Hierarchal Progression

This was a hard one to figure out. It is getting kind of busy finishing up classes. Spring is also springing, and it is harder to focus when the weather is warming up.
My project was to focus on three attributes of God. Since God is associated with the eternal and mysterious I used blue as my main color. The background is actually a photograph of some waves rolling onto the beach. I took the photograph and gave it some serious texture as stain glass using Adobe Photoshop. I used only three panes of glass to symbolize the triune God or the three persons in one God. The typeface is Abigail regular, one that I found while processing my typeface in Corel Painter 11. It has a flowing circular design, which can intimate the eternal, because of the circular pattern. The background is the same on all five compositions, as is the typeface, which symbolizes the oneness of the nature of God. Overall my goal was to give a small meditation on the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.

Chapter 5 LetterForms

For this assignment, I used three different typefaces: Letter Gothic, Comic Sans MS,
and Heavy Heap. All three were available in Adobe Photoshop, which I used for my assignment. The top row is all done in Letter Gothic with some liberal use of the Warp Text tool. The letter ‘m’ and ‘w’ are the same typeface in all three lines, in fact, in the second row the letter ‘w’ is actually the letter ‘m’ rotated 180 degrees. This gives the design piece a little continuity. The alternating black and gray blocks also adds some unity to the image, as well as giving it some contrast with the checkerboard effect. The third row corners make use of the typeface Heavy Heap. The directions to this assignment were rather complicated to understand, and my skills using different typefaces are limited to say the least. If there is one thing I learned from this assignment, it is that typeface usage can be a very powerful tool in the graphic designer’s toolbar.

Chapter 5 Contrast Studies

Kathleen M. Freeman
CIOS 108
Chapter 5-Contrast Studies

For my contrast study I chose monumental/diminutive. I used lines and triangular shapes for the design elements; and colored the triangles with blue and yellow, complementary colors from the additive color system, a color system used for computer imaging. The reason for using contrasting elements is to draw attention to the main element in the design or the focal point that displays the main concept to the viewer. There is no particular message in these designs. This study only demonstrates how size effects emphasizing the focal point of the design piece. I tried two different comparisons, one with the odd sized element in the center of each image, and one with the odd size element off to one side. In my opinion, both comparisons demonstrated that big is better, at least for these images. But I believe the one big element with the small elements around the big element was more effective than was the little element surrounded by all the big elements.

MidTerm Images

Assignment 4B

Below are two pictures for Assignment 4B, which was about Color and Season and using a triadic color scheme.

Color and Season

For my Season I chose Fall or Autumn. Triadic color schemes usually include two similar colors, which in my case are red and orange, fall colors especially if you live in New England. The third color of the triadic scheme is usually a contrasting color, which for red and orange is in the blue to green area of the color wheel.
For this assignment I used my miniature billiard balls, colored paper, and crayons. I processed the photos in Adobe Photoshop. with a bit of selecting and paint bucket I enriched or heightened the intensity of the hues of the colored paper, since the colored paper was very pale. After fixing the colored paper, I used some filters to give the pictures a watercolor effect and then used the liquefy effect to make the colored paper look like leaves. the billiard balls and crayons added a surreal effect to the pictures, plus gave the photos some depth. However the crayons changed color when I uploaded them to the blog page.

Assignment 4A

This was a challenging assignment. I love taking photographs, but graphic design is not my forte.

Repetition

I used the colored billiard balls to demonstrate the design principle of Repetition. The balls are all the same size and shape, although with different colors. And it is obvious to the viewer that even though the colors of the balls are different, the way each ball is colored has the same design. And a number is also visible on all but a couple of the balls. Repetition! Repetition!

Scale and Asymmetrical Balance

The big, tractors are out on the big job, digging holes and moving material. But, uh oh, they have run into some color crayons. They must not be as big as they think they are.

This photo is also an example of an asymmetrically balance photo. The little loader in the lower right hand corner is moving into the picture. The backhoe loader in the center right third of the picture is busy digging the big hole in the left center third of the photo, where the color crayons seem to be getting in the way. Coming into the left center third of the photo is the long shovel of another piece of equipment. There is also visible an equipment tire in the very right center of the picture. And those silly crayons are right in the middle of all the activity.

Movement and Asymmetrical Balance

For the design principle of Movement, I used my faithful toy tractors again. This time they were moving billiard balls around. The loader tractor on the left is pushing the green number 6 ball, which in turn has moved the other three balls. The little backhoe loader on the right is ready to corral the moving yellow ball.

This picture also demonstrates the design principle of Asymmetrical Balance. The top and bottom background is divided unevenly. The tractors are on the right and left thirds of the photo, while the billiard balls are located in the center to bottom third of the picture. The balls are coming out to the viewer, as the viewer sees the balls and looks further into the picture to see what is behind the moving balls.

Dominance

For the design principle of Dominance I used some miniature billiard balls enclosed within the rack. The white queue ball is over to the right of the rack. Even though there are many colored balls in the rack the white queue ball keeps grabbing the viewer’s attention. Not only is the white color of the ball against the dark background attention getting, the ball even looks like it is floating, and perhaps even moving into the scene. Who knows?

Pattern

For my Pattern photo I chose to use the colors on page 130, figure 4-32 of our textbook. The textbook used a white background, but when I used a white background it was not effective; so I used a very dark blue color for the background. Even with the very dark background the black seemed to stay within its boundaries and the white seemed to expand or pop outside its edges. The red and green seemed to complement each other as the book indicated. What was most noticeable was how powerful an effect the white had in the photo especially against the dark background. This photo could also be used to demonstrate the design principle of dominance. But the repetition of colors definitely suggests a pattern.

Point Of View

My Bird’s Eye point of view photo is just that, a point of view shot. It is a fun picture with some color and my favorite toy tractors. Sometimes one has to just take fun pictures to get some inspiration.

Symmetrical Balance

My Symmetrical Balance photo is of two different toy tractors placed in the middle of the picture. The photo is a very simple composition, but the simplicity allows the viewer to appreciate the detail that these models exhibit. I could have placed them in some dirt pile, but even brochures of heavy equipment show pictures of the equipment against very simple backgrounds. It gives the future customer a chance to recognize the fine clean lines of their possible future purchase.

Graphic Animal

Blog-Folio Chapter 3 Graphic Animal

Kathleen M. Freeman
CIOS 108
Chapter 3
Graphic Animal Blog


This graphic reduction started with an owl photograph I took a couple of years ago. The photograph, of course, was in color; and shows an owl born that same summer almost fully matured. Less than two months before, the owl was covered in a very light colored down. In the photograph one can see a tuft of the down still on the bird. The owl’s head is actually rotated about 180 degrees from the front. An owl’s ability to rotate its head to such an extreme is rather remarkable to watch.

The graphic reduction does not show any of these traits, but the essence of the owl is still present. It looks like an owl.

I used Corel Painter IX and Adobe Photoshop to accomplish this assignment. Photoshop was used to process the photographs and to resize them appropriately. Corel Painter was used to facilitate my drawings. Initially, I used a Wacom tablet to free draw some images using different photos for the subject matter. For my final design, I used the clone function in Corel Painter and my Wacom tablet, which allowed me to trace around the image. Tracing allowed me to catch some of the finer detail of the owl and to portray the image in a better perspective.

The most challenging part of the assignment, but still the most fun was actually drawing the images. I used the computer because I did not have the drawing materials asked for in the assignment on hand, and I enjoyed using digital techniques of the computer to complete this assignment.

Blog Chat Chapter 2 Doings

Kathleen M. Freeman
CIOS 108
Blog Chapter 2
The four words

For my four words, basically I just used a different font for the each word. For the word Sludge I used the typeface Livingwell. Then I used the warp text tool to squeeze the word horizontally about -50%. The typeface gave the word a heavy sluggish look and the little splash of black around the text which is part of the typeface added a little texture.

For the word Ornate I used the typeface Bickham Script Pro. I tried using the warp text tool for the word, but it did not add any distinction to the word. So the typeface is the only modification.

For the word Stodgy, I used the typeface Rosewood Standard to modify the word. I think this typeface made the word look heavy and uninspiring or dull, which is essentially what stodgy means.

The word Crush was more fun to work with. I used the typeface Eccentric Standard, which provided the thin text. Then I used the text warp tool and squeezed the word vertically to visually crush the word. This is the word that I used as my theme for my other project.

For the one word project, I incorporated the textually modified word crush into a design that showed a pop or soda can in the process of being crushed. The point of the design was to address the idea of recycling. The original pop can was traced in Adobe Photoshop from a can I found on a free image source site on the internet. I took that image and transformed and skewed the can to demonstrate two more images of the can in the process of being crushed. There is conflict between the horizontal direction the text ‘Crush that can’ goes and the vertical direction the cans are actually being crushed. The image flows from left to right as the viewer follows the can as it is being flattened. Then the viewer’s eyes can drop down to the text ‘Don’t trash it’ with an image of a dumpster in the background behind the letterform X which generally can be interpreted as a warning to stay away or don’t put the empty can here. The viewer can then follow the imaginary circle back to the left and see the text ‘Recycle it’ and an image of a disposal bin into which to put the aluminum can. In the background is the text ‘Recycle’ repeated several times in an attenuated manner accomplished by lowering the fill level of the text layer. This gives the design a little depth or texture.

To improve the image I would find a different typeface that would still be readable on the various images of the can as it is being crushed. The text, particularly on the flattest can is almost unreadable. The layout of the image is a little too square and the negative space is too empty. Three out of the four corners are the same. The message does not flow well. It is a start is all I can say.

CrushCansBlack-White

The Four Words Typeface Modified

Orientation Quiz

Kathleen M. Freeman
CIOS 108
Orientation Quiz
January 17, 2009

A. I am alive and reasonably healthy.

B. My specific goals are to learn more about color, how color complements and contrasts can affect the way people view the world around them, how colors can be effectively used in photography.

C. Learning how to navigate Adobe Photoshop was fun. I have always enjoyed photography but working in the chemical darkroom was not an option anymore, and Photoshop gave me another opportunity to fiddle around with photography.

D. I use a PC. I have always used a PC, although I am aware that many artists like the Mac better.

E. I am fairly comfortable with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Fireworks.

F. It is warmer than it has been in the past few weeks, and the days are getting longer. Yea!

G. I plan to use what I learn to take better photographs.

H. I hope to have clearly defined and meaningful assignments.

I. Do the assignments in a timely manner.

J. I am always looking at the scenery around me trying to visualize how I might capture it with my camera lens.

K. Milton Glaser is a graphic designer who created the “I Love New York” logo. Paul Bass was also a well known graphic designer and filmmaker animator.

L. The only scanner to which I have access is a scanner that is part of the HP ‘All in One’ printer, scanner, fax, and copier machine.

M. Adobe Creative Suite 4.