Color Analysis: Full Intensity Hues

After two weeks of b&w homework and a week of b&w painting, we finally the opportunity to break out the colors. In fact, for the rest of the class, we were forbidden from using black as a color in our projects (we were eventually allowed to use black to make shades...later). So, to get acquainted with our colors, we were asked to paint a scale of full intensity hues. Then, for each hue, we had to paint a tint created by adding white paint (which would appear like opaque fabric) and a tint created by adding water (which would appear like sheer fabric).

In addition to the full intensity hues, we were to do line drawings of two different outfits:
1) combination of any 3 full intensity hues (no black) - a good color combination
2) combination of a minimum of 3 full intensity hues that look bad together (no black)

Things to consider when creating a good color combination (please, note this class has a fashion focus):
appropriateness: example - summer, sportswear, swimwear, costume
proportion: color distribution - equal is the hardest, easier to do 1 color large and other colors small

I was beyond anxious about drawing croquis. I had no experience outside of my own doodling and my Costumed Figure Drawing class (where I would get more exposure to drawing the human form) was only beginning during the same semester. Looking back, these girls look so stiff and uncomfortable! But, nevertheless, here were my first fashion drawings:

Sometimes I look back at drawings and wonder where I got my ideas. I was clearly wanting some long bangs at the time!

Now, before you throw up on my keyboard, remember these had to be full intensity hues. Not to many people can get away with dressing in all full intensity hues without looking like fool. So, lesson learned. Also, we had yet to learn the proper color combination for hair/skin at this point. Everyone would have to look paper-colored for another week or so.

So, have you figured out which one is the good color combination and which one is bad (and why)?

While, you're thinking about it, look at the prettiness created while I completed these assignments:

Weird. Not until I saw them side by side did I notice that I worked through the colors/paper towel in the same rainbow pattern. Hmm...

Inspiration: Ligature, Loop & Stem

Strolling around the internets, I found this great little shop that sells typographically inspired prints. My love for this shop just keeps coming!

1) I'm a typography geek wannabe and have always loved me some ampersands

2) Not usually a fan of "floating" frames in my house...these kind of make me want some

3) I think constantly about learning to design a horizontal scrolling webpage

Love. Love. Love.

I *need* this!

Color Analysis: Black & White

Contrary to what I believed logical, my Color Analysis class began with two weeks of no color. The first "gathering" assignment showed our ability (or inability) to find achromatic objects in our daily lives. As a response to that assignment, we slowly began painting...starting with black.

As value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color (1 of 3 characteristics of color, the other two being hue & intensity), below are value scales for black. The top two value scales are black paint using water to adjust the value over 8 steps. The bottom (crooked leg looking one) uses white paint to change the value over 12 steps. The random squares represent new values I created as I tried to make the steps more even.

Our teacher emphasized the use of test strips (scraps of paper used to test your pain color before you actually start painting).

In creating the value scales, I found these to be invaluable. (haha, no pun intended) Painting right along the edges and made it even easier to compare one value to another.

I quickly began to love my test strips. To me, they tell the "behind the scenes" story of each painting or assignment. Sometimes, I even loved more test strips more than my paintings.

Any ideas for what I can do with my saved test strips?

From my notes: 3 Approaches to Identity Design

There are three basic approaches to a logo or identity design: symbols, word mark and signature.

The symbol approach can be broken down into:

• typographic


• descriptive


• abstract

The word mark is also called a letter form approach.

 The signature approach is a combination of symbol and type (the name of the company). Sometimes signatures are also called emblems. (really, I think Walmart and Chase go in this category...but not to argue with the notes and all, I'll give a different example!)

---

 Some related links:
Brands of the Word
LogoDesignLove

Web 2: Assignment 1

For our first assignment in my web design 2 class, our teacher gave us a simple-ish assignment. We were to design a one web page biography that showed our ability to hard code links and insert images. We were allowed to use TextEdit or Dreamweaver or anything we liked to build the page. Then, we were asked to include certain tags:

1) Background Color
body {background-color:#000000;}

2) Background Image
body {background-image:url("images/file.gif")}

3) Heading Styles (a personal least favorite tag)
<h1>This is gonna be huge!</h1>
<h5>This is gonna be less big.</h5>

4) Line Break
chabbala chabbala<br/>

5) Paragraph
<p>Great for formatting but I hate how it puts spaces before and after.</p>

6) Bold and Italic
<b>You gotta be bad, you gotta be...</b>
<i>Some fonts look so ugly italicized</i>
<b>If you wanna <i> type all crazy, do this.</i></b>
<strong>A friend of mine showed me this alternative for bold last semester.</strong>
<em>Why type an extra letter? This does the same as <i></em>

7) Horizontal Rule (I honestly didn't know this one :/ sad, huh?)
<hr/>
<hr size="20"/>
<hr width="100" align="left"/>
<hr width="50%"/>

8) Image
<img src="images/purdy_picture.gif" width="100" height-"100" alt="Pretty Picture"/>

9) Links
(to another website)
<a href="http://www.adesignjourney.blogspot.com/">A Design Journey is such a great blog!</a>
(to a page within the website)
<a href="about.html">Learn more about A Design Journey</a>
(to send an email)
<a href="mail to: nowayman@gulliblecorp.com">Email Mr. Man</a>
(to a different location on the same webpage)
<a href="#lowerpoint">Link to something cool further down the page</a>
+
<a name="lowerpoint">The cool thing lower on the page</a>

10) Font
body {font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;}

11) Centering
<center>This will be pushed to the middle</center>

12) Indented Paragraph
<blockquote>This will make your text into a little block</blockquote>

13) Bulleted List
<ul>
<li>something on your list</li>
<li>something else</li>
</ul>

14) Numbered list
<ol type="i> (i stands for lower roman)
<li>this will have a 1 beside it</li>
<li>this will have a 2 beside it</li>
</ol>

15) Preformatted Text
<pre>
this allows
      you to type

with your own

breaks       and spaces
booo!
<pre>

16) Flowing Text (reminds me of an InDesign assignment :/)
<img src="images/granola.gif" width="300" height="100" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="10"/>
(hspace is margin left and right of image, vpsace is margin top and bottom)

17) Text Colors
body {color:#ff0000;"}

18) Meta Tags
<meta name="keywords" content="A Design Journey, graphic design, design education">

19) Comments
<!--this goes in code for other people to read but never shows up on web page--!>


So....it can be said that this assignment was simple. But to put THAT MANY tags into one page and still have it look good-ish (at the very least!), was a bit challenging.

Ok, less code more looksie:

*click to visit live*

What do you think?

Job Prospects

What does it mean exactly when "graphic designer" doesn't even appear on the list of 200 jobs in 2010?

*list found via A LITTLE SUSSY: debbie downer