Winner Goes to Blue

More votes went to blue, so it is now the declared winner. (I'll have to produce an orange one as well for the sake of it)


This is my "Final" design. I put final in quotes because there is no possible way for me to open this file again and see some things I want to change. So I'll be opening it and closing it for the next day or so steadily.


Things changed from the last one include the font on the back: After I changed the font slightly I found I didn't have any room for stars in the first place (as was in my first design), I don't miss them. I fixed the (intentionally) crooked arm on the front so it intersects with the AT&T logo better. The logo got re-drawn, and I ended up liking the original better, then it was rotated counter-clockwise a bit. Shrank the center figure some and moved him around. Small Saul in the bottom corner ended up staying (I toyed with taking him out but it f'd with the composition too much for right now), but he got cleaned up and had some color removed -- big Saul got a touch up or two also.


All in all I had a great bit of fun with this assignment, I felt it was an important one from the get-go. When you do anything it's important to see what people who came before you did. It's great exercise breaking down other's work and to reinterpret it into your own, the same way a painting student would be required to reproduce a classic painting by one of the old masters.

History of Graphic Design

It seems I got a mad-on for movie posters so I felt it natural to gravitate towards Saul Bass, a formidable figure in the history of design who revolutionized film through posters and credits.

I've always been a fan of the one-sheet for Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo," but it wasn't until a year or so ago that I realized the true strength of the work and the person behind it.
He conveys the story in such a beautiful and symphonic way that hadn't been attempted before. It would be rare to find a poster this daring today even.

type-O-rama

Here's my series of typographic patterns for revelry and enjoyment. Let's start with Baskerville 'Q'









Next is Busorama 'F'

Followed closely by Garamond 'r'

Here we have Futura '5'

Finally let's add some color

That's better, a hell of alot less difficult to look at. The others just didn't work as well with color so this is all we get.

Using the Scissor Tool

Here I've gone off and used the scissor tool for the first time (of course this is after discovering what wouldn't work -- your time will come slice tool!).
PICTURES ARE CLICKABLE
First, I had a line I wanted to cut down (that'd be the main entrance, smack in the center of the page).
Then, I added points to my line with the Pen tool, using the one with the plus, placing them in the spots where I wanted the line to stop and start.
Using the Scissors I clicked the two points that I had created. This separates it into it's own line but doesn't delete it, so that's all that's left for me to do.
Delete and viola!

Adobe Livedocs

I started by checking out the Pen Tool help, then I realized that I'd already read it as it is completely impossible to ever have used the Pen Tool and not have to look at the help page.

Then it was on to Live Trace, Live Trace fascinated me (and still does), I am anxious to find the time to try it out (and make color photos look like a Bi-Mart ad). The video tutorial wasn't bad (a robot with tentacles though, really?)

I thought alignment was a good one to check out because I had some problems with it recently. We'll see if it helps.
Slicing and cutting is not something I've never used before but I'm sure I'll need it. It's definitely looks like it'll save me some trouble in the future.



Pathfinder seems from reading the Livedoc to be a bit overwhelming and complicated but once I found some pictures It made some sense. It was here that I realized the general lack of visual aide in Livedocs (one per tool or so). Mildly ironic given the topic.
Live Paint looked like something I'd use too, but again the help page makes it seem much more daunting than it is. I reviewed these on a machine without illustrator, so I'll have to go back and experiment to get any real knowledge from this.

Jim Datz' writing on patterns...

Quite frankly his flowery adjectives made me feel illiterate. What a perfect way to show pretentiousness in graphic design. After throwing-up in my mouth repeatedly from words like "chromophile" I found there was an actual purpose for writing. Boiling it down there are four key points:
1. Patterns are everywhere.
2. Graphic Designers need to be able to digest and regurgitate designs and patterns.
3. We experience things differently now than in previous generations.
4. Because of this styles change and grow more rapidly.

Consider me blown away...
Note: on closer examination the Jim Datz' "lexiphilia" did help me as, as a Graphic Designer, to regurgitate.

Found Design #五

I've run out of things I loved this week, so I typed in "awesome graphic design" in Google to see things other people on the 'net had liked. What I got was a mish-mash of randomness (as was to be expected) and an intriguing/creepy image of a gigantic spider and a woman having intercourse in a Playboy style spread (I won't be linking to it because that just wrong, plus I'm afraid of spiders). After much searching, I found this:


Cute and unoffensive, crocheted food (and other characters by Nicole Gastonguay. Seriously, something you don't see everyday. Excellent use of googly eyes (if they had put those on that gigantic effing spider it would have been less scary, "the eyes are the windows of your face").
What do you think? Any good? Is this art? (ooh controversy)

Found Design #Quattro

I'm a Coke guy myself (the drink not the illegal narcotic), but I came across the new Pepsi 24 packs (they look better than the 12) at the store and was drawn to the simplicity of the new packaging. No slogans or catchphrases, no subliminal sex messages, no words (save for "Pepsi"); just a logo and lots of blue. Granted I hate the new a-symetrical "sailboat" logo, but I appreciate the minimalist use of the logo against a solid background, and that solid background pops out against the busy and loud ("eXtreme!") grocery store shelf.
Here I found a picture of one of the promotions for the unveiling of the new design (thanks to the Brand New website). These cans represent the changing logo over the years. None of these white cans were produced for the market, which is unfortunate because I find the white cans have far more fun and interesting designs to them.
Anybody have a favorite can and why?

Found Design #San

I'm staring and staring and I can't tell what image, if any is used to make up these dots...
That streak of red through the center amazes me how it can be attention grabbing without distracting. I love the play with warm and cool colors, how it grounds that background and enhances the contrast and keeps the image readable the image. I love everything especially that bar code.

This movie poster for Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience has popped up a number of places since being premiered online by New York Magazine last week. (the author neglects to give the designers credit)

Found Design #Deux

Here's a fun one that came out of the April 2nd edition of the Portland Mercury. Designer Unknown (I checked around, nothing...).

I almost mistook this for a genuine 50's B-movie flick, save for the computer-made typeface and high-res quality of the photos (they reduced the photo quality to give it a dated feel, just not enough). The painted saucer and alien eye really solidify the thematic purpose here. All-in-all I really enjoyed this exercise in recreating camp.
Movie Site

Found Design #Uno

I love this print by Guy Burwell, I encountered it in a McMenamins, it was originally for a Decemberists concert at the Crystal Ballroom some years ago.

I'm really drawn to the organic quality given to house (with the curves and gray tones adding a sheen), reinforced by the leaves swirling about, and tempered with the mechanical nature of the mushroom shaped head.

My Info

Computer Experience: I've only owned a computer for a little over a year now, and have been working diligently in learning everything I could regarding graphics. I've taken one class in Digital Media (ART 119) and am mostly self taught. I use a co-workers machine, that is loaded with a complete CS3 package, after hours.

What I'm Excited About: I try not to show excitement...

Favorite Books: I really stopped reading anything outside of school when I started.

Favorite Website: As a graphics and movie nerd I enjoy the Imp Awards site. They display most every new poster, and judge them at the end of the year. Also included in the site is a nice feature where you can sort posters by design firm.

ART 120

THIS IS NO LONGER THE "CITY IN FILM" BLOG,
IT IS NOW ART 120...