A book by the title of ‘Unusual Words’ is about to be launched by the publisher Octopus Publishing Group

You are to produce two posters that promote the book’s launch. You are to include image and type in any way that you feel is suitable. Each poster must contain at least one ‘unusual’ word and its dictionary definition. Your image and typeface choice should emphasise the meaning or mood of the word.

The posters are to be scalable to any A size. No smaller than A3 for submission. You may explore as many styles of illustration as you wish, but the two final pieces must be of a consistent style.

You will choose your own copy.

Please include Octopus Publishing’s logo somewhere on your posters along with the launch date of November 1st 2014.

As ever, your journals and blogs must fully address the learning outcomes. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with them.

Photography:

Subject specific:

(1) Developed an understanding of different historical approaches to photography and the historical and cultural debates relevant to the medium.

(2) Explored concepts within visual culture in general and related these concepts to photography and examined a range of photographic genres.

(3) Developed a knowledge of technological developments in photography.

(4) Created practical work relating to various concepts and genres of photography.

(5) Developed their skills of visual, written and oral communication.

Generic:

(1) Gained knowledge by carrying out relevant research.

(2) Created practical work of a high professional standard using a range of photographic equipment, techniques and materials.

(3) Taken part in discussion and expressed opinions upon and analysis of a range of topics.

(4) Evaluated their own work and the work of others in relation to concepts in photography.

I was looking for a word that could be visualised and illustrated in an interesting but not overly complicated way as I am not the best at drawing.

My first choices are below –

Pogonotrophy –

The act of cultivating, or growing and grooming, a mustache, beard, sideburns or other facial hair.

Cancatervate

 Heaping things into a pile

Defenestrate –

To throw (a person or thing) out of a window.

Bibloclasm –

A person who mutilates or destroys books.

Eleutheromania –

A mania or frantic zeal for freedom.

Yonderly –

Absent Minded

Mundivagant –

Wandering over hills or mountains

To help narrow down my choices I picked the most promising and did a 5 minute quick thinking task for each where I wrote down as many things to do with the unusual word as possible!

 

 

 

 

As I was surfing the internet for my unusual words I came across a Graphic Art Studio called The Project Twins one of their personal projects was to illustrate unusual words.

“Bold graphics and visual wit are used to interpret and represent a collection of strange, unusual and lost words. These images explore the meaning behind the words, which are sometimes even more strange or unusual.This series of work has been exhibited during Design Week Dublin 2011 and has been featured and reviewed on various blogs and magazines including Brainpickings, The Huffington Post and Design Taxi.”

Here are some examples of their art!

 

 

I began with a stack of magazines, scissors and glue. My goal was to make some montages related to my unusual words.

 

 

To help me add dimensions to my vector images I followed a tutorial on how to use grids, gradients and textures to add depth to illustrations.

 

My initial idea was to use the for my unusual work ‘Yonderly’ which means absent minded how ever I remembered another word I came across ‘Montivigant’ meaning wandering over hills or mountains which I thought more appropriate, my next step was to create a person wandering over my textured illustration!

I then layered the wandering man onto my mountain background and here is my finished illustration.

‘You are to include image and type in any way that you feel is suitable. Each poster must contain at least one ‘unusual’ word and its dictionary definition. Your image and typeface choice should emphasise the meaning or mood of the word.

Please include Octopus Publishing’s logo somewhere on your posters along with the launch date of November 1st 2014.’

For the type I chose the font helvetica neue, I used Bold for the heading ‘The Book of Unusual Words’, regular for ‘November 1st 2014’ and Light for the words meaning, I first created the type on the montivagant posted then copied it onto pogonotrophy.

Since these versions I have altered the type after feedback from my tutors.

I kept Helvetica Neue but changed some of the weights, the heading is lighter and the unusual word definition is at the top of the page I have also increased the spacing between words.