91-3 The Storm

Our group decided to prepare materials for the radio station here on campus. At our first meeting we decided that our target audience would be students at DSC who were between the age of 18 and 40. Then we focused on the "think, feel, do" aspects of design.

Think-

"91-3 The Storm is hip, cool, and fun."

Feel-

"This [artifact] makes me feel energized and happy."

Do-

I want to listen to 91-3 The Storm and check out their website."

With those factors in mind we decided that our four artifacts would be redesigning the radio's website landing page and Facebook page and creating a 30 second commercial, poster, and logo.

Here are the final products:

Website

Facebook

Commercial

Poster-

Logo-

"3:10 to Yuma Final Scene": Costumes

Most of the costumes worn by the men in this film were worn throughout the duration of the film. Which makes sense since in the 1800s few people had closets full of close, and cowboys definitely didn't.

Of the three main characters in the clip we viewed, the costume that stood out to me the most was the one worn by the character Charlie Prince, played by Ben Foster. In this still image that didn't appear in the actual clip you can see many details of Charlie's clothing:

Despite the dirt the jacket is beautiful white leather, double breasted, with large brass buttons. The buttons carry into the chaps, which seem much less dirty. Finger less gloves, a large black, uniquely shaped cowboy hat, jeans, and a gun belt complete the look.

After being trampled by cattle the jacket and hat  Charlie is wearing are in much worse condition, as is Charlie:

With all of the characters a great deal of attention has been given to every detail of their costume, including it seems the people on the train that appear only in this shot. The costume designer for the film is Arianne Philips. Arianne has been designing for films for over 20 years and has numerous period pieces to her credit, not to mention the cult classic Tank Girl. Her work on this film won her an award for "Excellence in Costume Design for Film - Period" from the Costume Designers Guild.

No Western would work without care being taken with the way the characters are dressed. Otherwise it looks like you raided a costume shop, the thrift store, or your grandma's closet. The costuming and styling in "3:10 to Yuma" adds to the overall feel of the film while also helping to visually define each characters place in life. While Charlie's white jacket is an attention getter, the rest of the wardrobes enhance each character without distracting from them. I think that's a s much as you could ask of costumes in a Western film.

Rule of composition

I am not one for taking pictures. I wish I was, but I just don't have an eye for it. Which is why this picture surprised me. We were on a pier in San Diego and there were three pelicans hanging out and eating scraps that were thrown to them.

This is one of many pictures I took. When I reviewed it later I was surprised by how much I liked it. In fact I now have it tattooed on my back.

As I look at this picture with the rules of composition in mind I see that it may follow some of the rules, but it breaks some as well.

The rule of thirds
The pelican follows the rule of thirds by representing horizontally the left imaginary grid line of the photo. The boards on the rail also fall within a grid line. As focal points these elements follow the rules. The horizon line falls directly in the middle of the frame, which is contrary to the rules, however it is not a focal point of the photo, so I don't feel that it is an issue.

The diagonal rule
Overall this photo does not follow the diagonal rule. The lines of the trash can, rail, and horizon are all fairly straight.The pelican's beak is the only element of the picture that falls on the diagonal.

Vectors
The beak is in fact the most noticeable vector in this photo. The eye follows it like an arrow as it points down. When composing this photo for my tattoo I was very aware of the fact that the pelican is perched on a trash can with its beak directing one's eye to the can. The tattoo instead has a post with a splash of blue water around the bottom and the pelican's beak is not really pointing at anything.

I recognize that this photo doesn't follow the rules of composition completely, but despite that or because of it, I love the photo.

Good and bad design

 Here is a billboard for an insurance company in Georgia.

Clean, simple... boring. While this billboard gets its point across, it lacks any visual interest. Especially when contrasted with this set of billboards from Nationwide Insurance:

This advertising design from TM Design in Texas is much more interesting. In fact, I'm sure it was shocking to people driving by. A large can of bright green paint spilling out of the billboard into the parking lot and onto cars and the attendant's booth. This design advertises insurance in a much more eye catching way.

The billboard spans the face of three buildings and seems to promote a paint company in the first one. However, the law of similarity, and even the law of proximity, create a three piece tableau that we recognize as one very large promotion.

The law of continuity plays a part in this advertisement as our eye follows the spilled paint from the can, to the building, to the parking lot and cars. And because of the law of pragnanz we conclude that even though the paint can is a 2 dimensional image, the paint that has been spilled is still coming from it. We don't over analyze the impossibility of this, we simply accept it.

The woman on my wall

I purchased a painting at a yard sale a few years ago. It is a simple portrait of a woman. To some it might not be great art, but I find it breathtaking.

Before being assigned to interpret it in terms of Gestalt principles I often tried to determine what it is about the painting that I am drawn to. It’s probably obvious that it’s the woman herself that appeals to me. She is most likely of African descent; however my friends and I have debated her ethnicity on more than one occasion. My Filipino sister sees her as being possibly from the Philippines, or at least the Asian Pacific. She could also be Puerto Rican, Samoan, or Hawaiian. For me her undefined ethnicity adds to her appeal.

The other thing I love about this picture is the expression on her face. Without any context I have created my own narrative. I see her as having just awakened in a tropical local. She has walked out on the veranda and is basking in the sun and the cool breeze coming from the ocean outside her door. Through this story I imagine myself in her place, and the tranquility I might feel in such a setting.

With all of that in mind, there is a part of me that resists analyzing the painting in Gestalt terms. If I look too hard at the painting I worry that it will lose its mystique.

Nevertheless, here goes:

Figure/Ground

This painting applies a unique perspective in terms of figure ground. Even though the woman is clearly defined she is very close in color to the background. Without the gradating colors surrounding her form she would likely blend into the background. And in fact she does at the bottom as the piece of cloth she is holding fades from blue into brown.

Enhancing the figure ground relationship is the fact that the ground is a simple background. It is not a landscape, a wall, or any kind of scenery. Because it is an undefined background the focus is never drawn away from the figure.

The Law of Continuity

Line is an important element in this painting. In almost all instances the lines are soft and curving. Her hair, face, body, the flower, even the fabric are soft and flowing. I see this as adding intimacy to the photo as the eye traces each line, specifically those in her décolletage area. The curve of her breast, the shape of her shoulder and collar bone, and the highlights and shadows all draw the eye. Even if you begin at her face, ultimately you will trace the line down to the fabric clutched at her bosom.

The other area where lines are used is in her fingers. She has lovely long fingers laid gracefully across her arm with the fingers parallel. Aside from the few pops of color, this is one of the strongest, most eye catching elements of the painting because it uses line so strongly and almost defies the gentle curves of the rest of the painting.

Balance

Stepping away from Gestalt principles I want to address the symmetry of the painting. Even though the subject is in profile with the majority of her features facing the right side, there is still symmetry in the painting. Specifically it is found in the only two occasions of bright colors. The figure and background are comprised of similar shades of brown with her hair being slightly darker. The only real colors used are the pink flower in her hair and the blueness of the fabric. The blue is applied most heavily in bottom right third of the painting. To offset this, the brightness of the pink flower in flower her hair adds balance and symmetry.

This painting hangs above the sofa in my living room. When I enter my home it is almost always the first place my eyes land. When that happens I am awash with the tranquility of her expression and the comfort of finally being home. For that reason it will likely remain in that spot at least for as long as I live in this apartment. 

Although I will probably move it so that it is centered on the couch because right now it’s off center and the lack of symmetry kind of bugs me…