Font Inspiration
As part of my poster development process, I experimented with different styles of fonts. Initially I explored fonts that had an artistic design; these fonts all follow a similar calligraphy style, that makes them seem as though they were lettered with a paintbrush. I think this makes it relevant to an art exhibition, because it reflects the paintings, however I don’t think it would be appropriate for a poster with a glitch effect there would be a contrast between traditional mediums of art (paint) and contemporary ones (digital).
I also explored some fonts produced in a calligraphy style because I think this lettering looks quite sophisticated. It also creates a subtle link to the vanitas paintings that I started my project on because the font looks similar to the old fashioned lettering these artists would have used. The second style has a slight twist on the traditional calligraphy designs; the terminals and serifs have small triangle indents, which give this font its own unique design. The third font is similarly sophisticated, but I think the swashes and swirls are too elaborate, and so would be distracting on a poster.
A Moment Of Mortality This font is my favourite because it is the most legible. The letters are placed separately and aren’t joined up, so there are no ligatures. This makes it clear to read and will be useful for a poster as it will catch the eyes of people as they walk past. The lines in the lettering are thin and tall, making it seem sophisticated and modern. I think this would complement the other aspects of my poster design well, because it is so minimal in its design, where the main image of my poster is very complex.
This design effectively links to my exhibition because it looks as though it has been printed onto the page with an old fashioned stamp, as some parts of the letters appear to be faded. I think this looks artistic and expressive, especially due to the dark colour and the bold style. This was used well in the “All For One” exhibition poster that I analysed, but I think would be too overpowering in my own poster.
To create the final poster design, I used the image I created with photography and Adobe Photoshop because I thought it was both relevant to my ‘memento mori’ theme and an interesting poster design. I added the title in the font I decided on earlier, and experimented with its position until I found one I liked. I thought my title looked best split into two separate lines because it makes it look as though the font is being affected by the glitch. I then rasterised the layers of font, adjusted the eraser tool to 20% opacity and erased the font behind the glitch layer. I think this makes each layer work together and make the design more cohesive as a whole. The font I used is similar to the font on the poster that first inspired me to create a glitch effect, and I think it is effective because the font is quite basic, so it allows the image to be the main focus of the poster. Next, I added the dates of the exhibition as this is an essential feature of exhibition posters. I used the same font as the title, but in a ‘regular’ rather than ‘titling’ design so the title would remain separated. I added a gallery logo for the National Gallery of Scotland, but it seemed too large for the image. Therefore I created my own logo based off the designs for other gallery logos.
I wanted the logo to be a basic design because I want all elements of the poster to work together to complement the image, and if they are too complex in their design then the poster will look overwhelming. The ‘Scottish National Gallery Of Modern Art’ was appropriate for my poster because my glitch effect is a modern technique, created by digital processes. However the font in this logo imitates factory printing styles of font, and this is different to the font I have used in my poster. The logo was also too wide because the lettering is spread across four lines, so this took up too much space. The logos for the National Gallery of Ireland used the same font as my own, but they cant be used in my poster because the lettering is dark, so it cannot be placed over my image because it becomes illegible. I liked the logo with the space of the letter filled with an image, so I used a clipping mask technique on Photoshop to recreate this, using the eyes of my model’s face. I tried this on a white as well as a black background, but both looked too colourful to go on my poster. Finally I created a logo that was white text on a black background, using the same font as the rest of my poster. I think this is the most effective because it is so basic that it doesn’t make my poster look busy, and is on a black background so the lettering is legible, like the National Gallery of Victoria logo. I then faded this out using the eraser tool so that the opacity decreased to the right. This allowed the glitch colours to show.
I added logos for social media to make my poster relevant to a modern viewer. To make them look sophisticated, I used the selection tool to highlight any negative space in the designs and then deleted it. I then adjusted this with the eraser tool at varying sizes and opacities. This was important because all the images of the logos came on black backgrounds, but removing this meant that the colours of my poster could show through these gaps. I chose to use logos that came in circular shapes because I thought they were the most appealing designs. As a final step, I selected and deleted a horizontal line of the image so that the date was clear to read. Then I deleted a vertical line to compliment this, as well as to act as a framing device for my subject’s face. I thought this was effective in the previous poster designs so I incorporated it into my own.
After creating the image for my poster design I decided to animate it to allow me to experiment with different techniques as well as practicing and improving my skill with Adobe systems. I created the first animation using the same process as my previous animations. For the second animation I used a video editing programme to add more movement and glitching in a different style, so that the animation increases with intensity as it plays. Hover over the image and press the play button. Version 1 is on the left, version 2 on the right.
My next intention is to create an exhibition guide, which will be designed to reflect the colour themes used in my photography and include elements from my poster. This will make the whole project cohesive and linked. I will also draw inspiration from other exhibition leaflets. For example, this leaflet features a bright yellow background on the first page which is continued throughout each page. The use of a bold colour makes it eye catching, yet also complements the yellow within the image of Picasso’s linocut. The font colours are also chosen according to the colours used in the linocut. There isn’t much text on the cover page of the leaflet as this would be too overwhelming. The text that is featured is only the essential information, such as the dates, cost of entry and logos. The final page advertises other upcoming events in the same gallery to ensure that visitors will return. It uses the same font style and colours to sustain the style of the leaflet. There is additional information regarding the features of the gallery, such as the café and the gift shop, as well as the full address and opening times which are only briefly mentioned on the cover page. The title “Picasso” and subtitle “linocuts from the British Museum” are repeated on the pages of the leaflet and use the same thick, bold font. This keeps the style of the guide consistent. When I visited the Lady Lever art gallery I noticed that this same title and subtitle are printed onto the walls. It also uses the exact same font, colour and positioning as on the leaflet. This links the leaflet and gallery together and I will use this in my own exhibition design. Large images of Picasso’s linocuts are used frequently in this leaflet to give the reader an impression of the art that will be displayed. There is some contextual information about the artist’s methods but it is kept vague; this provides enough detail to capture interest yet not so much that the reader will still learn something new at the exhibition.
Images show the area of Port Sunlight around the Lady Lever art gallery, which use bright sunlight and light colours to make the area look appealing. The photograph featuring a young child presents the gallery as a family friendly place.
The information on this page is relevant to the gallery, for example its refurbishment and funding. I don’t think this is useful information for the artwork but using a quote from the Art Director makes the gallery seem renowned.
This leaflet design is very different from the Picasso one; it features plain colours, only shades of black, white and the sandy colour of the marble sculpture. The background is also decidedly dark, which is used to contrast the bright colour of the sculpture. There is lighting above, which makes the top of the page a lighter shade of grey than the rest, but this darkens in accordance to the shape of the sculpture. I think this makes the page seem sophisticated, which must be the impression that Tate Modern wants to give. I like the idea of the contrasting background against the central image, which I may use in my own design. The leaflet has a thin, modern style of font which is clear and easy to read. Its simplicity ensures that the text does not distract from the main image. I like this effect, however it is not fully sustained as the black font is too dark, which makes it difficult to read. There are many images in this leaflet that show the artwork on display, for example this image of a sculpture by Brancusi. However this is not shown in a gallery setting, but in a cluttered room. This means that the viewers can simultaneously see the art on the gallery display as well as when it was first photographed.
The photographs are kept colourless, thus sustaining the black and white theme of the leaflet. Their structure also remains constant: a large image of the artwork that fills up an entire page, and a commentary on the left page top it. This layout is clear and effective for showing information. The final double page spread advertises upcoming events, similarly to the Picasso leaflet. However it is more organised in doing so; the categories of the events, such as “talks”, “study day” and “performances”, each with a subtitle. The dates of the events are also in bold because they are important information. Overall this leaflet has kept a continued sophisticated design which inspires the design for my own leaflet, however I will use more colours in order to keep it bright and appealing.
These two examples of leaflets have the same cover page design: a large image in the centre of the page, the logo in the top right corner, the title above the image with the date of the event below it. The remainder of the information is at the bottom of the page as this is less important. The background uses a bold colour, in a cool tone. This design is simple, yet the colours and images make it noticeable, therefore it is likely to encourage people to read its contents. I like this modern design and I may imitate this aspect of the leaflet. For my own leaflet, I wanted to use the same design/motif as my poster design to make the entire exhibition link together. However I added subtle changes to the image so both the leaflet and poster have their own design. This adds individuality which makes each aspect more interesting. Firstly, I deleted and erased certain aspects of the image, such as some layers of the face and parts of the glitch. Then I deleted the social media icons and moved the date over from above the logo to beside it. This became difficult to read over the background, so I used the eraser tool to fade it and make the text more clear. Overall, this simplified the design which is what I wanted to achieve. I added the names of all the artists in the exhibition to give visitors a brief idea of the artwork. I experimented with varying positions of this text until I found one that I thought looked best.
After making my first leaflet design, I wanted to experiment with the colour of the background. I chose a dark, grey tone and used the paintbrush tool to colour the canvas because I thought it would look deathly. It also looked quite sophisticated in the Brancusi leaflet design by Tate Modern so I thought it would be effective. Initially I coloured the background as one shade of dark grey, but this made the black font of the title illegible. I used the eraser tool on varying opacity and flow settings to lighten the background so it looked more like a gradient of tone. I focused this especially behind the title and around the subject so it acted as a subtle framing device. Next, I added the image of my previous leaflet design and rasterised it. This allowed me to paint over and manipulate the image using Adobe tools. At this point I thought the title was too light and difficult to read, so I added another two layers of font and placed it over. I created a shadow effect by misaligning them slightly, which I think adds to the mysterious, “memento mori theme. I moved the names of the artists to the bottom of the page because when they are in the centre of the page the font takes attention from the glitch image.
My final leaflet design I decided to keep simple. I kept the same dark background as my previous design and used the same design as the other parts of my exhibition so that they all linked together coherently. I used the information that I found during my research to create a chronological guide to each painting in the gallery. I also used the same font in the exhibition guide that I used for the pull quotes on the wall to add to this effect. I kept the front page as simple as possible and, unlike my previous design, didn’t include any text. I think extra information is unnecessary because it is all in the poster and on the final page of the guide.
The leaflet has some biographical information about each artist as well as some contextual details about the art. I additionally included some small images, such as the colour wheel or further examples of images, to complement the information. The final page has further text about events at the gallery and a map to help visitors locate the gallery, which are typical features of exhibition guides.
My next intention was to create a design for the tickets that are appropriate for the theme of information my Important such as the exhibition title, date and location are the main feature of exhibition.
the design. Barcodes are also included for scanning. These can be torn away from the rest of the ticket.
The National Gallery logo is at the top of the ticket. The ticket features pale, washed-out colours. This makes the font the most noticeable part of the design.
There are no images linking to the exhibition and I think these tickets would have been improved with an image of Renaissance artwork. My own ticket design will feature images either from the exhibition or my poster. These tickets from the National Gallery have a plain design; they are mostly white except for the provider logo (ticketmaster).
I think this ticket design is more interesting than the previous two because it has a vibrant lilac-coloured background. This is suitable for a neo-impressionist display as this style of art often uses similarly bright colours. The font is simple, without any motifs or elaborate letters. Each letter is thick which creates dramatic titling. Only basic information is included- this keeps the whole ticket design minimalistic. I like this simplistic style but I think it could also be improved with an image or a barcode.
The structure of the ticket is divided into three sections, with the centre featuring an image of the gallery. This is more effective as a ticket design because the image looks attractive.
The vivid red font creates a strong contrast with the light blue background, thus drawing attention to it. This shows the title of the exhibition is considered the most vital information.
The range of font styles and colours makes the ticket bright and colourful, which is more appealing to look at than black and white designs.
This ticket design is from the National Gallery of Canada – the left half is in English and the right half is in French to accommodate both native languages of Canada.
The use of an image creates cohesion with the exhibition. This gives customers a first impression of what styles of art will be displayed. The red tones of the image (in the background and lipstick) link with the red font. Similarly, the blue eyeshadow in the image is the same shade of blue as the ticket.
Initially I made my ticket design with the same image as the front cover of my leaflet design, but after I saw how it looked in the small composition of a ticket I decided that it would be better to experiment with different versions of my poster design to find an image that I liked enough to use for the tickets. To do this, I reopened the Photoshop file with my poster image and adjusted the layers to see them in different positions, and played with the opacities and positions of each layer. I also added some more glitches and used adjustment settings to change the tones of the glitches. I preferred the purple and blue glitch more than the red and green because the colours blended together in a more attractive way. I added a layer of darkness using the paintbrush tool to see how this looked and I thought it reflected the theme of death better than a light background because darkness if often seen as spookier.
To create my own ticket designs, I first played around with the layers of my poster design, adding more glitch and erasing parts of the horizontal stripes, subject and skull layers until I thought they all blended together seamlessly. Then I changed it to a jpeg file and added it to a new Photoshop file at landscape orientation. I coloured the background with a black paintbrush at 100% opacity and used the text tool to add the title of the exhibition. I used the same font throughout this process to ensure my designs remained consistent. I added further information about the location and dates, as well as a barcode and serial number, which are typical features of ticket designs. I added the logo I previously made but had to change the colour, as the black logo did not show through on the black background. I changed it to red, a shade I found using the colour dropper over the glitch, and added a simple, geometric design that I have seen in other National Gallery logos. Finally, I added another image of a glitch and used layer filters to adjust the colours so they were the same as my poster design (-60 hue and +12 saturation). I used the eraser tool on 50% opacity and 30% flow to subtly blend out areas that were too bright, and then the black paintbrush tool on 10% opacity to fade the title and merge with the glitch.
After creating my ticket design I decided that the images I created here are more dramatic and interesting than my previous poster designs. Because I made two ticket designs, I had two glitches with different colour hues, and then decided to draw inspiration from my research on Andy Warhol and create a design with multiple images. This links to the theme of ‘memento mori’ in my exhibition because this was frequently explored by Warhol in his work. I also think the duplication of images creates an interesting perspective on the transience of life; it desensitises us to those images of death yet reminds us of our mortality. Therefore I decided to change my poster deign and use these images instead. I added typical features of a poster, such as the gallery logo that I made, the title and some social media logos.
The National Gallery, London I intend to research exhibitions across different art galleries to inspire the design for my own exhibition. I will look at the layout of these galleries, as well as the way they inform visitors about the artwork. Following this, I will create a design for a gallery featuring the artwork I have researched.
The architecture throughout this gallery is elaborate, for example having intricate patterns on the ceilings and many layers of skirting. I think this is due to the old nature of the building, when grandeur was desirable and therefore was created to keep the gallery attractive to the public. This suits the exhibition as the paintings are similarly old, but I think it is overwhelming.
Although the walls are painted a bright red colour, the rest of the room only have basic, plain colours, such as the white ceiling and the black skirting boards. However I don’t think I will use this in my own exhibition because I think it makes the room too dark which may alter the mood of the paintings. Although in a room with a morbid theme to the paintings, using dark colours in the room would be effective.
There are information plaques scattered around the gallery to give details on the context or theme of each room (such as the one seen on the bottom right of this photo). They are always white with black text because this is very clear, and each one looks the same so they are all easily recognisable to the public. The plaques next to each painting are small enough to not distract too much from the painting, yet are still large enough to show enough information about each painting. I will use this idea because I think it makes the exhibition much easier to follow.
The walls are painted a shade of white which I think was chosen because it is so plain, which means that it will not draw focus away from the paintings. It is also practical because white can carry any other colour, therefore when the exhibition changes the walls will not need constant repainting.
The paintings are equidistant which makes the gallery look tidy and organised. They are also spaced quite far apart. I think this is a good way to display paintings as it means there is enough space around each painting for a crowd of viewers, so the gallery will not become overcrowded.
The skirting board has been painted green which complements the colours in each painting. For example, the background in the main painting is a similar shade of green.
I think placing a bench in the gallery is a good idea as it encourages visitors to sit and look at the painting. This means that people are likely to spend more time viewing a painting. The bench is placed in front of the large painting of Henry VIII; this suggests that it is an important part of the exhibition. I will use benches in my exhibition for the same effect.
The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
The style of this museum is very different to the National Gallery; it feels much more modern and uses neutral complimentary colours (such as hues of light blues and yellows) as paint on the walls, where the National Gallery would use darker colours, like red. I think light colours are much better because they make the room seem bigger and more open, which is especially useful in a gallery that is often full of people. The floor is also a light coloured wood to add to this effect. I also like the large images on the wall as they are selected colours that complement the colours used on the plaques. This makes the paintings look as attractive as they possibly can, which is the overall aim of the exhibition. However the images are not aligned with the plaques and detracts from the usual tidiness.
The bench is placed in the centre of the room so it can be used to look at paintings on either side of the room, thus maximising its usefulness. It is made from the same wood as the floor with plain black cushions, which ensures that colours are not too bright. I think lots of care has been taken to keep the colours in this gallery plain and neutral because Van Gogh is known for his bright use of colour, and they don’t want to distract from that.
The layout of the Van Gogh museum is effective for displaying artwork well; the split walls allow the light to come through and keep everywhere bright, and also stop overcrowding at doors. The edges of the images are perfectly straight and parallel with the edge of the wall. This is very aesthetically pleasing and keeps the overall gallery looking organised and clear.
There are lights shining over this section of the wall too so this adds to the brightness around the painting. I will use this idea in my own exhibition because it keeps the painting clear to see and attractive to everyone.
The wall is painted different colours which are split around the painting. This divide draws attention to the painting, yet does so in a subtle, sophisticated way.
The text about the painting is printed onto the walls, rather than on plaques. This allows more things to be written about the painting as the text is not confined to a small space. This is also because the Van Gogh museum will not be changing its Van Gogh exhibition so where it would be impractical to have to paint over text and reprint it every time there is a new exhibition in other galleries, it is quite useful here.
The colour around the painting is white, which is bright and complements the bright colours that Van Gogh has used in this painting.
I created this 2D image to experiment with different room shapes and layouts for my gallery. This has an open plan design that is similar to the design of galleries at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. However I think this looks too basic, as there are not many rooms. I also dislike the empty shape in the centre of the design; this is not intended as a viewing room which means it is not using the space efficiently. I then used 3D software to create a better design. This gallery layout is more interesting as it has a path to follow, rather than being just rooms to walk around. This makes the exhibition easier to follow and ensures the paintings are viewed in the desired order. I have used an open plan design, similarly to my previous design, as this prevents over crowding. There will be simple openings in the walls instead of doors in order to maintain the modern design.
I created a gallery using 3D software and then used Photoshop tools to determine where each painting would be displayed; they are placed in a coherent order that follows the path of my research, starting with Dutch vanitas paintings, to contemporary photographers, finally ending with Warhol’s art and my poster design. This will be shown on a small canvas instead of the wall to draw attention to it, and because an oversized canvas suits the artistic aesthetic.
I wanted to keep the design minimal because an elaborate gallery design would distract attention from the artwork. Therefore my design includes simple, light colours (similar to the tones used in the Van Gogh Museum), basic doorways instead of doors and a dark floor to contrast with the light walls.
My gallery features an open – plan layout to avoid overcrowding and to keep the room light. Instead of using several rooms, I used one room with dividing walls because it gives the gallery more space.
I have a small desk at the entrance of my gallery where visitors can collect exhibition guides and tickets
There is a feature wall with a window in it; this allows more light to come through the gallery and makes the space seem more open.
I positioned benches in the centre of the room so they can be used to look at paintings on either side of the room, thus maximising their usefulness. They are equidistant from each other to ensure the gallery remains uncluttered and open.
My gallery has inner feature walls because it maximises the space in the gallery. Some are painted white and some are painted with varying tones of grey, depending on the painting that is over it. The brighter, colourful prints by Warhol are on a wall painted white, because this clarity allows the colours to look more vibrant. The paintings of the Vanitas still lifes, which feature chiaroscuro, are on darker walls to enhance the shadows. I placed a desk and a gallery employee at the entrance so that visitors can collect exhibition guides and souvenirs. Windows are placed next to the paintings to ensure they always stay in light. This is similar to the light positioning at the Van Gogh Museum, but I chose to use natural lighting instead of electric lighting because it is more sophisticated. I positioned the paintings at equidistance apart to prevent overcrowding while visitors view each painting. It also makes the gallery look more tidy and organised. I included large pull quotes printed on the wall because I liked the use of it at the Lady Lever Art Gallery; it creates cohesion between the artwork, gallery and exhibition guide.
Final Designs