The theme we got given for poster one was form and composition. We had to create a poster using repetition, using only geometric shapes and in black and white.
Using the guidelines I created my first poster, "Resolute", using pigment liners and a ruler to keep my lines straight. I used a lot of repetition, line work, and contrast to create my poster.
My chosen Haiku for this assignment was, "A Poppy Blooms" by Japanese artist and poet Katsushika Hokusai.
"I write, erase, rewrite
Erase again, rewrite, and then
A poppy blooms"
What I first got from the poem was the idea of growth, how you learn from your mistakes to better yourself. But as I further progressed I realized there was another theme that was shown, being resolute. Admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering. This suited well with Hokusai's haiku as well, as it is about staying determined and never giving up.
The Process:
At first I thought of different images that would symbolize growth and resolution.
I played around with different ideas, using repetitive triangles to form almost organic shapes, but staying true to the criteria. Playing with different shapes, and creating different structures also playing around with line work, lining in each triangle to add some depth and texture, contrasting black and white to form different ideas.
Then I drew four initial concepts and chose one (the plant looking one) and developed them into more refined shapes.
I developed the chosen initial concept and further refined it into these possible outcomes. Playing around and creating different forms and shapes of my concept to come up with my idea of having the plant grow out of a rock. Conveying that idea of resolution and growth.
Feedback from other people also helped me in developing my ideas. They all agreed with me on my idea of the plant growing out of the rock and the message it conveyed.
This is the result of my final poster.
I used a pigment liner and ruler to form the different shapes. The plant in the poster is growing in between rocks that are covering it's path. But the plant being a plant, it still manages to to grow regardless of the rocks in its way. It grows out of the confinement of the rocks and rises through the cracks becoming more.
I portrayed this idea in the poster by having the bottom half (the rocks) be darker by lining it in, and also having the background gradually go from dark to light showing a growth from darkness to light. As the plant grows up, it is less filled in showing its growth from the dark and its resolution.
Faculty of Design, University of Auckland (2020). DES 101 Week 2 Lecture Slides, Retrieved from https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/45443/pages/week-2-lecture?module_item_id=809493
Katsushika Hokusai (2020). A Poppy Blooms, Retrieved from https://www.readpoetry.com/10-vivid-haikus-to-leave-you-breathless/