"Text"

(unavailable)

"Text provides knowledge and texture." Many artists, especially lettering artists, are totally enamored with text. We write it, design with it, collage it, read it, etc. Text provides us with two things that are appealing...knowledge and texture.

This entire week of posting is devoted to a series dealing with color percentages. Yesterday, there was very little color except for white and black. And in the type of collages I am creating, the black painted on the 300 lb HP provides the support with areas left visible and the white is created with text overlaid with rice paper and sometimes left visible. These two things keep the pieces anchored. The color is then provided by mono printed the rice papers with Speedball Printing Ink or...in some cases, acrylic paint. 

My color palette began with some dark green and a bit of turquoise yesterday. Today, I am expanding that palette and bringing in a yellow-green. The common denominator in these three colors is green. All three are occupying approximately 50% of the design space. The addition of the yellow green contrasted with the blue-green and the dark green adds a bit of drama. And with the exception of the red mixed in with the green to create this dark green, there is no obvious presence of a strong direct complement yet.

These are very good things to experiment with to give yourself practice in seeing how to tone down or "pump up the volume" in a piece. It's a very casual grid like format and very easy to do. Echoing the colors as well as the black, white, and transparent overlays is also important. You can also play around with arranging these bits and pieces by making a tray out of foam core and play with the pieces while watching television or riding in a car. If you're working small, you can place your pieces in snack baggies and have something very transportable. It's all about design. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.