ANM 328 Project 5

The objectives of the Legacy Poster were to demonstrate blending skills, learn how to select compatible images and make adjustments in the overall composition to establish visual hierarchy in order to communicate a clear message about the legacy of your artist or scientist.  This project brings together all the design and technical skills we’ve been working on this semester.

Grading Criteria

95-100   It’s all come together with strong images, clear hierarchy and perfect type that resonates the essence of the artist or scientist.

90-94  Almost perfect but one of the key criteria is not very strong.  For example: Type does not resonate or is hard to read.

80-89 At least one or more areas of your composition are not very successful.  Image selection lacks consistency or quality and there are overall design flaws.

70-79 At least two areas: composition, image selection or type has major problems Below 70- Ouch!

Late work: -10 pts

Adams Group

Julie Hargraves- The most effective element in your poster is the embossed IZ filled with imagery. This both identifies and resonates the tone of the artist. The rainbow, of course, emphasizes one of his most memorable pieces. To me, the quantity of text surrounding that imagery tends to overpower the composition and has taken away the hierarchy the subject deserves. I would consider simplifying the poster by removing Somewhere and make IZ a little larger. The rainbow filled letters do resonate the arching rainbow but the strength of that style is diminished by overuse. Perhaps if you used a script font with no rainbow fill for the quote it would provide a contrast and balance in the composition.

Joe Lee-Tesla is always a popular subject for this project. His “legacy” with electricity and modern connection with the electric car offer lots of possibilities. You’ve found a great image of Tesla with excellent detail. The lighting, sparks and wires all add intensity and energy…it both communicates the subject of electrical current and inspiration Tesla had as an inventor. The strength of that large central images is somewhat diminished by the smaller images of the light bulb and Tesla banner. The placement appears to “fill space”. Consider this, in place of those two small images, what if you had a very transparent but large front-end image of the Tesla car in the background….very faint? In this case, “less is more”.

Natallia Ramaniuk- You’ve done an excellent job of blending all these images into a very cohesive composition. It highlights the film legacy of Chaplin by brining the viewer into a classic theater environment. I especially like the projector! I think the position of the quote is too central and tends to be the focal point rather than an aside. I would consider putting it in one or two horizontal lines just above the audience’s heads. Just put quotes around it and probably don’t need his name repeated below. Very creative work that demonstrates excellent blending skills.

Christopher Talbott-Walt Disney is a great subject for the poster. The images of the castle and he and Mickey are iconic and certainly highlights to his legacy. I think those two images work but it looks like part of Walt’s head was removed in the selection process. The larger image of Disney appears to have been distorted to fit the space…a better technique would be keep it in normal proportion but use a layer mask to soften the side at the edge of the castle. This would also visually link him in the scene. The type tends to dominate…I think it could be smaller and still be readable. Also consider bringing down a third of the way on the page to help the visual flow through the composition.

Mutter Group

Lea Aletti-the most effective element in the composition is the film…it both is a vehicle to show “clips” from movies but also leads the viewer through the poster. I also like the contrast between black and white and the color images of the actress. Type and image quality is excellent. My only suggestion would be to consider removing the image of Hepburn in the lower left. Why? As is, the four images in each quadrant tend to visually constrain the composition. If you remove the one in the lower left the visual flow will be much stronger and will more effectively take advantage of the curvilinear path of the filmstrip. Nice work!

Katherine Case-The large image of Kelly and the child has excellent quality and is the clear focal point of the composition. The two smaller images reflect the two parts of her legacy as an actress and as royalty. Placing these images side by side in the corner is not an especially creative way of showing this diverse legacy. Did you consider enlarging the images and placing them in the background? This would contrast nicely with the black and white photo and more effectively show the relationship between being in the limelight vs being a “mom”. The name is very hard to read…I think this is primarily due to the vertical orientation. We don’t read that way very well and it’s complicated by the scrip font. Keeping it in the horizontal would work/read better. I like the pick-up of the dress color for the type...great technique.

Joshua Hird- You poster is primarily made-up of the large painting of George..just flipped. The addition of the globe illustrates a more worldly view. I’m trying to make a connection between the placement of the small images (Crossing Delaware) and Martha on the globe…don’t think there is a geographic connection. The globe appears to just be an object to display the images on. The globe could be better integrated into the scene by showing more of his hand grasping and adding some shadow that would be cast from the object. I would have like to have scene a more challenging use of blends to compose the background.

Shelley Leide-Lynch-You’ve used a lot of images to compose your poster! Pete is a great subject and the main image is very strong with excellent resolution. I especially like the contrast between the black and white background and color. I realize you feel strongly about the quote but a poster is meant to be high visual impact…could it be shortened? I can visualize the name and date being brought down and maybe split above and below the banjo neck. Overall, the poster is very effective.

Jason Zofin-The image quality is outstanding and appropriate for the legend of Ansel Adams. This looks like a poster I would find in an art store…that’s great! The panel below the large images with the “hanging images” and type is the most effective. The type is crisp and resonates a professional aura of the photographer. The images below are fluid and contrast significantly with the more formal rectangle shapes…this, to me reflects the “you make it” originality of Adams. I think the overall poster would be stronger without the bottom row of images. You didn’t separate these from the main composition so I am assuming they are meant to be in it and not the small thumbs that were also part of the project requirements.

Monroy Group

Courtney Allred- You definitely win the award for most images used. I especially like the color silhouette of Mickey that emerges in the background. This very effectively links Disney, animations and his legacy of film. The image of Walt is very strong and contrasts well with the busy background. Using the Disney logo for his name works too! You’ve done an excellent job in all aspects of the project!

Lori DeLappe-Your poster is a very clever blending of both images and eras. I wouldn’t think of the connection between 16^th century Shakespeare and tweets. It’s all about words! Regarding the composition…the image of Shakespeare is very strong and I especially like the masked blend of the book in the background. To me, the quantity of quotes is a little over powering. Wouldn’t the visual and intellectual impact be stronger with just one or two quotes/hashtags? I do like the top third with color and texture. What if that were stacked along the left and your favorite additional quote at the bottom. You have one of the most creative solutions I’ve seen for these posters…but keep in mind that less is more and in this case, I think it would be more powerful with less.

Amanda Jones- Tesla is a popular figure these days and certainly has an important legacy. The Tesla coil and electric pulses add energy and resonate the creative genius of Tesla. The image of Tesla is intense and it looks like you colorized it…wow, that’s very creative! I appreciate your effort to “electrify” his name. The concept is great but it’s not as readable as it should be. Although still abstract, it might benefit from a hue/saturation adjustment… sample the intense blue or purple and try a complimentary color…did you consider this as an option? The added contrast would make a big difference.

Alisa Maeder-Your poster of Shirley Temple incorporates images that highlight her acting and political career, but the composition lacks hierarchy…it would be much stronger if one of those images took control by being larger and perhaps selected off its background. The most likely images to do this would be Shirley as a child star or the main one, as an older adult. I’d like to see the images better integrated or blended so it doesn’t look like a photo album…this is where blending can be very powerful. Right now the dominant element in the composition is the date..is this the most important aspect of her legacy for your viewers? I’d suggest larger name and smaller date. Type is also very pixilated…I think your image started out quite small and enlargement to viewable size caused the distortion. No small thumbs provided but it’s clear what imagery you used.

Veronica Deltoro-I like the way you’ve divided the composition with the primary image in the center and background split between two of his most memorable characters. This, along with the type and date, flows well and is simple but effective. Did you try any other color combinations for the background? I think it would be interesting to use a compliment of green (red spectrum) or yellow (purple spectrum) for a more harmonious palette. It’s a small point but worth considering. Excellent work!

Taylor Group

Sabrina Guidi-Your poster was one of the most successful in class! The images all relate to the famous Brunelleschi dome. I just saw a special on how it was built..defying all rules of architecture and construction at the time. You’ve done a great job of layering the images to add depth and very successfully incorporating the sculpture as the central figure. The type you chose definitely has a “structural” look…a little hard to read at first glance but interesting. You definitely have and eye for composition and are skilled with the Photoshop tools.

Corinne Seilahan-The combination of images, blending and colorization all work to make this composition successful. Although challenging, you successfully found a good balance between the background image, text and the added quote.  The quote stands out and “fits” the visual of middle earth. The treatment of his signature (stroke or outer glow is rather pixilated…this is not necessarily bad. It does compliment the overall tone of the composition and is likely the only way to make his name readable across the varied background colors. Excellent composition and use of Photoshop techniques.

 Lea Winnen-I was a little confused on which final image you preferred so I just took the most recent submission. Gerogia O’Keeffee is a great subject for this poster. Her work is vibrant and bold and there are some excellent images of her. This horizontal composition, at first glance, would point the viewer off the page to the left. But the glance of her eye counteracts this directional force. I especially like the flowing painting in the background that becomes her hair and the flowers that adorn her. The small images of her at different stages in life are a little strange as flowers but they do work and add interest to the overall scene. They also serve to enhance the visual flow from left to right and back into the main image of the artists. The weakest part of the composition I the drop-shadow on the name…it’s just too intense. I would suggest just leaving it flat. A large horizontal canvas can be challenging to fill with elements that work together…you’ve done it!

Sarah Trattner-What strikes me most is the consistent picture quality in your poster. I really like the background guitar and the electric angle image as the central figure. With the addition of the smaller images in each corner, the composition has become more static. I would remove all but one of those of him playing a guitar and make that one image larger. This would improve hierarchy and strengthen the overall layout. In this case, less is definitely more. Your font choice is excellent…without the two mirrored images at the top it might be stronger stacked along the left side. There’s lots of potential here thanks to the quality imagery. As suggested, simplifying will really make this more powerful.

Kristina Fahey-Old blue eyes…I’m impressed with the strong visual hierarchy…it you learn one thing from this class this is it and will apply to any creative work you do. The images are compatible in tone and resolution. The selections and layering make them all work together. I’m not as sold on the yellow outer glow which is strongest on the right side. It looks a little intense and if you are going to use a color for this why not complement the blue and use an tint of orange? The script font resonates the Sinatra “style” and has a lyrical look…it works! Good job on this!

Lyubob Kaznacheyeva-Your combination of images reminds me of a movie poster….the three women, dramatic pose of the shooter and stylized type all contribute to this, the legacy of Chekhov. You’ve done an excellent job of selecting and blending these images. The clouds with texture in the background set a dramatic tone that works well with the layering. My only suggestion is to consider the placement of the shooter…without the small images it would be difficult to understand that the object behind Chekov’s head was a gun. If that image were scaled-down so we could see the pistol grip but still have the barrel behind his head it would be more effective. The type style and treatment looks very good.