Headlong!

It was a time consuming mission, but its finally completed.

The layout of the book was quite a problem to solve. After producing numerous different layouts I decided on the format of a concertina book that would read downwards as I wanted the text to be fluid throughout the book. Also, the poem is about The Head that cannot stop rolling and falling down a hill, so I thought pages that could fall downwards would reflect and emphasise this idea.

Exhibition

This was ages ago now, but nevermind...

We were put into groups and were given a wall in the studio to present our work. Each group had to decide what work they were going to exhibit and decide on a name for their exhibition and possible theme. We decided we were going to all present the work from a previous layout project where we had to illustrate a particular word in four double page spreads. The project was called Restriction as we were given guidelines and rules to follow for the layout, text and colour. Basing our idea on this, we printed our work small and presented it with magnifying glasses that had to be used to view it – the viewer was restricted. We decided that our exhibition was going to be called Pixel representing what happens with magnification.

Book Cover Design

I had to design a set of book covers for four existing books in the Puffin Classic’s collection. I had to redesign the covers so that they looked like a series that could be bought in a box set. My chosen books were A Little Princess, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, Just so Stories and The Witches. I decided to create my designs mainly through typography, trying to create a feel to the type that would correctly represent the book. I wanted to interpret the story in a subtler way that clichéd imagery.

I used the typeface American Typewriter, that I hoped would look classic and authentic, to represent the stories that have been told through generations. I then adjusted and altered it to represent the theme of the particular story.

For A Little Princess, I wanted the type to appear smooth and silky, elaborate yet delicate. So I hand drew the type, making it up of smooth curvy lines, and I spaced each letter apart so they had more space lessening the sense of urgency. For the back cover of the book I enlarged a section of the type so it just appears as a pattern, to make the cover less empty and more eye catching.

The Witches is about excitement, magic and fun, so I simply applied a stroke to the type to make it seem as though it was glowing, and used strong sharp shapes and a bold striking colour scheme.

In the story of King Arthur, there is a sense of magic, romance and there is the powerful notion of the King. I thought a King playing card of the suit Hearts would represent these three things well, so this is what I themed the book cover around. Deciding the large text alone made the cover seem uninteresting and too serious, I drew a simple sketch of the King and added this to the design.

Just so Stories holds an assortment of fun lighthearted stories mostly featuring animals, so I created my design to capture the mix of everything that is inside the book. I think the back cover gives a tribal edge to the design that reflects upon the exotic animals in the stories, and gives the book more of a striking appeal aesthetically.

Headlong photographs

I made The Head and The Heart out of fabric, and drew images for the settings and surroundings. I took 12 photographs altogether that would illustrate each paragraph of the poem.

Headlong type

I originally used a font that was in a handwritten style, very swirly and quite over the top. Deciding this looked rather awful, I created the type myself hand drawn. I experimented with hand writing but unable to seem to make it look anything other than my horrible handwriting, I traced over the top of a font with paintbrush and ink to create a more unique and uncontrolled version of the type, to again emphasise the hand made feel I wanted to the whole book. I then cut it up and arranged it different ways - I wanted a look to the text that did not look neat - possibly like a mistake made by the printer.

Headlong

This is the name of the poem, and the hand drawn typography I have produced. I am going to make the poem into a book and also illustrate it with photography.


This is the name of the poem, and the hand drawn typography I have produced. I am going to make the poem into a book and also illustrate it with photography.

This was inspired by Alan Fletcher who has created some gorgeous typography that is more drawing than type. I want a hand made, sketchy, weird, yet elegant feel to the book I am going to produce, and I think this type has the feel I am looking for.

What a Journey

So I am utterly crap at updating this blog, but here's something new to get it going again - theres alot more to come.

We were given a selection of very different briefs to chose from, some being much more specific on there requirements, expectations and format, than others. I however chose a brief that could result in anything of your choice... which I soon realized was probably a mistake as I do not make decisions easily. The brief asked us to take a metaphorical journey on the theme of connections. Offering such a broad number of options; so many themes that could be explored, I decided to become Tim Burton for this project - after much deliberation.

Tim Burton creates wonderfully weird films, poems and drawings that capture the attention of all ages and bring you into a world that is like no other. It is scary yet fascinating, dreamlike and fun. He creates characters that are often misunderstood monstrosities, whether this be a boy with nails in his eyes or a boy that is mainly an Oyster. The magically odd things his imagination creates are inspiring.

So being Tim Burton, I wrote my own poem, about the connection between the head and the heart. The Head and The Heart became my characters, and the poem is about the Heads struggle in life and the Hearts heart that made her help a beast:

There was a Heart
She was a sweetheart
Who had a bad start
Chased by a body part

It was a head
But it was not dead
As some people said
It was alive instead

Wanting to find
More than his own mind
The Heart he defined
As the lovely and kind

Feeling hollowed
The Heart he followed
Faster down the road
Rolling, he never slowed

Too fast to stop
But then there's a drop
Now on a hill top
But he cannot now stop

“Oh what a beast
That had been unleashed!”
No doubt was at least
The thoughts of the deceased

Sped down and down
He could not slow down
Rolled right through the town
And down and down and down

There was no hope
No way he could cope
He hadn't a hope
Upon the great big slope

He was in need
But he was perceived
A monster indeed
No one helped, was agreed

But then, its still
Quiet on the hill
As the Heart's good will
Brought the Head to standstill

Sun shone above
They both wished for love
Needed was a shove
From the nice peaceful dove

Their quest, complete
The two were replete
The end was too neat
They just now wanted feet!