In the past, I let my spiritual side lead me and waited for inspiration to strike before I started on a calligraphy project. But that way was hit-and-miss, and led to long stretches of time between projects. Now that I\u2019m putting my design training to use, I\u2019m finding that the ideas come more quickly. In this post, I\u2019m going to show you a process I\u2019ve used recently. <\/p>\n
Graphic art design is guided by principles, such as those using emphasis, harmony\/unity, color\/mood, typography, shapes\/patterns\/figures, and other principles. Here, I\u2019m going to take a Bible verse, John 3:16, and apply these principles. First, the verse content: \u201cFor God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.\u201d How would I illustrate that with calligraphy?<\/p>\n
At this point we are only gathering impressions, not looking for final ideas, so we should not self-judge here. Ideas put on paper now may spark more and better ideas as we go along, so put down every idea, no matter how crazy, or whether you\u2019re able to actually execute it.<\/p>\n
Looking a each word in turn, what figures and shapes come to mind? They could be literal or figurative, shapes that show or suggest the idea.<\/p>\n
What concepts or words should be emphasized? What should stand out as prominent and what should be pushed into the background?<\/p>\n
What colors should be used? What mood does the passage convey? Colors themselves often convey mood, but so do other elements.<\/p>\n
Make sure all the elements are working together to uphold a common theme. If the mood is strongly upbeat, for instance, then make sure the shapes and emphasis convey the mood and don\u2019t detract from it. A few ways to achieve unity is by using the same few colors throughout, especially if they work well together and support the theme of the project; using similar-toned colors such as pastels\/tints; using only a few fonts; placement of the elements; and others.<\/p>\n
To learn more about design principles, check out these sites:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.graphics.com\/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=853<\/a> In the past, I let my spiritual side lead me and waited for inspiration to strike before I started on a calligraphy project. But that way was hit-and-miss, and led to long stretches of time between projects. Now that I\u2019m … Continue reading
\nhttp:\/\/www.killersites.com\/magazine\/2010\/fundamentals-of-graphic-design-part-1-alignment\/<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/desktoppub.about.com\/cs\/basic\/g\/principles.htm<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Design_elements_and_principle<\/a>s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"