What is Graphic Design?

Cougar Paper ad

2007-11-07T20:46:00.000-06:00

This is an ad for Cougar Paper I received in the mail today. It is a nice card mailed in a larger-than-normal envelope. (6 1/4 x 7 3/4, more like a birthday card!) I liked the colors in the design - the bright green and oranges provide a eye-popping contrast that grabs your attention. The cougar's green eyes have a shiny coating that make them glimmer in the light.

The copy on the back of the card invites you to anticipate the company's announcement coming soon.

"Can you sense it? Something big is on the way. Cougar is evolving. And soon, the premium printing paper you've known for value and performance will be more environmentally-responsible than ever. So keep your eyes on the horizon. And get ready for the coolest announcement of the season."

This is the envelope the card came in. I like the way the leaves from the design were incorporated on the front of the envelope and then again inside on the card, creating an integrated design. The color scheme is the same for both the card and envelope also, with one side using the green/orange combo and the other side using just the bright green.

The bigger they are...

2007-10-30T23:13:00.000-05:00

Sexual content aside, I really like the way the designer selected (drew) a fat, curvy font for an article on large women and a man who loves them. And the word fall, FALLS!

From an article in the Jan. 1970 issue of Avant Garde magazine.

The Demise of Death

2007-10-30T23:08:00.001-05:00

This is just part of a page (title of an article) in the March 1969 issue of Avant Garde magazine. I love how he killed the "I" in the title about death!

Henry Wolf, Advertisement, 1967

2007-10-30T23:04:00.001-05:00

This ad from 1967 caught my eye... did they have plastic surgery back then? You sure didn't hear about it then like you do now. I like the play on words in the tagline - Wishful thinning?

Harper's Bazaar Cover, 1959

2007-10-30T22:59:00.001-05:00

This cover design is by Henry Wolf, USA, and is very interesting. It grabs your attention and makes you wonder what's the article subject.

It's unusual for the reflected image to be reversed in the glass, you look twice and think "Is that how it should be?"

American Paintings

2007-10-30T22:53:00.001-05:00

This is a poster by Louis Danziger, USA, for L. A. County Museum of Art, Exhibition of American Paintings, 1966.

I really liked the simplicity of how he conveyed the idea of this poster - paintings, american... just take a paint brush, add blue and red over it to symbolize the flag... very simple, yet interesting and compelling.

Peter Max Ad for J. C. Penney, 1969

2007-10-30T22:48:00.000-05:00

This is an ad Peter Max did for J. C. Penney in 1969.
I thought it was a good example of how mainstream the psychedelic style was in the late 60's. I also found it interesting that there are Pepsi-cola bottles in the design.

EPIC - Creative website image

2007-09-25T22:34:00.000-05:00

This is a image from a website for a creative group in Australia, Epic, at www.epic.com.au
I really like how the image shows the many things they work on, the image of the young woman with the 3-D headset on is very dynamic. There is a lot of energy in this image.

"The Zen of Success"

2007-09-25T22:25:00.000-05:00

I saw this image on a website for Alicia Buelow - this is a magazine cover she did in 2004 called "The Zen of Success".

I feel this image shows the many sides of women today; family, career, relaxation, the burning desires of the heart and how to grab hold of them all.

Cut Paper Collage Image

2007-09-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

This is a cut paper collage by John Lavin done for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
I found this image very compelling, it speaks loudly, yet simply. I like the pieced paper to form shapes, then the line drawing on top to bring it all together.

3-D Hug

2007-09-25T22:02:00.000-05:00

I thought this image was very creative, I liked the subtle invisible man in the type. It reminds me of the movie "Predator", 1987.

This would be a good image for an article on couple communications!

Bookstacks

2007-09-25T21:47:00.000-05:00

I like this design of stacked books by John Uibel. I didn't notice the little people right away, then you wonder what they're doing. He did this for an ad, the type would be added later.

Finnish Website

2007-09-25T21:04:00.000-05:00

This is a website design by Anne Naukkarinen for the Finnish Oriental Society. I liked the neat, clean layout and subtle pattern/texture on the blue header; it gives it a nice feel. Here are her comments on her project:
Finnish Oriental Society is an academic organization specialized in the research of oriental cultures and publishing. In the concept and visual design special attention was paid in choosing such elements and colours that reflect the wide geographical and cultural area represented by the organization, as well as their core activities. The GUI evokes associations of both modern books and ancient papyruses. Honouring oriental cultures in terms of imagery was thoroughly considered without compromising the eye-catching look.

Fragments

2007-09-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

This is an image I found on a website - www.cityofsound.com
An email magazine called Artkrush featured Dan Hill's image or as he calls it 'Fragments', in their Architecture & Design issue.

I liked the way the image was created collage style. There seems to be a horizon line with some images being reflected down into the foreground, one backwards.
It's interesting, draws your eye around the image. The blue colors unify the images into one composition.

DeviantART images

2007-09-14T14:35:00.001-05:00

This drawing caught my eye - I love the use of positive and negative white space, really nice.

This painting shows a great use of space and background, great texture, I like the contrast of the rough background with the dainty woman form.

This image reminded me of a woodcut print by Albrecht Durer, which I am using in my Illustrator class.

I really like this watercolor of two friends. I like the close-up feel, how the faces fit in the space, the way it is cropped.

I'm not sure yet if I actually like this one, but it caught my eye... unusual use of body form with earth and plants?

I really liked the image in this painting, and the use of space... suggested space, the woman seems to be peering out a steamed-up window.

Free Your Mind

2007-09-07T19:52:00.001-05:00

This is an ad I found in my new Sept/Oct 2007 issue of PRINT magazine. I really liked the layout and use of space.
They did a nice job using color, too. Mostly it is comprised of black/brown muted tones, but then there's this POP of red that grabs your eye, draws it around the page.
It also has a very high-tech, up-beat feel to it which helps appeal to younger customers.

Interesting Page Layout

2007-08-31T17:34:00.001-05:00

This article had a nice page layout designed for it. I like the use of white space and the pop of blue-violet in the type repeats the color of her pants in the photo.

This is from the same Woman's Day magazine in the previous cover photo, September 12, 2007.

Great Fall Cover!

2007-08-31T16:48:00.000-05:00

I went to the coffee table to grab a magazine and look for something for my blog... This cover just jumped out at me!
I love the fall color palette and the way they used the orange/brown colors in the plate, title type and background.
Don't you just want to grab one of those cutely decorated cupcakes and eat it up?!

The Whole Enchilada

2007-08-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

This is an advertisement I found in the new July/August 2007 GD USA (Graphic Design USA) magazine. It caught my eye and I thought it was clever, although it may be cliché, I liked it.

2007-08-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

Here is a nice picture of me.