Paper You Can Trust!

This is an add for Productolith that I found in How magazine. Right away I was attracted to this add's wit and humor. I also like the composition of the piece, it's more entertaining and personal from the birds eye view. The emphasis is on the large sheet of white paper that's smack dab in the center. The values of the colors are attractive and pop out. This add also has a great use of scale with the firemen being smaller than us. There is a great use of lines with the hose, side walk, and the corners of the building. The firefighters even have a psychological line leading from their eyes to the viewers.

HOW magazine, June 2006, p43 Productolith

No Words Needed!

When I saw this piece I immediately knew the meaning of it before I read the bold letters at the top. To me, children walking walking around with guns the size of there head is just horrible! This was a design for a controversial issue, what a striking image it is too. The yellow and red pop out and attract your attention, and then in between the two inferior colors is the boy holding a gun that has a yellow glow around it. Not only are these to colors noticable they also are yelling like street signs "hazardous! Stop!" Then way at the top is the word "CONTROVERSY" isolated from the image that is meant to be understood faster than the word is read.

"Controversy" Gene Brooks, Design Graphics portfolio 102 Feb 2004.

Elektra by Christos Magganas

This is a piece by Christos Magganas called "Elektra" for ATI Technologies Inc. There were several pieces by Magganas in DG that caught my eye, but this one was the most impressive. Mostly it is the brilliant colors that he uses mixed, with soft and sharp lines of the image. It is also very well balanced and her body's gesture is interesting and holds a lot of power. She is both organic and abstract. The sharp abstract form that caresses her back looks almost like wings, or possibly a black bird. Whatever it is, the suggestion of transformation is very strong. Whether this female is the Greek mythological Elektra who helped her brother avenge his father, or the supervillain from Marvel Comics, the mystical aspect is captivating. This piece is incredibly amazing and shows some great skill using Photoshop, some day I would like to do something like this, that would be amazing.

Christos Magganas, Elektra, for ATI Technologies Inc. Photoshop, 3ds Max. Design Graphics portfolio, Sept 2006. p 89

all