GDS 108 Design Principles

For today's blog, I cover non-commercial art, meaning that the art presented here was not created for a client, nor was it created for any monetary gain, but rather to be creative.  The art piece in this case depicts the late hip hop icon, Tupac Shakur.  I am not really into hip hop, however the fact that Tupac is one of the most recognizable figures in music history, it felt wrong to not choose him for this blog which is I chose this piece.  Though this is most likely a photograph that was heavily edited (likely using the same adobe programs we use), it still is an interesting combination of light colors. Even after learning about different color systems, I am still having troubles identifying what color system this uses.  The blue definitely easy to distinguish, but the brownish-violet and tan colors are what throwing me off with making a final answer. With using the textbook as a reference, this portrait of Tupac resembles some of the colors in the split complementary and t

For this week's blog, I discuss the cultural cues in colors.  To be specific, the colors I have chosen for this blog are the colors that symbolize Mardi Gras.  Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans and the event includes a huge parade where its participants are wearing and throwing bead necklaces that are green, purple, and gold.  Though I have never witnessed the Mardi Gras festivities in person, I have been to New Orleans a couple of times and have seen some remnants from past events.  So why green, purple, and gold?  What do these colors represent? According to the website where I also obtained the photo above, Mardi Gras is a celebration that takes place a day before Lent, which in Christianity is a time where followers give up something they like for about a month.  Each color is a symbol relating to Christianity and the culture in the south.  Green represents faith, which leans more into the religious aspect, purple represents justice, and gold represents power, meanin

For this week's blog, I discuss a work art that breaks every color system in the textbook.  The following color systems, this piece deviates from include, monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, and triadic color systems.  It was not an easy assignment, believe me, but once I looked under psychedelic art, I knew I found good examples.  This piece for instance is just a mess of color, but sure enough, it was a good example.  It depicts a very purple tinted U.S. capital with an abstract version of the U.S. flag in the background.  Confusing? Yes, very confusing, but believe it or not there is actually a deeper meaning to this composition than what the eye can see.  According to the website I found this from, the piece represents government funded research on psychedelic drugs, which would explain why you get a psychedelic vibe in the background.  In the subsequent article, it talks about the very bleak future of psychedelic drugs.  Before this gets more p