Amsterdam - Matisse

As well as staying in central Amsterdam, I went to the Stedelijk to see 'The Oasis of Matisse'. Matisse is one of my favourite artists who has inspired a lot of my previous work.

I was surprised by the scale of the compositions because I'd only seen them on digital screens. This makes his compositions even more impressive because they had such a presence in the gallery.
Matisse sought the most perfect possible union between shape and colour and I have taken this influence into my Design Principles project.

Matisse has influenced my design a lot because I study his compositions in relation to shape and colour. I find this helps me create colour schemes and also expressive and contemporary typesetting.

Inspirational Quotes:

'When I put a green, it it not grass. When I put a blue, it is not the sky.'

'What interests me most is neither still life nor landscape: it is the human figure.'

'Seek the strongest color effect possible... the content is of no importance.
It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.'

'Creativity takes courage.'

'There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.'

I can relate these quotes to my graphic design practice as it inspires me to be innovative and gives me confidence to be expressive. 

I have been so inspired by Matisse that I have decided to create a publication based on his compositions and other artists that have a familiar style.

Lord Whitney Studio Visit

Lord Whitney is a design studio based in Leeds that was started by graduates from Leeds Beckett University. I had the opportunity to visit the studio and see a talk by creative directors Amy Lord and Rebekah Whitney and learn about their experiences from graduation and how they became successful. 

 

The studio was inside a derelict building that was complimented by the interior design making it an inspiring place to be. Random pieces of design from past projects were placed randomly around the room, juxtaposing concepts.

The studio was a lot more friendly and relaxed than I thought due to the sofas and playful design which made the studio a pleasant place to be. I would like to have this amount of space to work in because it would allow me to work on larger scales and mediums.

Listening to Amy and Rebekah was inspiring because they created a lot of opportunities for themselves out of a limited amount of money. Their determination to create the work that they wanted to do made them a great team and people were slowly recognising their 3D and 2D set designs, photography and illustrations.

The talk has taught me to experiment with my concepts using a range of different mediums and techniques because even though they were creating set designs and photography they were still winning illustration awards. I want to start using cheap materials and start being economical because it will force me to be expressive, especially for mock ups.

After this experience I feel more confident to visit other studios.

Copenhagen

I had never visited Denmark before the summer when I had the opportunity to go to Copenhagen. I was immediately inspired the architecture and layout of the city. There are a huge number of parks and galleries that make it a very creative and humble city.

Copenhagen attracts a lot of skateboarders and the standard is very strong. Professionals from around the world visit the capital city to explore the famous urban landscape and bowls:

https://vimeo.com/81366361

I respect skateboarding due to how much it has influenced fashion, photography, music and film. The world looks to Copenhagen for the best in design, architecture and fashion and I visited a lot of galleries and museums. I enjoyed walking around the city and exploring the architecture, especially in the older areas of the city. 

Louisiana 

Visited the famous Louisiana Museum of Modern Art that houses work from famous contemporary artists and sculptors such as David Hockney, Giacometti, Warhol, Albers, Lichtenstein, Picasso and Ives Klein.

I was familiar with Klein's work and how he explored the 'perfect blue' -  I was lucky enough to see this famous piece which allowed me to study Klein's famous brush strokes. Seeing art in a gallery is a lot more inspiring than seeing it on a screen because I'm able to see scale, technique and texture.

Josef Albers

Albers' use of colour, shape and space can be seen at the Louisiana gallery which is better suited for Albers' work because they are so large. I want to use Albers' work to influence my colour choices because I struggle to find palettes that connotes a certain emotion and are still harmonious.

The gallery introduced me to a lot of artists that I can use as inspiration for graphic design. This gallery was in a stunning location, spread around a large area which meant walking from galleries and sculptures was inspiring. The sheer amount of work and range of styles and techniques meant there was always something interesting to see. I would highly recommend visiting this gallery to anyone interested in contemporary art.

I would highly recommend visiting Copenhagen and going to see the Louisiana because it's a very inspiring place for anyone with an interest in contemporary design.

Printing

CARD PRINTS

Card printing is a simple and effective method that produces graphic results due to the relief printing process. I originally used the printing method to add texture and form to my Secret 7 project because it was flat and I wanted to be more expressive.

The process is flexible because all it requires is thin card such as mount board and a scalpel. Taking off layers of card creates lighter tones and textures, depending on how many layers are removed.

I decided to push my work further by repeating the print without inking the plate again. This creates graduated tones and more geometric shapes because I was layering different amounts of ink. I am really pleased with the outcomes and I will consider submitting them into exhibition submissions. 

I spoke to both of the print technicians because they were intrigued by my printing method and liked the tones and textures. They suggested another way of creating a variety of tones is to use talcum powder once the plate has been inked up because that stops some of the ink from being transferred onto the paper. 

I aim to be more expressive and experimental in projects to come because it takes advantage of the opportunity and also pushes concepts and outcomes that can be relevant in the future. 

Printing is a design process that I want to use a lot more in my projects because I find analogue techniques more appropriate for my practice as I'm not confined onto a screen. 

I have gained an interest in graphic art, as well as objective design because I like to push materials and processes to create original and bespoke outcomes that can't be replicated on screen.

Self Branding 1.5

I aim to create an identity that is recognisable and reflects my practice. I can then include this on my publication and also letterheads/website, etc.

I don't want to create a brand name for myself because I think it is too early to be thinking about that as it adds pressure to come up with a name that will stay with me for the rest of my career and reflects my work. My name is appropriate because it'll become recognisable for the client.  

Artist's signatures such as Picasso and Matisse have become as recognisable and iconic as their work: 

Matisse's signature works well for a book cover due to the expressive line:

Black on yellow creates very high contrast which can often make text hard to read, however it is appropriate because a signature or logo doesn't always have to be legible. I think a signature is more appropriate for an artist or illustrator because it reflects their style of work better than me, a graphic designer. 

Initial Sketches and Concepts

Things to consider:

Size
Memorability
Colour
My style 
Transferability 
Area of design
Techniques and process

• Hand write my name numerous times down the page - Makes my name recognisable and memorable. Making it my own hand writing will be personal. Opportunity to typeset my name and then have it fading out as the ink runs out. 

• Cut and rip the characters of my name out of paper in the style of Matisse and poster

• Geometric J and G together creates a double-page spread. This is relevant because I enjoy making publications and it may be a route to follow. 

• Highlight negative space when I write my name - Fill with block colour

• Signature isn't bold or memorable enough.

• JAMES GREEN: Two words, same amount of letters - Could play with a grid system. 

Took elements of my sketches and concepts into Illustrator. I focused on the geometric J and G concept because the double page spread is appropriate for me as I have an interest in publications and editorial. 

Decided to make a symbol to potentially be on the cover and feature at the bottom of every page, like in Yunma Design. This will make my symbol recognisable as the potential client will subtly see it on every page. 

Began developing the original concept to see how far I could take it, making sure if reflects me as a designer.

From a simple drawing, I have been able to completely change the logo simply by experimenting with different lines to create shapes. They remind me of grid systems used for a double page spread. 

Piet Mondrian

Realised the shapes were creating similar compositions to Mondrian, who was an influential artist during the De Stijl period. This consisted of white ground, upon which he painted a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colours. In a similar way to Mondrian and other artists from the movement, I have simplified the visual components and reduced my handwriting down to the essential structure. This was also influenced by making the logo look as if it was a book open on a double page spread. 

My compositions are strictly geometric and consist of straight, angular lines. This doesn't completely reflect my style of practice as I like to be expressive and experimental so I could add in curvaceous or diagonal lines because they suggest movement. I can also add blocks of colour, like Mondrian and choose a colour scheme that reflects my practice. 

Example of my initial concept on the cover of a textured notebook.

If the notebook itself uses textured stock or even leather, it will make my notebook unique and expressive which will compensate for the geometric logo and reflect my style of practice.

Seeing my concept on the cover of a book helps to put the design into context and judge whether it's appropriate. Due to the simplicity of the logo, I could emboss the cover or even foil it to add professional quality and texture. 

Instead of using flat blocks of digital colour, I used inspiration from Mondrian by filling the negative space with texture and colour:

This is more appropriate because it's expressive, print textures and colour reflect how I like to work. 

I can create different compositions based on colour and texture choices - I could have use the symbol on each page but change each one by manipulating the colours and textures. 
Removed the grid so that the shapes had room to breath and the colours aren't contrasting with the bold black line. This makes my logo subtle. 

I want to take this concept further by using more mediums to show my skill set and make my composition tactile. 

Imagery 

Yunma Design's notebook consisted of imagery on random pages used to give visual cues and also inspire creativity for the target audience - Potential clients/designers I want to work with/Designers I appreciate. 

Hookworms - Pearl Mystic 

Monochromatic colour scheme and graininess suggests it was a screen print. I would like to transfer the muted tones into my notebook because I don't want the images to be too overwhelming and distract the audience. Too many images could be frustrating because the notebook wouldn't be practical. If I was to lower the opacity of my images then they were make my notebook engaging, practical and inspiring. The texture in the stock will also add graininess to the image. I will choose images that reflect my practice so I am going to use my own work:

• Print media
• Texture
• Shape
• Photography
• Expression
• Typography

Instead of photography, I could even use analogue outcomes such as print to gain a tactile texture. 

Kate Gibb
See PPP

Screen print creates tonal, monochromatic compositions that would be appropriate for my publication because the graininess is mutes the colour and creates an image with low opacity.

Took one of my own images and used Photoshop to digitally edit my original image:

Used Photoshop because I am familiar with the editing software and it allows me to make changes quickly and efficiently:

Changing the colour balance and lowering the opacity creates a muted image that will be subtle when printed on a textured stock. I will need to print out the image to make sure I have the correct opacity and colour in print so that the tones aren't too strong. 

Visual representation:

The black lines represent the description of the image - Location it was taken and date. This will also show that I can travel abroad, etc.

Placed my symbol at the bottom - This will raise awareness and looks professional.

Influenced again by Yumna's notebook. 

FEEDBACK

Asked for some feedback based on the imagery within the notebook and people liked the idea, however thought I should add more of my work instead of photographs to inspire. This is appropriate because the primary purpose of my notebook is to promote myself and my style.

I explained how I am passionate about analogue processes but people thought digitally printing my photographs/content would be contradicting myself so I am planning on typesetting information directly onto the publication. I would like to screen print any or monoprint imagery directly into my publication as well to create a fully analogue outcome. However, this is a time consuming technique that I may not have the time to complete. 

Venice, Italy

Venice is built on more than 100 small islands in the Adriatic Sea and consists of no cars, motorways or roads, just canal boats. It used to be a great trading location which is why the buildings are so grand and inspiring. The Grand Canal snakes through the city, which is filled with innumerable narrow, mazelike alleys and small squares.

It is an inspiring place to walk around and explore because you see how people cope without roads and cars. I was lucky enough to have a film camera to take pictures for a project I was working on for a previous course. As Venice is such as photogenic city I took advantage of the opportunity and got some good photographs out of it. Processing the film in the dark room allowed me to manipulate the images to create some abstract results. 

Venice houses the Guggenheim Museum, composed of masterworks of Cubism, Futurism, European Abstractionism, Metaphysical Painting, Surrealism, and American Abstract Expressionism. Among the artists represented are Klee, Picasso, Braque, Duchamp, Léger, Dalí, Magritte, Miró, Picabia, Mondrian, Kandinsky, Giacometti, Ernst, Pollock, Rothko, Calder, Moore, and Marini. This was one of my favourite gallery visits because I got to see famous artwork up close, instead of just on a digital screen. It also introduced me to artists such as Calder:

Abstract Expressionism is an influential movement that I have researched into so it was a great experience being able to some Jackson Pollock. Pollock is one of the iconic artists from Abstract Expressionism. Being able to stand close to the canvas allowed me to see the paintings in more detail. 

Graphic Design

I visited a graphic design exhibition which changed my perception of the subject and inspired me to choose graphic design. Visiting a lot of galleries has really inspired me and helped me develop a style and I will continue to visit more. 

Forget all the rules about graphic desing - Bob Gill

'

Gill's approaches each brief as a problem that he needs to solve. This is relevant for all of my briefs in graphic design, especially OUGD404. Simplifies the task and ultimately makes it easier to complete successfully. 

Vitamins:

'Less is more' approach to his outcomes. 

Doesn't overcomplicate concepts.

This is a useful publication for me because I tend to overwork my designs which creates more work for myself and often spoils the outcome. Gill simplifies the problems by rewording his briefs:

Outcome:

Baby Show:

Kids Toy Store:

The book teaches you to approach briefs differently and think literally and outside the box. Referenced this publication in my Secret 7 brief and I can use it as research for briefs to come because problem solving is a key element of graphic design.