In this exercise you’re going to create images which you’ll then print onto the papers you collected in the first exercise. You have been working with the poem Tango With Cows in the exercise ‘Concrete Poetry’, to create an experimental text. Using your interpretation of the poem as a starting point, develop a set of images that you can sequence into a narrative. You can choose to create these images yourself or use existing images.
Joseph Cornell, Untitled (Scrapbook for Tamara Toumanova), 1953. Mixed media. Photo © Christie’s Images. Bridgeman Images.
Idea generation
Create a series of images which will build a narrative sequence over about 16 pages.
Use keywords from the poem as a starting point. Work with images you have created before, developing and changing their contents, or use fresh new ideas and imagery related to the poem. Remind yourself of the creative design process.
Explore the sequential narrative over the folds. Produce a folding document (2 sided) with the images you have created. Try one of the folding systems discussed in part two of the course, Form and Function: Paper folding.
Research and development
A visual narrative is a way of communicating some form of ‘story’. It may be that you interpret ‘narrative’ in a conventional way, using chronological images of how your identity has changed over time, with a beginning, middle and an end. Or perhaps you’ll work in a less obvious way, exploring how your images can be exploited through abstraction and print processes, using the term ‘narrative’ as a vehicle on which to hang your concept of the poem.
The purpose is to interpret the brief to create images that are meaningful to you, plus extend your understanding of image qualities. These images may be paintings, photographs, drawings, film stills – they can be at any scale, in any media and about whatever you want them to be, in the context of exploring the concept of the poem. This is your opportunity to explore some of the features of digital imaging software, such as Photoshop, to layer images, cut out images, experiment with opacity, filters, hue, brightness, contrast and halftone screens, among other things.
For example, can we approach text as image? What happens if you ‘rasterize’ text, then begin to manipulate it, in the same way as you would montage image material. Be creative! Explore!
Remember you have access to Bridgeman and Oxford art libraries online also, if you want to download images and work in this way, but originating your own images will make the project more personal to you.
I used my sketches from last exercise to make my thumbnails.
Thumbnails
Design process
For my designs, I decided to keep them as a series and use the same elements throughout the designs. I used the same colour palette, geometric shapes and the same texture for all my designs.
For the pictures, I used freepik and pexels. I wasn’t sure to add any type or not. At the end I decided to use the “motherland” typeface to add some text to the designs. I used Photoshop to make my designs.
For the first design, I’ve used an image of a sparrow with open mouth to show it’s squealing. I used some angled lines to echo that. Covered the background with some geometrical shapes. I kept the design simple with limited colour palette. In this stage I wasn’t sure about adding text and the typeface.
on an ice floe down the river in spring?
For this design, I used two images; a real image of a dog and an illustration of a boat to indicate sailing. Again the geometric shapes have been used with the same colour palette.
we look at our destiny.
A photo of a road has been used to show the destiny. An image of an angled tin that moving towards the destiny with a photo of a girl laughing to represent mirth. The same colour palette and geometric shapes applied.
conquerors of the air –
kings of orange groves
and cattle.
Images of an illustrated cow, a crown to represent a king and an orange tree have been used. I made the photo at the background B&W then added red colour to make the oranges stand out. I decided to use text with “motherland” typeface, as it is very like a Russian typeface.
a glass of wine
to the health of the comets,
For this design, I used an image of a comet and a glass of wine. By using a blending mode, it looks like that the comet is coming from inside the bottle. The texture layer applied on top.
Images of a diamond and dripping blood have been used with geometric shapes, the whole poem with texture layer on top.
For this part of the poem, I needed an image of a record player. I liked the figure holding the record player so didn’t remove it. Again, geometric shapes and textured layer applied.
hornless and ironed!
I used a hornless cow with an iron. Used a filter to stretch the back of the iron. Geometric shapes and textured layer applied.
tango with cows
I used my illustration of a tango dance as a silhouette at the back in a field with some cows grazing. Removed the colour of the background apart from the cows and added green colour (from the palette) on the trees.
from the tears
of bovine jealousy
An image of an eye used on top of the photo of a bridge, using blending mode. Drops of tears added with blending mode.
of crimson girls.
I looked for an image of a girl. I removed the colour then added red using blending mode to colour the girl’s dress. Also, some green colour from the palette used to colour the trees in the distance. Again as part of the series, geometric shapes and textured layer applied.
Final designs
The final designs made in Photoshop in size A4.
Mockup
Self – Reflection
I spent a lot of time thinking and organising this exercise. I used my knowledge from previous exercise about the poem and Russian futurist. I read the poem couple of times, made some sketches then the thumbnails.
I didn’t know if I need to keep them as a series or make an individual design. I ended up making them as a series.
I made 11 designs, but used 10 of them in my final booklet.
Resources
- Freepik. At: https://www.freepik.com. (Accessed: 05/09/2022)
- Pexels. At: https://www.pexels.com. (Accessed: 05/09/2022)
Maryam: OCA Graphic Design 