"Comic-Con"

Michael Cho

American Kitsch style poster

Workbook 37

 I really enjoyed this retro kind of look for a recent Comic-Con event.  I feel like this classic comic book styled look is going back to the roots of a comic convention.  It kind of reminded me of 1950's styled comic illustrations.  This design uses simple colors that still create forms.   The designer has used a cartoonish, caricature look for the people in this composition.  It's similar to the cartoon-styled illustration look used in American Kitsch designs.  

Timorous Beastie Whiskey label

Designer:  Steven Noble

Victorian 

Workbook 37

When I saw this image, it reminded me of the Victorian illustration style.  I noticed that it had the same visual motifs included in the Victorian style:  The banners with type that are placed above and below the main image, the decorative frame around the image, and lines that create detail.  

I also liked this image because it was humorous in a way.  I liked the pairing of the brand title "Beastie" with the image of a cute little mouse peeking out of the frame.  I love the detail on the mouse created by the small, etched-looking lines.  

"Tosca" Poster Design

Designer:  Echo Chernik

Art Nouveau

Workbook 37

This is a poster advertising the opera "Tosca".  I instantly noticed the visual motifs inspired the Art Nouveau style (female figure, decorative, arching type, organic shapes and lines).  Looking more closely at it, I noticed that the frame around the female figure is actually the silhouette of a man.  The poster does a good job of incorporating elements from the story into the image.  Like Art Nouveau, this design uses a female figure in a long, flowy dress as the main figure.  

"Make the cut"

Late Modern

Designer Firm: Principle Type

Creative Team:  Nathan Savage, John Bohls

Client:  Portland Community College

How magazine pg. 54, Fall 2016

When I saw this image, it reminded me of the design style of Saul Bass.  I liked the visual pun of "make the cut" with the main words cut in half, along with a knife going through them.  This composition makes use of the black negative space by splitting the type.  The form of the hand and the knife are very simple and minimalistic.  The way they connect with each other gives it that Saul Bass modernism appearance.  

Zealous.com advertisement

American Kitsch 

I came across this poster when I was in the Flying Machine in Urbana.  Right away, it reminded me of the American kitsch design style.  I looked more into this flyer, and it turns out it's an ad for a legal consultation agency in town.  This add grabbed my attention because the illustration looked humorous with the man's facial expression and his gestures.  I also liked the Dort of hand-drawn appearance paired with a more clean style of typography.  This flyer may not use the most attractive colors, but it's a playful design for something that is kind of a serious subject.  

Illustrated edition of Frankenstein

Designer:  Isaac Porter

Constructivism

How magazine pg. 68, fall 2016

This illustration depicts a scene from the book Frankenstein.  When I first saw this image, it instantly reminded me of the constructionist art movement.  This illustration uses photographic images paired with hand-made images within a white space.  The images in this composition are arranged in an asymmetrical balance.  Like constructivism, the main colors used are black, white and red.  

Queens of the Stone Age Band Poster

Psychedelic Style

Designer:  Craig Phillips 

Workbook vol. 38 pg. 118

When I saw the typography in this design, it instantly reminded me of the typography that was used in many psychedelic styled band posters of the 60's.  It has the same style of form and arrangement.  Like psychedelic band posters, the typography is arranged around the main figure in the composition.
Aside from the typography, the patterns on the figure and the fabric also have psychedelic qualities to them.  The flowing, organic patterns and curvy lines closely mimic the patterns commonly seen in psychedelic styles of art.