Week 8: RJEA Logos

Craft: This week, we had to design three different logos, along with three different variations for each one. Each logo included a font, color, and brush stroke variation. In week 7, I created two logos so I only had to create one more this week.  Since the logos were already made, I didn't have to use the pen tool to create any new shapes.  The circle for the third RJEA logo was used by the Ellipse tool.  The Brush tool and the Brush Library was also used when applying brushes to each of the variations.  The Fill button was used when choosing the different color schemes for the logos.  I opened up the color guide by clicking on Window on top of the screen and then choosing Color Guide.  This allowed me to preview a variety of different shades and tints depending on what color I chose.  The color scheme either came from the Fill Library or by the Color button which is also located in the Windows section. For the fonts, I used two different websites to download fonts.  Once I downloaded them, then I applied them to the type.  The Type tool was used for the last logo along with the Copy and Paste button.  I had to copy and paste the cougar paw into the circle.
Composition: While I used a variety of different color schemes, the one that pops out the most is the one that has a hue of light blue against the dark blue background.  It's the rectangular one with the black brush strokes applied to the rectangle and the lines.  The light against dark portrays a contrast within colors and allows the viewers to focus solely on the letters and words.  The lightness of the color distinguishes the letters and words from the dark background and directs our eyes immediately towards the letters and words.  The black brush strokes are what viewers see after the letters because they're located right below the letters and words.  While the letters and words are the same colors, the letters appear to be a little bigger than the words.  This makes the attention shift from the letters to the words.  The letters are what viewers will see first because of the size and then the words will follow since they're on the same line as the letters.  The color scheme in any design can have a big impact towards appealing to any audience.
Concept:  The light blue color that was used in the RJEA logo represents a calm feeling and it contrasts with the dark blue behind it.  The contrast between colors makes the poster look very powerful since there is a big difference between color shades.  The contrast elicits a stronger reaction than if the colors were very similar. If the colors were similar, then the viewer would have a hard time identifying the letters and words.  By having the difference between colors, the viewers are clearly able to see the relationship between the letters and words.  To expand this idea, the letters and words are located on the same line which help in understanding the message.  The brush strokes that were used represent a swift motion.  There are multiple black strokes that are used together to create an illusion of a large stroke.  This separation of strokes creates a swift motion, along with the fact that the lines aren't linear.  The strokes appear to be organic.  This design correlates to the idea of action located in the RJEA logo. Action connects to the idea of partaking in something so having the brush strokes implies that idea because they remind viewers of speed.  While speed might not directly correlate to action, it implies that idea. The brush strokes along with the contrast in colors exaggerates the idea that RJEA is an active and social organization.

Special Edition on Gallery

            Earlier in the semester, our class visited an art gallery consisting of many silk screen posters.  There were a variety of different design elements within each poster.  Each poster had a color scheme and pictures.  While some posters did look very appealing, some weren't that appealing because of the design elements that were used in the posters.  One poster that I found very attractive and appealing was the Great American Taxi poster in the bottom right corner.  The gray color, along with the white background, effectively allow the colors to blend in together without appearing as if there was an overpowering color. The black words against the gray background allow the readers to clearly read what tour the poster is for.  Also, the design of the poster is equally balanced from left to right when viewing it.  The words on the left side, excluding the one piece that's written along both sides, balance with the guitar on the right side. There's equal proportion from left to right and from top to bottom.  Since the words, "Great American Taxi,," are black against a white background and are bigger than the other words, they stand out more than any other object. My eyes immediately view those words first then the guitar since it is brown.  It separates itself since it's not a shade of black or white.  It's a bright color in contrast to the gray and white hues.  The outline of the poster makes it very appealing and the designs that go along with it.  The wings on the guitar add a new perspective towards it to make it appear as if it was about to fly.  One poster that I didn't like was the Avett Brothers one in the bottom left corner.  This poster doesn't effectively get the same reaction as when I saw the Great American Taxi poster.  The Avett Brothers poster has too much green involved that makes it  hard to see the yellow from far away.  Up close, I can read what the title says, but far away, I wouldn't be able to see it.  Since the lady's dress is also the same pattern as the green grass, it blends in and makes the poster look busy.  Nothing stands out in this poster except for the lady laying down.  That seems to be the main focus when the focus should be on the actual band.  Since there's not much details in the poster, it appears busy and a little bland at the same time.  Adding another design element might have shifted the focus and made the poster appear less busy.  The background seems to overpower everything.  There's nothing to divert our attention. The white circles appear as just a fill-in and from a viewer's perspective, it's hard to identify what they're supposed to represent along with the lady.  In the other one, the guitar alone represents a country feeling.  While these two posters might have the same purpose towards the viewers, the design can easily change a perspective from the simple use of colors and design elements.  Everything makes a difference.

     

Week 7: Fume Buster and RJEA Logos

Craft:  For this week's assignment, we had to create our own logos based off titles that were given to us by our teacher.  We had to have two variations of a logo: one consisting of just text and another one with text and image incorporated into the design.  Adobe Illustrator was used, along with the Pen tool and the Type tool. Since these designs were our own interpretations, we weren't allowed to trace any images from the internet.  The Pen tool was only used to make shapes that would contribute to our own image.  For the text only logos, I didn't use the Pen tool at all, only to make an outline of the half circle for the Fume Buster.  I did use the Line Segment tool to produce straight lines in the RJEA logo.  The lines were created by holding the Shift button done and dragging the line across. The Type tool allowed me to type the words and/or letters contributing to each specific logo.  I then chose what font I wanted for each word/letter.  The color for each word/letter and background was chosen using the Fill button. I was able to change the intensity of the stroke using the Stroke button.  The shapes were created using the Rectangle and Ellipse tool.
Composition: The viewers are able to perceive the logos differently since two variations are used for each logo. For the Fume Buster logos, the focus is mainly on the letters.  While the fan is incorporated into one of the Fume Buster logos, the fan is equal with the letters.  It is proportional to the surrounding letters. By having the direction towards the letters, viewers are able to clearly see what they are reading.  Nothing is overpowering the letters.  On the other Fume Buster logo, the letters are black so they stand out more against the blue contrast.  The fan that's located on the left logo is blue and green so it also takes the attention away from the black letters and also creates a small contrast between the letters. In both of those logos, the background isn't the main focus. For the RJEA cougar paw logo, the red letters are what viewers see first since they are very bright and are placed in front of a dark background.  Immediately after, the viewers are able to see the words written underneath since they are part of the cougar paw.  By placing the letters inside the cougar paw, viewers are able to see them right away and associate the letters to the words.  Also, the letters are bigger in size compared to the words.  They fill up less space so they're easier to distinguish first.  The triangles are what viewers see last because even when they are located on top of the paw, they are a different color than the whole paw.  The colors connect the two parts of the symbol together while the triangles stand alone.  The other RJEA logo doesn't include any images but the letters and words balance the attention.  Alternating placement of the letters and words helped create unity within the rectangle.  The colors exaggerate this point. Also, the colors keep the eyes moving since the letters and words are diagonal from each other.  They're not all placed in a straight line.  The lines blend into the background since they are black and don't pop out as much as the other colors used in the logo.
Concept: Each of the logos elicited a variety of reactions, both positive and negative.  The designs might have gotten the message across, but the background and use of color didn't quite fit in with the logos and was overpowering the main focus.  The Fume Buster logo that had the drawing of the fan was pleasing to the eye, but the background could have made the letters and fan stand out more if it was a solid color.  Having a plain background would help distinguish the fan from the background since the background does distract the viewers' eyes. The word, Buster, could have been a little bigger since it does include the fan on it.  This idea of a gradient background connects to the RJEA logos where the gradient goes from light to dark.  The gradient distracts the viewers' from what they should be looking at because the background is too busy.  For the RJEA paw logo, the black letters located in the middle of the brown paw could have been brighter in order for them to stand out more.  It's hard to tell what the words are saying without reading them up close.  Also, decreasing the size would allow all the letters to fit inside the paw without blending into the outline of the paw.  The RJEA logo with just the text could also have had a simpler background.  It's a little difficult to read the first part of the words, Justice and Action, when the yellow and white blend in together.  When the letters are against the black portion, viewers' can read the words very easily.  Although since the lines were black, some of them were hard to distinguish against the black background.  While the blue Fume Buster logo didn't have a gradient background, the similarities within the shades of blue make it hard to view the contrast between the two different halves of the circle.  The shades are very similar so having two opposite colors on the color spectrum would give the audience a different perception towards the contrast within the background.  Overall, the themes and designed were rightly perceived, but the colors with the incorporation of the background are some things to revise in the future.

Week 6: 3 Logos with 3 Different Variations For Each

Craft: For our logo assignment, we had to chose three logos and create three different variations for each one.  Using Adobe Illustrator, I first had to copy an image of the specific logo onto the artboard. Once the image was located on the artboard, I started tracing the outline of one of the logos using the pen tool.  If there were curves involved, I would click then drag the pen tool until the curve matched up to the original logo. Once the logo was traced, the color was changed using the fill and/or the fill library.  Sometimes, I would change the stroke by going to the Brush Library.  For some of the logos, I incorporated more online illustrations and traced them as well.  The Shape Builder tool was used sometimes to help blend the shapes together and create one piece.  All these tools helped me transform each logo into three unique variations.
Composition: After completing all the variations of each logo, we had to chose one variation from each logo and put them up on the board.  For the Under Armour logo, I chose the one that includes the lightning bolts attached to the bottom. Viewers can see both colors equally since the logo is proportional and balanced. The top and bottom have the same shapes, along with their size. This allows the attention not to divert anywhere else.  The contrast consisting of orange and blue help exemplify the balance. This design makes the logo whole, yet it has separate pieces that it's composed of. The black in the middle of the logo exemplifies the balance and the contrast between the orange and blue. For the dove logo, I selected the gold dove located on the top left.  The vertical lines are the main focus on the dove.  Some lines are thick while others are thin.  This immediately directs attention to the viewers because the lines vary and are used within the entire dove.  The gold chain is small but directs the attention towards the lines and not the outline.  The contrast in colors throughout the dove makes the dove appear neutral.  It creates a sense of unity. For Fila, I printed out the top left Fila logo, the one with the clipart objects and people.  The clipart objects and people all have a black fill so they appear more noticeable than the actual logo.  The logo connects to them in some way and equally balances out the people and objects.  There aren't too many clipart people and objects where they're overpowering the logo.  Each one takes up an equal space on each of the logo pieces. They fill up the empty spaces that are within the logo and makes it appear complete, similar to the Under Armour logo.  The colors are in that specific order because people read from left to right.  The colors wouldn't appear as if they had any significance then because of the random order.
Concept: The Under Armour logo correlates to the contrast between rain and sunshine.  The orange represents the sun while the lightning and blue symbolize rain.  By having both rain and sunshine elements implemented into the logo, one can conclude that this brand can be used in all types of weather. It's used throughout the whole entire year and the lightning bolts verify this idea that the brand can withstand anything.  The dove logo conveys a shiny feeling to it since it displays a variation of gold colors.  By conveying a shiny theme, the lines help exaggerate a feeling of smoothness located within the dove.  The line variety with the gold variation exemplify this emotion. The dove itself adds to this theme since doves have smooth fur.  The connotation doves have originally helps make the theme more meaningful.  The clipart that is displayed on the Fila logo create an illusion that the letters are 3D.  By having people and objects located on the letters in someway, they make the letters appear as if they actually real objects.   The  people and their actions that are being presented convey the letters as an obstacle course.  They're no longer being treated as letters.  Also, the red, white, and blue, symbolize America. The colors  are the same ones located on an American flag.. In some way or another, adding certain design elements to each one signifies a new meaning besides the fact that they're just logos.  One simple tool can change a logo into something completely different.

Week 5: Whole Alphabet Using Geometric and Organic Lines

Craft: In our class this week, we had to make the remaining letters from the alphabet using the pen tool in Adobe illustrator.  In my last blog post, I included all the straight letters.  This time, I had to create all the 11 curved letters using the Pen tool with the help of the Anchor Point tool.  For each letter, I originally started out with the pen tool to make a straight line.  I would click on the point where I wanted it to stop then dragged the line to produce a curve.  Some letters such as R and B consisted of this repetitive technique.  For most of the other curvy letters, I would just use the Anchor Point tool after making a straight line.  In the middle of the straight line, I would just click on the point where I wanted a curve, and it appeared.  This was used for letters such as C and U.  S and G were harder to make since I had to make a lot of modifications to them once I had a rough outline of them.  If the letters didn't look right, I would add anchor points using the Add Anchor Point tool and fix the curves using multiple points.  This was done with the help of the white pointer tool.  It allowed me to make any modifications I wanted to on any letters.  The zig zag font was also created using the pen tool and the Add Anchor Point tool.  I would add many anchor points to the left side of each letter and then modify them.  For every other anchor point, I brought the point into the letter so that the end results looked like zig zags all the way through.
Composition: With the whole alphabet on the artboard, the font makes the letters look complete.  The viewers see the zig zags first since they're located in every letter besides the blue fill.  The letters follow immediately since the zig zag font is placed with the letters.  As the previous artworks, the background is white, directing the focus towards the letters and their unique font. The letters' fonts are only located on the left side of each letter and not on the inside.  If zig zags were located on the inside of the letters, then the letters would appear too busy.  The zig zags would overshadow the original alphabet.   The letters are viewed from left to right since people read left to right. Only six are on each line so that the letters don't appear to be overcrowding with each other.  This makes the composition appear even and neutral.  The letters gain equal attention from the viewers because of their placement.
Concept: The letters appear as individual pieces, yet are collectively a whole because of the font that is applied to all them.  The font makes the letters consistent in relation to one another along with the height and size that is similar between the letters.  The zig zags portray a Jaws theme within the letters.  They look like shark teeth and can appear scary towards some viewers.  The sharp points exaggerate shark teeth since shark teeth are pointy and numerous.  The blue fill adds to the theme of sharks because they live in a blue ocean.  The dark hue of blue adds suspense to the idea because oceans are not that dark.  The dark blue elicits a night feeling.  The combination of the zig zags with the color convey a scary feeling.  If the letters were in a different shade or color, viewers might not experience the same feelings and thoughts when first viewing the letters.  While the letters might appear to be just letters with a personalized design and font added to them, they create a whole new meaning underneath that makes the letters stand out even more.