Sweet

Sweet

Art

Art = everything

What is Art? Art is Everything.

design

design is everywhere

Invisible

Invisible

Hole

Design

Design

Trim

There is much to be expounded upon when thinking about the word “trim”. In itself, it carries so many connotations, from being slender in build, particularly women, to the “decoration” of a Christmas tree, to the cutting off of excess or unnecessary remnants .

When I started research for my project based on the word, trim. I got really excited, when I started thinking about, and looking at the tools used to trim documents. As I peruse the internet, making sounds like, “Tim, the Tool Man Taylor”, I thought about my first X-ACTO knife. It brought a tear to my eye, and a smile to my face! I love tools! Well, then, of course, I thought of my first set, in its little wooden box and the brass clasp that kept the box together. Are you with me?

Tools are great, and so very important to the job, whatever the job. They can be very job specific, and the blades are even more task oriented. You need to think about the medium, which you are cutting, it’s depth, length, and density, then choose your tool, and blade. As I learned during color theory class, doing the blessed intarsia, if you are cutting through many layers of paper, and/or require the end result to be pristine, with clean edges, keep a sharp blade in your knife, even if you have to change it many times, or after every cut. The craft is quite dependent on the implement with which, you choose to cut, or trim. A utility knife may be required for heavier jobs, or a table trimmer, for longer, straight lines. Yet, more sophisticated cutting tools exist, like punches, for complete cut outs. Another great tool, is a cutting mat. They protect any surface, by separating the object you are cutting, from the support surface.

This is the part where I encourage everyone to research (learn) the tools of your trade, or hobby! I also would like to add the importance of training, via, books, and the wonderful benefits, of taking classes, in which you will generally get hands on training, in using tools, critique and encouragement from peers, and a knowledgeable trade professional.  Depending on your level of interest, you may sign up for a class, at your local college, a local arts group or association, such as AVA, or classes that are offered at your local Home Depot, or other materials warehouse. I strongly suggest that you help support your town’s local economy by patronizing locally owned businesses. It maintains the local economy, (hello, JOBS!), and makes cities sustainable.

Denver Art Museum and Psychedelic Dance Concert Posters

The Flat Irons photographed by Melinda Owens

Delta Ho! To the wild, REALLY WILD west!

There was turbulence, flying SUVs (another story), long horned goats, Quilters, and escargot, as well as, a space ship house, The Flat Irons, and Psychedelic dance concert posters from 1965 to 1971, mostly published by, and designed for The Family Dog, out of San Francisco, California.

The exhibit I am speaking of, is currently on show at the Denver Museum of Art.  These posters were designed by both classically trained and self taught artists of the generation. Packed with almost hidden signs and statements of protest and some reflecting very flagrantly, the attitudes of the times, including “The Family Dog” logo. An American Indian, dressed in a suit and smoking a joint. This theme is repeated in many other posters, sometimes the artists placed joints in the hands of other iconic figures. Each artists had his or her own perspective and representation, but the common thread which binds this collection is the “psychedelic” typography, of curling, swirling information regarding the when and where of the upcoming dance concerts, and the playbill. The use of complementary colors and Secondary and tertiary colors, colors adjacent to each other(on the color wheel), became increasingly popular towards the late 60’s. Victor Moscoso’s connection with Josef Albers, and his knowledge of color theory led him to producing art that took flight under the undulating lights and black lights at concerts and other social gathering places. The greatest thing about this art work is the quality, hand art work behind the production of these posters and the individuality of the people involved in making them. Talent commonly listed in the posters are the Greatful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jerry Garcia, The YardBirds, The Velvet Underground, Jefferson Starship, John Mayall, Moby Grape, and others.

This exhibit is a must see for everyone from graphic design and other art students, to lover’s of the music of the era, to those who want to understand more about the social scene of the 60’s and 70’s.

Guided tours come with the price of admission, and I highly recommend a tour for the insight that you get, from learning the history that comes along with each poster. The tour is around 45 minutes and packed with information. It was a DAM cool experience!

Peace,

Melinda

National Print Group

NPG conceived in 1957, by Bill Price as National Poster, has evolved into the National Print Group. A full service, nationally recognized entity, offering services from design, prototyping, and databases to keep store profiles, to all aspects of printing. As well as having one of the largest Lithography Presses in the world, printing 60 by 80 feet, NPG can service all printing needs in house.

UTC Students on Tour

National Print Group is concerned with the environment. They not only offer recycled paper, but environmentally friendly inks. They use styrene and aluminum plates, utilize wood pallets, and recycle their cardboard and paper. Visit their page at http://www.nationalposters.com/green.aspx to view statistics and their green initiatives.

The staff at NPG pride themselves as “Embracing the ideas of others”-Michael at NPG. They also make it very clear that no job is too small, or large, and all clients are treated equally. At NPG, you will get all of the benefits of a knowledgeable staff and high quality, efficient printing, but get the personal printing experience.

Heavy

Light

Creative Packaging

Creative Packaging

There are so many creative ways of packaging available, that, as a graphic designer, I believe we become desensitized by all of the creativity. I found myself, looking for something particularly creative, well, spectacular, or impressive, and quite honestly, I had to step back and think seriously on the matter. Jaded, I walked through the gift bag aisle of Wal-Mart, yes, I am ashamed to say so, and came across a convention of presenting a gift card, as a present.

The gift card box is blue, with a flat bottom and the shape of a birthday hat for the top. The top of the hat has curled streamers coming out of it, and has “Happy Birthday” written around the base. I found this to be clever, and different than the little card sleeves, and tins, available at most checkout counters. For this reason, I feel that it exhibits some form of creativity, and thinking, nearly, outside “the box”.

photo by Melinda Owens

Another Example of Foil Stamping, with Embossing

This one is an Easter Card sent to me by a close friend.  It is a beautiful example of foil stamping and embossing.

Foil Stamping

Foil stamping uses heat and metallic film or leafing, in a process that results in a metallic face, or design, on paper, vinyl, plastic, leather, and other materials. Foil stamping, also called hot stamping, foil imprinting, or leaf stamping, can be combined with embossing, or debossing, and other processes.

My example for this is my KISS Double Platinum Album. The entire cover is silver foil stamped, front and back, with the word KISS doubly embossed, and the words Double Platinum contrasting in red across the center.

This is very effective and clever use of the foil stamping method, because of the name platinum in the title, and the design fit the image of the rock and roll band’s image.

Duotone

Duotone is the effect of using halftone, while having one color, paired with the color black, giving a kind of weathered, or faded, monochromatic state.  The usual colors used with black for the halftone are blues, browns, yellows, and reds.

My example for this finish, is a brochure from Natural Body, it is a six paged booklet, with saddle stapled binding. It is printed on a muted, beige, recycled paper with brown and green type face. Green accents set off the nude and organic look of the paper with text, and all of the pictures are duotone with either a brown, or a dark yellow.

The overall feel of this brochure is organic, sustainable, natural. The colors contribute to the feel by keeping the tone subdued.

photo by Melinda Owens

Scoring and Perforations

Scoring and Perforations

This seemed to be the hardest to locate in the form of the unusual, or unique, it seems that the world around us is inundated with the tri-fold brochure.  I suppose that it is just a good solid design for most uses.  I do crave the unusual though.  I have looked and found that the most clever thing I could find was a brochure by AVA, for promoting classes available, that has the pictorial design of a perforated line, which in fact, is scored as a fold.  The scoring on this particular fold is a little deeper than the other folds so that it is easier to tear off for sending in, as a registration/information form.  Other than the cleverness of the fold, it is a simple brochure, with only two colors implemented.  On the outside the text is green and the background white, and on the alternate side the colors are the inverse, text and background.

photo by Melinda Owens