New York World's Fair Souvenir - Postcards

Vintage Travel Poster - WIP

Original

Reference Photo

Redesigned Poster

Color Harmonies - Patterns

Transparency - CDV

Simultaneous Contrast - HSB

Movie Poster Made Completely of Type

Critique for Ryan Walter

Word: “Lucid”

“Lucid’s” design is simple with its use of only black and white colors and no use of grays. Rather than sticking to only the Zapfino font, it also appears that the artist made the decision to utilize another font other than Zapfino. This decision to use different fonts brings in diversity while still keeping the overall design simple with its preference for black and white colors. While the design itself is fairly balanced, the artist’s decision to place the design slightly off center does make the overall piece (including the canvas) slightly unbalanced; this decision may have been made to fit the design on the canvas without having anything go off-board. Overall, the design expresses the definition of “Lucid” fairly well; I can easily see the hypnotic, dreamlike, confused image that comes with the word, lucid. Not only the font selection, but the inclusion of a brain and bullseye design also emphasizes that hypnotic, confused state someone can be when lucid. The only part of the piece that may need to be touched up is canvas size.

Word: “Squeeze”

Similar to “Lucid,” “Squeeze” is a black and white colored design that does not incorporate any gray colors. To help emphasize the cramped, squished image that comes with the word squeeze, the design’s canvas is smaller and much narrower than 8.5 inches by 11 inches. Along with the canvas size, the design’s choice of placing smaller letters that spell out the rest of “squeeze” along the curve of the beginning letter S also empathizes the cramped, squished, and restricted image that comes with the word. Out of all three designs by the artist, “Squeeze” appears to be the simplest in design with its reliance on only the word, font, color, font, and canvas choices. Although the design emphasizes the word “squeeze” well, I feel that more could be done to emphasize the word even more.

Word: “Trapped”

In comparison to the previous two designs, “Trapped” utilizes the full canvas much more with its use of black outlined boxes shrinking in size from outside/edges of the page to the center of the page. Between each outline and in the center of the canvas is the word “trapped” written in a thick black font and uppercase. The choice of using uppercase letters in tight spaces definitely emphasizes the feeling of little room and the absence of an exit when trapped. Unlike “Lucid” and “Squeeze,” the composition and placement of the design looks fairly balanced. I also find my eyes travelling around and trapping myself within the spaces between each outline. Overall, I find “Trapped” as my favorite piece because the design appears to most successfully emphasize the nature of the word “trapped” while also using the canvas page fully in a fun way.