Week 3

3

Pattern

If there is one thing that can add a lot to a piece is adding a pattern or somehow incorporating pattern. Patterns can be so unique, so simple, and so useful. They can add texture and depth, and they can add those little details that adds a lot to an image. There is so many different styles of patterns out there, and I personally love the ones your wouldn't expect. 

Patterns are a unique element that can transform a piece. 

This is my favorite style of pattern. Pen and ink can really get those lines in that you wouldn't be able to otherwise. Those curves and repeating lines create a pattern that is unique and that can not be reproduced. I love the bold contrast and the detail in this design. 

This is the perfect example of how pattern can transform an image. Trying to picture this piece without pattern is hard, and it would not be as nearly as stunning as it is without it.I love all the different patterns they used, they all worked together perfectly without making the image seem cluttered or overwhelming.  

I really like this pattern because of the geometric shapes. I also love how this pattern uses a bit of thinner lines so its not so split up and from afar it looks like texture more-so. I also really like the shade of red in it. Its kind of a rustic barn red. 

I absolutely love this pattern, because of the shapes involved. I love the way they split it all up into different sizes and angles of triangles. Another reason why I love all the different colors in it. It is extremely chaotic but it all works extremely well. 

This is a fun pattern I found, I love the color scheme involved and all the different things going on. It may seem chaotic, but I believe that patterns are allowed to do that. There is so much to look at, but it never overwhelms you or is too busy. Its creative and well done. 

This is a fun example that I could see being used on a notebook or a student folder. I love all the different fonts used and all the different sizes and colors. Its a fun idea that I think is pretty well done. I don't think any letter is exactly the same as another, which I think is pretty cool. 

This design is right up my alley. I love the wave design, and love when you can throw different lines and colors in it to add to the detail. I love how its all grayscale, but I would love to see if the artist would throw a color scheme into play. 

This may not specifically be a pattern, but I like the concept. I love all the colors, and all the texture within it. I like that its not a predetermined pattern, but rather a pattern that can be derived from everyday life. 

This is one of my favorite examples of patterns that I came across. The reason why I love this piece so much is because it shows how patterns that are so vastly different can come together to work together and make a beautiful piece of art like this. I would honestly frame this in my house. Its a really beautiful example of abstract art. 

The reason I like this pattern is because you have to look for a minute to realize what exactly it is. It took me a bit to realize that they were all connected butterflies. I love all the different colors and the details within the butterflies. This would be a fun pattern to see on bedding, or pillows, or even a scarf or something. 

This is a quilted pattern, I love this concept. I really like how it connects together in mismatched ways. In some places it matches perfectly on one side, but not on the other. This is a really creative concept, and I think its pretty well done. 

This is just a concept I really enjoyed. I love how they switched up the colors on the different lines, and I love how the buildings are kind of abstract and uneven. I think that the variety of colors is what makes this design though. 

This style of pattern is one of my favorites. I love the unique lines, and all the different colors. I would love to use this pattern for a variety of different things. Like curtains, or bedding, or pillows, or even a phone case. I think its well done, and could be used for a lot of different projects. 

I included this pattern because I thought it was adorable. I love how all the elephants are connected, and love the colors used. Its really simple, but its a really cute pattern. I could see this being used on children's bedding or room decor. 

This is a simple black and white design, but I really love this style of pattern. Geometric patterns are so awesome to look at because its almost mesmerizing. You may be looking at the same design over an over again, but you just keep looking at it. 

This is kind of an abstract take on pattern, its angled differently and all the colors work together really well. I like how its just mirrored images over and over again, and the bold lines separating all the designs. I think that they split this really well as far as using different design. 

I chose this one because I thought it was kind of a unique take on pattern. Its a really basic thing, but the way the colors are and the way they are ordered makes it a little bit different, kind of like an obscure pattern. I really like mandalas, so anything with a mandala design I am immediately drawn to. 

I love this pattern, because of how simple, yet complex it is. I love that they only used two colors, and I really love all the detail. There is so much to look at, even though you are only looking at the same thing 3 times. It all balances out really well. 

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Political Designs 

If there is one thing that has the ability to sway perspectives it would have to be design in politics. There are so many ways you can go with it, and it is so crucial. Some may argue that its not the advertisements, but the candidate, but that is a complete lie. The advertising plays a huge role in anything. It has the ability to alter perceptions, and encourage people to open their minds. It would be pretty amazing to be able to design something so crucial. 

We are all aware of the mixed opinions of Obama, and people have voiced those opinions very loudly. However, there is one thing that is definitely true about Obama, he had some kick-ass designers. His campaign posters have opened up a realm of creativity, geared toward younger generations. He abandoned the traditional, boring, plain campaign advertising. The bold lines and bold colors really make it stand out, and send a message without any propaganda or negative energy towards other candidates. 

Normally I look back on old campaign posters and see them as out-dated. This poster however, caught my eye right away. I like the detail in this poster, as opposed to other simple campaign posters. Obviously the lay our is a little spotty here and there, but overall its a powerful poster that says a lot. I also really like how them emphasized the words "Re-elect" and "Vote", since they are the most important words. 

Another simple design, but vastly different than the last example of Roosevelt. This definitely has more American spirit to it, but to me it looks like it was thrown together in a matter of minutes. Its a fine design, and serves its purpose, but it doesn't leave that lasting impression in your memory, and doesn't make you want to know more. 

I liked this example a lot. It may be outdated, but I still think it could work well. Its well done, the type is the right size in the right places. Its overall just a simple, and straight forward example of a campaign poster. A simple message at the bottom, really just putting Reagan in a good light. 

Another piece from the obama campaign. The thing I loved about this piece is that there is no picture of Obama. This piece is all about the greater whole. Rather than advertising a person, it is advertising an ideal. The bold letters grasp your attention and make you think. Like all his advertising, this just has a fresh and new take on presidential campaigns. 

Last example of Obama campaigning. This one is the more informative of all his advertising. It has all the information you could need, including website, voting location, texting, and the date. It has so much within it, but it doesn't overwhelm you. I really just love the concept behind all of these posters. I hope one day I can add to the political side of graphic design. 

I'm a tad obsessed with the Kennedy family and especially JFK. So maybe thats why I loved this example right away, but this is one of my favorites, next to Obama's. I love the layout, the font, the picture and the color. It is so simple and straight forward. I love how it depicts JFK as the brilliant man he really was. 

I don't love this poster as much as the previous, but I do still love it. When you think presidential campaign this is kind of the thing that pops into mind. The bold lettering, the picture and a small saying to top it all off. This is pretty text book as far as political advertising. However, when I look at it too long I start to see the flag of France, which is kind of weird. 

So another Kennedy piece to include. I don't think this is a super legitimate example, but regardless, I love it. It suits the time period flawlessly and just gives off this fun and fresh energy about it. Now, Bobby Kennedy was the more serious of the brother, so thats why its so interesting to me, but I love this take on political advertising. Why keep the world so boring and uniform? Rather, shouldn't we be finding ways to break down barriers and make a statement? Politics would definitely be more interesting if it looked like this. 

Now, maybe its just because this was competing with Obama's campaign visuals, but I think this is outdated. I believe it only appeals to the older crowd of the population, rather than grasping the attention of all different ages and personality. It is just awkward to look at for me, the R is weirdly shaped so at first glance I immediately see "Omney" and then later incorporate the R. I believe that campaign advertising is crucial, and I think he could have done more in that department. 

I hate this piece, I really do. When I look at it I don't get that hopeful and empowered feeling as I did when looking at JFK's or Obamas. Rather, it kind of scared me. The picture makes it seem awful and like he has no positive outlook. Maybe with a warmer look on his face I would like it, but aside from that it has way too much going on. I do like the font though, somewhat. 

Obviously this isn't a super serious example, but I thought it was so creative and well done for a student campaign. The message is funny, and draws in the younger crowd, the lettering grabs your attention right away. The only thing I didn't like was the for. and how the text is separated. It kind of splits it up awkwardly, and I don't think the curly font mixed in well. 

One of the most well known pieces of propaganda in American History, and it will probably still be just as influential hundreds of years down the road. Its done perfectly in my opinion. The illustration is mixed well with the type, the font is bold and attention grabbing, and the way they emphasized "you" really just made this image even more powerful. It set out to make a statement and it did just that. I also really love the border around it, without it it would seem empty. 

This piece grabbed my attention because of the illustrations. It veered away from Red, White, and Blue, and just utilized a variety of colors to add more dimension. It makes it look kind of epic, and I can see how this would lead to more people enroll in the Coast Artillery. It's awful they had to advertise to get more people in the army, but they did it well. 

Another amazing example in my opinion. I love the art, and the color. Although I don't love the font, it serves its purpose and makes it seem really noble, which would definitely appeal to young men at the time. The part that really got me was the "Do it now" in the corner. You don't often see something like that and actually feel the need to do it now, but with this piece it just seemed like it meant more, and I think if I saw this, at that time, I would actually consider doing it. 

A really old example, but I really enjoyed this one. I love the detail in the yarn and how they layered everything. Its attention grabbing, and I know if I saw this hanging up I would definitely go look at it. Its simple, and catchy, and it definitely had meaning behind it. I wish I could design during this time period, there was so much to say, and design was one of the few ways to say it. 

I liked this poster when I saw it because it was just really simple. It got the point across, and really portrayed the candidate as a strong woman. The colors attributed well in the tight, and the bold blocky typeface really helped draw my attention in right away. I also liked how they incorporated the United States with the "U.S." in the title. 

Arguably one of the most famous pieces of all time, and still one of my favorites. The bright colors all come together to make a powerful image that accurately presents the message. I love the bold lettering and the detail. This is, and will remain one of my favorite advertisements. 

Week 2

2

FONTS

To go alongside the typography section I wanted to add some cool fonts that I came across. Its amazing how bad, and illegible fonts there are out there. So many are too busy and too decorated, but there are also a great number of beautiful and creative fonts that work really well. 

I love this font, mostly because I love geometric designs, and I think this font utilized the concept of geometric design. It is very detailed so I think its confined to only certain things, but I still love the design, I think it is very creative. 

I love the idea behind this font, how they used the concept of sign language and made it into a font that even those who don't know sign can understand. I also love how simple it is, with no flashy colors and only black and white. 

This was one of my favorite fonts I came across, and I thought it was very fun and creative. I love all the bright colors and fun designs. I think this would be a fun font to use in attracting kids and creating decorations. My favorite letter is the O. 

This was a font that I found on DaFont. I loved it right away, I love the texture in the fill, and all the twists and curves. I really like calligraphic fonts, but I find that a lot of them are overdone and hard to read. This font however is really artistic, and really easy to read. 

Another font from DaFont. I love how the color of the fill alternates, and I also really like how it has that 3D effect on it. I think this is a fun font that could be used in a variety of ways. I wish it had the letters in uppercase as well though. 

This is another font from DaFont. I think one of the most interesting types of fonts is graffiti. I don't think I have ever seen a computer generated font that has even come close to being as stunning as real life graffiti, bit I think this is a good basic depiction of that. 

Although this isn't the most well done example, I think its an interesting idea. I love how its kind of abstract, but I think that it may be a little too abstract. I love the concept though, and would love to see it done just a little differently. 

This is one of my favorite fonts that I have come across when looking through fonts and typography. I love the simplicity of it, and the serifs. I think its really well done and is broad enough and simple enough that it could be used in a variety of ways. Its a really stunning font that I think could supplement an image without overpowering it. 

I cam across this in my search and chose to include it as kind of a reminder. There are so many ways you can take type and fonts and this depiction of the alphabet serves as a reminder of that. I like all the different directions the artist took and for the most all the letters are well done. 

This is a kind of creepy example of font that I came across. Its titled "Hair" which is really strange. However, as creepy as it is, I also think it is pretty stunning. The contrast on the white background really just boosts the letters. They are hard to read but I really think this font is super creative and well done. 

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CONCERT POSTERS

One of my favorite types of design is Concert Posters. I absolutely love music and love the visual supplements that come along with it. There are so many ways you can go with concert posters, but you have to be able to accurately depict the style of not only the artist, but the feeling of the event as a whole. I would love to get involved in designing and promoting events like concerts and music festivals. 

I chose this poster because A, I love Death Cab for Cutie, and B, I think it accurately depicts their style. They are all about love, and matters of the heart. I love the layout and the color choices. The graphics are really well done and supplement the text really well to make a very visually pleasing final product. 

I love the concept behind this poster. I love the color and the way they incorporated the anchor into the design to go along with the rest of it. Its really simple, and there is a lot of open space but I think if there had been any more to it, it would have been too busy. 

I thought that this was a really creative example of a concert poster. I would have moved the white text up just a little bit to try and fill that space, but other than that I love it. All the details are really well done, the location is easy to read, and the colors work really well together.

This is a really abstract example of a concert poster but also one of my favorites. I love the destroyed look, and how its very old fashioned. The graphics fit the band perfectly, and I love how they did the title. My favorite part of this poster is the flower in the middle, it adds just that little bit to top it off perfectly. 

I really love the concept behind this poster. Vampires are really common now a days in design and media, and I just love how they went with that, but made it abstract and beautiful. The details are stunning, the progression of the text is a little distracting at first, but I came to love it. I really love this poster and how bold it is. 

This is a more simple version of a concert poster, but I really do love it. It fits the Black Keys style really well, and draws you in so you want to know more. I love the bright red and yellow on a plain background and I really like how they have the texture within the flames. The only thing I didn't like about this was the text and the placement of the "the". I think it should have been placed differently so it would be easier to read. 

The National always has really stunning posters, but this is by far one of my favorites. It is so beautiful and so simple, yet at the same time its complicated and dark. It is one of the pieces that you find yourself just staring at and wanting to see more. To me, thats what a concert poster should be; unfinished business. I think that a person should view a concert poster and be left with that weird unfulfilled mystery, and want to see what it is all about. 

This is a more goofy example of a concert poster, but as goofy as it is, it still fits the personality of The Shins perfectly. I love the placement of the text, and the colors they chose. This is one of those concert posters that makes it seem like its going to be wild, and that should be enough to make people want to go to the concerts. 

This poster was interesting to me. I love the concept, but I don't think it was executed that great. I think there could be a few things that if changed would completely change this piece and make it so much better. The bold yellow font was one of the first things I would change, I think it kind of overpowers the other delicate parts of the poster. I also thing the color choice doesn't work together that well, so I would have found different colors to used for her hair and her skin. 

I'm still not too sure how I feel about this poster. Artistically I love it, I think its well done, with lots of detail and shading and the colors are awesome. But something about this just doesn't get me excited to attend a concert. It makes me want to go find a secret castle or watch a movie instead. I think its great work, but it didn't quite get that concert emotion out of me. 

Bon Iver is notorious for his designs, and this is one of those examples that shows you why. The artistry is flawless, and the colors are stunning. This is one of those posters that although it has no relation to music or any of his songs, it just shows you something beautiful and makes you want to see more beautiful things, and in search of those beautiful things you go to his concerts and hear his unreal voice. That is beauty. 

This is one of the more abstract posters I found, but I love it. Its fun, and quirky and childish; which is exactly what Of Monster and Men are all about. The bright colors, and bold lines outline it perfectly and make it very visually pleasing. I also really love the font I thought it worked well. If you stare at it long enough you see exactly what they made, a monster and a typical working man. Brilliant. 

It was hard for me not to include every single Bon Iver poster, because they are all so beautiful to me. I love the concept behind this poster, and I think it was really well executed. I would have played with the fonts a little bit to make sure they all flowed together better. All in all, I adore this poster, and think it is really well done. 

This poster is the epitome of music festivals in my eyes. When you think of music festivals you think of hipsters and big old VW vans, this poster captures that essence flawlessly. The colors all work together really well, and it has mostly all of the information you could need. I love this poster  and it makes me want to become a hippie and drive around the country attending every single festival possible. Not sure if that is a good thing, or a bad thing. 

This was another one of my favorite posters. It has this childish, uneven and messy vibe about it, but i think it just works. There are so many different patterns and textures going on, that normally would be too overwhelming. However, I think the neutral color choices and layout made it all work. I love how the text box was added, and how it doesn't just seem like a big yellow box, but like it twirls in with the ocean. One other thing I really liked about this piece was how they included the price of the concert. The price is usually one of the first things I think about and it usually isn't included on the posters. 

This is a very, very busy concert poster, but somehow it works. Usually, similar things hurt my eyeballs, but something about this poster is calming and just brings a smile to my face. There is so much going on; so many colors and so many different styles of design. The type is funky and bold, and the woman's face looks like she is really just out of her mind, but it really comes together to make this funky well-done concert poster. 

This is the perfect example of a music festival poster. I love how they took the title and made it welcoming. I mean, who wants to go to a music festival centered around "Sasquatch", when you think of Sasquatch you think of big, scary and violent. So I think the designer did a really good job of taking a difficult topic and making it friendly, relaxed an inviting. The colors are really pleasing to the eye, its informative, and the details are great. 

This was one of my very favorite examples of concert posters that I was able to find. The colors are perfect, the design is stunning, and the concept behind it is brilliant. It all ties together perfectly and draws you in immediately. I would want to go to this music festival just because of this poster.