Maryam: OCA Graphic Design

Brief

You have been asked to produce three illustrations be used as part of a series of A3 posters to publicise the museum to the following audiences:
Child aged 5–9 Teenager (13–16) General adult audience
The museum wants to encourage diverse sections of the population to visit and to perceive it as a place of interest. Select one object for each of the audiences and create an image centred around that object in a way which you think best presents it to your market. Go to your local museum or anywhere that has a range of interesting artefacts to gather good visual references. Choose exhibits which are either appropriate for each of the audiences or which you think can be made interesting for the audience through your visual intervention.
Catalogue the exhibits in some way: photograph them, do printouts or make a series of drawings. Organise your images according to the audience groupings.
You are making three illustrations for three posters from the same institution. Will they be a ‘family’ or very different? If they are all different how will the audience know they come from the same place or doesn’t this matter?
Decide on the visual approach you would like to adopt. Do you want to introduce a character and create a visual narrative? Do you want to make a decorative interpretation of the object? Do you want to place the object in the historic or geographic setting in which it was created? Do you want to depict the object to convey some aspect of it that you feel will be interesting to your audience? Will you choose an abstract, representational, or diagrammatic approach? Remember to consider viewpoints and explore the best position for your content within the format. You don’t have to be bound by direct representation of your object but it should be recognisable.
Explore options and make notes in your learning log.
Choose the media and colour range appropriate to your audience – but avoid generalisations and stereotypes.
Working to a scale that best suits you, produce colour visuals for all the posters – remember that for a poster you’re aiming for visual clarity and directness. Posters are often read from a distance so your image needs to be reasonably bold.
Prepare finished artwork for at least one of the posters.

Key words:

• Produce three illustrations
• A series of A3 posters to publicise the museum
• Child aged 5–9
• Teenager (13–16)
• General adult audience
• Encourage diverse sections of the population to visit and to perceive it as a place of interest
• Select one object for each of the audiences and create an image centred around that object
• Go to your local museum
• Catalogue the exhibits
• Organise your images according to the audience groupings
• Explore options and make notes
• Choose the media and colour range appropriate to your audience
• Produce colour visuals for all the posters
• Prepare finished artwork for at least one of the posters

Design process

We live in a small town with a very small museum, so I decided to choose my favourite museum, MOMA for this exercise.

About MOMA

“At The Museum of Modern Art and
MoMA PS1, we celebrate creativity,
openness, tolerance, and
generosity. We aim to be inclusive
places—both onsite and online—
where diverse cultural, artistic,
social, and political positions are
welcome. We’re committed to
sharing the most thought-provoking
modern and contemporary art, and
hope you will join us in exploring the
art, ideas, and issues of our time.”

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The institution was conceived in 1929 by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Lillie P. Bliss, and Mary Quinn Sullivan. Initially located in the Heckscher Building on Fifth Avenue, it opened just days after the Wall Street Crash. The museum, America’s first devoted exclusively to modern art, was led by A. Conger Goodyear as president and Abby Rockefeller as treasurer, with Alfred H. Barr Jr. as its first director. Under Barr’s leadership, the museum’s collection rapidly expanded, beginning with an inaugural exhibition of works by European modernists. Despite financial challenges, including opposition from John D. Rockefeller Jr., the museum moved to several temporary locations in its early years, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. eventually donated the land for its permanent site.

During the 1930s and 1950s, MoMA gained international recognition with landmark exhibitions, such as Barr’s influential “Cubism and Abstract Art” in 1936, a retrospective of Pablo Picasso’s works organized in 1939-40 and the “Indian Art of the United States” exhibition in 1941. Abby Rockefeller’s son, Nelson, became the museum’s president in 1939, playing a key role in its expansion and publicity. His brother, David Rockefeller, joined the board in 1948 and continued the family’s close association with the museum. Significant events during this period included a major fire in 1958, which destroyed one of paintings by Claude Monet and led to the evacuation of other artworks. The museum’s architectural evolution also continued, with a redesign of the sculpture garden by Philip Johnson and relocation to its current home designed by Philip L. Goodwin and Edward Durell Stone, which opened in 1939.

In later decades, the controversial decision to withdraw funding from the antiwar poster “And Babies” in 1969, and the subsequent protests, highlighted the museum’s involvement in contemporary sociopolitical issues. It was also among several institutions to aid CIA in its efforts to engage in cultural propaganda during the Cold War. Major expansions in the 1980s and the early 21st century, including the selection of Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi for a significant renovation, nearly doubled MoMA’s space for exhibitions and programs. The 2000s saw the formal merger with the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, and in 2019, another major renovation added significant gallery space. This renovation aimed to diversify the collection’s representation and integrate different art disciplines, reflecting a shift in MoMA’s approach to presenting its holdings.

In 2022, MoMA was the 17th most visited art museum in the world and remains one of the most influential museums devoted to modern and contemporary art. At the same time, it has long faced criticism for developing and perpetuating Eurocentric narratives of modernism and for its insufficient focus on expanding access to socioeconomically underprivileged groups. The museum has been involved in controversies regarding its labor practices, and the institution’s labor union, founded in 1971, has been described as the first of its kind in the U.S. MoMA’s collection offers an overview of modern and contemporary art, including works of architecture and design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, prints, illustrated and artist’s books, film, and electronic media. The MoMA Library includes about 300,000 books and exhibition catalogs, more than 1,000 periodical titles and more than 40,000 files of ephemera about individual artists and groups.^[9] The archives hold primary source material related to the history of modern and contemporary art.

Images of MOMA

I gathered some images of MOMA interior and exterior as well as some images of exhibits.

Mind mapping

Thumbnails

Colour palette

Textures

Designs

Based on my research, I decided to choose 3 main colours; yellow, red, blue as my colour palette. Also, I wanted to have a mono chromatic scheme for each poster. So each main colour was used with black and white.

I added two different textures with different blending modes for the finishing.

Final design – children poster

I chose the children poster as my final design. The character from Keith Haring was the inspiration for my final design.

Self – reflection

This exercise was interesting as I had to do some research about MOMA, one of my favourite museums.

For designing a museum poster, visual research has been used in generating ideas for a specific exhibit or theme within the museum. I needed to consider three different target audiences, child, teenager and general adult. Moodboards, spider diagrams, thumbnails and sketches used for the visual research presentation.

I tried to consider the audiences in choosing my colour palette and the information that needed to be included.

After looking at the final design, I quite like the children poster. However, I’m not sure that the visual hierarchy’s working very well. In my work, the illustration was targeting the children whereas the information was for their parents.

Resources

• MOMA. At: https://www.moma.org. (Accessed: 5/1/2024)
• Wikipedia. Museum of Modern Art. At: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Modern_Art. (Accessed: 5/1/2024)

Brief

To design an illustration for a poster for a music event. An Early Music concert, a Jazz evening or for a pop group. You can choose.
The finished poster will be reproduced at A3 size, but you can work at the size, in proportion, that you feel most comfortable with. You will need to provide your working drawings – the thumbnails and visuals – with the finished piece.
The poster will include the title of the event, the date, time, place and any other information you think appropriate. You can either include this on your artwork or indicate where it will be positioned.
What to do
Start by brainstorming and create a moodboard. Produce a range of alternative thumbnails in which you consider viewpoints and various arrangements of the content you have selected.
Choose the two compositions you like best and create two line visuals. Don’t get bogged down by detail that doesn’t help you to describe the main structure and content of the image. If you are including type are you confident that you have chosen the right typeface? If you are not including it indicate where it will go. Check that when added it will neither get lost or obliterate or compromise your composition.
Take the composition you think works best and create a colour visual. Use your mood board to help you to establish a colour range to work within. Be selective.
Finally, produce your final artwork.

Keywords:

• A3 size music poster
• Provide your working drawings – the thumbnails and visuals
• Include the title of the event, the date, time, place and any other information
• Start by brainstorming and create a moodboard
• Range of alternative thumbnails
• Consider viewpoints
• Create two line visuals
• Create a colour visual
• Use your mood board to help you to establish a colour range
• Produce your final artwork

Research; The History of Jazz concert

From Spirituals to Swing was the title of a concert at Carnegie Hall on 23 December 1938, marking the first time jazz had made a formal recognition of its own history. The concert, intended to present music of African-American origin to a mixed audience, was the brainchild of John Hammond, a scion of the Vanderbilt dynasty who had fallen in love with jazz during his youth. He worked as a jazz critic before beginning a distinguished career as an A&R man, and was also active in the civil rights movement.

The concert, and a second instalment held on Christmas Eve the following year, were representative of his inclusive taste, featuring the country blues performers Big Bill Broonzy and Sonny Terry, the “blues shouter” Big Joe Turner, the gospel singing of the Golden Gate Quartet and the boogie woogie pianists Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons alongside the bands of Count Basie and Benny Goodman and many others. Having had his requests for sponsorship turned down by many bodies, Hammond eventually secured backing from New Masses, a periodical produced by the American Communist party. The concerts would be seen as a milestone in the presentation and appreciation of jazz.

Mind map

My chosen subject for my poster is Jazz evening. I mind mapped everything that I thought can be related to this subject.

Mood board

Then I gathered some pictures of the actual Jazz concerts and the posters of Jazz concerts.

Thumbnails

I made my thumbnails inspired by the information I gathered about the Jazz music and my mood boards. I decided to include a Jazz player, and some Jazz instruments. I quite liked the pattern that made of music notes, so I’m going to add it to one of my designs.

Line visuals

Design process

I made my initial designs in Procreate then transferred them to Photoshop for adding the typeface. I wanted a minimal, bold and bright colour palette. So decided to stick to red, black and white. For the typeface, I thought sans serif and handwritten typefaces are more adequate.

Final designs

Self – reflection

A challenging assignment, as I didn’t have any information about the Jazz music. However the whole process of gathering information and making the designs was very interesting.

For this poster project, I went through several stages of ideation and testing; research about the history of the Jazz concert, mind mapping, mood boards, thumbnails, and sketches, I designed my posters using a digital medium.

I imagine if the design was for a real client, I needed to gather more real photos and not just relied on the existing images.

If I wanted to do this assignment again, I would like to use different media for one of the posters.

Sources

• Google images. Jazz music. At: www.https://images.google.com. (Accessed: 10/11/23)
• The Guardian. Jazz gets a history. At: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/17/jazz-gets-a-history. (Accessed: 10/11/23)

Brief

For this exercise you are going to mock-up a book cover. From your book shelves or the library choose a book title that appeals to you. Read the blurb on the back of the book (or the whole book if you have time). Examine the design of the cover to identify what the brief would be for the illustration and establish the function you want your image to perform.
You may already have done an illustration you can use or you may be inspired to make a new one. If you are using one you have already done you may need to modify it in some way. You may need to play with the colours, edit or adjust the composition or alter the size or scale. Don’t make changes to the original.
Either copying the design of the cover and adding your illustration or designing the cover from scratch, make sure that you incorporate the title, author and publisher’s details. If possible choose a paper for the mock-up as near as possible to that which would be used for real.
In your learning log note how well your image worked and any technical problems you had to overcome to make a convincing mock-up.

Key words:

• Mock-up a book cover
• Choose a book title that appeals
• Identify what the brief would be
• Designing the cover from scratch
• Note how well your image worked and any technical problems you had to overcome

Chosen book

The book that I chose is “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover. It Ends with Us is a book that follows a girl named Lily who has just moved and is ready to start her life after college. Lily then meets a guy named Ryle and she falls for him. As she is developing feelings for Ryle, Atlas, her first love, reappears and challenges the relationship between Lily and Ryle.

Mind mapping

I put down all the things that cod be related to the story. I decided to go for a rose flower. Since Lily has got a flower shop also pink/ red rose is related to the love.

Thumbnails

Mood boards

Sketch

Colour palette

Design process

I used Procreate to make my design. The watercolour brushes have been used to create the watercolour effect.

Then I exported my design to the Photoshop. I used some filter to make the design more eye catching and give it more dramatic sense. The title was added in Photoshop.

Final design

Mock up

Self – reflection

I chose one of my favourite books and it was the book that I’ve already read. So it was easier for me to make a cover for the book. I enjoyed the whole process of making my mock up.

For this exercise, I chose the book that I liked and my favourite subject, which is watercolour flowers and my favourite media, which is Digital art. I think what I could have done better was to explore more ideas and media for the cover.

Brief

Using the internet, magazines, reference books leaflets, brochures and flyers make a collection of examples and reference materials that can help you with an illustration to fit one of the categories below.
Making a cup of tea – Getting to my house – Playing a tune on an instrument
Start by working out the information you need to impart and the steps involved. What are the main points? How many stages are there? Working at a fairly large scale, work out the space needed for each step. You may decide to have one picture that encompasses the whole process or you might want to break it down into a strip with clearly demarcated steps. Try as many possibilities as you can.
Be mindful of the hierarchy of the elements in the composition and the dynamics needed to draw the viewer’s eye from one stage to the other. Try to use as few words as possible. Best of all use none.
Keep all your sketches and notes in your learning log.
Before you start the final artwork take a critical look at your roughs and compare one element to another and be especially aware of what is happening in the immediate background of the image.
Decide on the tools and materials you will use for your illustration. If you use colour be aware of how it adds focus and can help your communication process.
When you have finished show it to other people to check that it works both as an attractive illustration and in its main function – to give instructions. Record your findings in your learning log.

Key words:

• Giving instruction
• Working out the information you need to impart and the steps involved
• Try as many possibilities as you can
• Hierarchy of the elements
• Use as few words as possible
• Keep all your sketches and notes in your learning log
• Show it to other people to check that it works both as an attractive illustration and in its main function

Mind mapping

I decided to make an illustration for “How to make tea”. I wanted to concentrate on making a tea with loose leaf tea. I thought about the elements that I need for my illustration.

Collection of examples

I collected some images based on tea and how to make tea. I need a kettle, tea pot, tea leaf, timer and a cup.

Thumbnails

I made some thumbnails to choose the composition. Then, I made a sketch out of my chosen thumbnail.

Sketch

Design process

For my illustration, I used Procreate, using watercolour brushes. The typeface is “FOLKARTFONT” from my Procreate fonts collection.

Final design

Self– reflection

I think my illustration meets the requirements from the brief. I didn’t want to make my illustration very complicated, so I used minimum colour palette and elements. I feel that it’s simplicity makes it more user friendly.

If I want to evaluate myself, I would say that if I had more time before choosing my topic, I could make some thumbnails for other topics as well. Then decide which one I’m going to choose as my final design.

Resources

Google images. How to make tea. At: https://images.google.com. (Accessed: 14/10/23)

Brief

Listen to a piece of instrumental music by a musician such as:
George Gershwin – The Gypsy Kings – Beethoven – Miles Davis
As you listen to the music create marks which convey your interpretation of the essence or mood of the piece. Work quickly and intuitively to bring a degree of self-expression to the exercise. Be selective in your use of materials, colours, marks and textures.
Stand back from your worksheet and choose an adjective or word that you feel describes the tone of the piece. This is your interpretation and not a definition of it. Go through your drawings and choose a square area that you feel communicates the meaning of your chosen word and has visually interesting qualities.
Using a square format and working at any size, reproduce your selected area. Starting with your chosen adjective, introduce colours, textures and shapes. Choose any media you like for this exercise and experiment by mixing them. Try not to over complicate the image.
Be conscious of the mood you are trying to convey – keep listening to the music as you work to help you focus more clearly. You can add forms or create the shape of an element with some representational value. Any additional shapes should enhance or extend the design and fit together visually within the structure you have created.
Constantly reappraise your image to ensure the composition suits what you are trying to say. You may find that you are editing and removing elements from the original and replacing them with others.
Do you think your image would work as an illustration for a cover of a CD for the music you listened to?

Key words:

• Listen to an instrumental music
• Create marks to convey essence or mood of the piece
• Work intuitively
• Choose an adjective or word that you feel describes the tone of the piece
• Square format
• Choose any media
• Experiment
• Introduce colours, textures and shapes

Design Process

I listened to ‘The Gipsy Kings’ music. My favourite is ‘Amor mio’. Then started to make some abstract illustration.

Design 1

First, I started with a big eye. Then used different effects on Procreate to make it more interesting.

Design 2

I wanted to explore more, so this time, I started with a heart and used different effects on Procreate. I chose the effects that I liked more.

Design 3

I thought, I do one more design just by using some random lines and shapes by using acrylic brushes on Procreate without thinking about the final result.

Self– reflection

I used different brushes and effects on Procreate. I should confess that I’m not very good in abstract arts, however, I enjoyed making my design. I’m not sure how successful they are.

I tried to have different approaches. I specially wanted to try something without thinking about the end result.

Digital art is one of my favourites so I tend to use it wherever I can. However, I could use different media digitally and traditionally as well to be able to make different examples.