typography assignment

For our first typography assignment, we were given eight phrases to expressively render in Photoshop. We were limited to a white background, and given several requirements, such as the usage of tracking and kerning, photographic fills, and Photoshop filters. Within these parameters, we were to render the phrases in a way that would express their connotative and denotative meanings.


For this phrase I decided to use a custom type-set (created using polygon and rectangle select tools). Since the three words were roughtly the same proportionally, each starting with V, ending with I, containing four letters, I decided to stack them. First I made the base shape, a rectangle, and designated it to an alpha channel. Within this rectangle I created the VE and VI blocks. I used the same rectangle to create the N, the D and the C. I then used the rectangle select tool to recreate the I from the VI blocks in a complete form, and used the circle select to make the dot. Finally I inserted symbols into the dots to express the meaning of each word: a star for "I came" (representing a point on a map), an eye for "I saw," and a fist for "I conquered."

This phrase was created using a preexisting font, followed by a series of filters. First I used the Distort-Twirl filter repeatedly, back and forth, to give the letters a somewhat warped appearance. I then added noise and glowing edge filters. I then selected each letter individually and moved it into place, moving conventional closer together and wisdom further apart so that the two would be equal width. Finally I added the lines and used the same series of filters.

For this phrase I used a large, elaborate script font for the A and D, then connected the two into a sort of logo, and used a similar set of filters to the conventional wisdom image. I then used Helvetica in three different sizes for the, merican, and ream, tracking and kerning the latter two so that they would share a right alignment.