Graphics Design has several disciplines which includes drawing and painting. Drawing and painting finds application in book design, information design, editorial design, branding and logo design, book jacket, poster design, CD packaging design, motion graphics, web design, among others. In this work, my chosen practitioner is Vanessa Beecroft whose work has inspired me to a great extent. The uniqueness in Vanessa’s work and the dimension it takes is worth appreciating. The work is neither documentary nor performance, but Renaissance painting. She employs a proper choice of color, and very fine texture in her black and white designs. All her works are quite interactive as the audience is given room for their expectations. The simplicity in Vanessa’s paintings is a great score in design as many artists fail to accomplish this. Of great interest to me is the manner in which Vanessa arranges her work. From the smallest to the largest, all the works bear a unique code. This makes identification and reference very simple and easy. Some of her works are given hereunder. The overall design of the book Drawings and Paintings depicts great design skills. The arrangement of the columns and rows into identical boxes, and the uniformity in design is just superb.
In my drawings and paintings, the elements I consider most are color, texture, line, shade, contrast, composition, illustrations, animation, and photography. All these elements help me in organizing visual ideas which I use to convey special messages and give desired impacts. Like Vanessa, my drawings and paintings are simple and properly coded to ease identification. All my works are equally interactive as the audience is left to think for themselves and create their own expectations. Before I start any work, I always consider how the audience will view my ability to draw, my knowledge of the graphic design and visual communication art. The order of arrangement of my work depends on various factors including the available space and the message to be conveyed.
Reference
Vanessa Beecroft (2007) Drawings and Paintings 1993-2007 (exh. cat. by V. Beecroft, Giacinto Di Pietrantonio; Edizioni Electa, 2007) Mondadori Press SPA, Verona.
Francis Summers (2007). Vanessa Beecroft. Grove Art Online. Oxford University Press, http://www.groveart.com/
Vanessa Beecroft and Friend (1999). Artforum, vol. XXXVII No. 8, April 1999, New York
Glen Helfand (January 23, 2008). LETTER FROM... More than Movies. ARTINFO. http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/26656/more-than-movies/. Retrieved 2008-04-24
