2014/09/22 MON
Today we started our first specialist project in Archway, it is a new enviroment and a very confusing layout building, I really need to remenber where all the rooms are..
The task today was first to create our OWN type for upper case letters, so I sketched out an idea on my sketch and made prototypes using white paper(TYPE 1), in this design I was trying to make the letters look three dimensional but in a 2D format, also I thought with the use of light the positive and negative space can create a strong contrast.
After a few trials for type one, I was playing with the pieces of paper; then I got this interesting result (TYPE 2), by slightly folding the paper and looking at it from the top, the curl of the paper side is looking like an S, however I find this boring and rough, it is not something I'd like to develope further. But this trial has given me the awareness of the quality of the material I am working with, which would help me develope more possible ideas.
I when tried to work ' a simplicity style', the out come is OK(TYPE 3), very chubby type looking very cute and contains only rectangles and triangles. I like this result however I want my type to work both 2D and 3D, also I want to develope further so the letters are even eaiser for people to read. I personally think this is important, if people can't read the letters they will not get the message.
Kept playing with the types I have already create hope I can get more new ideas, because we just had a chance to look at other people's work, and my work is appearing to be 'boring'. (Type 4)I teared out the letters that I cut for Type 1, because I want to break the ordinarness of my type! And finally it is actually giving me ideas! the FRAGILENESS of paper!!!!!!
So Im deciding to work fragilely, I carefully cut out the letters but not completely, so they are still joined like a chain, the interesting point about this work is how if I use up all the inner spaces, the work can become a very large surface, lot more bigger than the A5 paper. I think this is the way to make a massive and distinct graphic using minimum material.
Of course I can make it more three dimentional, it is MORE FUN! I used simillar process as the chain, cutting smaller and smaller shapes within the bigger ones, instead this time it is more like a vortex. I thought the lines and the movement looks like Books.
Evaluation
I enjoyed the hand-making and designing types process, also looking at other student's work in my class, It is shocking how many different designs and styles everyone came up with, and there are always a lot more to be discovered. By hand making them allowed me to think, if a design is possible to be made 2D or 3D, it is tactile.
However I do think that even though there are no limits for any designs, but as a designer we need to think more realistically than artists. That means as a graphic designer, when we are designing typefaces, we should really make them readable. That is why I did not like the over-abstract types.
I photographed my type on a pile of coronated boards. This is because; first there is no library at Archway..I initially wanted to photograph in between the books. Second is because i really like the continued lines and the layers of the board, I think it is very simillar to my type as there are both lots of layers, and lines.
In this project I have made a huge mistake... because our task is to create the type and name it, then create the letters for ITS name..but instead I made my own name..I really should have read the brief more carefully, this is very important because in the future there will always be task given by clients, and if I understand them wrong the work would just be nothing, and I will also waste my clients' time and also loose my job....
Illustrator Intro.
In the moring we spent an hour have an introduction on how to start using Adobe Illustrator, and creating our own drawings using an exsisting photo/scan. It was difficult to start using this software, I had to make a few copies of my selected letter and play around with it, I then selected a comic like style because I think it really gives my letter a movement.
Screen Printing.
We tried out a few designs, it is only to use the colour black and red, so the final outcome will consist 3 colours; red, black and white. by limiting the number of colours is getting me to think of how to make the piece the most exciting and effective.
tips: sticking masking tape on the side of the ruler will prevent marker pen marks which might ruin the work surface.
The tutors prepared the screens and paint for printing. we need a generous amount of paint along the bottom of the design and spread one coat of paint onto the screen while lifting the screen above the canvas. When spreading the paint, make sure to tilt the squiggy (?) at an angle between 90 and 45 degrees in the direction of pressureit is important to press really hard.
The printing process is relatively simple but takes practice and experience to perfect.
I have gone for a quite complecated design, which involves a lot of paper cutting, it has some very fragile parts, which was the idea of my initial design -Gyrate.
It is a bit harder to do the black layer, becuase we have to estimate where the print should go and lay down the screen carefully, as in my design the black and red are linked to eachother to form a 3 dimensional image. Then use the squiggy to spread the excess paint over the design once again applying a decent amount of pressure.