Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Podcast #4 Typography

Define typography?
The art of expressing ideas through the selection of appropriate typefaces


Where did the word "typography" originate from?
"Typo" comes from the greek word meaning writing, "graphy" meaning form


What does typography involve?
Creating and modifying type using a variety of illustration techniques



What is a typeface?
Distinctive designs of visual symbols that are used to compose a printed image/design


What is another term for typeface?
Fonts


What is a character?
Individual symbols that make up a typeface (letters, numerals and punctuation)


What is type style?
Modifications in a typeface that create design variety while maintaining the visual style of the typeface (bold, italic, condensed, roman, heavy)


What does type style "create" within a design?
Creates interest and variety, but still keeping a uniform look



What is the waist line and what does it indicate?
Imaginary line drawn at the middle of characters


What is a base line and what does it indicate?
Imaginary line drawn at the bottom of the characters


What is an ascender?
The part of the character that extends above the waist line


What is a descender?
The part of the character that extends below the base line


Describe a serif?
Smaller line used to finish off a main stroke of a letter, usually at the top and bottom of a character


How can the size of the typeface be identified?
Point size from the top to the bottom of the letter.


What is a point?
A subdivision of a pica


How many points are in an inch?
72


What is a pica and how many are in an inch?
6



How many points are in a pica?
12



What is body type and where can it be found?
Type sizes that range from 4 pt through 12 pt type. These sizes are found in places where there is a lot of text to be read


What is the key to selecting appropriate typefaces to be used as body type?
Readability


What is display type and how is it used?
Type sizes above 12 pt. Typically, these sizes are used to draw attention to a message (headlines, subheadlines, etc)


What is reverse type and when would it be used?
Consists of white type on a solid black darker color background. If the text is too small, reverse type can be difficult on the reader's eye. Display type is necessary.


What is a typeface classification?
A basic system for classifying typefaces was devised in the 19th century when printers sought 

to identify a heritage for their own craft.


When was Blackletter invented and how was it used?
It is the earliest of the typefaces. It was used with the inventions of the printing press in the mid 1400s. Most often seen in official documents such as diplomas, certificates, formal invitations, etc.


Describer the characteristics of a Blackletter typeface?
Resembles the calligraphy of the time and are highly ornamental with elaborate thick to thin strokes.


When was Old Style invented and what was is based on?
In the mid 1400s and was based on ancient Roman inscriptions and created to replace Blackletter typefaces


Describe the characteristics of an Old Style typeface?
Wedge-shaped, angled serifs and a low contrast of their thick/thin strokes.


When were formal scripts developed?
From the formal writings of 17th and 18th century handwriting masters. They will lend a formal quality to a composition


When were casual scripts developed?
In the 20th century


Describe the characteristics of a Script typeface?
Script typefaces are based on forms made with flexible brushes or pens and have varied strokes reminiscent of handwriting.


When was Modern typefaces developed and why?
In the late 18th and 19th centuries as radical break from traditional typography of the time.


Describe the characteristics of a Modern typeface?
Modern typefaces have a sharp contrast between thick and thin strokes and have thin. flat serifs.


How early can Sans Serif typefaces be found? What happened?
As early as the 5th century. However, the Italian Renaissance return to Old Stye made the Sans Serif classification obsolete in the 20th century.


When did they become popular?
1920s


What does "sans serif" mean?
"without Serif"


Describe the characteristics of a Sans Serif typeface?
Uniform in white and have a monotone stroke


When was Slab Serif developed and why?
19th century for advertising purposes


Describe the characteristics of a Slab Serif typeface?
It has a uniform line weight and thicker, square serifs.


Describe Decorative typefaces?
These typefaces have the most distinctive design style


Why were they developed?They were developed with a specific purpose, or theme, in mind. 


What are they best used for?
Best used for larger point sizes, or display type

Monday, November 28, 2011

Review Week 14

Identify 5 colleges that offer graphic design (or related) majors. For each, list the school name, location, graphics majors that are offered, requirements for admission.


Name: 
California College of Art & Design
Location: 

California
Graphic Majors Offered:         

Corporate Communications Design
Creative Services Manager
Exhibition Design
Freelance Graphic Design
Admission: Portfolio submitted electronically or by CD/DVD.


Name: 
University of the Arts
Graphic Majors Offered:      
Exhibition Design

Freelance Graphic Design
Marketing and Promotion Design
Motion Graphics Design for Television
Packaging and Point-of-Purchase Design
Publication and Print Media Design
Admission: Application checklist and portfolio.




Name: 
Ringling College of Art & Design
Location: 

Florida's gulf coast.
Graphic Majors Offered:
Corporate Communications Design

Creative Services Manager
Exhibition Design
Freelance Graphic Design
Marketing and Promotion Design
Motion Graphics Design for Television
Packaging and Point-of-Purchase Design
Publication and Print Media Design
Retail Graphics Design
Web Design
Admission: 
GED portfolio, high GPA and standardized test scores.




Name: 
College of Art & Design
Location: 

Minneapolis
Graphic Majors Offered:   
Packaging and Point-of-Purchase Design

Publication and Print Media Design
Retail Graphics Design
Web Design
Admission: 
Application checklist and portfolio.

Name:
West Virginia University
Location: 
West Virginia
Graphic Majors Offered:      
Exhibition Design

Freelance Graphic Design
Marketing and Promotion Design
Motion Graphics Design for Television
Admission: 
Application checklist and portfolio.




Answer the following questions in your own words... What is a portfolio?A set of pieces of creative work collected by someone to display their skills, esp. to a potential employer.
What is the importance of a portfolio?
It allows potential employers and schools look at your work and gives them proof of your skills and abilities.

Review Week 13

For each of the 8 principles of design, find an example that utilizes the principle within the design. You should have 8 DIFFERENT sample designs. For each, discuss how the particular principle is used.


















Contrast 
The flower contrasts with the faded monotone background because the flower is so bright; it stands out.
























Emphasis
The white background emphasizes the red puzzle piece because the redness makes its stand out and become the center of attention
















Proportion/Scale
This picture uses proportion/scale by making the bike much larger than the rest of the objects in the picture




















Repetition
This picture utilizes repetition by repeating similar objects numerous times
























Rhythm
This picture shows rhythm in the waves because it uses a uniform line style 
















Variety
This picture shows variety because it has lots of different shapes, sizes, and colors. 



























Balance
This picture shows balance because it is evenly distributed on each side.






















Unity
This pictures shows unity because all of the men are placed individually but in a way that appear to be one. 



Also, answer the following questions in your own words.
How do you add a layer mask to a particular layer?
Add a new layer then connect the existing on with that one with the paperclip tool


Describe the process of using a layer mask?
A layer mask allows you to edit the picture on top and delete certain areas so that the layer attached to it shows up in the background

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Review Week 12

How can you, as the designer, use principles of design to help compose a page? 
-The principles of design are basically like guidelines they help you design a page effectively so that it keeps the audiences attention 


What are the principles of design? 
Balance: making sure it's not too much or too little on one design
Proportion: The scale of one object to another
Rhythm: The pattern a design has
Emphasis: Making one element stand out more than the rest
Unity: Making sure not too much is going on in one composition

Stephen Kroninger

What kind of art/design does he produce?
-He uses pieces of artwork and designs and combines and collages them to form new pictures.



In what publications/media studios has his work been featured?
-Children's books, magazines, websites



Post 2 samples of his art. Answer the following questions for each piece...

Was this piece published? Where?
-Yes, in NYtimes travel section.


What principles of design were utilized within the piece? How?
-Proportion because the body and physical features are more proportionate to each other.


What elements of design were utilized?
-Shape



Was this piece published? Where?
-Yes in Entertainment Weekly.


What principles of design were utilized within the piece? How?
-Proportion and scale

-He used irregular, abnormal sizes and scale. For example the physical features are much larger/smaller than they would normally be.


What elements of design were utilized?
-Shape and color

Monday, November 7, 2011

Podcast #3 Principles of Design

Define principles of design?
-Concepts used to arrange the structural elements of a composition


What do the principles of design affect?
-The expressive content or the message of the work.


What is the principle of repetition?
-Repeating some aspect or element of the design throughout the entire document.


Describe ways that the principle of repetition helps the composition/audience?
-Makes the composition seem active, helps the reader navigate through the piece, and helps unify and strengthen by tying together separate parts.


What are ways that you can incorporate repetition into your designs?
-Bold font, thick line, certain bullet, color, design element, particular format, spatial relationship (anything the reader will visually recognize)                                                      


What should you avoid when working with repetition?
-Repeating so much that it becomes annoying or overwhelming


What is the principle of proportion/scale?
-The relative size and scale of the various elements in a design


What is the most universal standard of measure when judging size?
-The human body


How can the principle of proportion/scale be used as an attention getter?
-Unusual or unexpected scale


What is the principle of balance?
-Distribution of heavy and light elements on a page


Which kinds of elements/shapes visually weigh heavier/greater?
-Large elements look heavier than smaller elements. Irregular shapes bear greater weight than regular shapes


What is another name for symmetrical balance?
-Formal Balance


Define symmetrical balance?
-When the weight of a composition is evenly distributed around a central vertical or horizontal axis


What is another name for asymmetrical balance?
-Informal balance


Define asymmetrical balance?
-When the weight of a composition is not evenly distributed around a central axis


What is the principle of emphasis?
Stressing of a particular area of focus


What happens to a design that has no focus?
-Nothing stands out


What is a focal point and how is it created?
-Area where the tends to go first


How many components of a composition can be a focal point?
-One


What ways can emphasis be created in a design?
-Change in directions. size, shape, texture, color, tone, line


What is the principle of unity?
-The wholeness of a composition 
 


What three ways can unity be obtained?                                                                                    1. Put the objects close to one another
 2. Make things similar using similar textures, colors, shapes
 3. Direct vision by a line that travels around the design
 

What is the principle of variety?
-THe differences and diversity, what makes a work of art interesting


What ways can a designer add variety to a design?
-Vary textures, color, and shapes, and alter their contrast, tone and intensity


Why is it important to find the right balance between unity and variety?
-Too much unity can be boring, too much variety can look chaotic


What is figure?
-A form, silhouette, or shape


What is another name for figure?
-Positive space


What is ground?
-The surrounding area around figure


What is another name for ground?
-Negative space


When a composition is abstract (has no recognizable subject) what will the figure depend on? What does that mean?
-The abstract relationship between visual elements


Why must a designer consider the composition as a whole?
-The image will be partially designed


What is the principle of rhythm?
-Continuity, recurrences, or organized movement in space and time


How is rhythm achieved?
-Through the orderly repetition of any element, line, shape, value, tone, texture


What three ways can rhythm occur in design?
1. When the intervals between the elements are similar in size or length
2. With a more organic or flowing sense of movement
3. With a sequence of shapes through a progression of steps


How does rhythm help a composition/ design?
-Helps move the viewers eye through a layout directly or subtly


What is the principle of contrast?
-When two related elements are different


How can contrast help a design?
-Draws viewers eye into the piece


What is wrong with having too much or too little contrast?
-Too much is monotonous and boring, too much is confusing


What is the key with working with contrast?
-Make sure differences are obvious


What are some common ways of creating contrast?
-Differences in size, value, color, type, shape, texture etc