217.1a Introduction to the Graphic Arts

I was given the task of advertising the Dunbar Community Center’s annual gala. It is used to celebrate the year’s end and to allow the children in the after school program to put into use the etiquette skills they learned through out the year. Even though the event is geared towards children the purpose of my poster is to advertise to families and adults so they will participate and attend the event. The children are given donated gowns, tuxedoes, and are free; Parents are the ones that need to be encouraged to attend the event.

The theme of the evening is a tribute to Motown with a black and white color scheme. I wanted to incorporate both but finding an image to portray this was the most difficult. I knew I wanted an icon that would allude to the Motown era but still have a classy feel for the event. The Supremes came to mind and so I used a live traced image of the three women. The trio is very known during the peak of Motown, portraying the theme while still capturing a classy feeling. I then decided to add a disco ball to sort of play on the idea of a party that was occurring. I separated them in a diagonal way in order for them to not compete but flow together as one scene.

I then decided to incorporate the black and white theme through out the entire poster. I added a gold color to emphasize the glitzy feel of Motown and up and the up and coming event. I tried to then replicate the Motown text with the gold used in the poster without directly copying the image. The only different text is the word “gala” because I felt the script type made the event appear to be elegant and whimsical. I used the female image to direct your eyes to the title by placing her hands in the world “gala”. While still arranging the text to flow form left to right down the page, the way your eyes naturally flow on a page. I then highlighted important information like the date and time towards the bottom of the page. I put the more detailed information on the bottom if the reader decided to continue reading for more information; and added a gold band at the bottom forming a stage and emphasizing color repetition.

Kristen Jones