First things First—Resource Links:

• Design Grid
• Systems Design and Line Intervals

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The works of these artists listed below are not exactly examples of what you will be doing in this assignment. BUT, the CONCEPTS from this assignment are a part of—or evident in—each of their work in some way. In particular, ask yourself how the artist used the grid to create gradual, sequential movement, change or a shape morph of some kind.

• Armin Hoffman
• Massimo Vignelli
• Kenneth Hiebert

• Layout
• Pattern

The Elements of Form or Principles of Design identify the basic tools that can always be used as a reference and guide to help you make decisions in your design process and self analyze/critique final versions.

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These next links reference well-established methods that artists and designers have used for centuries to aid them with composition. Can you discover ways to use one of them in this assignment? Some cultural design motifs that are based on grid or cell repetition of shape or pattern

• Mayan Design
• Celtic Design
• Art Deco
• Navajo Design
• Islamic Pattern

The patterns created by M.C. Escher show creative use of Repetition with Variation as well as dynamic changes in the Figure and Ground relationships.

Again, look for how the artist has used the formal organization of a grid to creatively create movement, shape morphing and ultimately figure and ground reversals.

A grid may also be referred to as a Lattice. A regular lattice (grid) shows the points of regular intersection. A semi-lattice illustrates the use of this structure to create a more visually dynamic arrangement of shapes/objects by not using all the points of intersection, but instead only some of them. Because of the underlying structure, the resulting “left out” space is harmonious with what IS used. Notice how size and interval space have a major impact on the resulting dynamism and visual hierarchy.

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YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Essentially, you are always telling a visually story. The simplest of those stories may be told using geometric shapes and no color. The arrangement or composition of those shapes therefore becomes essential in the success of the story. In this case we will be concentrating on the use of a grid system, or lattice, as an approach to composition/layout. It is important to realize that for this assignment your are not creating a “picture”, but instead a “design” where Pattern is a prime concern or goal. The concept of Repetition with Variation is essential to creating an interesting pattern to create a sense of internal harmony, rhythm, contrast and movement.

Objectives:

• Create a design based on (repetition with variation)—Pattern
• Apply the Grid as a means of organization (size and location) of both objects and interval/white space
• Create movement within the design
• Create dynamic Figure and Ground Relationships

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Process:

• Each of you will be printing your design to clear acetate which will fit in one of the glass sections in the garage door that opens to the GD Studio from the hallway. (We will be using the bottom 13 sections only) Then, as a class you will need to decide on the order of everyone’s work to make the best overall class design. The use of the same 5 cm x 3 cm grid by everyone will allow multiple options for this final arrangement. Begin by creating your document in Adobe Illustrator, creating the grid to your and beginning your individual design. You will be creating 3 preliminary versions of this design before  printing the final version for the garage door. THE GRID WILL BE THE SAME SIZE FOR EACH OF THE VERSIONS.

• Create your Illustrator document The overall size of this layout is roughly 81 CM x 50 CM. The final exact measurements of your design will vary slightly based on the specific garage door window that is yours. Everyone’s grid should begin from the top left corner of your layout.

• Create 3 ARTboards from the ARTboards Window
• Create your grid in a template layer of ARTboard #1 in Adobe Illustrator, Label this ARTboard, Version #1
• If necessary, set the ruler and general increments to centimeters (not inches, points, etc.)
  • Illustrator Preferences
    • Units>>General>>centimeters
  • View rulers
    • View>>Show Rulers
    • Use the straight line segment tool to draw lines horizontally and vertically. Draw a vertical line that aligns with the 3 cm mark on the horizontal ruler. You will need to zoom in closer until you see the individual centimeters indicated to do this accurately. Hold the Shift key down to keep the line perfectly vertical as you draw it. 
    • DO NOT deselect the line once it is drawn. Switch to the Selection Tool (the black arrow). This time hold down both the Option and the Shift keys and press on the line you just drew and drag a copy of it to the right, placing it exactly on the 6 cm mark.

• • • Again, DO NOT deselect the line. This time hit the Command plus D keys repeatedly to create the reset of the vertical lines at evenly spaced increments across the entire layout.
    • If you have done this accurately, then you will see vertical lines all the way across you layout, evenly spaced. If you were not accurate in your initial placement of the first two lines, then the result will be that the last column will not be the same size as the others, So, you will need to do these again until they ARE all evenly spaced.

• • Repeat these steps to create the horizontal lines. The only difference is that the spacing of the horizontal lines is 5 CM apart not 3.
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  • Now select all of the lines by pressing the Command and A keys. Once the lines are all selected, Go under the View tab down to Guides and Make Guides.
    • Top Menu>>Guides>>Make Guides

• • Now all of your lines have been changed to blue in color and are no longer editable. The blue lines represent the main grid structure and locations for the main parts of your design. The smaller cells will create unity within your design as well as with each of the designs created in your classmates sections.
  • Your grid should look similar to the one pictured below. Your individual cells will be little vertical blue rectangles, NOT squares. The overall size of this layout is 81 CM x 50 CM and the individual cells are 3 CM x 5 CM.

• (You will not be able to use  Illustrator’s grid function found in Illustrator Preferences to do this because your individual cells will not be squares).
• Open the Layers window and title this layer “Grid”. (you will need to lock this layer before you begin you design.)

• Before drawing on it, however duplicate this Artboard 2 more times, titling them individually as version, 2 & 3. Find the Duplicate Artboard command from the options (3 small horizontal lines in the upper right hand corner) of the Artboard window.

• On each artboard select all the grid lines you drew (cmd or ctrl A). Then from the VIEW menu >> GUIDES>> MAKE GUIDES. Lastly, title the layer “Grid” and lock it.

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Now it is time to begin your design using the grid you have created according to the steps for version #1 below.

First Version

• If you haven’t done so already, create a new layer on top of the locked grid layer on Artboard #1 (Version 1). This is your drawing layer. DO NOT draw in the same layer as your grid.

  • Using only rectangles (no lines or other shapes) create a black and white Layout of a word or abbreviation. Create a design using Letters and Punctuation Marks only.

  • Look for Implied Lines/Lines of Continuity which visually link or connect
    shapes together

  • Layout Concepts (Each new concept is essentially a prompt that I am asking you to interpret in your compositions.)
    • Repetition with Variation—Pattern
    • Use Size and Intervals/Space Between to create variety
  • Save your file as a JPEG image
    • Be sure to check the “use Artboards” button in the bottom center of the screen
    • Set the range of Artboards to 1 (you will use a different Artboard for each version)
    • Be sure only the layer you wish to export is visible each time.
    • Change color to Grayscale
  • Upload the JPEG version of ARTboard #1 to Assignment 1, 1st Version on Canvas.

What happens to readability when the colors are reversed?

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• 2nd Version
  • Go to Artboard #2,  “2nd version”
  • Do NOT simply add to your previous version, but instead, create a brand new composition that incorporates the ideas/concepts from the previous version plus the new concepts listed below. Each concept is essentially a prompt I am asking you to interpret in your compositions.
  • Start with a black background and add white shapes
  • Add the concept of Repetition with Variation—Pattern in addition to Size and Intervals/Space Between from the previous version.

• • Gestalt Concepts
    • Gestalt Perception
      • The two main principles of Gestalt that are being employed here are Figure and Ground and Continuation
      • Implied line (also called implied edge) is also at work as a part of Continuation 
      • Gestalt—The whole is more important that any of the individual parts—Visual Teamwork.
      • Generally speaking a shape is perceived as a strong figure compared to surrounding shapes if it is characterized by any of the following: 
        • none or minimal cropping
        • can see the complete, or most of, the entire shape/object
        • none or minimal use of implied line
        • can recognize the shape as something, it is nameable
      • Generally speaking a shape is perceived as a strong ground compared to surrounding shapes if it is characterized by any of the following:
        • a lot of cropping
        • you cannot see the entire object/shape
        • use of implied line
        • cannot name the shape, it is unrecognizable
    • You are attempting to create a design based on pattern where there is an interesting balance between clarity/readability and ambiguity. Ultimately, we must be able to read it but we are not simply writing out the phrase in all black letters (strong figure). Instead, we are playing with the viewer’s perception by lessening the perception of figure a little bit by using some implied line and some cropping and some shared contour/edge. This will produce some areas of figure becoming ground (also known as ground becoming figure) or figure ground reversal.
    • A common issue to overcome is the ability to understand that shared contour between letters of the same color will simply result in the letters looking like they have been squished more closely together. They are still all figure. There is no figure ground reversal in this case.

• Most of the time you want to use shared contour for the goal of creating a reversal in the viewer’s perception of  figure and ground. So, the simplest example of this is to fit a white letter into or next two a black letter like a puzzle piece. 

• In this example above, the three figures (the black L, the white E and the smaller black reversed c) all “fit” into one another (like a puzzle). They share contours. It is an example also of figure and ground reversal because the white must be perceived as ground for us to be capable of perceiving the black shapes as figure. The opposite is also true, for us to perceive the white letter “E” as a figure  then we must perceive the black areas as ground. Because both the black and the white shapes change back and forth in our perception of it, we call it a dynamic relationship of figure and ground.
• Here is an example of a more advanced approach to the concept of active figure and ground applied to letterform and link to others.
  
• Below we see an extended exploration of this idea applied to more words with readability still a goal. This is a basic level example of what you are trying to do in step #2.

• Save your file as a JPEG image
  • Be sure to check the “use Artboards” button in the bottom center of the screen
  • Set the range of Artboards to 2 (you will use a different Artboard for each version)
  • Be sure only the layer you wish to export is visible each time.
  • Change color to Grayscale
• Upload the JPEG version of ARTBOARD #2 to Assignment 1, 2nd Version on Canvas.

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• 3rd Version
  • If you had difficulty controlling a dynamic figure and ground relationship in the first two versions, you must revisit those steps before proceeding to version #3.
    • Go to ARTboard #3 and label it “3rd version”
      • Start with either a Black OR a White background but keep the same size artboard as before.
      • Do NOT simply add to your previous versions, but instead, create a new composition that incorporates the ideas/concepts from the first two versions plus the new concept listed below
      • you may now create other shapes in addition to squares and rectangles as long as they fit within the grid cells. This means that you can now have diagonal straight lines and also curved and circular line and shapes as long as they still conform to the grid.
      • Layout Concepts
        • Size and Intervals/Space Between
        • Repetition with Variation—Pattern
        • Gestalt Perception
        • The Gestalt principle of Proximity or relative closeness of objects/shapes to one another also has great influence on our perception of grouping/pattern and ultimate clarity/readability.
        • Progression/Evolution/Transition or Gradual change/Morph 

• •  

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4th/Final Version

Add a high contrast B/W image of a person OR a high contrast B/W graphic texture/pattern.

• • • • • These are High Contrast images. There is no gray only black and white.
          

          

          
        • You might choose to add BOTH high contrast texture AND high contrast people images.
        • This version must show:
          • progressive pattern
          • high contrast image
          • at least one word
          • active figure and ground relationships
          • may make use of elements from your earlier versions
        • In the examples below, both a texture/pattern and a person have been added. (click on the image to see a larger version of each). The overall dimensions, or size, of the person or texture image is what needs to fit to the grid. Hold the shift key down when resizing either image so that you simply make it larger or smaller and don’t distort it instead. These examples exhibit some, but not all, of the concepts you are trying to apply in step 5. 

Two of the images above appear to have gray in them because they are printed on transparent film and the room behind them shows through the film which gives the appearance of gray in these images. For this assignment you cannot use gray values only black and white.

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Printed Version

• 1st Print a “practice” or Proof print to the HP laserjet printer. You will need to select the “fit to page” option to do this since your file size is larger than the 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper that is in the printer. 
• If it is acceptable and meets all the assignment criteria, make a final print of Version 5 to Film. We will print from the Epson SureColor P6000 printer using roll film at full size for the final versions of this assignment.

• Create a document BLEED AREA
  • From the FILE menu open the DOCUMENT SETUP window. Change the Bleed settings to .125 for the Top, Bottom, Left and Right sides of the artboard. This will create a non-printing red line all around your artboard that indicates a Bleed Area..

Extend any black shapes that touch the edge of the design, to the red Bleed Line that now surrounds your artboard.

     

• Use this link for step-by-step directions on how to print to the lab printers. Digital Printing

Since the film you will be printing to is on a roll and longer than it is wide, you will need to rotate your horizontal layout/design so that it is vertical. To do this, first select all of your design and group the individual shapes, then rotate it 90 degrees. Second, select all of your grid lines, group and rotate 90 degrees as well. SAVE AS with a new title that includes the word “PRINT”.

If you need to also rotate the ArtBoard, do so by double clicking on the Artboard icon in the Artboard window and entering switching the dimensions to create a vertical rather than horizontal layout

You will be printing to roll film that is 24 inches wide. So, you will need to specify a “Custom Page Size” that is 24″ wide by 34″ tall in the PAGE SETUP window. These dimensions will allow for a little bit of extra film all around your design for the trim marks to print. You create this Custom Page Size  from the PAGE SETUP button (MAC) or the PREFERENCES option (PC). THIS SETTING IS NOT THE SAME AS YOUR DOCUMENT SIZE SETTING.

Since you are printing the final Version to FILM and not to paper, you will need to choose a specific printer ICC profile from the COLOR MANAGEMENT options in the main printer window. Normally you pick a profile that specifies and exactly matches the printer, media, and type of black ink that you are using. Those specifications are indicated by the numbers and letters of the ICC profile.

• You will need to download the Printer drivers for this printer if you plan to print from your laptop. Go here to find the drivers for your particular Operating System and computer platform.

• Install ICC profiles on your MAC laptop, follow this link 

• Install ICC profiles on Windows laptop, follow this link.

In this special case of printing to film there is not an ICC profile that100% matches. So, we will be using the this profile (driver) instead:

• This profile that needs to be the same in three places:
  1. On the printer’s control panel
  2. Under the Print Settings tab on the Settings window
  3. From the Printer Profile menu on the main Print Settings window. 

1. • If you do not see your entire design in the Print Preview window then you have not set the page size correctly in the Page window (where you made the custom page size) or in the Main Window from the General Settings dialog. Correct this before you print.
   • DO NOT select Fit To Page when printing to the SC P6000 inkjet printer.
   • Be sure to check the Create Trim Marks box in the main print window (from the Marks and Bleed  section)
   • Following your trim marks, Carefully cut out your design using an Xacto knife and ruler and peel off the blue backing film from your design.
   • Attach your final Print to the Garage door.
   • In addition to printing, also Upload the JPEG version of your final design to Assignment 1, final Version on Canvas.

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Below are some examples of active figure ground relationships applied to type.(click on them to see close up views. These examples are not necessarily from this assignment but do show advanced application of the concepts introduced here. For example, look for use of implied line which creates figure becoming ground, and shared contour which creates figure ground reversal. In some cases there is both. A shared contour which is an implied line.)

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