor map is in the construction appendix.
4. Use the Direct Selection tool (white arrow, A) to move an anchor or its handle. Alt/Option-drag a handle to adjust it independently. Aim for rounded tips and generous valleys, not a perfect tracing.
5. Apply a top-to-bottom gradient: #FFFFFF, #F2FAF9 at 70%, #B3D2D7. Hide the guide. The splash base should overlap the milk.

Open the construction tables and anchor map →

Tool documentation: S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. With the Ellipse tool in Shape mode, make Drop 01 approximately 48 × 82 px. Give it the same white-to-cool gradient as Splash main.
2. Use Free Transform (Ctrl/Cmd+T). Enable the reference point and choose its centre. Set centre x410, y1370 and rotation −23°. Press Enter/Return.
3. Duplicate the droplet with Ctrl/Cmd+J. Change its size, position and rotation using the Droplet table in the construction appendix. The table lists full widths and heights, not radii.
4. Use about ten drops, with the biggest close to the splash and smaller ones farther away. Keep the future dinosaur-face area clear.
5. Turn the group off and on. Delete a droplet only when it adds clutter, not simply because your curve differs from the reference. Save.

Open the construction tables and anchor map →

Tool documentation: S4 S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Save as Working/Surname_LOOP_MASTER.psd. Choose the Ellipse tool in Shape mode, no stroke, fill #ED5B66. Draw a 600 × 600 px circle at x100, y100. Name it Ring colour.
2. Keep Ring colour selected. In the options bar open Path Operations > Subtract Front Shape. Draw a second circle on that SAME shape layer.
3. Use the white Direct Selection arrow (A) to select only the new inner path. Adjust it to 250 × 250 px, positioned at x275, y275. It should remove the middle of the larger circle.
4. Switch Path Operations back to New Layer before drawing anything else. Hide any white Background layer. The centre must show the transparency checkerboard.
5. Fallback: draw the outer circle, select a 250 px circular marquee in its centre, invert that selection, then add a layer mask to reveal only the ring. Keep that mask editable.

Tool documentation: S7 S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Double-click the empty area to the right of the layer name to open Layer Style. Click the words Bevel & Emboss, not just its checkbox.
2. Start with Style Inner Bevel, Technique Smooth, Depth 180%, Direction Up, Size 70 px, and Soften 4 px. Keep the default smooth contour initially.
3. Set Angle 120°, Altitude 35°, and enable Use Global Light. Set Highlight Mode Screen, white, 70%; Shadow Mode Multiply, #22283F, 40%.
4. Leave Drop Shadow off on the master. Click OK. At 100% zoom, compare the flat ring with the shaded one by toggling the Bevel & Emboss eye.
5. Adjust Size between roughly 55 and 85 px if the tube looks too flat or pinched. Preserve an open centre and a soft highlight, then save.

Tool documentation: S2. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Create a blank pixel layer above Ring colour using Layer > New > Layer. Name it Grain. Choose Edit > Fill > 50% Gray, Mode Normal, Opacity 100%.
2. Right-click Grain and choose Convert to Smart Object. Choose Filter > Noise > Add Noise: Amount 12%, Distribution Gaussian, and Monochromatic on. Click OK.
3. Choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and enter 0.4 px. This softens harsh single-pixel speckles without erasing all texture.
4. Choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask while Grain is selected. It should indent above Ring colour. Set Grain’s blend mode in Layers to Soft Light and opacity to 55%.
5. Toggle Grain off/on at 100% zoom. For stronger coarse texture, place grain_tile.png above Grain, clip it too, scale it to about 200%, and use Soft Light at 15–25%. That extra tile is optional.

Tool documentation: S5 S6. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Shift-click to select Ring colour and its grain layers. Press Ctrl/Cmd+G to group them. Name the group Ring editable source. Do not include any background layer.
2. Duplicate the group with Ctrl/Cmd+J. Name the lower copy BACKUP — unwarped construction and hide it. Keep the upper copy visible.
3. Right-click the visible group and choose Convert to Smart Object. Name it Loop coral master. The small Smart Object badge appears on its thumbnail.
4. Double-click that thumbnail to inspect its contents. You should see the shape and clipped grain in a temporary document. Close the contents tab without changing anything.
5. Save LOOP_MASTER.psd. Keep this document open for the next two steps.

Tool documentation: S12 S5. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Choose Filter > Liquify. Select Forward Warp (W inside Liquify). Start with Brush Size 90, Density 35 and Pressure 15.
2. View the ring near 100%. Make six to ten very short pushes along the OUTER edge, each less than about 12 px. Alternate a few inward and outward pushes.
3. Make only two or three smaller pushes along the inner boundary. Keep the hole open, roughly centred, and large enough to read when the ring is reduced.
4. Use the reconstruction controls or Undo for a bad push. Click OK. Liquify should now appear beneath the Smart Object as an editable Smart Filter.
5. Hide/show the Liquify filter to compare. Save the master when the ring is irregular but still recognizable.

Tool documentation: S8 S5. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Right-click the layer name and choose Duplicate Layer. In Destination Document choose your FRONT PSD. Name the duplicate MASTER coral and click OK.
2. Switch to the FRONT tab. Move MASTER coral into 90 LOOP MASTERS. Do not scale this stored master. Keep the group visible temporarily while making the other colours.
3. With MASTER coral selected, choose Layer > Smart Objects > New Smart Object Via Copy. Name the new independent object MASTER gold.
4. Double-click MASTER gold’s thumbnail. Inside its contents, double-click the Ring colour fill thumbnail and change the fill to #F3B93F. Choose File > Save, then close the contents tab.
5. Return to the FRONT tab. Gold should change while coral stays coral. Save the front PSD.

Tool documentation: S3 S12. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Select MASTER coral. Choose Layer > Smart Objects > New Smart Object Via Copy again. Rename this copy MASTER teal. Open its contents and set Ring colour to #36B8A0; save and close.
2. Repeat once more for MASTER blue, using #4EA9DE. Keep the same bevel settings so the four flavours share a light direction.
3. Test independence: change a master’s colour briefly, save its contents, and confirm only that flavour changes. Undo inside that contents document, save, and close it.
4. In the front document, name every master clearly. Move them apart temporarily to inspect them, then hide 90 LOOP MASTERS. The group is storage, not part of the cover.
5. Save a new version: Surname_DinoLoops_FRONT_v02.psd. Capture evidence of the four editable masters.

Tool documentation: S3. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Keep the master group hidden, but select its teal layer in Layers. Press Ctrl/Cmd+J to make a linked instance, then drag that copy into 03 IN-BOWL CEREAL. Ensure its own eye and its new group eye are on. Rename it B01 teal.
2. Press Ctrl/Cmd+T. Turn the width/height link off to allow deliberate vertical squashing. Fit the visible ring to approximately 180 px wide × 92 px high.
3. Choose the centre reference point and set x510, y1810, rotation −12°. Confirm. The ring now lies approximately on the shallow milk plane.
4. If the transform box includes transparent margins, use the trace/rulers to match the visible size. For a master whose box is 800 px but ring is 600 px, box dimensions are approximately the target visible dimensions × 800/600.
5. Do not add a large Drop Shadow. Contact shading comes in Step 19.

Open the construction tables and anchor map →

Tool documentation: S4 S3. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Duplicate the appropriate master into the visible cereal group for each of the remaining pieces. Use Ctrl/Cmd+J for repeated instances of a colour; do not create another independent master for every ring.
2. Follow the In-bowl placement table in the construction appendix. For each piece: set its visible width/height, select the centre reference point, then enter centre x/y and rotation.
3. Name the pieces B01–B12 with their colours. Keep all twelve within the milk surface. Some will sit behind Splash main because 04 MILK FRONT is above this group.
4. Hide the trace and look at the bowl alone. Leave some open milk between pieces; do not place every ring at an identical size or angle.
5. Make one deliberate improvement to a crowded area. The coordinates are a reproducible starting layout, not a rule that prevents better spacing. Save.

Open the construction appendix for all 12 centre coordinates, sizes and rotations. Go to the tables →

Tool documentation: S4 S3. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Name the new layer Contact shadows. Set its blend mode to Multiply and opacity to 25%. Choose foreground #1A444F.
2. Choose the Elliptical Marquee tool (under M). Draw a narrow ellipse immediately under B01, approximately 170 × 35 px, with its centre slightly below and to the right of the cereal centre.
3. Choose Edit > Fill > Foreground Color. Deselect with Ctrl/Cmd+D. Repeat under several resting rings, keeping the shadow close to each base.
4. With Contact shadows selected, choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, Radius 6 px. Because these are newly painted shadows, preserve a hidden duplicate first when experimenting with different blur values.
5. Compare at 50% zoom. Reduce the entire layer opacity if the milk looks dirty. Never paint these contact shadows under the flying cereal.

Tool documentation: S2. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Press Ctrl/Cmd+J to duplicate Milk surface. Move the copy into 04 MILK FRONT, BELOW Splash main and droplets but ABOVE the in-bowl cereal group. Name it Milk overlap. Do not move or resize it.
2. Choose Select > Deselect. Hold Alt/Option while clicking Add Layer Mask at the bottom of Layers. This adds a black raster mask; the duplicate milk disappears.
3. Click that new black mask thumbnail. Choose Brush (B), a soft round tip, foreground white, Opacity 35%, Flow 30%, size about 30–45 px.
4. Paint a short white stroke over the lower edge of B01 teal near (510,1849). Then paint a smaller strip over B07 teal near (960,1922). Build slowly until milk covers only the bottom few pixels.
5. Press X to switch to black and hide excess overlap. Leave the ring’s central hole and most of its body visible. Save.

Tool documentation: S7. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Duplicate six instances from the hidden masters into this group. Rename them F01 through F06 with their colours.
2. Use the Flying placement table in the appendix. Give each ring a different visible height and rotation; airborne pieces can be more upright than the rings resting on milk.
3. Keep these pieces in front of the splash by leaving their group above 04 MILK FRONT. The gold piece near (500,1490) should visibly cross a splash edge.
4. Leave Drop Shadow off for these isolated flying rings. They are not sitting on the background. Their existing surface shading is sufficient for this illustration.
5. Look at the path from the bowl through the flying pieces. Remove or reposition a piece that blocks an important detail. Save.

Tool documentation: S4. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Use Shape mode, no stroke, fill #F6AE38. Make the body ellipse at x315, y1290, w800, h620. Name it Dino body.
2. Make a rounded rectangle for Dino neck: x820, y1085, w290, h710, corner radius approximately 145 px. Put it above the body.
3. Create Dino head as an ellipse at x785, y955, w520, h335, above the neck. These final positions leave a clear band below the tagline.
4. With the Pen tool in Shape mode, trace the tail below the body layer. Start near (550,1640), curve left toward (135,1375), then return along the upper contour toward (555,1495). Close the shape inside the body where the join will be hidden.
5. Turn off the trace. Keep all four layers in 01 MASCOT, BEHIND the bowl. This generic shape character is original to the classroom lesson.

Tool documentation: S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Give tail, body, neck and head a warm diagonal gradient: #FFDC6A at 0%, #FBB53D at 55%, and #E87627 at 100%. Orient the bright side toward the upper left.
2. Create Dino belly above the body: ellipse x506, y1395, w530, h470. Use a gradient from #FFEAA0 to #FFC856, with layer opacity about 85%.
3. Add five small ellipses named Spots, using #D97A2B at about 45% opacity. Suggested centres are (473,1495), (515,1445), (587,1420), (671,1425), (865,1327); vary sizes from 40 to 85 px.
4. Keep the spots inside the silhouette. The belly may cover part of a body spot; arrange their order intentionally rather than merging.
5. Compare the neck/head join at normal viewing size. Adjust gradient direction or stops if a sudden dark band makes the head look detached.

Tool documentation: S2 S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Make a cream eye ellipse centred at (1030,1081), size 106 × 136 px. Add a navy pupil centred at (1047,1088), size 54 × 78 px, then a white highlight at (1038,1073), size 20 × 28 px.
2. Add two dark-brown nostrils at (1200,1140) and (1242,1125), approximately 24 × 36 and 20 × 28 px. Use #9C541F.
3. For the smile, choose the Pen tool in Shape mode, Fill None, Stroke #995020, 12 px. Draw an open curved path from (1112,1196), dipping near (1180,1220), to (1240,1195). Use round end caps.
4. Add a cheek ellipse at centre (959,1170), size 76 × 44 px, fill #F88B45, opacity 70%.
5. Create an arm ellipse centred at (975,1650), size 376 × 118 px, rotated −13°. Apply the warm gradient. Optional: add two short 7 px brown finger strokes; the bowl conceals much of the arm.

Tool documentation: S10 S4. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Name the layer Bowl ground shadow. With the Elliptical Marquee tool draw a wide flat ellipse from approximately x260, y2170 to x1630, y2350.
2. Fill it with #052738 using Edit > Fill > Foreground Color, then deselect. Right-click the layer and choose Convert to Smart Object.
3. Choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, Radius 36 px. Set layer opacity to about 35%. Keep the layer under the bowl body but above the background group.
4. Check the group order against the layer-stack diagram: mascot behind bowl; resting cereal above milk; overlap and splash above resting cereal; flying cereal in front.
5. Save Surname_DinoLoops_FRONT_v03.psd. Take an evidence image showing the scene and expanded layer groups before adding the wordmark.

Tool documentation: S5. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Choose the Horizontal Type tool (T). Pick an installed heavy sans-serif such as Arial Black or a bold alternative. Set colour #FFFCEB; start around 340 px in the size field. Fonts are not bundled.
2. Click once and type D. Confirm using the options-bar checkmark or Ctrl/Cmd+Enter. Rename the Type layer D face. Repeat for separate I, N, L, P, S layers.
3. Use the Letter layout table to fit each letter’s visible box. Choose Edit > Free Transform and position each live letter; keep its internal hole open and avoid extreme distortion.
4. Leave one ring-sized gap after DIN and two after L. Do NOT type the O letters: cereal will complete DINO and LOOPS.
5. Before adding effects, look at the two rows at 25%. Similar cap heights and consistent gaps matter more than matching a particular installed font. Save.

Open the construction tables and anchor map →

Tool documentation: S4. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Open Layer Style by double-clicking beside the layer name. Add Stroke: Size 6 px, Position Outside, Blend Mode Normal, colour #153842.
2. Add a restrained Bevel & Emboss: Inner Bevel, Smooth, Depth 80%, Size 5 px, Soften 1 px, Angle 120°, Altitude 35°. Use white Screen highlight 35% and navy Multiply shadow 20%. Click OK.
3. Duplicate D face. Name the lower copy D depth and drag it below the face. Clear its Layer Style from the right-click menu, change its type colour to navy, and apply only the same navy 6 px Stroke.
4. With Move tool (V), shift D depth 10 px right and 14 px down using arrow keys. The face stays in its original location. Group the two layers as D letter.
5. Repeat for the other five letters. Copy/Paste Layer Style can transfer the face effects; construct each depth copy separately. Keep every depth direction the same.

Tool documentation: S2. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Duplicate a coral, teal and gold master into Cereal O. Name them O_DINO coral, O_LOOPS_1 teal and O_LOOPS_2 gold. Do not recolour shared master contents here.
2. Fit coral to a visible 330 × 325 px at centre (1260,330), rotation −5°. Fit teal to 315 × 300 px at (535,655), rotation 10°. Fit gold to 315 × 300 px at (865,655), rotation −12°.
3. Open each O layer’s Layer Style and add a subtle Drop Shadow: Multiply navy, opacity 25%, Angle 120°, Distance 14 px, Spread 0%, Size 12 px. These are logo-object shadows, not airborne scene shadows.
4. Read the words aloud: DINO LOOPS. Adjust neighbouring letters slightly if the cereal reads as punctuation or decoration rather than an O.
5. Take a close-up evidence image of the wordmark and save.

Tool documentation: S2 S4. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Choose the Rectangle tool (U) in Shape mode. Make a rounded rectangle named Logo backing at x88, y122, w1624, h737. Set all corner radii to about 96 px.
2. Set Fill to #9D2230 and Stroke to #FFC858, width 10 px. Keep opacity at 100% initially.
3. Drag Logo backing to the bottom of 06 WORDMARK, below every letter and cereal O. Keep the whole wordmark group above the mascot.
4. Inspect all four corners. No face or cereal ring should touch the border; preserve at least a small visual breathing space.
5. Toggle the backing off and on. Keep it because it organizes the name, not merely because the reference has one. Save.

Tool documentation: S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Create a small centred line THE BREAKFAST LAB near x900, y65, about 30 px, bold, cream. The y positions here are approximate baseline targets; judge visible spacing.
2. Add A CRUNCH OF PREHISTORY centred near x900, y900, approximately 54 px, bold, cream. Keep it between the backing and the dinosaur head without touching either.
3. Make a circular badge centred at (300,1055), diameter 278 px, Fill #FFE098, Stroke navy 8 px. Add three centred live lines: WILD / FRUIT / FLAVOUR, navy, roughly 40–46 px.
4. At the bottom, add FRUIT-FLAVOURED CEREAL centred near y2330, about 49 px. Add FICTIONAL DESIGN | CLASSROOM SAMPLE near y2430, about 25 px.
5. Use the Move tool alignment controls with a full-canvas selection to centre chosen text layers; then deselect. Do not invent nutrition, certification or health claims.

Tool documentation: S4. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Choose the Pen tool (P), Shape mode, Fill None, Stroke #8FDDD5, width 18 px, round caps. Name the layer Bowl highlight.
2. Draw an open curve from about (315,2070), bending through the lower-left bowl area toward (985,2220). Use only two or three curve anchors; keep the stroke on the visible bowl body.
3. Lower the highlight layer opacity to about 32%. Toggle it off/on. It should define the bowl curve, not look like a neon stripe.
4. Review the ring highlights, mascot gradients and wordmark edges together. Correct any effect that suggests light from a contradictory direction.
5. Leave space alone when it is already doing its job. Do not add a flare, extra splash or texture merely to fill the canvas.

Tool documentation: S2 S10. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Compare the design at 25% and 100%. Identify ONE issue: for example, a mascot that disappears into the background, or cereal that is much darker than the logo rings.
2. For an individual object instance, select that object and choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation. Name it for its target, such as Adjust F01 only.
3. Keep the adjustment immediately above its target. Choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask. Start at Hue 0, Saturation 0, Lightness 0, then make a small purposeful change; try Saturation within −10 to +10 before more extreme edits.
4. Toggle the adjustment off/on. The target should change but the milk, text and background should not. Reset or delete the adjustment if it does not improve the design.
5. Record the problem, the value you tried and the result. A justified decision to leave the colour unchanged is acceptable.

Tool documentation: S6. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Type 10% into the document zoom field. The image should be thumbnail-sized. Look away, then look back for five seconds.
2. Ask a partner to say the name and identify the product without zooming in. Ask what they noticed first, second and third. Record their actual answer—not the intended answer.
3. Fix one problem using the relevant layer: tighten a gap, separate two O rings, reduce a badge, move a flying ring off the face, or simplify competing copy.
4. Keep a before and after image in Evidence. Write one sentence linking the edit to the feedback, such as “I moved the first cereal O closer to L so LOOPS read as one word.”
5. Return to Fit on Screen with Ctrl/Cmd+0. Save the revised PSD.

1. Inspect each cereal hole against both milk and red areas. The visible colour must come from the layer behind it; no white disc or grey square should remain.
2. Inspect the milk-overlap mask at 200%. Paint black on its raster mask to remove oversized white patches. Keep only a short soft overlap at the lower edge of two rings.
3. Check logo borders, the splash base, dinosaur joins, and the bowl highlight for stray pixels or shapes extending beyond their intended surfaces.
4. Open each main group. Confirm meaningful names, live Type layers, editable shape layers, retained Smart Object masters and a hidden trace. Delete only genuinely unused trials; do not delete your master backups.
5. Save Surname_DinoLoops_FRONT_FINAL.psd. Capture one layer-stack evidence image with the project visible.

Tool documentation: S7. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Choose File > Export > Export As. Select PNG, Scale 1× / 100%, and confirm 1800 × 2520 px. The full background means transparency is not required in this final panel.
2. Enable Convert to sRGB and Embed Color Profile when those options appear. Keep the layered PSD separately; exporting does not replace it.
3. Export to Exports/Surname_DinoLoops_FRONT.png. Open the exported file in Photoshop or a normal image viewer and inspect the complete image, dimensions and small text.
4. For a classroom paper print, 1800 ÷ 300 = 6 inches and 2520 ÷ 300 = 8.4 inches. A larger print may need a different resolution decision; do not enlarge silently and claim more detail.
5. Commercial production would require a printer-supplied size, dieline, bleed and colour specification. This lesson does not supply those requirements or a legally complete food label.

Tool documentation: S9. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Submit FRONT_FINAL.psd and FRONT.png. Include three evidence images: ring construction, milk-overlap/layer order, and readability revision before/after.
2. Answer: “How do light, squash and overlap make the cereal feel dimensional?” Refer to two specific named layers or settings rather than saying only that it looks 3D.
3. Answer: “Which design decision helps the name read first? What changed after feedback, and why?” Use your before/after evidence.
4. Declare any prepared assets used. Distinguish my drawn construction, provided support asset, and my adaptation. Do not claim you built a supplied PNG from shapes.
5. Use Export notes in the HTML guide and save the text file in Evidence. Browser notes are not automatically sent to your teacher. The optional box mockup begins next; the core front is complete.

1. Choose File > New: 2200 × 2200 px, RGB/8, sRGB, 300 ppi. Save as Working/Surname_DinoLoops_MOCKUP.psd. Fill the background #EEF3EF.
2. Place mockup_trace_2200x2200.png using File > Place Embedded. Set its dimensions to exactly 2200 × 2200 px with top-left x0,y0. Name it TRACE mockup, opacity 35%, and keep it at the top.
3. Choose File > Place Embedded again and select your own FRONT.png, not the finished teacher reference. Name the new Smart Object Front panel.
4. Read the corner diagram. The front will join A–B–C–D; the side will join B–F–G–C; the top will join A–E–F–B.
5. This is a presentation image assembled from flat panels. It is not a 3D model or a box you can cut out and fold.

Tool documentation: S12. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Press Ctrl/Cmd+T. Right-click inside the transform box and choose Distort. Keep the transform active while adjusting all four corners.
2. Drag the front image’s top-left to A(350,450), top-right to B(1450,650), bottom-right to C(1450,2050), and bottom-left to D(350,1850). Follow the labelled trace intersections.
3. Zoom in as needed while transforming. Hold Space to pan; release it before dragging another handle. Press Enter/Return only when the corners fit.
4. Check the words: they should be slanted with the entire front, not individually warped. Do not stretch separate letters after the panel is transformed.
5. Keep Front panel embedded. To update it later, export a new flat front and use Layer > Smart Objects > Replace Contents on this layer; keep the replacement’s dimensions the same.

Tool documentation: S4 S12. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Build a side panel in a new 620 × 1800 px RGB document. Fill navy #153842. Add cream live text DINO / LOOPS in its upper third, four small coloured rectangles in the middle, and DESIGN CONCEPT / NOT FOR SALE near the bottom. Save a layered PSD and export a PNG.
2. Build a top panel in a new 1100 × 420 px document. Fill #F5C851 and centre navy DINO LOOPS text. Save/export it. Approved shortcut: the pack supplies side_panel_support.png and top_panel_support.png.
3. In MOCKUP, Place Embedded your side PNG. Use Free Transform > Distort to map its source corners top-left B(1450,650), top-right F(1900,350), bottom-right G(1900,1750), bottom-left C(1450,2050).
4. Place the top PNG. Map its source top-left A(350,450), top-right E(800,150), bottom-right F(1900,350), bottom-left B(1450,650). Text follows that mapping; rotate the flat top artwork first if you prefer another reading direction.
5. Name the layers Side panel and Top panel. Check that B and F are shared exactly. Leave a tiny overlap behind the front rather than a bright background seam.

Tool documentation: S4. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.

1. Name it Box shadow. Draw a broad ellipse beneath the box, approximately x260, y1860, w1700, h250. Fill with a dark neutral blue-grey, deselect, and convert it to a Smart Object.
2. Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, Radius about 60 px. Lower opacity to 25–30%. Keep the shadow behind the panels.
3. Hide TRACE mockup. Inspect every shared edge at 100%. If a seam remains, slightly overlap the rear panel underneath the front instead of painting over the front artwork.
4. Save Surname_DinoLoops_MOCKUP_FINAL.psd. Use File > Export > Export As, PNG, 2200 × 2200 px, Convert to sRGB where available. Reopen the PNG to verify it.
5. Submit the mockup as an additional presentation image, not a replacement for the flat front or construction evidence. State which side/top assets you built or used.

Tool documentation: S5 S9. Layout and numerical recipe values are specific to this lesson.