Task 3: Illustrated Typography Poster

  5/11/24 - 29/11/24 ( Week 7-Week 10)

Kek Kai Wei, 0363513

Illustration and Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Patisserie Arts ( Hons)

Task 3: Illustrated Typography Poster

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CONTENT

1. Class Notes

2. Task Description

• Research
• Sketching
• Designing Process

3. Reflection

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📓📓Class Notes:

👉Tutorial and Practical👈

WEEK 7

In this class, Mr. Hafiz gave us an overview of our upcoming assignment—"Task 3: Illustrated Typography Poster." For Task 3, we need to apply four techniques: intertwine, clipping mask, 3D effects, and warping. In today’s lesson, he will guide us on how to use these tools to prepare for the assignment.

Technique 1: Intwine

Figure 1 exercise practice

• Select the objects you want to intertwine.
• Go to Object > Intertwine > Make. This allows you to click and define the areas where objects should overlap.
• Use Edit in the Intertwine options to adjust those overlaps as needed.

If want add shadow :

1. First, intertwine the object (using the Art Brush).
2. Create the shadow as needed.
3. Select the line you want to work with.
4. Enter Outline Mode by pressing Ctrl + Y (Windows) or Cmd + Y (Mac).
5. Select the object.
6. Go to Object > Expand Appearance to expand the appearance of the object.

If want add gradient:

1. First, go to Pathfinder and click Unite to combine the shapes.
2. Next, go to the Gradient panel and drag the gradient to apply it to the shape.
3. To adjust the gradient, you can control it individually using the Gradient Tool from the toolbar on the left.

Technique 2: Clipping Mask

Figure 1.1: the shape+ background after clipping mask

• Select the shape you want to use as the clipping mask (this shape should be on top of the background or other objects you want to mask).
• Select both the shape and the background (or any other objects you want to clip).
• Right-click and choose Make Clipping Mask from the context menu, or go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
• Select both shapes you want to use for the clipping mask.
• Go to Object > Compound Path > Make (or press Ctrl + 8 on Windows / Cmd + 8 on Mac). This combines the two shapes into a single compound path, allowing them to act as one object.
• Select the compound path along with the background or other objects you want to mask.
• Go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make (or press Ctrl + 7 / Cmd + 7) to apply the clipping mask.

Technique 3: 3D effects

1. Make sure the word is unlocked.
2. Go to Effect > 3D and Materials > Extrude & Bevel.
3. In the 3D options, you can rotate the object, primarily using the rotation controls.
4. You can also adjust the X, Y, and Z axes, or use the Twist option.

   Note: The more you adjust, the more likely you'll need to redo the Intertwine effect

Materials or graphic:

1. You can add more materials, either by downloading them online or using others available.
2. You can adjust the amount or detail of the materials applied.
3. You can also apply graphics to the text.
4. Under Materials, selecting something like Marble will affect the appearance, and the material will reflect in the gradient.

• Lighting > Global lighting

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Task 3: Illustrated Typography Poster

👉Task Description👈

For this assignment, we need to select a daily quote and design it as a poster, using creative typography and sans-serif font( at least two fonts from google fonts) to showcase the unique style of the quote.

Canvas setup: A4 portrait in Illustrator.

💬The Quote I selected:

• The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. - Walt Disney

💭The Sans- serif font I selected

• Bowlby One
• Montserrat Alternates (Regular & Black)

Submission required: 

Submit the Concept and Progression Board (PDF) and A4 Portrait Poster (PNG), showcasing the design process, creative direction, typographic choices, and final artwork.

👾RESEARCH👾

Before starting to sketch my draft, I first checked the artist and work recommendations provided by Mr. Hafiz in Task 3 on Google Classroom. These recommendations were meant to inspire our typographic designs, featuring artists such as Jessica Hische, Erik Marinovich, Paula Scher, David Carson, and Wim Crouwel. After reviewing their portfolios, I personally preferred Paula Scher’s design style, so I decided to use her work as a reference.

Fig 1.3 Paula Scher's design

During the sketching process, I found Paula Scher's design style somewhat complex, and I struggled to fully understand certain details. As a result, I decided to turn to Pinterest for more inspiration to help me better refine and improve my design ideas. 

Figure 1.4 inspirations

While seeking inspiration, I found myself more inclined toward vintage-style visuals for their nostalgic warmth and unique artistic charm. The soft tones, classic layouts, and hand-drawn textures infuse the design with a distinctive elegance and depth.

✎Sketching

Fig 1.4 The first rough sketch（20/11/24）

My quote is, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. - Walt Disney." In my initial draft, I aimed to convey the contrast between "talking" and "doing." At the center of the composition is a person speaking, with their words depicted as a path. On this path, another person is walking, symbolizing the doer who takes action. This design visually represents the transition from words to action.

After showing it to Mr. Hafiz, the feedback I received was that the font and image lack cohesion and appear somewhat disjointed. As a result, I revisited my previous draft and created a new sketch.

Figure1.5 #2 & #3 rough sketch (21/11/24)

The updated draft retains the overall structure of the initial sketch while introducing key refinements: the road originally extending from the mouth has been redesigned to appear as the word "talking," presented in a speech-like form. Additionally, "quit" is cleverly placed at the front of the road, while the letter "i" is creatively transformed into a figure walking along the path, symbolizing the concept of "Quit Talking and Start Doing." After receiving approval from Mr. Hafiz, I proceeded to digitize the sketch in Illustrator, adding more detail and finesse to the design.

💭Designing Process

Before starting the digitization process, I first searched on Pinterest for the design elements needed for my poster.

Figure 1.6 Inspiration

Once I had gathered the required elements, I moved my sketch into Illustrator to begin the design process. I started by outlining the character with the Pen Tool and used a Clipping Mask to enhance the finer details.

Figure 1.7 Process 1

I decided to use blue as the primary color tone for the poster. When selecting the background, I aimed to highlight the character while complementing the unique atmosphere created by the clouds above their head, ensuring cohesion with the overall design style. Therefore, I plan to incorporate a denim-themed background dominated by shades of blue. The texture and subtle color gradients of denim will enhance the visual appeal and depth of the composition. By carefully adjusting the saturation and texture details of the background, I hope to not only make the character stand out but also add richness and interest to the entire design.

While observing the character, I noticed that her mouth was closed, which did not align with my initial sketch design. To better match my vision, I used the "Liquify" tool in Photoshop to adjust the character's mouth. By carefully manipulating and reshaping it, I made the mouth appear open.

Figure 1.8 Transferred the design to Photoshop for digitization.

Figure 1.8 Process 2

I found the most challenging part of the poster was representing the word "talking" by having it emerge from the character's mouth in a speech-like manner. I first used the Pen tool to draw a curved path, but I wasn't sure how to place the text along the path. Then, I found on YouTube that all I needed to do was draw a path and use the "type on the path" feature.

Figure 1.9 YouTube tutorial

Figure 2 process 3

I want my road design to have a 3D effect to better highlight the presence of the road and enhance its visual impact. The 3D effect will help ensure that the walking character remains distinct from the road, preventing them from merging into one. At the same time, it will make the emergence of the word "talking" more dynamic and layered.

Figure 2.1 Process in 3D effect

• 3D Type: Extrude (Depth: 30pt)
• Rotation: (X: 47°，Y： 10°， Z: 4°）
• Materials: Oxford Fabric
• Lighting: Standard ( intensity 71°, Rotation 180°, Height: 58°, Softness: 70°)

Next is the word "QUIT," which is positioned directly in front of "talking." Since "talking" is in light blue, I decided to change the color of "QUIT" to dark blue to maintain contrast and visual depth.

Figure 2.2 'QUIT' with clipping mask

I first used the Ellipse tool to create the basic shape of the speech bubble and then extended one part with the Pen tool to form the tail. To highlight the theme, I chose a light blue denim color as the main color for the speech bubble. The text "And Begin Doing" is set in Montserrat Alternates (Black) and colored with a deep blue denim shade. Then, I applied the "Warp > Arc" function to curve the text and adjusted it inside the speech bubble.

Figure 2.3 Process 6

Finally, the most important part is the walking figure. Since the original colors were too vibrant and didn’t align with the theme, I changed it to blue and placed it on the talking path. 

Figure 2.4 Process of character 2

Then, I used the Pen tool to add shadows to the figure.

Figure 2.5 Shadow of character 2

Although I had completed the entire poster, I felt the background was a bit empty, so I duplicated the walking figure, adjusted its opacity to 40%, enlarged it, and placed it on the right side, then arranged it to the back layer.

First Version:

Figure 2.3 First Version

The feedback I received suggested that the word at the bottom should be larger, in perspective, as it approaches the viewer.

☝The Final Submission:

Figure 2.4 Final Submission

☝Concept and Progression Board: 

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REFLECTION

I particularly enjoyed the digitizing process because each tool used in digitizing this poster produced results that felt novel and exciting. Exploring different tools and their functions continuously taught me a lot and was truly rewarding. Beyond the digitizing process, I also greatly enjoyed the research phase. Searching for various designs felt like exploring entirely new fields. Overall, I am very satisfied with this experience. From being completely clueless at the start to gradually mastering and becoming familiar with Illustrator, I’ve gained so much. I am especially grateful for the resources provided by Pinterest and YouTube, as well as Hafiz’s guidance and all the valuable feedback he offered.