Legibility and Tone of Voice

Legibility

It is very important that work for an audience is presented clearly in a way that allows an audience to understand the message behind it. The typeface needs to be legible and be of a good size for its format. For example a billboard poster would not want a size 14 font as no one would be able to read it. If a font is overly fancy and decorative it may make it hard to read or put people of especially if it used in a context where what is said is intended to be taken seriously.  The colour of the font also needs to be considered. It is important to make an impact with the font but it also needs to legible - a light font on a light background could make it difficult to read.

This campaign, 'drinking like a fish' is a clear message, 'Don't drink and drive.' 

The font is clear and simple, there is not too much writing and the typeface is of an appropriate size. The line 'Leave the car at home' is in red which makes it stand out and gives a serious tone. The image is very eye catching and reinforces the message. Unlike a number of other drink drive campaigns this image is not as sinister. It is slightly different and is more likely to catch the attention of a younger audience who may try to ignore some of the more sinister adverts which can come across as very frightening. 

It is not an image that is entirely obvious at first. The audience have to stop and look to thoroughly understand the meaning and as a result it is an effective piece of visual communication.

Everything is aligned well and the layout draws your eye down the page, until the company logos at the bottom. The fact that everything is seen within the whole poster shows that it has succeeded in giving the message.

Bibliography

http://www.safetycamera.org/drink-drive

Tone of Voice

 Tone of Voice within a piece can help specify an audience. Words and images can be given a tone of voice. Something can be made serious or gender specific in the way that it is presented.

Here is a well known clear sign that has a definite tone of voice. The word 'stop' is in capitals and a large clear font. The tone of voice in this sign is very serious and gives the impression that whoever is going towards this sign must stop without fail. The red background reinforces this, giving an authoritative tone. 

This is just a simple example of the way that tone of voice can be used.

 Company's also adopt a tone of voice, to give them a particular audience. This is the image that has become the face of the company, Sheila's Wheels.

Sheila's Wheels is a car insurance company that is clearly aimed at women. The colour choices obviously are meant to appeal to women. It is a fun image, the way it has been presented is not meant to be serious, it is overly glamorous and girly and supposed to be funny. The font used is also designed to tie in with this theme. The company has recognised that car insurance can seem dull and uninteresting and to remedy this they have created a tone to make it more exciting. 

Biography

www.sheilaswheels.com 

Research and Development

The notion of ‘inspiration’ derives from constant inquiry, based on research, observation, recording and experimentation.  


For practicing illustrators it is important that they are constantly excercising their minds, observing what is around them, recording, collecting and developing information that others might glance over and not notice.

Christina Lopp's illustrated journals are an example of constant enquiry. 

 

These pages are full of questioning, as she looks at the smallest of details and invesigates them on paper. She uses colour to expore her ideas and experiments with technique. All though these images may not be a final finished piece they provide the inspiration for furthur works even if they are not directly used.

Taking inspiration from the most mundane thing, for example salmon, allows a person to keep their creative mind constantly working. Inspiration should be found everywhere and from everything giving the mind a creative challenge. An artist cannot visually advance without inspiration from the things around them as it encourages new ideas and keeps the work fresh.

Carefully chosen personal inspiration gives an artists work more depth and a sense of intimacy and that is important for making a connection with an audience. Working on observations and research allows an artist to refine and develop their ideas but still gives a freedom to explore at the important early stages.




Bibliography: http://www.watercolorjournaling.com/ourjournals/ch05-ckl-700.jpg

The importance of the audience 


If a piece of art is created with the purpose of appealing to an audience then it is important that the content, format and style is appropriate to that particular target audience. A personal piece of work would have a very different feel to a piece of art designed for an audience. 


Effective use of audience research allows the piece to become more effective as a piece of communication and therefore conveys a message clearly. 


Melanie Ford Wilson is an illustrator who works mainly with children's book illustration.
The images that she produces reflect this. 

The colour palette that she uses is vibrant and full of energy. The Verona Green and Yellow Ochre tones make it particularly eye catching. This is very appropriate for her audience as it is for younger children who would be uninterested in a black and white image that might feature in a newspaper.


The image is playful, personifying the animals by putting them in a human setting, which a child would find appealing as it not only looks strange to them but allows their imagination to run with the story. This would really captivate the audience.


For the artist to create this picture she would have had to research into what children respond to and understand at the age she was illustrating the images for, if it had been a very simple design then it would have been for a younger audience, if it had featured too much detail or had different colours then older children would have engaged with it.

Bibliography

 http://melaniefordwilson.com/portfolio/?album=children&img=junglecafe

Connectivity

Bricolage and it's use in contemporary culture

The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci, 1495-1498

The Last Supper (Dove) Andy Warhol, 1986

Here is an example of Bricolage being used in contemporary culture. Using the iconic Leonardo Da Vinci piece, 'The Last Supper,' Andy Warhol has taken the image and re worked it, leaving the audience with a lasting message which is still relevent today, despite the original being over 500 years old.

Andy Warhol was a Byzantine Catholic and his religious beliefs influenced the way that he reworked this painting. He communicated his religious beliefs in this piece. The principle of the piece remains the same, in the background, Jesus and His 12 disciples are pictured having their last supper. However the use of bricolage has allowed Warhol to update the piece and use a more contemporary way to gain the attention of an audience.

Certain messages are encoded in this piece making it easier to understand. The use of the 'Dove' logo gives multiple interpretations . It comments on not only the modern culture of today but also the religious symbol of the dove. In the image the actual dove is shown flying above Jesus' head representing the Holy Spirit.


In the right hand corner is the GE logo, an electrical company, so perhaps this was used to symbolise the giver of life, which in this context would be God. The company motto, 'brings good things to life' also refers to religious ideas. The symbolism in this piece suggests that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all present.

Those recognising the significance of the symbols in Warhol's work are likely to be of a similar background and this evokes the feeling of belonging to those with his beliefs. Therefore it could appeal to a wide cross section of people of all ages,gender and race who share religious beliefs.
If  someone looked at this image with no knowledge of Christian beliefs  it may be interpreted in an entirely different way, with the company logo's almost becoming an advertisment rather than symbolic of religion.

Notions of originality

 The first view of the altar - St. Sebastian (left), The Crucifixion (central), St. Anthony(right), Entombment (bottom).  Matthias Grünewald 1510-1515

War Triptych, Otto Dix 1929-1932

Otto Dix has taken the composition of Matthias Grunewald's piece and applied it to his own subject matter. This enhances the point of his piece and creates a deeper meaning. It is important to be aware that Otto Dix fourght in World War One, volunteering in the German army. This of course puts his painting into context, as the audience can witness his first hand, visually rich depicitions of the war. This is a painting from expierence and Otto uses this piece to portray the horrors of war. The painting is shockingly vivid, showing men severely wounded and bleeding to death. Human characteristics are hard to distinguish, the men shown in a mess of flesh and gas masks.

Otto was deeply affected by the war and he produced this painting almost ten years after it ended. This suggests that he was reliving his experiences and perhaps that he did not want people to forget what had happened.

The fact that he used the triptych composition is a reflection on his views. Grunewald produced paintings of a highly religious nature, and Otto's use of a similar compositon could be perceived as a bitter revolt against religion, posing the question 'Where was God when men lay wounded on the battlefield?'

This is a piece that many people could make a connection with, even now. Despite the hellish concept of war it continues today and anyone who has been a part of that can relate to this piece. As well as this, those with religious uncertaincies may also find themselves drawn to this piece.