Daughter's College Art Project

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

My daughter is in a digital graphics class in college. She had an assignment to create a vintage looking poster.

Awhile back, I did a series of interior decor signs where I put myself into the shoes of a rural signpainter who was self taught. I created a series of hand painted ads for a fictitious bluegrass music concert. My daughter selected this one and had me pose as if I was painting this. I like her project. Whadda you think?

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Now that is inviting for sure looks great

 

[WrapperX]

It looks like some of the lighting and perspectives of the sign you are painting don't match with the surrounding images. It looks too obviously photoshopped. The paint brushes on the side are clearly clone stamped - maybe try using some of her own photo elements. Maybe have her take her own photos of the brushes, mix them up over the course of a couple photos and then use those. They seem way to stock image like.
The Old School Sign Painting text is dull and with out umph. I know its meant to be vintagy but the use is just not bringing anything to the piece. And as one of my old Art Professors always told me, "If its not bringing something to your piece, then its probably taking something away from it"
Don't mean to be harsh...

 

[Rick]

It's looks okay, what would have been cooler is if she did a poster like a showcard... similar to your signs or maybe even a 'Hatch Show Print' style.

http://www.google.com/images?client...F-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

 

[WrapperX]

How vintagey does she wanna go? She should referance old posters from the late 1800's and early 1900's for truely vintage classic graphic design and poster looks. Thats when the age of hand made posters were where it was at. They were the professional poster creators.

 

[WrapperX]

It's looks okay, what would have been cooler is if she did a poster like a showcard... similar to your signs or maybe even a 'Hatch Show Print' style.

http://www.google.com/images?client...F-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

How vintagey does she wanna go? She should referance old posters from the late 1800's and early 1900's for truely vintage classic graphic design and poster looks. Thats when the age of hand made posters were where it was at. They were the professional poster creators.

No disagreement on researching. However, this is her first art class and she had a short time frame for the assignment. She raided my sign kit for brushes and took pics of them. The point being, for her first attempt, I think it has a certain appeal. I'm sure the assignment had nothing to do with recreating professional quality posters from the heyday, but rather learning to use a few more tools in the Adobe software. Hey, I could have done the assignment for her and really put her over the top - but what would she have learned?

 

[Marlene]

you should have dressed up in a period outfit so the image would appear to from an era gone by. maybe a little more view of the brush in your hand, more staged so you can see what you are doing. I know you couldn't really paint lettering like that, but it would make for a cool photo. the idea is good, just needs a little work.

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

you should have dressed up in a period outfit so the image would appear to from an era gone by.

I already said I put myself in the frame of mind of a rural self taught sign painter to do these pieces. How much more correct could my folk costume be than a plaid, pearl snap shirt and jeans? lol

 

[Circleville Signs]

I think it looks fine for a first attempt at layout and using PS tools.

i will say this though - from seeing some of the other work you have posted from your daughter, I would tell her to save the $$ she is spending at school and buy at $25 monthly subscription to Lydia.

She has the eye - she just needs practice and to learn how to use the tools. She can do that a hell of alot cheaper than paying a college to learn it.

 

[J Hill Designs]

what, no mahl stick?

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

what, no mahl stick?

Those always slowed me down. That reminds me of a time I stopped into the shop a prolific card writer once to introduce myself. As I watched him paint, I commented "so, you don't use a mahlstick, huh?". He immediately stopped and reached for one and said "you wanna see me paint with a mahlstick? Okay, watch". He held it behind his back and went back to slinging tempera paint at the speed of light with his brush hand. Lesson learned.

 

[WrapperX]

For a first attempt...this is pretty good. And yes, if you had done it for her, she would not have learned a thing.

Tell her to keep practicing and never stop expanding.

 

[Marlene]

I already said I put myself in the frame of mind of a rural self taught sign painter to do these pieces. How much more correct could my folk costume be than a plaid, pearl snap shirt and jeans? lol

kind of more like this guy. shirt tucked in, vest and a hat

 

[TheSellOut]

Looks great for a beginner Arlo, please keep posting her progress! My daughter is just over a year old and it would tickle me pink if she has an artist flare in her...you should be proud

 

[signgal]

Looks great for a beginner Arlo, please keep posting her progress! My daughter is just over a year old and it would tickle me pink if she has an artist flare in her...you should be proud

Don't get your hopes up too high! I come from a long line of artists and my husband, architects.... Neither son could draw a stick figure LOL So, after getting over the disappointment, I had them take every art class in school anyway and taught them what I could, just so they could get their point across if necessary... or play pictionary and not suffer utter ridicule! roflmao

 

[Rick]

I have 2 kids that draw very well, one does gigposters, band logos and t-shirts.

When they ask for a critique, I say 'do you want the truth or do you want me to lie'.

Arlo, it's obvious you care for your daughter, but you did ask what we thought. Making comments about you doing it for her, or your interpretation of the assignment or that is has some appeal is not a constructive response. So, do you want the truth?

Yeah, it's okay for the first attempt, but taking a class in Photoshop is like taking a class in pencil, slap a few distressed filters and you have a retro poster, better to work on type, form, concept...to me the concept is retro sign painting with a filter applied... I would have pushed the envelope a little more.

I learned from a tough school and crusty old men and I don't remember anyone holding back when I was college age.

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

Arlo, it's obvious you care for your daughter, but you did ask what we thought. Making comments about you doing it for her, or your interpretation of the assignment or that is has some appeal is not a constructive response. So, do you want the truth?



I learned from a tough school and crusty old men and I don't remember anyone holding back when I was college age.

I honestly don't get where you're coming from Rick. I'm not the least bit defensive concerning this - unless someone really wants to trash it. Then the dad in me would come out and this thread would be locked. Truth is, I do think it has a certain appeal for a first timer. I too learned the old way and had to endure criticism like "that looks like 50 cents worth of dog shit" when I proudly displayed my layout to master sign painters. So what if my daughter just clone stamped a few images and used some filters? That's what she's supposed to be learning right now with this assignment.

 

[Rick]

So what if my daughter just clone stamped a few images and used some filters? That's what she's supposed to be learning right now with this assignment.

Because any monkey can learn cloning and filters, as mentioned above, a week or 2 on lynda.com can teach that.

My idea is, get the mind used to the design process when doing these mindless tool assignments. Like I said, it's okay for a first assignment, but I would tell my kids to crack open my Hatch Show Print book, Posters of the Fillmore, The Art of Modern Rock, Posters of the WPA or flip through my poster collection... all these have rust and retro all over them, and they have good examples of type, layout and concept, a monkey can't learn that.

My kid had a high school assignment last month... It was about psychodelic posters, his assignment was to make one... he was not even close... He asked me what I thought, (the truth), he was way off.. he did it anyways, got an 'A' He did not learn one damn thing... so I had him flip through the Posters of the Fillmore... he was blown away, re-did the assignment and turned it in and asked her to flip through the book. She was impressed with his correcting it and learned something herself.

To me, it's the difference between working at a copy shop at minimum wage or a design firm.

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

To me, it's the difference between working at a copy shop at minimum wage or a design firm.

It would make a difference to me for sure if my daughter was pursuing an art degree of some sort. As it stands, this is just a basic studies class. She's pursuing a degree in anthropology.