Took my two main concepts; illusion and pattern into Illustrator because it allowed me to make my sketches more accurate and speed up my idea generation.
Chose 5 because it is a single digit and is an interesting shape compared to 10 or 20 due to the combination of straight and curved lines.
ILLUSION
Using equally spaced lines create rhythm, however adding the 5 breaks them up making use of negative space:
Chose 5 because it is a single digit and is an interesting shape compared to 10 or 20 due to the combination of straight and curved lines.
ILLUSION
Using equally spaced lines create rhythm, however adding the 5 breaks them up making use of negative space:
Mirroring the 5 creates balance and negative space that could be used to create an illusion:
Cut into the 5 to show hints of the number, this relates to my illusion concept as the audience will have to interpret the value of the currency from limited information:
Repetition can confuse the eye:
Op Art
Op Art, also known as optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions. Op art works are abstract, with many better known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibrating patterns, or of swelling or warping.
Bridget Riley
Researching into Op Art has provided me with visual inspiration that I can use to represent the illusion of money. Bridget Riley is one of the most recognised Op Art artists:
Riley is an English paiter currently based in London. The compositions are predominantly black and white which creates a lot of contrast, making the illusion more prominent. The geometric qualities also impact the audience more, often confusing the eye. This is a promising concept that would work with screen print because the bold lines and shapes will transfer well.
I used inspiration from Op Art and Riley and began creating compositions based on the geometric shapes.
Used repeated diagonal lines to suggest movement which will distract the audience from the value of the note:
Added lines to create negative space around and inside the numerical value:
Contrasting the stroke width and direction of line was inspired by Riley and distracts the audience better than having a repeated line in the example above.
Repeated and layered contours of number 5 to suggest movement. However the filled character in the middle makes the currency more recognisable.
Hid the value behind the circles because it suggests pixels on a screen - Relates the the illusion of money because it's all digital and physical currency isn't being used as much.
Interested in using symbols and signs instead of numerical characters because I explained the concept in my crit and I gained positive feedback but I needed to do more experimentation.
Dice use dots to show the numerical value of the throw. People become so familiar with the dots on the dice that they don't need to count the dots but recognise the pattern and associate it with the number. I aim to look further into this concept as I often only look at the colour and size of the note to see its value, instead of reading the copy.
Began to think of other ways people recognise values with patterns or symbols and created a tally chart concept:
Reflecting on my research and experimentation, I am interested in the playing card concept for money and I want to relate it to my illusions concept because card tricks have been used for illusions by magicians and tricksters. As a result, I have started to look at the layout of playing cards and the characters that feature on them.
The joker would be a good character for my currency because it was created as a trump card for the card game Euchre. It has since been adopted into many other card games where it functions as a wild card.
I asked numerous members of the class on their opinions of the joker card when playing cards. The results concluded that many people don't use the card because they don't know what it does and it doesn't feature in the game. Due to this the joker has gained many negative connotations towards it as it is 'annoying' and 'untrustworthy'. This relates to the current affairs in banking because people are relying on digital transitions and they don't physically own their money, it's owned by the bank.
Creating a currency based on the IOU currency created by Jacques de Meulles during the 17th Century. An IOU (abbreviated from the phrase "I owe you") is usually an informal document acknowledging debt.
Experimentation
Introduced a boarder to centre the content on the card and focus the audiences attention. This features a lot on standard playing cards:
Used the composition of a playing card to inform my decision as to where to put the value. Putting it in the corner will make it visible when stacked and I rotated it so even when the card is upside down the owner still knows the value. Futura is a minimal and curvaceous typeface so when 'IOU' is upside down it looks like 'NOI'. To overcome this I could use a serif typeface as the serif's make the type more recognisable when rotated.
Added the suit of hearts symbol so that my design resembles a playing card. However choosing a specific suit isn't based on informed decisions. Made the £10 bold so it's easier for the audience to see it.
During the crit, I showed my playing card currency concept looking for peoples feedback and opinions. I asked whether I should use numerical values in the corners or stick with my symbol concept. A lot of people didn't get the pattern of circles as the value of the currency until I told them about my concept. If I am going to continue using the 5 dots to represent £5 I am going to have to make it more obvious. To do this I need to make it more consistent. I can also provide a rational of my concept to support my outcome.
RESEARCH
FURTHER EXPERIMENTATION
'I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of' features on all GBP notes - the crucial feature that made Bank of England notes a means of exchange was the promise to pay the bearer the sum of the note on demand. This meant that the note could be redeemed at the Bank for gold or coinage by anyone presenting it for payment. This is appropriate for my IOU concept:
Set the type on a curved path to be playful and friendly which is appropriate for my currency because it's based on a pack of cards. It was influenced by circus banners and also children's board game boxes. Thinking about my printing method means I had to simplify the joker otherwise I would need to do a 4 colour screen print just for the joker. It will also be hard to align the colours correctly as it will be on a small scale.
Added IOU and changed the layout of the card and experimented with the layout:
Made the layout very clear and concise by making the audience read from top to bottom but my design is still very basic so I looked into the layout of playing cards to inspire my a more engaging response.
Used Futura as the typeface as it is used in Monopoly and old propoganda posters. I layered the type using red and blue which are traditional colours worn by Jesters/Jokers. I haven't included yellow because it doesn't stand out well on white stock and would also add another layer to my screen print. Printing yellow over dark colours such as blue and red would be tricky as the other colours are likely to show through,
Overlapped the 'IOU £5' with the playing card content so that the value and IOU concept was clearer. Although the majority of the joker has been covered it reflects the stamp/writing that Jacques de Meulles introduced for the soldiers as they just wrote over the top of the card. This also makes my concept more apparent.
Used illustrator to create a patterned boarder which adds depth and concentrates the audiences attention. This was influenced by my traditional playing card research.
During my crit, I asked whether I should use numerical values or the dice symbol to state how much the currency is worth. I swapped the position of the IOU with the dice to see if this would benefit the composition:
BACK
Decided to create the back of the currency because I became inspired by the elegant patterns that are printed on the back of cards. I thought I could use a pattern of symmetry and balance and incorporate it into my design. Here are some examples of traditional playing cards:
Often repeat pattern and takes up the majority, if not all, the card so the players can differentiate the front and back easily. This works for my money concept as people can tell the difference the worth of the note it is by a different colour/pattern. This would be more relevant if I was creating a set of notes, however it shows my concept is transferrable.
Template:
Created a pattern inspired by Op Art as the black lines contrast with the white stock and the angled joins create a spiral:
Mirrored the design:
Overlaid the two layers to create a symmetrical pattern:
Used the circle to break up the pattern in order to fit the value on the note. Centred the value as the pattern draws the eye to the centre of the composition making it a focal point.
Outcome:
I decided to choose the dice symbol instead of the large 'IOU £5' written over the top because the design is balanced. The front and back both include the red circular symbol inspired from dice. The five dots represent the amount of pounds the note is worth which will become more recognisable than the numeric symbols if it's on both sides. This reflects how the suits on cards become recognisable as they are presented as a symbol.
I am going to experiment more with other colours when I am screen printing because the process allows me to mix ink freely. However I will start with black red and navy blue because red is associated with playing cards and also power. The red contrasts well on black and white which makes it the focal point. The navy blue was influenced by the colours the Joker wear
STOCK
Playing cards are usually made out of a sturdy stock to deal with the wear and are covered with a gloss to make them waterproof and long-lasting. This is relevant for a currency as it would be used for years.
Chose two stocks that I will screen print directly onto:
- Thick newsprint - Off-white finish which may make my playing card currency seem old and traditional which reflects my main influence from the French at war during
- Cartridge paper - Much thicker stock which means it is less malleable. The stock is pure white which will allow me to judge my colours to see if they're appropriate.
SIZE
The size and shape of my note was influenced by my previous research into playing cards. Playing cards come in two sizes - poker size and bridge size. Poker size is 63.5mm X 88.9mm. Bridge size is narrower at 56mm x 88.9mm. This makes more sense in old fashioned imperial measurements - both are 3.5 inches high, but poker cards are 2.5 inches wide while bridge cards are 2.25 inches wide.
Physically playing with cards and exploring more contemporary designs, I came across a large pack of cards. A single card was 9cmx15cm so the information was a lot larger and clearer. This is appropriate for an exhibition because I want people to see my composition when it's on the wall. My currency is inspired by a historic event and doesn't have to have a function to be used in real life.
PREPARING FOR PRINT
Separated each element of my composition into layers so that I could use more than one colour when printing. The smallest amount of type that I used was 10pt so I considered using acetate when exposing my screen because I want a sharp and clear print finish. However after speaking to the technicians they clarified that I would be alright exposing my screen from paper.
Made sure I flooded the screen so that the ink didn't dry out and my prints are consistent in quality and clarity.
As I have three colours that I am printing, I made sure I was accurate with the alignment of information when I was printing. Printing onto tracing paper first allowed me to register my paper so that I knew exactly where it would print:
OUCOME:
Front:
Back:
(Poor photograph)
I am really pleased with the clarity and sharpness of the print as I thought the back would be too complicated. The red dots were hard to align so I had to re-register my registration sheet in so that the dots were dead centre. As they are the focal point it is obvious if it''s out of line.
My outcome is made for the purpose of an exhibition piece because I used a lot of inspiration from the 'Show Me The Money' exhibition in Manchester. Even though I had a broad range of research, visiting the gallery was enlightening and inspiring because I was able to see other peoples opinions in the context of money. I became really interested in the French playing card currency from the war, my playing card concept is inspired by this. The aim of my outcome would be to feature in an exhibition similar to 'Show Me The Money. However my concept will bring an interesting historical twist to the exhibition.
My research into French playing card IOU's from 1685 made me focus on the composition of cards and die because I became interested in the historical elements and wanted to create a composition inspired by Jacques De Muelles. Looking at symbols and illusions influenced my final design as Op-Art inspired the back of the card due to the contrasting black lines on white stock and geometric shapes. Instead of using a numerical value, I used the symbol from a die. This links to my experience with money, as I often associate the size/colour of the note to the amount without having to read the type. Using this concept made my currency predominantly visual as I had very little copy. During my research, I became interested in the characters that feature on the notes so I used the joker to represent the illusion of money.
My time management was efficient and effective at the start of the brief which is reflected in my broad research and idea generation. However, my design is very simple, particularly on the front of the currency so if I had a chance to do this again, I would explore more engaging visuals and texture. The concept is strong but I haven't pulled it off visually. However the minimalist and simple layout inspired by playing cards is simple and easy to read, making it easy to see the amount the currency is worth. The stock I used was appropriate because it was sturdy and very white which meant the ink contrasted well, however I would have liked to have explored more adventurous stock choices such as silk finish and highly textured. I feel this would have made my simple and clean design more tactile. I took the final outcome into screen print fairly early into the project which was proactive and allowed me to create a three colour screen print successfully. However, I would have liked to have revisited the composition by printing more content over the top in order to make it more engaging.
PREPARING FOR PRINT
Separated each element of my composition into layers so that I could use more than one colour when printing. The smallest amount of type that I used was 10pt so I considered using acetate when exposing my screen because I want a sharp and clear print finish. However after speaking to the technicians they clarified that I would be alright exposing my screen from paper.
After exposing my screen I realised that each element of my design was placed close together. This didn't take advantage of the space I had available on the screen. As a result I have to make sure I tape up areas that I don't want to print:
Made sure I flooded the screen so that the ink didn't dry out and my prints are consistent in quality and clarity.
As I have three colours that I am printing, I made sure I was accurate with the alignment of information when I was printing. Printing onto tracing paper first allowed me to register my paper so that I knew exactly where it would print:
For the red dots I struggled to get a consistent and bold colour but after mixing more acrylic paint with the
OUCOME:
Front:
Back:
(Poor photograph)
My outcome is made for the purpose of an exhibition piece because I used a lot of inspiration from the 'Show Me The Money' exhibition in Manchester. Even though I had a broad range of research, visiting the gallery was enlightening and inspiring because I was able to see other peoples opinions in the context of money. I became really interested in the French playing card currency from the war, my playing card concept is inspired by this. The aim of my outcome would be to feature in an exhibition similar to 'Show Me The Money. However my concept will bring an interesting historical twist to the exhibition.
My research into French playing card IOU's from 1685 made me focus on the composition of cards and die because I became interested in the historical elements and wanted to create a composition inspired by Jacques De Muelles. Looking at symbols and illusions influenced my final design as Op-Art inspired the back of the card due to the contrasting black lines on white stock and geometric shapes. Instead of using a numerical value, I used the symbol from a die. This links to my experience with money, as I often associate the size/colour of the note to the amount without having to read the type. Using this concept made my currency predominantly visual as I had very little copy. During my research, I became interested in the characters that feature on the notes so I used the joker to represent the illusion of money.
My time management was efficient and effective at the start of the brief which is reflected in my broad research and idea generation. However, my design is very simple, particularly on the front of the currency so if I had a chance to do this again, I would explore more engaging visuals and texture. The concept is strong but I haven't pulled it off visually. However the minimalist and simple layout inspired by playing cards is simple and easy to read, making it easy to see the amount the currency is worth. The stock I used was appropriate because it was sturdy and very white which meant the ink contrasted well, however I would have liked to have explored more adventurous stock choices such as silk finish and highly textured. I feel this would have made my simple and clean design more tactile. I took the final outcome into screen print fairly early into the project which was proactive and allowed me to create a three colour screen print successfully. However, I would have liked to have revisited the composition by printing more content over the top in order to make it more engaging.
No comments:
Post a Comment