Google Advanced Image Search

Often in the art room, we turn to Google searches to help us find inspiration when we need a graphic.  Google Images offers a wide range of customizable features to narrow a search tailored to an artists needs.  By visiting https://images.google.com  an artist can search for an image that they can then creatively use.  Recently I did a portrait unit with a high school drawing class where students need to pick a famous person and find an image of them to work from for a grid drawing.  This was a great opportunity for me to play around with Google Image and through the process, we discovered a few really helpful tips:

1. Always be sure before you begin that SafeSearch is turned on!  You can find it in the upper right corner of the screen.
2. When searching for an image that you know you want to reprint in a large format and not look too digital you can click on the size label and choose a specific size or "larger than 4MP". This will most often get you in a size that you can make 8x10 and reprint with good clarity.  Create a blank Google Doc and share it with your students.  Students can copy and paste the selected image into the Google Doc, resize using the blue boxes, and print an entire classes pictures out of one document.  
   
3. Next, let try narrowing a search by color.  Suppose you have selected Martha Stewart as the person you would like to draw and you know you only want a picture where she has bright red on.  By selecting the red color button at the top, your search is now narrowed to pictures that contain the color red.
   
4. Another favorite is a reverse image search.  Let's say a student has a picture that they like but they don't know who the artist was that created it.  If students upload the picture to their computer you can search from that picture instead of words.  It is helpful if you are working from a desktop computer to easily accomplish.  Let's say while studying portraits a student ran across this image and is really curious who the artist is that created it. The first step would be to take a picture of it and load it on your computer. Let's try it! Take a screenshot of this picture below:

Next, go to Google Images and click on the camera icon to Search by Image.

What did you discover? 

 Did you find the artist of our picture?  

How about images that have a similar feel as well?  

Pretty neat, huh!

And while we are talking about searches, I have added a Custom Google Search to the Creative Classroom.  If you look in the upper left-hand corner of this screen you will see our own personalized search tool.  Searches using this tool will only examine sites that I have added like: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Louvre, ArtsEdge (The Kennedy Center), Otis College, Art for Kids hub and more.  This should help narrow your search in the arts to really valuable and valid information.


Until next time, Mrs. J