Art Portfolio 2: Initial Research

 In my Art Portfolio 2, I am require to design a brand, poster, brochure and tickets for a Halloween event in Cromwell. Also, for my 3D should be a video advertisement that advert the festival in Cromwell. In this post, I will conduct an initial research about all of that. I will use the pre-project outline that I have discussed with Zoe to help me explore the research. I will take a look of the essential information to enhance my understanding of what should I be doing and what should I avoid to achieve the greater results. Also, I will be looking at the artist art work and do a surface research about it.

Branding

Often we seen branding branding in a mall or for a products. However, branding is still to general as it stands more than one key aspects. Branding also stand with components like logo, color scheme, typography and other design components to represent the products of company as it is function to be standing out with other competitors and get recognize by the consumers. (Bynder, n.d.) There are many methods for the company to branding their products such as physically or digitally, in physical store or even interior or exterior of a building. 

Muro Festival by Giovani Flores (2017)

Source: Behance

Designing an effective branding require designer to follow up with the guidelines. Designing a brand should be recognisable by the public so the public catch the brand quickly. Therefore, Frontify (n.d.) stated that effective branding should includes the brand core like values, mission, and vision. Branding also should have a specific color palettes and be consistent, and the message is in a clear tone. The reason to understand branding properly is to ensure the brand consistency that important for customer loyalty, it guaranteed the brand quality and drive the brand integrity so your brand can narrow and distinct from other brand. (Noel, 2023)  Hence it is vital to know the guidelines. These are the guidelines that company should follow up to brand their products effectively:

The six elements brand guidelines

Source: Studio Noel

Artist-Grant Wood

In this initial research also, I will be looking at one of the famous American artist, Grant Wood as his art work really related to my projects. His gothic artwork really can enhance my comprehension of my theme for Art Portfolio 2, Halloween theme. I will then start by looking at his work called American Gothic. Although, in this research, I will just be doing a surface research as a details and depth research will be in my next post.

American Gothic by Grant Wood (1930)

Source: Artic

Grant Wood is a American artist that born in 1891 in Iowa. His art movement is regionalism and he is in the field of painting. One of the most known Grant Wood artwork is the American Gothic paintings. American Gothic is an images of an earlier American generation of a farmer and his daughter standing and posing stiffly as the artist describe as “tintypes from my old family album.” (Art Institute of Chicago, 2009) At the initial glance of the paintings, it was viewed as realistic as the paintings look very real. The paintings of the two individual, Nan Wood Graham his sister and Dr. B.H. McKeeby expression look closely to alive. The background of the house where the texture of the wood can be seen are realistic enough. Although, the view of the Nan photograph, her face is somehow elongated. As a matter of a fact, the reason of this because, while creating this piece of artwork, the woman and the man was never posed infront of the house. (The Painting — American Gothic House & Center, 2010)

The paintings is really mysterious when I investigated that while doing the research which make this art piece further into scary and mystery. The fact of that make the theme more valuable in term of contextual. Besides, the artist, Grant Wood are capable of doing this paintings and capable of convey the moods of Gothic towards the audience are extra ordinary. Even the color of his paintings, it is not black and white which can mostly evoke the feelings of scary, gothic and horror, he using a accurate color palette for the gothic feelings.

Typography

Typography is one of the essential aspects to expert in as a matter of Graphic Designer. It crucial to know what is the meaning of typography. According to Hannah (2023), the definition of typography is "Typography is the art of arranging letters and text in a way that makes the copy legible, clear, and visually appealing to the reader.". Essentially, it is how letters and characters on the design combined with font, which is chosen by style and size  and how the characters of the letters placed. This including kerning (spacing between individual letters), leading (vertical space between lines) and tracking (uniform adjustment of spacing characters). (Byrne, 2023) To my understanding, typography is the way how company or brand trying to communicate with audience and show them your identity. There are importance of benefiting typography as they build the recognition of the brand, it can influences the audience decision-making of your product and effective typography can holds the attention of the readers. (Hannah, 2023) 

Moreover, there are different between font and typefaces. Typeface is a design style that comprises a myriad of characters of varying sizes and weight, meanwhile a font is a graphical representation of a text character.

Source: Career Foundry

Other than that, there are other aspects that Graphic Design should be considering, that is negative space. The Interaction Design Foundation  (2016) claim that negative space or also known as white space is the unmarked areas between and within a design’s visual components. It came in color, texture, pattern or background, and designer use this to balance between design elements  and provide visual breathing room for content. If designer utilize the aspects of negative space effectively, it can enhance the experience between the audience as it attract attention and pleasing to look at. (Hannah, 2023)

Source: Career Foundry

References

Art Institute of Chicago (2009). American Gothic. [online] The Art Institute of Chicago. Available at: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/6565/american-gothic [Accessed 16 Jul. 2024].

Bynder (n.d.). What is branding design? A definition. | Glossary. [online] Bynder. Available at: https://www.bynder.com/en/glossary/branding-design/ [Accessed 16 Jul. 2024].

Byrne, F. (2023). British Academy of Graphic Design | Blog | Why is typography important in graphic design? [online] www.graphicdesignacademy.uk. Available at: https://www.graphicdesignacademy.uk/blog/why-is-typography-important-in-graphic-design- [Accessed 8 Aug. 2024].

Frontify (2024). Brand Guidelines: How to create your brand style guide | Frontify. [online] www.frontify.com. Available at: https://www.frontify.com/en/guide/brand-guidelines/#:~:text=Effective%20brand%20guidelines%20should%20cover [Accessed 16 Jul. 2024].

Hannah, J. (2023). What Is Typography, And Why Is It Important? A Beginner’s Guide. [online] Careerfoundry.com. Available at: https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ui-design/beginners-guide-to-typography/ [Accessed 8 Aug. 2024].

Noel, M. (2023). The Six Elements Which All Brand Guidelines Should Have. [online] Studio Noel. Available at: https://studionoel.co.uk/elements-of-brand-guidelines [Accessed 8 Aug. 2024].

The Interaction Design Foundation. (2016). What is Negative Space? [online] Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/negative-space#:~:text=Negative%20space%E2%80%94also%20called%20white [Accessed 8 Aug. 2024].

The Painting — American Gothic House & Center (2010). American Gothic House & Center. [online] American Gothic House & Center. Available at: https://americangothichouse.org/american-gothic [Accessed 16 Jul. 2024].