Project C: Conceptual Image

We had a current world issues discussion in class today to brainstorm ideas for a conceptual image. 

The issue I chose to address is the problem of medicating children with prescription pills, which have addictive and psychoactive short and long term effects on the development and well being of each individual. 

Sketching in class, I came up with the idea of a baby bottle filled with pills. Shocking, but not suitable for communicating the point to my intended audience.

Rafael Lopez sat with me and discussed possible directions to go into with my image, then sketched this teddy bear holding a giant pill. I told him I wanted to have a feeling of "hugs not drugs," and his ideas were much closer to what I was envisioning.

Playing off the loving and happy approach, I started to sketch pills with personality...

Finally, I really enjoyed the incorporation of a heart somehow. That way I can specifically express "love not drugs." After these sketches came together, it was clear that a poster was going to be the best way to showcase my conceptual image.

Here is my final conceptual image, two pills embracing with a child's doodling creating a heart around them and giving them human-like faces. The joining of the pills creates a pure white drop of innocence, feeding children what they really need.  It communicates ADD, medication, addiction, and love all to a young audience who may be living through the exact experience themselves.

Project B: Graphic Translation

It all started with a photograph of a dead deer's head. This image was in need of some translating.

I translated the photograph to an outline for a logo.

My drawing table has instructor notes, old projects, and anything else I find inspiring.

Stylizing antlers through sketching initially.

Stylizing antlers digitally with Photoshop.

I settled on this layered look for my logo, since it has hidden images within. I came up with the name BUCK WILD for an art gallery and studio. The translation of an image of destruction to a logo for creation is perfect!

My final color options for the logo before I move on to type setting.

So many fonts work well with the company name, it was hard to even narrow the choices down to ten!

Just a few sketches for the type lock-ups.

A few lock-ups drawn out, and I am ready to finalize digitally.

The hardest part of this project was committing to one final idea, there are so many options.

Here is the final graphic translation of the dead deer antlers, now a logo for art and creativity.

Project A: Great Mind {Ladislav Sutnar}

I decided to research Ladislav Sutnar for his diverse set of talents, and playful yet constructed view of art; learning how much of an impact he has on the world today came as a surprise. His two books, Catalog Design [1944] then Catalog Design Progress [1950] were written as guidebooks to clear the chaos of printed material; however these works introduced a variety of radical systematic exceptions to show how complex information could be organized, and above all, retrieved. These books classified the tenants of clarity and accessibility like no literature before them, and now remain the archetypes for functional design [used to simplify computer hardware and software].   

Layers Problem B: Textured Layer Collage

This layering problem finally presented me with enough creative freedom and hand-made art requirements to really express my artistic style. The use of color has been accented throughout this course, and also the possibilities of creating complex pieces that communicate simply. Never before have I been asked to at create art in this way, and never again will I be able to do anything but "design" artistically. It is life!