Design Basics Index
Exercise 1: Word Portraits
For this activity, I chose twelve different fonts from my computer's cache and thought of words that embody the 'voice' of the font. It is sometimes easy to figure out that a font either works for a project or doesn't work for a project based on how it 'feels.' It was more difficult, however, to assign words to these feelings. I completed this activity using PowerPoint, and then exported the slides as .jpg files. After exporting as .jpg files, I imported them into Windows Movie Maker to create the slideshow below.
Design Basics Index
Exercise 2: Textural Composition
For this activity, I chose a simple shape with a distinguished feel - the image of the sun is generally perceived as being yellow (or a variation of yellow), with a feeling of warmth and happiness. By changing the texture of the shapes, I was able to also change the feel of the shape and, in turn, the message or emotion it is intended to deliver. I also chose to create two images - one with a black background and the other with a white background - t emphasize the importance of background color.
The difference in background color made a huge difference for some of the shapes. Especially the shapes where an image was used as a texture, the background color of either black or white was harder to choose. I did not add outlines to any of the shapes so that the texture could define the shape rather than a black line; when I did add an outline it made the shape feel chunky, forced, and amateur. The darker textures generally look better on the white background, and the lighter textures generally look better on the black background. Through this exercise, I re-discovered texture as a way to add visual interest to a shape or design; it is very easy to stick to solid colors and simple shapes in design, but a nice subtle texture can make a big difference. For example, the shapes on the top of the image have a 'softer' feel because of the texture and the color, while the shapes towards the bottom of the image are heavier and bolder.
Hi Ellen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to detail how you created the video of your "Word Portraits." I particularly liked your descriptors "Kindergarten/ABC's" and "Established" as well as the "Elephant" word-set.
I really liked the patterns you selected for your sun shaped design. I think it's great that you posted the overall image on white and black backgrounds to illustrate the difference between the two, emphasizing the importance of background color, as you stated above. Thanks for taking the time to discuss how you went about selecting the ways in which to present the design. It's important to talk about the process one goes through when making design selections, and it was great to read how you debated use of an outline. I agree that it would have appeared amateurish if you had went with the outline, though it would have been interesting to see the difference in those versions as well. Black background; white background; white background with black outline; black background with white outline, etc. While the combinations are endless (if you expand beyond black and white options) I think the selections you illustrated here, along with your description of the task, was well done!