Adult Bookcover

The Cat Who Went to Paris, Bookcover
CMYK, 2006

This is my inspirational adult bookcover. I found the design very intriguing. It seems so simple at first glance but then the details start popping out. The design has an anologous color harmony. Unity is created by proximity of elements and by repetition of the colors and pattern throughout the cover. The focal point is the cat which seems to just be coming into the picture. Emphasis is established by contrast in placement with the unlikeliness of a cat tightrope-walking to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Asymmetrical balance is accomplished by position with the cat offsetting the tower. Rhythm is established with the lines in the Eiffel Tower and also with the flow of the vines seen in the wallpaper background. Depth is by perspective with the ropes and the tower pulling your viewpoint up to the top of the tower to the vanishing point.

Children's Book Cover

Society of Illustrators 48th Annual, p433
Scott McKowen, bookcover

This is my inspiration children's bookcover. I like the overall calmness of the design and the clean and crisp illustration. Unity is found in proximity of the elements. The type is in a tight block and placed next to the boat. Emphasis is placed on the boat and characters in it by contrast in color, the brown boat against the large expanse of blue water. Asymmetrical balance is achieved by position with the off-center words balancing the long, diagonally placed boat. The light-colored pants on the bottom characer help to balance the design. The lines in the water create a nice flowing rhythm. Depth is established by shadows. And, finally, the overall design shows complementary color harmony.

Warm Harmony

Society of Illustrators 48th Annual, p179
Jonathan Barkat

This design is an example of warm color harmony created by using red, orange and yellow. The artist was hired by Court TV and instructed to use a specific building for his model. To fulfill this request, he went to the building "with his Pantone book in hand to match the color." I found this rather humorous since I seem to be wrestling with those little Pantone swatches doing the color exercises. The design uses all of the design principles. Unity is established by repetition of colors and rectangular shapes and by proximity of the images. Emphasis is made by contrast in color with your eye being drawn to the "yellow" window. Balance is both symmetrical and mathematical with the gridlike placement of the windows. The evenly spaced repetition of lines and rectangles creates a clear, staccato rhythm. And, finally, depth is developed by shadows.

Depth by Size

Society of Illustrators 48th Annual, p201
Milton Glazer

This design is an example of depth created by size. The diminishing size of Target frisbees leads the viewer to feeling as if frisbees are being tossed from outer space to land on the building's spire. The placement of the largest element at the bottom of the design and the diminishing images trailing off to the top of the design helps to enforce the illusion of space. Unity is established by repetition of the red disks. Emphasis is very evident with the bright red color standing out on a grayscale background. I think balance is approximately symmetrical. The trailing red disks in the upper corner don't appear to have enough pull to throw the design off balance. Rhythm is established both with the equidistant spacing between the large frisbees and with the circular cutouts on the frisbees. The designer for this composition posed the question "Did you know that in order to depict either the Chrysler Building or the Empire State Building, you have to pay?" I didn't know that.

Color Discord

Society of Illustrators 48th Annual, p521
Hye Jeong Park

This design is an example of color discord. The two dominant colors are of equal saturation and one "spoke" off of being complementary colors. Unity is established by proximity of the girl and the chair. The focal point is the bright red chair, created by contrast in color. Asymmetrical balance is achieved by the figure of the girl being offset by the shaded wall and small dark window. Depth is established by perspective with the two convergent lines meeting in the corner of the room. Shadows also help to enhance the illusion of depth. The title of this picture is "Sometimes Hope Has Two Faces". I was really intrigued by the colors and the title until my husband pointed out the noose and analyzed the picture as the girl was contemplating suicide.

We The People

25 Years of Book Cover Art
Wendell Minor Art for the Written Word, p46

This picture brings out the patriotism in me. It's such a strong image. Just 3 hats and 3 words - but, oh, what those 3 hats and 3 words represent! Unity is found in the repetition of hats and the proximity of all of the images. Emphasis is created by contrast in color with the bright red popping out. Balance is asymmetrical by postion. Rhythm can be seen in the pleated pin on the American Revolution hat. Depth is seen by the shadows. And color harmony is found with the earthtone colors.

Negative Space

Society of Illustrators 48th Annual, p113
Richard McGuire

I loved the use of negative shapes in this design. Depth is created by size with the diminishing figures. Shadows also help to create the illusion of depth. Unity is found in the repetition of shapes and color. Emphasis is created by the contrast in value with the bright white eyes standing out in in the dark and contrast in color with the one tiny spot of red in an otherwise monochromatic blue harmony. Some rhythm can be seen in the repeated diagonal lines throughout the design. Balance is asymmetrical by position.

Monochromatic harmony with a twist of cool

Society of Illustrators 48th Annual, p478
Leo Acadia

This is an example of monochromatic harmony in a cool color. Unity is established by the continuation of the same hue throughout the design. The emphasis is placed on the tiny red boat by contrast in color, the spot of red standing out in an ocean of gray. Depth is established by shadows on the iceberg which give it dimension. A slight rhythm can be found in the ripples on ther water's surface. This picture makes me feel cold just by looking at it!

Parkland Student Gallery

I chose a graphic design by Kathleen Skamel used for self-promotion.

Subjective critique: The design at first glance appears to be a picture of a Hershey's candy bar but your eye is drawn to the light-colored textbox at the bottom of the label that says "INTERN FOR HIRE". This causes your eye to refocus on the word "HERSHEYS" which in fact says "HERE SHE IS". The designer very cleverly used the same font type and size as the real candy bar. Her spacing of letters in the title is perfect. It's close enough that your eye doesn't really notice the space between words until you go back to read it the second time. Most people in our society will have an immediate association to a Hershey's candy bar as an American icon in itself. The chocolate bar is representative of our desire for something special. Chocalate is a luxury. How many people turn to chocolate when they're down, stressed, or anxious? By presenting herself on a chocolate bar, the designer is saying I'm special and I can help with your problems. Overall, I think this designer was very clever. In a basket full of resumes, that chocolate bar is going to leap out. I'm hoping she actually handed out the real things with her information on the back of the label. I would like to see how she would present her information - perhaps like the nutrition facts?
Objective critique: The design is symmetrically balanced with equal visual weight on each side of the vertical axis. Unity is well-established by continuity and proximity of font. If this is just a graphic design, not an actual candy bar, then depth is created by shading of the front edge and highlights on the "foil". The text box at the bottom of the label also shows depth by the overlapping of black letters on white letters. Emphasis is placed on the textbox at the bottom by contrast of shade - the white popping out on the gray background. Since the letters are so large and so close together, a little rhythm might possibly be seen by the slight breaks between words.

Online Tutorial for Distressed Type

This is an example of distressed type created in Illustrator with a live trace. A background image is converted to a texture and placed behind a letter outline. The extraneous background is cut using pathfinder. And the result is a new letter image with the texture embedded. For a free tutorial, go to http://www.illustratortechniques.com/distressedtype.html.

Analogous Harmony

Society of Illustrators 47th Annual of American Illustration, p306
Sandra Dionisi, illustration

This design is an example of analogous harmony. Unity is established through repetition in shapes and color. Emphasis is by contrast in shape and value with the lighter colored hand shape being the focal point. The balance appears to be mathematical with a grid of color blocks. Legato rhythm is found in the "swaying" leaves. There is some depth created by overlap and atmosphere.
The design was created for an article about wars being fought over water. The artist's definition is "If water is life, the human hand represents a choice between drawing on that life or wiping it out." I find this to be a very thought-provoking design. To me, it states that mankind is responsible for the environment and our encroachment on our natural resources is having dire consequences.

Triadic Harmony

Society Of Illustrators 47th Annual of American Illustration, p299
National Endowment for the Arts, Ivan Chermayeff

This design shows an example of triadic color harmony of red, yellow, and blue with a little pizzaz of violet added in. Unity is achieved by proximity of the elements and repetition of colors, shapes, and orientations of elements. Emphasis is created by contrast in color - the words being placed on colored backgrounds while the rest of the composition has a black background. Asymmetrical balance is created by color placement. The repetition of the lines and circles creates a staccato rhythm. The overall design has a nice energetic feel created by the bright, intense colors and crisp simple shapes. It makes jazz look pretty snappy!

Example of Depth by Overlap

Typography 27, 2006, p70
School of Visual Arts, Ed Benguiat, Logo

This design has a very intricate example of depth created by overlap. The letters S, V, and A seem to weave in and out of each other, one on top of the other. Unity is easily seen by proximity. Emphasis is stressed by color with the vibrant red standing out against the dark blue background. Balance is symmetrical. My favorite part of this design is the fact you can turn it upside down and it still reads the same!

Example of Depth by Perspective

Typography 27, 2006, p197
School of Visual Arts, Ryan Feerer, student project

This design shows depth created by 3-point perspective. Unity is created by continuity with words stringing together through space. Emphasis is made through contrast in value with the stark white standing out on the black background. Asymmetrical balance is by position. I'm not sure if this design has rhythm. The only hint of rhythm I see is perhaps in the length of each "leg" of type. The suggestion of an alternating rhythm established by a long leg/short leg repetition.

Rhythm on my mind

Typography 27, 2006, p70
IBM, Eric Cai Shi Wei, poster

This design is an eye-catching example of alternating rhythm. It makes me feel like I'm looking in someone' s window through the blinds. Unity is established overwhelmingly by repetition but the background has that sneaky intellectual unity of society's association of IBM. Balance is asymmetrical, established by shapes including the line of text and small gray box in the upper left corner. Emphasis is through contrast in value, the focal point being the line of text with a lighter weight font vs the heavy solid lines. This design also shows depth by overlap - the lines attempting to hide the symbols.

Adobe stock photo - illustration

Adobe Stock Photos, illustration
Provider: Photodisk by Getty Images
Price: $89.99
File size: 52 KB
File dimensions: 500 x 341 pixels, 6.9" x 4.7"
Resolution: 72ppi

I searched for an illustration associated with pearls. My aim was to find one that wasn't cartoonish. This was one of the few illustrations that met that criteria. I haven't quite figured out who might use this illustration. It reminds me of those boring slide shows that employees are sometimes forced to watch dealing with issues like communication skills, sexual harassment, safety in the lab.... Its redeeming quality is that it does actually portray pearls on a younger woman in a casual environment.
Unity is seen by repetition of greens and browns throughout the design. The focal point is the woman's face. I think emphasis is established by contrast in color. The woman's skintone and the white teeth and pearls stand out in the duller tones of the rest of the design. What do you think? Balance is asymmetrical by size. With the larger figure of the centrally-placed woman being balanced by the smaller shapes in the background.

Adobe stock photo - mask

Adobe Stock Photos - mask
Provider: Photodisk by Getty Images
Price: $89.99
File size: 52 KB
File dimensions: 500x341 pixels, 6.9" x 4.7"
File resolution: 72ppi

I searched Adobe stock photos for a mask associated with pearls. The ad I'm reworking is for a store called Pearls & More so I wanted something that might look good in black and white. This was one of the few images that I thought might print well.
Unity is established by proximity with the pearl being tucked inside the shell. Emphasis is placed on the pearl with contrast in value. The eye being drawn to the white light reflection. Balance is symmetrical. I like symmetrical balance. There's no explaining!

Adobe stock photo - photograph

Adobe Stock Photos, photograph
Price: $149
Provider: Image source
File size: 26 KB
File dimensions: 640 x 425 pixels, 8.9" x 5.9"
Resolution 72 ppi

I was looking for a photo that would make pearls appeal to younger women. I myself tend to associate pearls with older women or elegant dressware. I found this photo showed pearls in a sexy overtone. I really liked the lighting and the cropping and the overall dramatic look of the photo.
Unity in the composition is established by repetition of texture seen in the smoothness of the pearls and the woman's skin. The focal point seems to be her mouth biting the pearls. The emphasis created by the red lips. Balance is asymmetrical created by color - the stark black vs. the pale image. Does anyone have different ideas about unity and balance? If so, I'd be interested in hearing them. Thanks!

Helvetica

Helvetica Film Program Handout
Parkland College

This is surprisingly an interesting film. I expected to see animated letters dancing across the screen. Instead I viewed an engaging film that touched on a font that has enveloped our world - its development and the passion it arouses in those who believe it is the ultimate font, to those who feel its oppressive and symbolic of government control. The film had a lot of funny moments that helped to keep the viewer's attention. I find it amazing that there are people so adamant about something that I've always taken for granted. I am also amazed at how much a single font has permeated our lives. The film showed the font's presence all over the world on everything - road signs, tax forms, clothes lines, business signs and logos, packaging... I found myself studying everything in print on my way home to see if it was Helvetica. It was.
As for the program, I ran down the list of principles we've touched on so far and this is what I see. Unity is established in the use of a single font and in the grouping of text. The focal point is the title of the movie created by contrast of font size and value. Balance is achieved by a grid. Rhythm is established by the spacing between paragraphs and the spacing between columns. The larger column seems to have a fairly regular beat while the smaller column seems to burst in spurts from the straight edge alignment similar to the graphic metre seen on the front of large stereo systems.

The GIANT marker!

Art Directors Annual 85, p. 96
Fed Ex, Chuck Tso, Promotional Advertising

Fed Ex wanted an innovative idea to announce its new online office supply store. Oversized sculptures were placed in high-traffic outdoor locations to play off the environment. The yellow highlighter was placed on a curb of a no parking zone; an over-sized bottle of white out on a cross-walk, and an over-sized desk lamp over a bench where people sit to read.
Unity is found in the continuous yellow color seen on the curb and the marker. Emphasis is established by the oversized scale of the replicated marker. Directional clues are also noticed when your eye follows the yellow curb to the marker. Balance is asymmetrcal by position since the marker is leaning. I love the advertising ploys that make you look twice because it's an everyday item in an unexpected place (or size)!

Take The Challenge!

Art Directors Annual 85, pp 48-49
Virgin Digital, Rodrigo Butori, Poster and Billboard

Virgin Digital wanted to create a poster that would engage people and keep them staring at the ad for a long time. This piece contains more than 75 visual metaphors of musical artists and bands. The design challenged people to see how many musical references they could find. The ad worked better than expected when it hit the web because dozens of blogs, websites, and online communities spontaneously promoted it by embracing the challenge.
Unity is seen by proximity, by repetition of shapes (round objects) and orientation (buildings), by use of similar hues used throughout the design, and repeatedl splashes of bright red. The focal point is the prince in the foreground established by contrast in value with his bright red clothes and by direction since he's at the "front" of the picture. From the prince, your eyes follow the street to the "back" of the picture. The prince is also emhasized by isolation with more physical space surrounding him versus the other images in the composition. The design is symmetrically balanced with the street in the center on the vertical axis. Rhythm is seen in the repeated vertical lines of the buildings and in the repeated shape of the bent limbs of the people "in motion".

Example of Creative Thinking

Workbook 27 Design and Illustration 2005, p. 75
Stephan Daigle

This design suggests a lot of creative thinking. The design is complex and seems to have the key qualities we've discussed so far in class. There is a continual rhythm established with the waves emitting from the sun. The circular motion is repeated in the curved surface of the ocean, the layout of the fish, and the ring formed by the dancers. The design is symmetrically balanced with the sun's face being the focal point. Unity is present with the repetition of shapes. (Notice the hand shapes reflect the fish tails.) There is proximity with the grouping of the fish and the dancers. Repetition is also seen in the texture of the ocean and the dancers' faces and in the orientation of the fish. Unity is colors is seen in the similar hues used. Emphasis on the sun's face is established with the bright orange and red colors and directional clues provided by the dancers who appear to point in the sun's direction. I found the dancers to be the most interesting element. It doesn't matter to my mind's eye that they don't have heads because they have faces. This suggests a great example of closure. I wonder what the artist was symbolizing with the "fishermen" walking on water? Biblical?

Example of Creative Thinking

Corbis Corporation Image Providers

These images were in a Corbis Corporation Crop 2005 promotions package. The posters were in a "book" with facing images sharing a related element. The pictures were taken by different photographers all around the world. Then someone very creatively found a way of pairing seemingly unrelated images by looking for repetition. The first three examples show repetition of shape. The last is repetition of color.

Parkland Art Museum

Parkland Art Museum, Digital print by Peggy Shaw "Hover" (Deep Mapping 4.2), 2007
I found this print to be a calm, quieting, serene scene with a spark of ingenuity accomplished by using an out-of-the-ordinary viewpoint. The edges of the design look like a thick pane of old glass that has slowly distorted on the edges. It feels like you're looking through a window into another time and place. The surprise is the skeleton leaf "stuck" to the window. The veins of the leaf point to the stem which leads your focus down the path into the woods.
Unity may be seen in the proximity and repetition of the orbs seen only on the path. The entire composition is in shades of black and white. The trees continue the unity principle with their vertical orientation. The focal point is the skeleton leaf with emphasis by size and placement at the "front" of the picture. Further emphasis is shown by the directional clues given by the stem and the path created by the orbs lying on the ground. The orbs create a path by slowly diminishing in size and separation. The design is asymmetrically balanced by the shapes of the clearly defined leaf versus the blurry background. The leaf's area of the composition being a small portion as compared to the background area. Rhythm is very subtly introduced with faded concentric circles that can be seen in the background of the trees and resemble tree rings - signs of nature's beat. The design is a great example of all of the design principles we've discussed so far.

Example of legato rhythm

Graphic Design Annual 2007, p.117
The Great Escape, Adapter, Berlin

This design shows an example of legato rhythm in the music being emitted from the headphone. The design is asymmetrically balanced with the bright colorful soundwaves on one side versus the woman on the other. There is directional emphasis with your eyes first focusing on the images you perceive in the soundwave "smoke". The lines then lead to the back headphone through the woman's eyes and finally to the front headphone. There is great use of unity with the colors being repeated in the sound, the dress, the bracelet, the fingernails, and even the eyeshadow.

Asymmetrical balance by position

WWW Design Web Pages From Around the World, p.22
Space Invaders Multimedia Education Program, Denmark

This web design shows unity with the repetition and proximity of the planets and the repetition of the yellow rings surrounding each planet. The focal point is the center planet which is a brigh red, more defined and larger than the other planets, making it pop out. The large dark space station is asymmetrically balanced by position of the grouping of planets. The site would seem appealing to children with its outerspace motif. The planet navigation buttons are labeled "what", "why", "who", "where", and "when".

Asymmetrical balance by position

Graphic Design Annual 2007, p. 80
Atelier Trois Petits Points, Paris

This seemingly simple design is a great example of the design principles we've discussed so far. The unity can be seen in the repetition of orientation and repetition of shapes. There is also grouping of printed information. The focal point is the swatch of bright red on an otherwise all black and white design. Emphasis by color contrast is obvious with the white and black elements. Emphasis is also achieved by position of the text block being partially on the black space and then seemingly being lead off to the opposite edge by small black dots pointing the way across the white expanse. The design is asymmetrically balanced by position of geometric shapes on one side of the desing versus open space on the other. There's also balance by size with the large shapes versus the small print.

Emphasis by Direction

Workbook 27 Design & Illustration 2005, p.360
Donna Rosen Artists' Rep

This is a wonderful example of emphasis by direction. I found my eye first pulled to the waitress's face then down her arm to the menu. The bold red is very attention-seeking and is repeated on her lips. The neutral background also aids in making the waitress pop out. The diagonal line created by the waitress's arm leads your vision to the menu she is offering. The artist uses the menu to cleverly disclose a lot of information about the client, Donna Rosen Artists' Rep. There's even a hidden message with the "nurse's" cap on the waitress's head with the firm's initials on it. The "DR" could just possibly imply the firm could cure your design troubles.

Emphasis by Contrast in Scale

Workbook 27 Design & Illustration 2005, p. 509
Peter Bollinger, Shannon Associates, Aquafina

This design shows emphasis by contrast in size/scale with the water bottle being bigger than the iceberg. There's also a nice contrast in color/temperature with the warm orange sunglow versus the white frosty icebergs. The serenely calm ocean in the front of the design helps to reassure the viewer that the bottled water will be refreshing. The expansive view makes me think "thirst-quenching" and the realism of the bottle against the rest of the composition makes the product appear to be easily accessible. Are you getting thirsty?

Example of Lack of Focal Point

Typography The Annual of the Type Directors Club, 2004, p.75
Niklas Troxler, Switzerland, Jazz in Willisau Poster

I am posting this to show an example of a design with a lack of focal point. The design show lots of unity with color, proximity, and repetition. The designer is hoping to pull the viewer in with the hidden letters. And it must be a good design since it's in an Annual, but I actually found it confusing. It's a poster announcing a jazz festival, but even knowing what it's supposed to say doesn't help to find the message.

Emphasis by Color Contrast

Typography 24 The Annual of the Type Directors Club, 2003, p. 260
Nazanin Alvarez, Miami Ad School

I thought this design had a strong focal point created by using a color contrast. The red immediately draws your attention to the company name. I think there is aIso a contrast created by placement and direction. The magnetic pull of the letters to the end of the magnet seems to direct your eye as you read the name. And the placement of the red on one side of the page versus black and white on the other helps to emphasize the focal point. I found the symbolic use of a magnet for a company named "Magnetta" to be rather clever.

Example of Unity by Continuation

Typography 24 The Annual of the Type Directors Club, 2003, p.116
Designers Fred Woodward and Paul Martinez, GQ Magazine

This design was the title page for a magazine article in GQ magazine that discussed various male icons. I thought it was interesting because it reminded me of the exercise we were working on in class this week when we were working on different ways of establishing unity by positioning black and white squares. This to me said "UNITY BY CONTINUATION!" I liked how my eye followed the tumbling letters down the page.

Israeli Palestinian Border

Communication Arts, January/February 2003, Vol. 44, No. 8, p.89
Yossi Lemel, Israel, "The Israeli Future System, political poster.

This ad really jumped out at me. At first, I just thought "gross!" But then I was intrigued. The dead meat represents to me all of the death that has occured there. The stitches, of course, are mending the rift, bringing the people's hearts and differences together. I also notice the meat is two different colors, symbolizing the two nationalities. What a powerful image!