DR.ME Post-Workshop

DR.ME couldn't have come at a better time, and I'm really happy they did. They really liked the work that me and Mel collaborated on and It gave me a sizeable boast in self belief after talking to them about approaching bands and how they acquired their clients.

I decided to take it along to a concert later that night at the Belgrave Music Hall for one of my favourite musicians, Al Doyle from Hot Chip. His band, New Build,  launched their tour for their new album Pour it on that night coincidentally. I wanted to approach Al and see if I could get involved with his promotional work.

 However I bottled it when I saw him, I was a little star struck. It was for the better however, because a indie band without really much of a identity Technology + Teamwork came on to play before hand. So I decided to approach them with this piece from the DR.ME workshop with my details on the back because I didn't have a business card on hand.

They both seemed really friendly and liked the idea, so I hope something can become of this. I doubt they will anytime soon though with their tour just starting so I'm going to try and make contact to keep the ball rolling, however I'm not sure through what. 

Brief 1 - Colour

I wanted to try and contextualise my colour choices so I needed to research and see what colours where actually used. I grabbed all of the Roman art books I could find in the library which wasn't many, however the images that where in the books were incredibly helpful.

 I thought the best place to try and get colour inspiration for my brand would be from their fresco's and mosaics because they've lasted for so long. It's really surprising in the range of colours used and just how vibrant they've remained.

I created colour swatches from thumbnails of the images so I could easily swap out the colours to help me decide. Just a way to help streamline my design development.

I've not really decided on what I want the colours to be yet however, I want something warm, I really like the cream colours that I was able to colour pick from the art works.

Extra swatch: Italian flag.

Really Like the look of this, however may I'd tone down the cream. However the red works really well, it looks rich like stereotypical Roman red.

I wanted to find out more about the pigments they used and what they represented most of all. Also - Why red? - Why was red the most common colour found throughout the rest of my pictures from the library books.

I found this website which goes into detail about what was contained within the pigments them selves: 

http://decodedpast.com/use-colours-brave-show-make-pigments-roman-frescos/13271

http://www.rms.org.uk/Resources/Royal%20Microscopical%20Society/infocus/Images/SIDDALL.pdf

Red came in a variety of colours and was popular in Rome. Vermillion Red was one of the most expensive reds however it was also sourced from ochre and iron

Black was as it is used to day, it was essential in paint work, for darkening colours as well as cheap to make. It came from smoke captured from the factories as well as from char. 

Indigo, purple and rich blue where the most expensive of colours. - The emperor was also the only person to be aloud to wear all purple in Rome. 

White was as it's used today, it was a cheap undercoat that often used for rooms that wouldn't get much use. 

BRIEF 2: DR.ME Workshop

Me and Melissa Gator got paired together for this work shop, We had worked together in back on the very first brief at LCA, so this was exciting to see what we could do. I found that we got along really well when It came to creating, We both didn't let our ego's get in the way of what we were wanting to create as we both had plenty of our own input to what we were creating. 

My final outcomes:

The workshop was pretty fun, It was great to see a different way of working, however my only problem of that is that it is a bit to late for it to have been useful. The work we created was really cool however. DR.ME both loved the poster and vinyl cover we created. Pretty encouraging that we could both become collage designers.

Brief 1 - Inscriptions and Typeface Examples

This post is to inform my self of examples used in Roman display typefaces, what I already know about them from already conceived ideas is that they're Large and very accurately cut. What I'm looking for is something that carries authority, yet is still warm and welcoming, It feels familiar. As also can be read while small which allows it to work also as Body copy.

The photography Grace took around Rome of typography examples yielded some great results, the guide books used in one store used a very accurate replica typeface. However looking at it, it lends it's self to looking like it is literally straight from the Parthenon due to the gimmicky look.   

The Parthenon's inscription is too detailed for the look I'm wanting, it needs to be thick, 

• Too Rustic looking, come's from the erosion rounding it off.

The Lewis & Cooper sign is perhaps what I'm really looking for. – It has both a sense of establishment about of it as well as authority. Yet you can easily see it been a typeface which would be easy to play with. – (Baskerville/ Georgia may be similar.)

Imperial - Red was often painted into the letters to make them stand out from the white stone. - Or copper was nailed into the letters too. 

Yet again similar to the Parthenon, they inscriptions are all very thin, but they work like that when they're inscribed because the bevel gives them depth making them easier to read, when they're bastardised like they do not have the same gravitas.

Inscription from Trajan's column. 113 AD

(Roman Imperial)

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek 1394.

(Roman Capitals)

I think a very suitable match for a merge of both Capital and imperial is perhaps Baskerville, (Not times new roman however it's too sterile.) This is probably the closest counterpart I can find currently. Old versions of Palatino exist from the renaissance which look like they would work also.

Finding a merge of the new and old might be possibly the answer.