Critical Essay – Ben and Jerry’s Ogilvy and Mather Print Ads

Artist: Ogilvy and Mather
Title of Work: Unlisted
Year Produced: 2009
Medium: Print
Source: http://www.tunit.ca/lang/en-us/2009/08/ben-jerry-par-ogilvy-matherben-jerry-by-ogilvy-mather/

Artist: Ogilvy and Mather
Title of Work: Unlisted
Year Produced: 2009
Medium: Print
Source: http://www.tunit.ca/lang/en-us/2009/08/ben-jerry-par-ogilvy-matherben-jerry-by-ogilvy-mather/

Artist: Ogilvy and Mather
Title of Work: Unlisted
Year Produced: 2009
Medium: Print
Source: http://www.tunit.ca/lang/en-us/2009/08/ben-jerry-par-ogilvy-matherben-jerry-by-ogilvy-mather/

Aside from being a fan of their ice cream, in 2009 Ben and Jerry’s commissioned a very imaginative and amazing ad campaign. The three images listed above are three examples of these ads. They were set up using handmade objects, photographed, and set to print. Not only are these advertisements definitely out of the box, they utilize many design elements well.

The most noticeable element of the first piece, and honestly all the pieces, are the color scheme they use. This one uses a series of warm colors in tandem with neutral colors like brown, black, and white to create a very warm, earthy feeling. There is also a hint of light violet that seems to act as a focal point that leads towards the middle black and white figure with the hand reaching out and holding a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.  Behind the exciting, colorful figure, they use a very plain background; this is a great design choice because it emphasizes the figure and does not detract from it in any way. Also noticeable in this piece, is the logo present in all three ads, “peace, love, and ice cream”. They set the logo off in all three pieces by making it pure white and setting it apart from the rest of the figure.

For the second piece, the most impressive element is again, color.  In this piece, the color scheme is different shades of purple to red paired with neutral browns, whites, and blacks. This creates a very bright, eye-catching piece, with a very pleasing, harmonious color scheme. Another element used in this is how organic all the forms are, which creates a very relaxed, free-flowing feel. Also used to create harmony within the piece is the repetition of circular shapes throughout the piece, from the many Christmas balls hanging from the ceiling, to the heads of the worm-like creatures in the middle

The third piece continues the wonderful use of color, using an analogous theme this time ranging from blue to red-violet. This again creates a very harmonious piece with a playful feel to it. All the shapes in this one are very organic as well, adding to the playfulness and free-flow of the piece.

Critical Essay #2 – Artwork in the Video Game Series “Borderlands”

http://www.metagames.ru/pc/game/Borderlands_2_Mr_Torgues_Campaign_of_Carnage/

http://www.indiwall.com/big-wallpaper/1920×1080/hd-wallpapers-borderlands-wallpaper-environment-landscape-fyrestone-gearbox-1920×1080-wallpaper.jpg

A form of artwork that I have always been interested in is video game artwork, as well as hoping to do some myself one day. This is because it not only has to be appealing to the eye, but provide an extremely powerful atmosphere. One game in particular that I admire for its artwork, in particular its landscapes, is Borderlands 2. Inspiring an air of adventure, they make truly vast, awe-inspiring landscapes that greatly vary from one to the  next. A good example of these are the two pictures listed above, the first being a molten, inhospitable landscape, slathered with bright colors, and the second a wasteland scene that makes up in detail and mystery what it lacks in color.

The first picture is of a volcanic area in the game. What makes this landscape in particular absolutely gorgeous is the use of color. The contrast of the cold blue rocks and the bright, molten, reds and yellows creates great interest in this area, as well as a sense of danger. Also, as used in most of the Borderlands 2 landscapes, it uses atmospheric perspective to create a great sense of depth that seems to invite players in, to explore to the furthest reaches. Not to mention the hits of industrialized areas that create areas of interest on the horizon that guide and intrigue the player. It speaks greatly of adventure and great danger, which is conducive to this point in the game because by now the players are experienced, and therefore looking for a greater challenge, and by all accounts this landscape sets a tone of challenge.

The second picture is of one of the first areas that you travel through in the game. This area is far less visually intense as the first one, which I believe can be attributed to the fact that this is an opening area. This landscape is also a simple wasteland scene as compared to a volcanic area. Though this landscape seems mostly desolate, it is dotted with areas of civilization which keeps the player interested and exploring. This landscape makes it a good atmosphere for the beginning of the game because it is not over-stimulating to the new player but it also keeps them interested by having small bits of detail. The mood that this landscape sets is also very important, because it sets the tone of a world that has been ravaged by men (by the hits of smoke and industry in the background), which is a vital theme to the story.

Borderlands 2 truly has breathtaking scenery, which is not only appealing to the eye, but creates an intense, immersive atmosphere that is able to take hold of the players feelings for an incredible experience.

First Critical Essay- Work of “Daarken” on Magic: The Gathering cards

The artist who I’ll be doing my first critical essay over is a digital artist who goes by the pseudonym “Daarken”. He has created many images for various game company, one being Wizards of the Coast, who produces the trading card game Magic:The Gathering. I’ve included two of his pieces, printed as they are normally seen, on the magic cards.

I really love both of these pieces, and they both utilize very similar design elements and principals. One way in which Daarken creates an overall visually appealing piece is by using psychological line to lead your eye effectively in and around the piece. In the first piece, he does this through the lines created by the use of red coloring, it leads you in through the right side, and then around the piece, eventually settling at the focal point of the creatures face. In the second piece, the line created by the butterflies are what guide your eyes through the piece. He also used very organic shapes in both pieces, which contributes to what feels like a free-flow throughout each piece. They both also utilize similar principals that create depth in the pieces. In the 2nd he not only uses the repetition of the butterflies to create movement, but he also varies them proportionally to create an illusion that they are moving towards you. He uses a similar tactic in the first piece, adjusting the proportion of the arms on the creature to make it feel as if he is reaching out toward you. One way in which he creates variety and catches the eye in both pieces is by using a color that greatly stands out. In the first, he uses red to contrast from the rest of the piece which is very dark, and in the second he uses blue which contrasts from the backdrop of the creatures body. He also uses the same tactic in both pieces to create unity, by generally featuring the color in the piece that would border it. The first piece was commissioned for a “black” card, which will always have a black border. In this situation, he used dark blacks/greys/blues in most of the art in order to make it feel unified with the border and card it would be placed in. The second piece was commissioned for a “blue” card, and in this piece he mostly features the color blue in the butterflies as well as the background.

Even though he has created many pieces for many different companies, you can definitely see a link between his works as far as the principal and design elements that he utilizes. All of them create a very interesting, eye catching piece that holds attention well.

First Piece:

Artist: Daarken

Title: Bloodghast

Year Produced: 2009

Medium: Digital

Source: http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=192230

2nd Piece:

Artist: Daarken

Title: Vanishment

Year Produced: 2012

Medium: Digital

Source:http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=240130