Visual Design
Visual Design
New Riders
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New Riders is an imprint of Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education.
Copyright 2015 by Jim Krause
Acquisitions Editor: Nikki Echler McDonald
Production Editor: Tracey Croom
Proofreaders: Jan Seymour, Emily Wolman
Indexer: James Minkin
Cover Design and Illustrations: Jim Krause
Interior Design and Illustrations: Jim Krause
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Jim Krause
VISUAL DESIGN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Topic
Number Number Chapter/Topic
Page Topic
Number Number Chapter/Topic
6 Introduction
66
4. Delivering Visuals
68
26
Graphic Simplification
70
27
Building with Shapes
28
Thematic Imagery
72
74 29 Effects
76
30
Representational Art
78 31 Photography
32
Cropping and Containment
80
82
33
Objects as Windows
10
12
1
14
2
16 3
18 4
20 5
22
6
24 7
26
8
28
2. Filling Spaces
30
9
Dynamic Spacing
32
10
Static Placement
11
Symmetry vs. Asymmetry
34
36
12
Aligning, and Not
13
The Golden Ratio
38
40
14
Over and Under
15
Alternative Orientations
42
44 16 Minimalism
46
17
Intentional Complexity
48
3. Directing the Eye
50
18
Visual Hierarchy
52 19 Associations
54 20 Framing
56
21
Guiding with Color
58 22 Linework
60
23
Pointing Elements
24
Flow and Containment
62
64
25
Cover and Interior Connections
84
5. Considering Style
86 34 Consistency
88
35
The Character of a Curve
90 36 Appropriateness
92
37
Value and Conveyance
94
38
The Styles of Others
96
39
Mixing It Up
40
Conveyances of Era
98
100
102
41
104 42
106 43
44
108
110 45
112 46
114
47
116
118
48
49
120
122
50
7. Color Awareness
Color Perception
Hue, Saturation, and Value
Value Over All
Page Topic
Number Number Chapter/Topic
124
126
128
130
51
52
53
54
Wheels of Color
Color Associations
Finalizing Palettes
Digital Color Tools
132
134
55
136
56
57
138
140
58
142
59
144
60
146
148
61
150
62
63
152
154
64
65
156
158
66
67
160
162
68
9. Typography
Types of Type
Typographic Voices
Type and Trend
Seeing Subtlety
The Spaces Between
Typographic Hierarchy
Typographic Customization
Assent, Dissent
164
166
69
168
70
170 71
172
72
73
174
176 74
178
75
180
76
Page Topic
Number Number Chapter/Topic
182
11. Avoiding Unsightliness
184 77 Decide
186
78
Be Aware
79
Establish Pecking Order
188
190
80
Value Values
192
81
Mind Tangents
194
82
See with Fresh Eyes
196
12. Practical Matters
198 83 CMYK
200
84
Process Printing Know-How
202 85 Paper
204
86
Press Checks
206
87
Digital Printing
208 88 WYSIWYG?
89
Is It Safe Yet?
210
212
214
90
216
91
218
92
220
93
94
222
224
95
226
Glossary
234
Index
VISUAL DESIGN
INTRODUCTION
Visual Design is for designers, illustrators, photographers, fine artists, and pretty much anyone else
out: As any writer could tell you, there are always ways
chosen as the font for this books textand for nearly all
of Visual Design.
BOOK01
Visual Design is the first book in the
New Riders Creative Core series.
9
66
CHAPTER 4
Delivering
Visuals
67
DELIVERING VISUALS
26 GRAPHIC SIMPLIFICATION
68
is youre depicting.
DELIVERING VISUALS
70
DELIVERING VISUALS
28 THEMATIC IMAGERY
72
of your creation.
DELIVERING VISUALS
29 EFFECTS
74
treatments.
DELIVERING VISUALS
30 REPRESENTATIONAL ART
photograph.
76
for ideas. Look through art history books, too. Even the
budget permitting.
DELIVERING VISUALS
31 PHOTOGRAPHY
78
downtown scene.
attractive way.
DELIVERING VISUALS
to layouts.
80
DELIVERING VISUALS
33 OBJECTS AS WINDOWS
Who says
only standard shapes
like rectangles, circles, and
triangles are fit to hold images or text?
82
234
Index
235
INDEX
1-point lines, 14
3D rendering software, 40
236
A
about this book, 69
Adams, Douglas, 97
aesthetic beauty, 218
alignment, 3637
alleys between columns, 18
alternative orientations, 4243
analogous palettes, 127
annuals, 152, 228
appropriateness, 90
arrows, 60
associations, 5253
asymmetry, 3435
audience evaluation, 172
B
backdrop panels, 2627
backdrops, 2425
banking ideas, 178
Barry, Dave, 59
beauty, aesthetic, 218
black-and-white images, 122, 123
blackletter fonts, 148, 149, 228
bleed, 228
boundaries, 1415
brainstorming, 176
budgetary limits, 144
C
callouts, 112113, 228
Carroll, Lewis, 55
chaos, intentional, 114115
Close, Chuck, 87
CMYK colors, 198199, 200, 228
color
components of, 120
guiding with, 5657
intense, 134135
muted, 136137
perception of, 118
values of, 92, 120, 121, 122123
wheels of, 124125
color associations, 126127
color connectivity, 142
Color for Designers (Krause), 56
Color Guide panel, 130, 131, 136, 228
color palettes. See palettes
Color Picker panel, 130, 131, 136, 228
color temperature, 138
color tools, 130131
color wheels, 124125
columns, 1819, 228
competing material, 174
complementary palettes, 127
complexity, intentional, 4647
compositional frames, 54
connections
color-based, 142
cover and interior, 64
consistency, 86
containment
cropping and, 80
flow and, 62
contrast, 128
cool colors, 56, 136, 138, 229
cool gray, 136, 138, 228
cover and interior connections, 64
Creative Core Series, 9
cropping, 8081, 229
crowding, 4647
curves, 8889
D
decisiveness, 34, 184
decorative typefaces, 148
depth, conveying, 108109
digital effects, 7475
digital printing, 198, 206, 229
dimensional effects, 4041
dingbat fonts, 148, 149
dingbats, 6, 7, 229
DPI (dots per inch), 200, 229
drop shadows, 40, 74
Dylan, Bob, 43
dynamic spacing, 3031, 52, 229
E
effects, 7475
energy, visual, 140141
eras, conveying, 98
Escher, M. C., 40, 108
evaluating/examining
design examples, 216
your own work, 180181
expanding and evolving, 224
Eyedropper tool, 130, 142, 229
F
flow, 6263
fonts, 148149, 229
See also typography
framing, 5455, 229
237
G
geometric shapes, 70
golden ratio, 3839, 229
graphic simplification, 6869
grids, 2023, 230
defying, 2223
setting up, 2021
guides, 20
gutters, 16, 230
H
halftone dots, 198, 200, 230
harmony, 90, 128
headlines, 158
Helvetica font, 7, 230
hierarchy
typographic, 158159
visual, 5051, 62, 188
horizontal guides, 20
hue, 120, 121, 122, 230
hurtful tangents, 192
INDEX
238
I
icons, 70, 230
ideas, banking, 178
illusory effects, 40
illustrations
line-rendered, 58
representational, 7677
Illustrator, 8, 106, 130, 230
images
backdrop, 24
photographic, 7879
thematic, 7273
indecision, 34, 184
InDesign, 8, 130, 230
inkjet printers, 198, 206, 230
inspiration, 87, 216, 218
intense palettes, 134135
intentional chaos, 114115
intentional complexity, 4647
J
jimkrausedesign.com website, 9
juxtaposition, 170171
K
kerning, 156, 230
L
The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci), 60
learning from the greats, 214
leaving it alone, 222
Leonardo da Vinci, 60
patterns, 106107
backdrop, 24, 106
creating, 106
repeating, 104
pecking order. See hierarchy
perception of color, 118
perspective, 60, 110111
phi computations, 38
photographs, 7879
compositional framing of, 54
shooting and collecting, 78, 80
Photoshop, 8, 130, 231
placement
dynamic, 31
static, 31, 3233
pointing elements, 6061
Pollock, Jackson, 50, 114
press checks, 204205, 231
primary colors, 124
printing
CMYK colors for, 198
digital, 198, 206
facts/cautions about, 200
offset, 198, 204
paper choices for, 202
press checks for, 204205
process color printing, 198, 200, 231
proportional considerations, 1213
punch, visual, 138
Q
quality control, 204205, 206
questioning everything, 180181
R
rectangles, golden, 39
Renaissance paintings, 54
repetition, 104105
representational art, 7677
restraint, visual, 32, 138
reversed elements, 231
RGB color, 125, 232
Roman typefaces, 148
S
sans serif fonts, 148, 149, 232
saturation, 120, 121, 122, 232
saving visuals, 220221
scrap file, 220
screen build, 200, 232
screens, 198, 232
script typefaces, 148, 149
secondary hues, 124
seeing with fresh eyes, 194
self-assessment process, 194
serif fonts, 148, 149, 232
shapes
building with, 7071
holding visuals in, 82
simplified graphics, 6869
sketches, 12, 46
spacing
dynamic, 3031, 52
static, 32, 232
special effects, 7475
split-complementary palettes, 127
spot colors, 200, 232
239
INDEX
T
tangents, 192, 232
target audience, 172, 232
tertiary hues, 124
text. See typography
textures
backdrop, 24
photographs of, 78
visual, 102103
themes, 72, 166167, 168
thumbnail sketches, 12, 46, 233
tracing paper, 46
translucency treatments, 40
transparency effects, 108
trends, typographic, 152
triadic palettes, 127
triangles, 60
typefaces, 148149, 233
typography, 148163
creative use of, 162
customization process in, 160161
evaluation process in, 150
font categories in, 148149
hierarchy in, 158159
letterspacing in, 156157
subtlety in, 154155
trends in, 152
V
value, 92, 120, 121, 122123, 233
value structure, 123, 129, 190
Van Gogh, Vincent, 62
vanishing points, 110, 111, 233
variety, 140141
vertical guides, 20
visual connections, 64
visual energy, 140141
visual hierarchy, 5051, 62, 188, 233
visual restraint, 32, 138
visual texture, 102103, 233
W
warm colors, 56, 138, 229, 233
warm gray, 136, 138, 233
wave shape, 88, 89
Web-safe colors, 210
website of author, 9
white backdrops, 24
word associations, 176
WYSIWYG, 208, 233