Assignment – Type Collage
Introduction
This assignment is intended to make you to think about typography in a radically different way. Instead of relying on specific words and phrases to convey meaning, you are going to use typographic forms as non-reading shapes in your collages. Using cut-and-paste methods, you will work with “found” materials (a newspaper page) to create your designs through direct manipulation. You will not work through a multi-step process (i.e. no thumbnails, no tight roughs). Your compositions are meant to be abstract representations of a mood/tone. More specifically, they should be one of the moods listed below (use one per design). You will create a 3x3 grid tracing paper overlay to assist you with desiging engaging compositions.
Consider using design principles we have used in previous projects (Scale, Contrast, Disorder, Positive/Negative) as you construct your designs. Other design principles you may consider are Repetition, Movement, Rhythm, Symmetry, Asymmetry, Harmony and Balance.
Conveying Mood
Your type collages should evoke one of the mood listed below. On the back of your 6x6 final comps, write the name of the mood that your designs convey. Briefly describe how your design reflects this mood in a sentence or two (write legibly please) and/or list what Mood Lines support this conclusion. If you are having difficulty determining what mood fits your design, consult the Mood Lines PDF for inspiration.
The List of Moods
AGGRESSIVE
AWKWARD
HECTIC
HEROIC
PEACEFUL
WEARY
Mood Lines
Mood Lines are a systematic series of drawings that aim to identify feelings generated through the use of design elements in compositions.
“Lines have been used by artists and designers to convey mood since the first drawings in cave walls. Through repeated use, certain patterns and lines have gained universally recognized meanings. These were documented in Landscape Architecture, by John Ormsbee Simonds, who put together a diagram of 48 Mood Lines.” – from blog post by Rikard Rodin
Mood Lines PDF
Skills
Develop designs through direct manipulation of materials as an alternative to sketching. Use type as a design elements (shape, form, line) instead of literal words with meanings.
Overview
You are to create 2 non-representational 6" x 6" collages using only photocopies/printouts from a provided newspaper page. Designs should aim to evoke one of the six listed moods. You will then create 2 alternative designs by cropping into a portion of each of the first designs.
Guidelines
- Typographic forms should be considered design elements, not words with meanings to be read and interpreted. Look at only the shapes created by letters or parts of letters.
- Do not make representational objects out of letterforms (i.e. no sailboats, no suns, etc ).
- Do not make “Ransom Note” compositions.
- If you use photographic or illustration based imagery from the source materials, it should be used abstractly as additional design elements, not representational items.
- Designs must be created using only provided source material (printouts/photocopies of scanned newspaper pages).
- You may dramatically manipulate source material using a photocopier. However, the compositions must appear typographic (not photographic, not illustrative).
Inspiration
I’ve collected a few examples of professional and fine art work that demonstrates a usage of experimental typography to great effect in this gallery: TYPE COLLAGE INSPIRATION.
Norman Ives
Cecil Touchon
Reid Miles
Paul Sahre
Instructions
Final Comps Only: You are jumping straight to the final comping stage for this assignment. Final designs comps should be constructed at the size of 6" x 6". You will use cut-and-paste methods to produce your final artwork for this assignment.
TIMELINE
Class 9B/10A – Assignment introduction. Begin Thumbnails.
Class 10B – Work. Sign up for individual feedback
Class 11A. Finalize designs.
Class 11B – Assignments are DUE. Turn in 2 cut-and-paste artwork pages with tracing paper grid overlay, 4 cardstock mounted final comps (2 original designs, 2 cropped designs), markup copy for each comp in project folders.
Downloadable FILES
These files are linked in context above and are also available in the ‘Public’ Google Drive folder:
GD114EXP-Trim.pdf
GD114EXP-Grid.pdf
GD114TYP-Mood-Lines.pdf
GD114TYP-Composing.pdf
Newspaper scans are available in the shared PUBLIC folder on Google Drive.
Phase 1
Make printouts and/or photocopies of the provided newspaper scans to use for your collages. You may print these out at various sizes and manipulate them further on the photocopiers. This is what you will use to make your collages.
Create a 3x3 grid tracing paper overlay to assist in composing. This overlay is intended to give you a Rule of Thirds guide for making pleasing compositions.
Cut-and-paste photocopies/printouts to create collage artwork at the final size of 6" x 6". You may use the same GD114EXP-Trim.pdf file from the last assignment for layouts or create your own.
Once you have completed your cut-and-paste final artwork, make 2 photocopies at 100% size (6" x 6").
One photocopy you will turn in to be used as my grading Markup Copy.
With the second copy, use adhesive (Artist Tack) to mount it to a piece of cardstock (thicker paper).
Trim with the cardstock final comp at 6" x 6" size.
Phase 2
Now revisit designs using a Composing Windows handout to discover alternative compositions for each final design by cropping in on compositions.
Enlarge alternative compositions on photocopier to 6x6 final artwork size.
Use adhesive (Artist Tack) to mount designs to a piece of cardstock (thicker paper).
After trimming out the new cropped designs, make photocopies of your finished designs that you will turn in to be used as my grading Markup Copies for the cropped versions.
Specifications Checklist PDF
4 final comps (2 originals designs, 2 cropped versions).
