GRAPHIC DESIGN

PORTFOLIO

Benjamin Topp

I begin my portfolio work by showing and demonstrating my typographic skills. Typography is crutial to success within any graphic industry. They say a picture can speak a thousand words but not a word can speak a thousand pictures. Below I sketched out a letter B and slowly began adding typographic elements to it until I got these results. To the right is my name I drew freely by hand.

Typography TypographyHere I further began experimenting with type, I created a bold sans-serif typeface which I slowly adapated over time using the pen and the direct select tool. When I was happy with the results I decided to add depth and used a combination of lines and triangles to make it seem 3D. Also taking tone into consideration I began adding colour to the typeface. This is just an example of what I did, I am pleased with the results.

This was my first major graphics project. By studing the Dazed and Confused magazine, we were tasked to create our own cover taking into consideration the type, colour, layout etc. Considering I was only a novice at using Adobe Indesign the results I feel went acceptionally well as I decided to use my favourite music artists at the time for inspiration. The one directly above is my final piece.

The brief also tasked us to create a double page spread within the magazine. With this I thought simplicity was the key and created black squares filled with white text to make it stand out amongst and eyecatching. Considering this was my first project I didn’t think I did too bad of job, but if I were to re do this now I would into consideration a lot more visual work.

Dazed &

Confused

Dazed &

Confused

Printmaking

For printmaking, I had to create a social awareness poster for current world problems. I started looking at Russian Propaganda posters as their style of art is greatly effective and can easily be manipulated through print. Considering my campaign was to “Save our Troops” I thought this was most appropiate.To get the desired poster effect I wanted, I firstly printed my lino with red ink and then shortly after wards orange. This gave me a pattern design. However I wasn’t too pleased with my soldier so I redesigned a new sharper one. This was the right choice as it looks a lot neater than before. I then took my poster into Adobe Photoshop and added further details such as the city scape and the triangle and then I finished it off by creating the type using Adobe Indesign.

For this project, we were asked by Acer to specifically design a christmas card for them. On the card it had to feature their logo and also it had to match their colour scheme. I began this by mindmapping different ideas of what to include on the card and also things affiliated with christmas. The idea of a snowflake came to mind and I though the results would be very interesting. I designed and was pleased with the snowflake design, but I then had to add the Acer colours, which in my opinion do not look christmassy at all. The final design you can see pm the right I wasn’t necessearily pleased with. The colours I don’t think are too appealing and type isn’t exactly the most eye catching. If I were to do this project again, I had the idea of leaving the whole generic card shape and would decide on just using the snowflake as the card. I would of included the logo and perhaps would of adapted the colour scheme more accordingly, but I feel the results would be better. On the left is a design for the snowflake if I didn’t have to stick to a colour scheme.

Acer Card Design

Ecko MMAThis brief was given to us by Ecko MMA. They are a Mixed Martial Arts brand and asked our class to come forth with designs for a potential new t shirt. For someone who is particulary interested in MMA this took my interest. Most fighters in the ring want to be feared by their opponent, they want to look tough and intimidating and for me nothing screams intimidation than roughness. For each design we had to include the Ecko brand name and the word MMA. To get the design I was looking for I practised and experimented using paint and a toothbursh. This game my designs a splatter like effect and would made the shirt design look aggressive and rough. Although more could of been done to the shirt, (maybe an addition of red paint) the effect I wanted was still there. I also took into considertaion their rhino as I felt this was another great wasy to show power, so I began to draw. The rhino design I drew is rough, unkept and looks intimidating. It exerts power and tells the opponenet how carless the wearer is for them.

Film Poster DesignThis was the introduction project for my graphic design course. We had to choose an all time favourite film and then remake a poster corresponding, alternativley to what they had at the time. My poster and still my current favourite film was The Lord of The Rings. I studied different ways as to how I could execute a poster design for them, and considering I was new to the designing software I struggled for ideas. However I used my english skills to my advantage, considering the film is called Lord of the Rings I felt what would be a better idea than to have a crown symbolising a lord and then have a ring on top. This I felt would be very effective and particularly appealing to the eye.

Using Adobe InDesign, I recreated The Lord of the Rings typeface and used various effects such as drop shadow and inner glow to make it seems as if it was shining. The results I like as I feel it stays very true to the film.

A project that I am currently working on at the moment, gives me the opportunity to create and design a prospectus for a primary school. St Joseph’s in the Park has asked our class to create a new book for their 2016 students. I thought this would be a great idea as it gives me a chance to demonstrate my talent. I felt that because this was a primary school the prospectus does not need to be too serious, so taking that into consideration I came up with the idea to base it at the children as well as the adults. I felt that if the child was just as interested in the school as the adults were, they would feel a lot more eager to go. I recreated their logo and made it into a colourful, fun design which appeals to both target audiences. I stayed true to the brown and gold colour scheme as I felt the colours complimented eachother well, and that it is on their uniform.

As I said this is still a work in progress. I am still yet to create a background for these set pages but I intend to be roughly going with these designs. The background I am aiming to have a polygon pattern, like you see on my createdlogo as I feel this adds a lot more creativity and colour to the prospectus. I intend to add many double spread pages filled with many eye catching visuals and illustrations.

Prospectus Prospectus

For one of my visual study projects I began looking at facial abstraction. I began looking at actual events that happened with humans and their faces and came across the person known as “The Elephant Man”. It gave me inspiration to create a face but it be so distorted that you cannot tell if it’s a human anymore. I used Barack Obama as an example and a tester. I tried to make it seem as if some sort of infection was taking over, I was semi pleased with the results. On the right is one of my more in depth pieces I used a combination of biro, pencil and paint to create this desired effect.

Here are other pieces that I have created in my visual study lessons. On the left we had a live model pose for us in a chair. When I draw I enjoy using a combination of pencil and pen, it gives the piece a more in depth feel and I feel the two put together works really well. On the right I began using frottage to create a skull. I got the basic layout and ripped the paper corresponding to what I felt the skull looked like and then after when I was happy, I went over the missing gaps with charcoal. This was the result and I was very pleased.

Visual Studies Visual Studies

I also had the pleasure of working with St. Albans football club, considering that this is my hometown I was honoured to be given the chance to make my mark in the city. They wanted a wall refurbished within their grounds so I took it upon myself to create a graphic mural. This was the logo I came up with, I took into consideration the type, the colours and the scale of it. I needed to make sure it was eyecatching and sporty enough so it didn’t look out of place.

This is my final wall design, I wanted it so that it carried over both walls. With murals I feel that simplicity was the key and so I created a background of concave shapes to demonstrate activeness and movement. The ball I wanted it to seem as if it was “break glass” and that it in fact started the background design off.The blue and yellow colour scheme is so that it stays true to St. Albans colours but also blue is a very sport active colour which I felt goes well with the football theme. The whiteness in the mural would either be the background wall or the windows covering. I am particulary proud of this piece, however if I were to have more time I would of perhaps added a gradient to the background for it to go from blue to yellow.

FOOTBALL

CLUB

ST. ALBANS

St. Albans Football Club

St. Albans Football Club

Hannah Steeples Personal Training

This is my final design. I used the same shoe shape as I did with my third design but used the colours from the first. Because Hannah is female I though this would be most appropiate. She now uses this on her Facebook page which is really satisfying for me to see. I hope industry gives me more rewarding opportunities like this as not only did I enjoy it but it is satisfying once you complete your work.

Hannah Steeples Personal Training

This is some private work that I did for a client. I work at a gym and a personal trainer came up to me and asked for me to design her a logo, her name is Hannah Steeples. I thought this would be a good idea not just for my portfolio but to actually get some experience, I got paid for it as well.

Because she is a personal trainer I though what would be the most iconic image to use as a logo. So I picked a trainer. I firstly drew a trainer out in my sketchbook and then after attempts of simplifying the design I digitised them and this is my process.