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Oct. 15-17: p. 116-139 Framing

This section makes me think a lot about what I know about design and graphic design, because as an ammature designer, I think of framing as mostly picture frames. As a writer, I think of the ways to frame a story. This section brought to light for me the many ways that we can visualize and “frame” things. I like the idea of taking two “L” shaped pieces of paper and moving them around an image to see all of the different ways it can be framed to mean something else. This section is also a bit more confusing for me than the others because the examples, some of them at least, look quite complex and stretching the definition of what framing is in graphic design. On the other hand, graphic design is very fluid, so it makes sense to me that more experienced graphic designers can grasp this concept and get more creative with it.

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Oct. 8-10: p. 108-115 Gestalt Principles

Sketching out multiple yet similar ideas in order to create a final piece is something I really relate to, so I like that the author mentions this and shows an example. I am not a good quick sketcher, but I can see how allowing yourself to be quick and just get ideas out on a page can be incredibly useful in creating a design that most appeals to the artist/designer. The other part of this section that stands out to me is the use of negative and positive space. I understand this technique, but it is something I would like to become better at taking advantage of in my own work. It is such a simple artistic technique that I often times forget can really change a visual. I am particularly drawn to the human trafficking piece on page 113 because, one, it does a very good job at illustrating the meaning and two, because the entire piece is black and white yet still exemplifies the use of negative space very well.

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Oct. 1-3: p. 90-107 Color; Gestalt Principles

I like that in this section, there is an explanation of how pairing different colors works or doesn’t work. I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of what colors look good together, how to make some stand out and others fade away, etc., but these more specific “rules” help me to understand how to better apply this to my own designs. This section also reminds me how important black and white are when paired with other colors on the color wheel. I like minimalist art and designs, so the examples of using color to make black stand out in a different way than it usually does appeals to me a lot. In this class, I have likes messing with color in a way I never have before, and by that I mean I am less careful about being picky with my colors. I think this is because I am more concerned with just learning the basics of Adobe Suite, so I am excited to pay more attention to color when I have more time and experience. I am drawn to the near compliment colors, especially the purple rose paired with the simple, red rectangle on a plain white cup (p. 95).

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Sept. 24-26: p. 68-89 Texture; Color

Before I even read anything on page 70, I am drawn to what appear to be hand-drawn Ys. I have always loved drawings that look as if the drawing tool was never taken off the page. I am now realizing that this is because of the texture that this type of designing creates. I am also very drawn to the images of the textures in the environment that artists then wrote about and used to redesign the texture digitally. I really want to learn how to do this on my own. In terms of color, I am realizing that there is so much to know about colors that I have heard about before, but haven’t fully understood. I am a painter, and I make my own colors using only red, blue, yellow, white and black, but I still don’t have a complete grasp on things like values, saturation, hue, etc.

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Sept. 17-19: p. 49-67 Rhythm and Balance; Scale

I think that I really like this chapter of the text because I am big on balance and rhythm in my life and in what I create. I also understand how imbalance and the disruption of rhythm can be just as beautiful, like in the disrupted cross form to signify political unrest among factions in Uganda around the HIV/AIDS crisis (p. 51). Even from far away, I think the piece looks amazing and lovely, even before I am close enough to read the words and analyze what the meaning of the piece is. The visual disruption tells a story in and of itself. I think that working with balance (and the lack thereof) is what I am most drawn to because of the stories it tells. It is a new way of seeing something that still makes sense to me. For example, when I fly and see the farms in the surrounding areas from and aerial view, I know what I am seeing but it changes the story for me and the balance brings me peace.