Pin hole light effect

This is one of the experiments that i done using my own photo. The technique is very unusual but incredibly effective. I obtained black paper, white transparent paper and a needle. I placed my chosen image on top of a piece of black paper and pierced the outline of my image. I then held the black paper up to the light and took a picture of it. I feel that this technique suits my fairytale/fantasy theme well due to the light effect on the image. Its also very quick and easy technique to do which could be beneficial to my exam.

Embroidery Technique

This is an experiment that i did of little red riding hood. I tried to restrict myself to only stitch the outline and and the fill-in colour as a means of practice before my final outcome, this allowed me to get used to the technique and face the issues i may or may not encounter during the creation of my last outcome. I obtained a plain cotton fabric red embroidery thread, embroidery hoop and a needle. i first drew out my design of little red riding hood with a pencil, i then embroidered a satin stitch around the outline of the figure i drew. After doing so i started to fill-in the stitched outline of the figure eventually creating a 3D cartoon like figure out of red embroidered thread. The reason i decided to do an embroidery technique is because it uses a adventurous variation in media to create an artistic expression through uses of textures, All in all i found this experiment highly beneficial in how it has given me a better look and idea of what and how i am to create my final outcome, for instance i have recently become aware for me to effectively stitch my design i will need the aid of a sewing machine it will be both more time  saving and efficient.

Julia pott

This image was designed by Julia pott who is specialised in autobigraphical art. as i was observing her prior work this particular image appealed to me as i felt that it had a strong reference to my chosen theme of little red riding hood. the image features a wolf as a main character in the illustration which aided me in my character design ideas. one of the aspect i love about Julia's work is how she always incorporates an exaggeration of animal limbs for instance, elongated necks and legs evidently shown in the picture above with the wolf. her passion for animals is conveyed through giving her animal drawings human characteristics. This  technique is something i could  incorporate  into my own designs. Personally after over viewing this particular piece, i have realized that this particular artwork symbolizes the wolf's empowerment over the village, shown in how the artist has made the wolf bigger than its surroundings, creating assumption that the wolf holds greater control as opposed to the other animals in the background. interestingly, the use of colours in the piece and in her other prior work have a contrasting aspect to them. This particular features allows the figures within the piece to be embossed from the surroundings. Also the gloomy contrasting colours creates an almost fantasy appeal to the work interlinking with my main brief and theme.

Thresh hold effect

                                    This is my original picture, before I effected it. 

This is my development,processed on photoshop.  i took and used my own original photo as shown above and transferred onto photoshop. after doing so i altered the contrast and brightness of the picture, allowing specific detailed parts i wanted to be clear. i then went onto image and adjustments and chose thresh  hold. i altered the levels of white and black in the picture showing enough human like features to still have the image sustain its purpose. finally, i had completed my thresh hold effect transforming the image from a normal picture to an almost animated image strongly referencing to the theme of my project. i will try to include the sort of detail displayed in the picture within my drawings using it as inspiration. 

TARGETS!!!

Have you collected primary visual research relating to your exam theme such as observational drawings and photographs? Are these on your blog? NO

Have you explored and developed your ideas imaginatively? How have you demonstrated this? yes but not enough

Have you researched a diverse range of artwork and completed this on your blog? Who have you analysed? Is your analysis in-depth?

Have you experimented with a wide range of techniques both handmade and computer generated? Which techniques have you used? Yes, i still need to do more

Have you refined / developed your outcomes through experimentation? How? Yes

Have you written in detail about your experiments and developments on your blog and used this information to help you improve? No i just need to upload them onto my blog

Have you taken imaginative leaps/ shown a sense of discovery/ willingness to take risks in your work? If so how? If not, how can you do this?

Have you shown enthusiasm and imagination in your work? If so, how? If not, how can you make changes to do this? Yes. Started creating a background for my book using marbling technique. however i need to do more experimentations.

Have you created work that is exciting and original? If so, how? If not, what can you do to improve this area? Yes. my initial designs reflect my own interpretation of my chosen story of little red riding hood.

Have you annotated your blog thoroughly throughout?  No

Have you practised with your exam outcomes by creating mock-ups? Are your outcomes skilful/ well constructed? No!

Have you created an exam plan?

Illustration Brief

Analysis

I have chosen to analyse this particular book not only it happens to be a favourite of mine but it’s also a very recognised story.  A traditional song is kindly retold in this attractive book by Carol Thompson. The book entails of the famous verse –

Hush, little baby, don’t say a word . . .

the tiny little man is told that if his mockingbird don’t sing – papa’s gonna make you a daisy-ring. And so on goes this wonderful series of promised gifts, from making him a sailing boat to finding a four-leaf clover and releasing a butterfly into the sky.
Being able to sing along to text is an ideal way to engage children, and create a memorable reading experience for both parent and child. But Thompson’s illustrations are what make this book truly shine. I believe this is a useful technique to incorporate onto my book, so therefore I will take this into consideration.
I noticed she used softly washed colours and charming characters, with collage-like techniques using papers and cut outs. The central character helps indicated the possible age range between 2-6 years old, which very much makes it easier for the parents to determine the suitability for their children. On the image it portrays the little boy playing with a bird which is something kids can relate to

I personally find books about the outdoor very much appealing and I remember enjoying reading them as a kid.  Books like these really helps play with the kids wild imagination, especially for the times when they physically can’t be running around outside, exploring and climbing and getting covered in mud and dirt, therefore reading about it can at least bring them joy. 

The (unseen) child in the story loves being outside, but thinks he/she will only see green and brown trees and plants. The idea of this picture book is quite pleasant. Casually heading out for a bushwalk and opening your eyes to what's around you. The main title for this book blends in quite well with the whole nature look, which also puts emphasis to the theme more. The artwork is the highlight of this book cover. The colours applied onto this book appear to be of nature colours which make it suitable for its intended theme.

This book definitely encourages children to love and appreciate nature more. Children are normally fascinated over animals, taking this to account perhaps incorporating animals in my book is a good way to attract to them. Overall, I think it’s a gorgeous book that will have children intrigued and ready to head outside again!

Specific Moodboard

Personal Project-Analysis

DAVID CARSON

When researching and analyzing the work of graphic designer, David Carson, I have come to appreciate the creativity and originality behind his artwork. His work is so unique and unusual. The way he incorporates text in his work really makes you wonder what he was thinking, but his work is all intentional, not accidental.

When I was looking through various examples of Carson’s popular work, I came across one design that was very chaotic in due to the way the text was organized. In the picture it says, “Don’t mistake legibility for communication,” and the word legibility is broken up into five sections with enough space in between each section.

In the background of the image there are a few paragraphs of text in which the letters a very close together making it very illegible. He uses a lot of overlapping techniques in this image which reality distorts the text, making it very difficult to read. However, there is message behind this image that he is trying to get across the public. In many of his designs, Carson uses brighter colours and erotic texts and fonts

In this design, he is basically showing the viewer that designs do not have to be spelled out letter by letter. There are numerous ways to communicate your thoughts to the audience without being so straight forward. I believe that his technique is what separates him to other designers. The ability to communicate your ideas using innovation and originality is a great skill to have. Carson is demonstrating that if you can make the viewer think about what message your design is attempting to get across, then you have successfully done your job. I believe he did just that in this particular design because by utilizing some great design techniques, he indirectly proved his point.

Sergio Moctezuma

When I was researching interesting examples of graphic design, I came across an image of the famous singer/dancer James Brown. This James Brown poster by Sergio Moctezuma I haven’t been able to find much on Moctezuma’s background, other than the fact that he is a fellow Texan. The image is a blank, black outline of James Brown’s face as he is belching the lyrics to one of his songs. What makes this picture unique is what his face is outlined with. After first glance, it seems as though there a just a cluster of words outlining his facial structure specifically due to the type of font used and how it is organized. However, if you actually take a closer look and focus on what the words say, you come to discover that it is just a bunch of short phrases wrapped around his face. The phrases are basically short descriptions of who James Brown is and how he is represented in the musical world. The powerful and more meaningful words such as “GODFATHER” and “DYNAMITE,” are written in large font and are located in very noticeable spots, which give strength to the type of image being portrayed by the designer. The curving of the words and the difference in letter sizes makes it an even interesting design.

This image of James Brown is almost like an visual illusion to some extent. I say this because it is difficult to clearly visualize the outline of his face when viewing from a normal distance. You almost have to observe it from a distance to understand what the image is supposed to look like. The main part of the design, which is the face of James Brown, is located in the bottom left hand corner. This helps the viewer see the image as a whole and intensifies the significance of the design.

The background of this picture contains more short phrases that are outlining James Brown’s hair. They are so bunched to together (more so than the words on his face) that is gives the image of a speaker playing extremely loud music. As for the use of colour there are only a few different colours used. However, the minimal use of colour works well with this particular style of design. The creativity and originality of this design forces audiences to look at it multiple times. If it was a design that is very similar to what people have already been exposed to, there is a bigger chance of it being ignored. Capturing the attention of viewers can be very difficult when using graphic design; however, if done correctly, you will most likely get a better response.

Takashi Okada

For my final independent analysis I decided to focus on the text and font rather than the actual images and pictures. The graphic design piece I found looks very simple at first glance. However, if you focus on how the word (“creature”) is written out, you realize that there is a lot more to it. This design is quite ironic due to the fact that there is no real font used in the creation of the word “creature.” The designer just used actual creatures and animals to create the letters. Elephants, rhinos, and tigers are just a few of the many animals in this picture.

One of the most fascinating components of this design is the material used to create the letters. Every letter is very intricate and detailed with actual parts of animals, such as the fur, which make it look so realistic. One thing that is missing from this design is colour. I think if the designer used the actual colours of the animals it would have added a lot more to the wilderness component that the design is attempting to emphasize. On the other hand, I do see how the lack of colour compliments the purpose of this design. Using very little or no colour at all makes the image more pure because it adds to the nature aspect of the image.

One other feature that caught my attention was the way he organized the word. The fact that the designer put half of the word on one line and the other half on another line allows the audience to view it in a broader perspective. It is much easier for the audience to compare each letter if the words are on separate lines. If it was written out on one line only it is annoying to have to look back and forth. The originality in this design is something that should be appreciated because it isn’t often that you see nature brought to life effectively in graphic design. Overall, it was a very nice piece of work done by this designer.

General Moodboard

General mind map

EVALUATION

In my personal project i was commissioned to create a promotional campaign for an upcoming artist. i had to design a logo of my chosen artist (Naj) and a magazine front-cover illustrating what target market the artist intends to appeal to, which is in this the young fashionable female market who are musically oriented. to strengthen my knowledge and visual understanding of my set task, I conducted various research, including contextual links and existing product evaluations. this research involved both primary and secondary examples. for my primary i took professional picture of myself aiding me in developing my possible outcome. despite my success in achieving a high standard of quality in my pictures, i did encounter in some problematic issues which heavily my end design. during my development of magazine covers I discovered that i lacked variation in the scenery of pictures, causing me to limit my experimentation. for my secondary research i looked at various magazine front covers on the internet as well as existing magazines, which i later on analysed in depth, expressing my understanding of the layout a purpose of design. I also incorporated secondary and primary examples in my mood board and mind map which was very useful in the development of my ideas through inspiration; as a whole all these factors lead as well as assisted me to my designing process.

Furthermore during my projected I explored various techniques in design, with use of both photoshop and illustrator. this aided me in making my design higher in quality and express my designs/outcomes to the best of my ability. one of the techniques i used was the air brush skill. it was a simple but effective tool to improve the image's appearance making it more professional. this is also a very popular technique used on magazines which is why i believe was a suitable and a useful technique to experiment with. moreover i conducted both colour and texture experimentation on my typography during my development process. i used effects such as 'motion blur' 'solarize' 'artistic brush' 'poster edge' etc (Photoshop). It boosted my confidence and enhanced my skills on photoshop giving me better understanding of quality control on the program. It broadened my ideas in creating my final logo design, using these processes. On other hand i did encounter on problems during the use of photoshop. my persistent use of the program showed a lack of experimentation, limiting me to only the effects given on photoshop. In light of this i acknowledged the issue and rectified it avoiding a repeat of ideas.

To conclude i'm reasonably satisfied with the way my final outcomes have turned out. i believe that my outcomes were a success as that i have managed to achieve the criteria set out which was to design a promotional magazine campaign suitable for young adults interested music and fashion.i like the simplistic and straight forward nature of my project as whole, as i feel it both effectively appeals and attracts the targeted market. i also love the colour variation applied to my magazine front cover as it assisted in catching the interests of my intended target audience. However I believe my late commencement of the project both significantly and negatively impacted on the quantity of work i produced.  As a result feel that i could used more of my time efficiently, which would have led to me in completing and structuring my project to the best of my ability.

Diamond Coffee

Diamond Coffee is an Asian based product, which is usually aimed at the working class market. The following created this particular advert:

Executive Creative Director: Connie Lo


Creative Director: Nutchanun Chiaphanumas


Art Director: Nateepat Jaturonrasmi


Copywriter: Spring Liu/Nutchanun Chiaphanumas


Illustrator: Remix Studio Bangkok


Photographer: Nok Pipattungkul

The poster is mainly constructed around a photograph, sourced via internet, made in 2011.

The theme of this poster seems to be based on the struggles of working class life. I think the artists main intentions in the piece was to inform the public the difficulties in the daily routine rush, if possible to spare some time for the coffee, it would help you with the work load.

The messages being communicated are that Diamond Coffee is the solution to all problems, in a stressful day-to-day struggle. This is conveyed through the photograph of a lot of people on the man’s shoulders, referring to the common saying “weight on my shoulders” relating back to the main theme of stress. I believe that the intended function is to promote Diamond Coffee as a stress reliever. 

The layout of the poster has a strong influence in the marketing of the product, in how both the photograph of the man with people on his shoulders and the product in the corner with the slogan above it are separately isolated in order to relate to the audience. The background is both dull and blank to focus attention on the reference back to the man function.

The formal element of text has been used effectively, in order to create a sense of imagery for the audience to relate to, improving their marketing techniques. In terms of media and processes the poster focuses highly on photography and editing with the use of the Photo shop program. This improves the adverts effect on the audience giving them a playful visual image to relate to. This advert was most definitely made at a time where the coffee industry was being neglected and people weren’t as appreciative of the effect it had on the day-to-day performance. 

Ian Wright

New York based artist Ian Wright is one of the industry’s best loved and most prolific figures. His work has spanned four decades, including numerous high-profile editorials and record sleeves for the likes of The Face, The NME, Issey Miyake, Bjork, Ian Brown and many others. Ian Wright takes pleasure in making portraits and is hugely influenced by music. Ian Wright’s creative approach to illustration has resulted in a fresh and constant updating of his work into new creative directions, including experimenting with new developments in technology and mixing up techniques and materials whilst creating unique artistic visions.

The theme of this inventive art piece focuses on mystery. The simplicity of the image gives the design its mystery effect. Not only is the theme communicated to the audience further, through how the image is presented in an informal manner but also through slogan that the work features. ‘If you could do anything tomorrow what would it be?’ I think the slogan would definitely make the audience think and look at the art piece further as it’s very engaging and it makes them feel more involved, which I also believe was the artist’s intentions. It’s evident to say that the presentation is incredibly chaotic and very disordered yet effective. This technique is quite distracting as well as fascinating; the unclearness of the art piece almost motivates the audience to want to solve the meaning behind the work. I noticed how in his art piece the word ‘Tomorrow’ appears to be rather undefined; this was to perhaps strengthen the mystery theme further which I thought was a creative and an interesting technique to include. The colours used in this piece of work are mainly red and white which both work well together. The white is conveyed through the use of typography which is quite suitable as the font is reasonably plain and straightforward yet presents a fresh clean effect to the art work. The use of red portrayed as the background colour is an appropriate choice as not only does it stand out better but red can be effect the audience to STOP almost instantly which I believe was the artists intention. The layout and design of the art piece is uncomplicated which makes it more memorable easily recognisable to the audience.

Robert Brownjohn

Robert Brownjohn (1925 – 1970) was a graphic designer. His combination of typography, illustration and objects made him an iconic designer in 1950s New York and 1960s London. He has designed titles for James Bond films, graphics for the Robert Fraser Gallery and artwork for the Rolling Stones. A lot of his inspiration came form sixties pop culture.

The illustration to the right is an example of a piece of work from Brownjohn, Chermayeff & Geismar (BCG). These three artists collaborated to create many commissioned pieces of art for various clients. Much of their work was extremely simple, but just as effective. It was perhaps their simplicity that made them all the more intriguing. The illustration to the right is part of a booklet called ‘Watching Words Move (1959)’ and is extremely fascinating. By using only the top half of the word ‘top’, BCG have given meaning to the word they are portraying and have shown wit in they’re interpretation. More examples of this type of his work are shown to the left.

However, Brownjohn not only explored uncomplicated illustrations. One of his more famous pieces of work would be the title he created for the James Bond film, as shown below. The way in which the words ‘From Russia with Love’ are distortedly written is effective in portraying a mysterious or sinister atmosphere. This was most probably Brownjohn’s aim as James Bond films are thrilling in essence. This more complicated illustration gives us more insight to the typographical talents of Robert Brownjohn. He became sought after for both his simple and intricate means of portraying a message using wit, and is now imprinted into the history of prominent graphic artists.

Tim Mars

Tim Marrs is a BA graduate and Master of Arts. He is widely known for his use of photography, screen printing and photoshop techniques. The inspiration and influence for his work originates from American pop culture, pulp fiction novels, pop art and even polish film posters. His adaptable technique has attracted many clients from advertising, publishing and Graphic design. These include, but are not limited to Nike, Brand Jordan, Asics NYC marathon, Reebok, kswiss, Ogilvy and Mather, Saatchi and Saatchi, Geffen records, Publicis & Hal Riney and orion publishing.

The image on the right is an example of Marrs’ work. It was part of the ad campaign for a Virgin Megastore store opening in Manchester. His mix of drawing, photography, print and digital technique in this advertisement is a prime example of his talent and shows Marrs’ style clearly.

The use of text is key for this piece of his work as it is informative to potential customers. However, instead of just placing the text in a clear and acceptable manner, Marrs has portrayed the information in an imaginative and unique way. The effect of placing the words in such a way that they seem to have been stamped onto the poster, give it an air of authenticity. This idea of realism is supported by the different shades of yellow which provide a worn out look. On the other hand, the image of various digital and musical appliances portrayed in a shape which largely resembles a creature of some sort, hugely contrasts the perhaps normal and real representation that the font and colour of the advertisement may have given.

This is exactly the style of Tim Marrs; he plays on what people view as authentic and combines this, digitally, with his own ideas and illustrations. Much of his work uses a slight faded or smudged effect, trying to emulate legitimacy, but is vastly contrasted by a unique and imaginative edge.

The Adiddas Original advert

The Adiddas Original advert, ‘The Street Where Originality Lives’ was created by the Adidas brand. This advert has been televised, created with use of filming techniques. I chose this advert because it was relevant to the current work I am studying in my graphics course.

I think the main theme being translated through the clip is that Adidas is more then just a trainer it is a solution to hatred. I believe the artist’s intention was to convey the brand as fun and diverse to all races and styles, appealing to more of a youthful targeted market. The key messages being communicated in the advert is that Adiddas as a brand is in touch with the modern expression of originality, creating an alteration in the perception of the brand to the audience. The intended function of the advert is to promote Adiddas as a newly reformed social brand.

The layout and structure of the advert is mainly based in the street and rooftops of buildings. The advert includes a lot of colours in it, insinuating a diversification of characters and styles. The inclusion of young people, confirms the main targeted market in the advert. The formal element, being the opening title, sets the scene for the rest of the advert making it more inspirational.

The media & processes included in this advert simply involve, precise filming techniques, capturing the fun in every scene, encapsulating the theme of the advert. The artist has managed to use a variation both close up and bird’s eye views to communicate the enthusiastic expressive theme. This advert was made at time where Adiddas were trying to diversify their customers by promoting new styles and expressive understanding brand. 

Pioneer

Pioneer has introduced the KURO television with an unusual campaign which promotes the body’s ability for multi-sensory skill. The advert was produced by lee clow and was released at 2008. Lee clow is currently the chairman and global Director of TBWA/worldwide and was formally its chief creative officer. The Advertising Age referred him as the "advertising's art director guru". In this campaign Nadav was the photographer and Becca Morton as the Art director.

The advert features an image of what seems to appear as a hand with five ears on the finger tips alongside an eye placed at the center of the palm the advert completes its final look with a slogan which is seen at the top of the image; ‘seeing and hearing like never before’. The unique slogan was created by Gage Clegg. This advert has various interpretation portrayed to it. The almost obvious would be the illuminati (free mason) due to the eye suggestion. The image of the hand can also be referred to the story of ‘Hamsa’ as it was believed that his right hand stopped all the Seeing Eye. This may have been one of his influences to when creating his pioneer advert. The use of the ‘hand image’ could very much be seen as a STOP hand gesture. This technique is reasonably useful as it may have helped appeal to the audience better as well as resulted them to stop. on the other hand the positioning of the eye and ears is quite bizarre however it complements the slogan well which I believe was a good and successful technique to incorporate. This particular advert is known as ‘shock advertising’ which was reasonably popular at the time. It is clear that Lee Clow did his research well as well as considered all the significant aspects to include in his campaign.

The main colours used in the advert are black and white, which assist into giving the advert a more classic, dark and serious look as well as it also adds a professional appeal to it making it seem more reliable to its audience. The black and white can also give the advert a more gothic outlook therefore promotes an aggressive theme which outlines a mystery effect.

There are various processes and techniques that took part into making this advert. One of them being photo montage, where in this case black and white photographs were taken and layered over each other using Photoshop to create the eye in the palm. Effective use of lighting on the hand may had been applied in Photoshop.

Jenny Tran

Jenny Tran is a female cultural artist, who focuses on the deeper meanings of societies, creating work that influences social movements. An example of her inspirational work is the ‘Fabric of America’ piece.

In this piece, it’s initially an image of the American flag but with further analysis it becomes more apparent that patriotism is not the main idea. The image is made distorted with a scratch like effect on the flag base, disfiguring the original patriotic flag creating the idea rebellion, chaos and manic in the American society.  

This artwork translates various messages through certain aspects and features it holds. The scratch effect is not just a design element, but in fact quotes, found on random anonymous terrorist sites. The use of this aggressive design conveys Jennifer’s passion to let the public know about the major faults the American society holds, threatening the existing society.

The text imprinted in the artwork, “INTOLERANCE DESTROYS THE FABRIC OF AMERICA”, reveals another of Jennifer’s messages, linking with the terrorist quotes. She uses references between her design and text. An example of this is shown through the scratch effect on the fabric of the American flag, similarly related to the statement “destroys the fabric of America”. Jenny also tries to communicate a general message to her audience saying, if you try to go against each other it will “destroy the fabric” of reality as a nation.

Various techniques in media are used in this piece, one of them being photography in terms of the American flag. Another is the illustrative research where text is distorted and placed in different directions and positions (layered over images) using the Illustrator/Photoshop program.

This piece seems like it was made at a time of social chaos and manic in the American society. It could have been made near the times of 9/11, where terrorism was a major issue within the society, affecting the nation as a whole. I chose this artwork because it seemed to have an in depth design to it, communicating that there was more to it then met the eye. Moreover I had to include it in my blog for my Graphic design studies.

Jamie Reid

Jamie Reid was born in 1952. He is a modern British artist whose work, features letters cut from newspaper headlines in the style of ransom notes. He is best known for his works with the Sex Pistols album  "God Save The Queen" based on a photograph of Queen Elizabeth II.

The theme of this piece focuses on rebellion conveyed, in how the picture is of the queen, which has been vandalized, with expressive, vulgar filled graphic design.  The theme is communicated to the audience further, through how the image is presented in an informal manner, parallel to what the queen stands for. It is almost disrespectful, creating an aggressive advertisement of the product, oblivious of social standings and hierarchies.

The use of the text “GOD SAVE THE QUEEN” in ransom note form creates playfulness to the idea of the traditional Queen.  Despite the rebellious theme, the artist manages to put a cross a sense patriotism in his work, through the use of the flag, sending a message to the audience that it purely British artists in the album.

The layout and design of the art piece influences the effect it has on the audience. The use of bright colors draws attention to the cover design making more people interested. The rips in the queen’s face, cleverly mixed with a black and white colour base, portray the album to be aimed more at the rebellious youthful market.

 After my analysis it seems as though there was not that much techniques and methods used to create it. Scanning and photography was used to obtain the picture of both the Queen and Union jack Flag. Basic rip, cut and paste method were used to give the design that rebellious, fun and informal look. This cover was made around the 70’s and 80’s, where rebellion was the craze people were making discoveries, fighting the law and music was making surge in interest, especially amongst the young people. 

Dave McKean

David McKean is an English illustrator, Comic book artist, Graphic designer as well as a musician. David McKean is a very creative graphic artist who has made a lot of artworks for Front Line Assembly. He has also done artworks for artists such as Download, Project Pitchfork, Slayer, Tori Amos, Fear Factory and a whole lot of others. He attended Berkshire College of Art and Design from 1982-1986 and, before leaving; he started working as an illustrator.

I am analyzing one of David McKean’s successful adverts ‘Social Work Adverts’.  The image gives the impression of a map as it includes various symbols as well as signposts which appear to be indications.  I am really intrigued of this particular art piece, as the image of what seems to be a map is not typical. The map doesn’t provide signals to a certain place but however it portrays indications to get in touch with Sonya; ‘Sonya is hard to reach’. This however gives an idea of the journey or even lost love theme. The use of colours applied to this particular art piece appear to be quite old and reasonably dull, this however gives the image a sense of isolation and very much puts emphasis to the theme.

The art work is put together as a planned journey of the main character who appears to be Sonya, ‘one day Sonya will help show someone else the way’. Interestingly to see how the colours gradually get brighter as you go down the map, this is a good use of technique revealing a sense of hope in Sonya’s journey. I also noticed that the writing changes each time from the font including the size, this is to perhaps portray the changes in Sonya’s pace.  I think he did this well and it was a successful use of technique. The message ‘People are isolated’ this is possibly the main message that Dave wants to leave his audience. On the other hand I detected that David used various comical images as well as real photographs of people. I felt that the use of real images gave the advert a more serious appeal.  However incorporating cartoon images offered the advert a humorous look to it, which was quite appealing. McKean also uses post notes expressing hidden memories and feelings; it’s very informal yet creative.

In this particular art piece there are various technical media processes used.

There is photography of people which were possibly scanned onto illustrator.

The use of path tool in illustrator on the text saying “you know she’s really getting somewhere”, which is also a representation of a road.

When David McKean creatively produced this particular art piece social care had a bad reputation as the press constantly published negative factors of the social care industry.  So therefore I believe that this campaign is incredibly useful as it will very much help raise awareness in the defects of faults within social care.

Billie Jean

Billie jean also known as Sam Piyasema is an inventive graphic designer who is based in the UK. In 2004 Billie Jean amazingly worked for the Nike campaign for the celebration of 30 years of Nike basketball shoes. For the campaign he designed traditional yet retro looking trainers, which were a great success and an enormous achievement for him. Billie Jean’s bold drawings were not only inspiring but incredibly creative, his work connected with the younger generation better, which was his targeted audience.

The poster he created ’30 years of Nike Basketball Shoes’ portrayed his ideas and feelings in the last 30 years. To show this he ingeniously to decided to present the poster using sketches of what appears to be his childhood images in relation to Nike. The poster has a very informal appeal to it which not only does it give emphasis to the attraction of the ‘youth’ better but also portrays his personal views and feelings. I noticed how he uses swirls in the poster, to perhaps express his fantasy visually. The use of sharp images can be seen as an aggressive advertisement, however this strong use of aggressive emotion can closely relate to a teenage lifestyle in terms of varied emotions and experience in life. A lot of the images that he drew on his poster appear to be very random, but he intentionally did this to express the mind of a teenager better, which I think he did well. The doodle designs give an impression of a bored teenager sitting in a classroom, which most of us can very much relate to at some point in our life. Interestingly to see that the only colour used in his poster is blue, which expresses a sense of coolness as well as assist in appealing to the youths better. He varies the tone to a darker shade to possibly reveal a more powerful emotion which is a good use of technique.

The main themes being revealed in the creation of the poster was old school basketball as well as the urban lifestyle, this suited the needs of their chosen audience. The presentation overall is exceptionally messy, which expresses the Nike as a tolerant as well as a cool brand. This very much takes us back to the 80’s lifestyle of being free.

When evaluating the poster, it becomes clear that the intended function of it is to celebrate the Nike brand’s development over the past 30 years. This is shown in the context of the centralized trainer.

Billie Jean uses reasonably basic but effective techniques to convey the main theme of the poster, to the public.  He creatively uses a basic biro pen to create his sketches. This technique creates a sense of a child like memory, as well as communicates the retro look appealing to the youth. The images also relates to graffiti and the street lifestyle of the youths. The poster promotes basketball and fashion in an effective manner.