I Love Toulous-Lautrec

Growing up with posters like these hanging all around my house, I have grown up loving everything about this style of poster. As for this specific poster, I really enjoy both the colors used and the imagery. The use of red, black, and yellows are a great compliment to each other, and really make the type stand out, which I think is the main focus of the poster. The poster really pops, and if I passed it on the street during its time of production, I would definitely notice it. I also love the images that were drawn for the poster. They are very iconic, and very reminiscent of the style of the time period. While they are not the same quality as we would have today, they certainly look nice and clean and show what the Moulin Rouge was all about. I also like the color used on the images, which really seperates the man from the woman and both of the from the people in the background.

However, this type of design is by no means relevant or modern in any way. With today’s computer technology, posters like Henri de Toulous-Lautrec’s would never be used. Personally, I’d be more attracted to a poster like Toulous-Lautrec’s than a modern day poster because it feels more personal and that more work was put into it. However, if this design was created by a computer today, it would by no means have the same feel. The texture and gradient of the poster would not be the same, and it would just look like any other poster.The artistic qualities that the poster has due to it being hand drawn would be taken away.

J’aime Moulin Rouge

I like the originality of this design.  The type of the Moulin Rouge at the top of the poster is well replicated making it look like a specific typeface.  Also I like how he created different typefaces for each group of words.  I think the unique color of the background makes the painting look as though it is indoors.  I also think the it was a good idea to shade in the people in the back and direct more attention to the dancing woman and man.  I think that it was creative to draw in the floor boards because it makes it look as though the woman and man are farther out in front then the other people and also that the floor board is directing our attention to the information at the bottom. 

What I don’t like about the painting is simply that it seems a little crowded. I think that if he would remove the faded wording at the bottom of the page it would bring more focus to the actual picture.

I think this design still does hold relevance in today’s digital age because the types that he drew are similar to the style of any types that exist within the san serif library.  I also think that the originality of the drawing could resemble a poster today that may just have had a lower budget but still expressed a great effect such as the poster we saw in class for the fun walk. 

I don’t think this painting would have the same effect if it had been replicated by the computer.  This is because it would lose its originality.  I feel as though a computer would have organized the font and made the picture look not as quirky or edgy.

Timeless Art for the Moulin Rouge

Lautrec’s poster for the Moulin Rouge is timeless. The hand drawn image and the warm colors are pleasing to the eye and make it look more like a work of art that should be admired than a simple poster. The image accurately portrays to the viewer what the Moulin Rouge is. The warm color, large size, and repetition of the words “Moulin Rouge” make sure the viewer knows what is being advertised. All aspects of the poster are cohesive to the point that it is no longer just a poster, but a work of art.

That cohesiveness and artistic style make it relevant in today’s digitalized world. It’s hand drawn appearance separates it from  many overly computerized posters and makes it all the more effective. Today, when people see it, it draws them in even more because it is different. I don’t know why more posters today are not made to look hand drawn. I think it would be fairly easy to recreate the image with current technology and give it a similar feel. There are many ways to make things appear hand drawn or even vintage. I think the problem is that people now tend to be attracted to flashy, new things and forget about timeless pieces such as Lautrec’s poster.

Illustrator … or Illustrator™?

The first thing I notice is how little, if any, white space there is. The illustration bleeds on, making it seem like the poster is just a narrow lens on the entire scope of the action. It leaves me wanting to see more of what else there is. I love that Moulin Rouge is done 3 times, much like the “head on” commercials, it gets stuck in your head. I love the warm colors that make the entire poster pop as one large visual gestalt. Another aspect I like of this is the man in front, with his face directing you to the text. The detail in him compared to the others in the poster make it apparent that this is a gentlemen’s affair and not just for anyone, adding another layer of allure.

There are a few things I’m not specifically fond of however. Although I think the woman adds something special to the poster with her movement, I can’t get over the look on her face. It’s like I’m looking at the woman in American Gothic. Her face needs to match the liveliness of her body. I’m also not understanding why the yellow accents are added in the background and foreground. They detract from the poster’s main focus. I can understand that they are creating balance but I believe other means could’ve been used to achieve balance.

As for this design holding relevance today, I do not believe it does. It is by no means closely interlinked with the mainstream ads and posters today. I do believe this poster is art, and although I feel it would fade into the background of today’s advertisements with their bold and flashy graphics, it would surely be respected for its unique look. I believe its warmness could be enhanced slightly with brighter, bolder colors that would add more to it.

Honestly, if this design were remade on a computer, I think it would look ridiculous. The poster’s allure is in the fact that it is hand drawn and not computer generated. No one would think it was art, but rather a poorly made poster. If liberties were taken, I believe it could be made much more flashy and lively through a computer with a spin on it, but replicated the way it looks now, not so much.

A poster=art form

First off, I am very familiar with this poster because it is hanging in my kitchen back home. Even though I am very familiar with it, I have always categorized it with art that belongs in the Art Institute of Chicago, in a room that is next to the Monet’s. Its nice to now think of it also critically.

What I like about this poster is the different planes of focus. Our eyes are automatically drawn to the brightest part of the poster which is the dancer in the white and the yellow object next to her. Because Lautrec used a limited set of colors (brown, yellow, black, white, and red) this allows for a visual hierarchy. After the eye spots the dancer we connect her red tights to the red letters advertising the Moulin Rouge, or the yellow floating shapes in the right middle of the poster. After seeing all of these things first, the eye is led to explore what is really going on in this poster. There is the brown painted man who is walking by the dancer, ignoring her, and then there’s a crowd of black silouettes looking at the dancer. I have never understood who the brown man is. This is the part of the design that bothers me because I don’t understand his relevance. If I was the designer, I would have had just the dancer and the crowd behind her. But maybe the brown man is what intrigues the viewer…

I also like the vertical floorboards that guide the reader to the text of the advertisement. This is a smart guide. I also like how Moulin Rouge is repeated three times for emphasis. This may be obnoxious in different settings, but for this poster, I think it only adds more focus.

I think this design definitely holds relevance in today’s digital age because it still is an example of good design skills. Lautrec had to plan out his poster, from the visuals to the text, and typefaces he was going to use. Even though his methods may be outdated, this poster shows that designers even then had to solve visual problems and decide how to lay things out, how to grab the reader’s attention, and try to effectively sell the event/product/place. And its remarkably done by using paper, paints, and printmaking methods.

I feel like this poster could never be replicated on a computer program. One thing that makes this poster what it is, is the feeling that it has because it was created by hand. Although these illustrations could be drawn and then scanned in and put together by layers to make the 3 planes of visual hierarchy, I think the feeling of genuine art that this piece has would be hard to replicate. The typefaces would never be found in Suitcase fusion, and the fill of the brown man that is varying in strength due to brushstrokes could never be done successfully on illustrator.

Henri: 1, Computer: 0

I went to France once. Well, more specifically, I went to Paris once- for a grand total of about two days. And yes, I bought two small replicas of Henri de Toulous-Lautrec’s posters promoting Moulin Rouge. I like the designs because they are fun, spirited, and historical.

My favorite aspect is the dancing woman- she adds movement and liveliness to the poster. I also like how the letters have round edges and are not too thick. The long, stretched out “M” in the left hand corner brings the reader’s eye down to the background crowd watching the woman dance. She in turn leads the viewer’s eye to the older man in front- quite the character with his top hat and pointed facial features. I find it interesting that the darkest color, black, is used as the crowd in the background, while gray is used to color the man in the foreground. The one thing I don’t care for is the background coloring. The cross between yellow, brown, and green comes off muddy and dirty. At the same time, this faded color adds age and personality to the poster. I appreciate how the poster reflects the time period it was created- in other words, if this same poster was created now, I’m not sure if I would like it as much.

This type of design definitely still holds relevance in today’s digital age. If nothing else, it should be appreciated for the fact that it was completely hand drawn. The poster can be analyzed the same way we analyze a computer-generated design- by its layout, coloring, and typography- and still ‘pass’. I don’t think this design would have the same feel or effect on the viewer if it was created by a computer. The colors might be hard replicate, and the poster would lose some of its novelty if it were digitally created.

Vintage is Best

This poster would definitely have grabbed my attention if I saw it on a wall or in a magazine.  It uses a Z viewing pattern that clearly leads me through the heading, image and typeface on the bottom.  Its color choice is flawless.  The reds and blacks come forward, highlighting both the words and silhouettes. The typefaces are authentic and feel very raw and real. The poster is engaging and serves its purpose.

With that being said, this poster would most certainly hold relevance even in today’s digital world.  It incorporates many designing techniques that current computer software has been developed to do. In fact, many successful posters today use aspects of this poster but with advanced programs like illustrator or inDesign.

Even though this is true, I think that if this design was executed by a computer, it would not have the same vintage feel.  Although it is possible to create your own font or morph already created fonts, the earthiness and rawness of this poster would be hard to emulate. The fading and authenticity of color would also be difficult to copy because computers are used to filling with equal densities.  While today’s programs would be able to make a strong replication of this poster, I think that the naturalness of it works to its advantage and a computer may sacrifice that.

Computers no match for poster

I think what I like most about this poster, or what struck me first about this poster, is the coloring. Normally, when I think of posters now I think of bright, contrasting colors, but all of these colors blend really well into one another to create one fluid scene and one continuous feel in the poster.  The color of the text at the bottom is a little difficult to read against the outline of the man, but this could just be a scanning difference and the text might be better in real life.

I think the reason that this poster would hold relevance in this day and age is because it is NOT digital, making the poster unique for viewers who are more accustomed to the digital, computerized designs.  I don’t think this design can be replicated cohesively by the computer and produce the same feel for the viewer. The fact that it is NOT a digital computer – made image enhance the feel.

Toulous-Lautrec’s Moulin Rouge Poster: Still Seen in this Day and Age

I love this poster and have seen it several times before. When i visited Paris I was able to see a few of Toulous-Lautrec’s designs and I love them all. As far as the design of this poster goes, I think the headline is great. The MOULIN ROUGE is in a warm redish orange color which draws in the viewers eyes (warm colors receive). The giant M is very effective, and then has “OULIN ROUGE” repeated three times next to it, which again, catches the reader’s attention. This headline is effective in that it immediately lets the viewer know what the purpose of the poster is – to publicize the Moulin Rouge. I don’t,however, love the image on this particular poster. I think that there are many other images that portray what the Moulin Rouge is all about a little better. Despite this, I do like the black shadows of the crowd watching and I do like the black type above it – it is bold and easy to read. I also like the colors in this design because it gives a nighttime feeling to the poster which is when the event took place.

I think this design still holds relevance in today’s digital age. Despite it not being made on the computer, it is still a very attractive and effective poster. The imagery is eye catching as is the headline and the type. It is not a simple or boring poster and there is not a lot of white space, however, it isn’t overwhelming either. There is just enough text to get the point across. I think this old fashioned design is still popular to this day and I see this poster around a decent amount. I think it is timeless. If it were replicated on the computer I think with today’s technology, it could definitely have the same affect. It may, however, not be as precious or as graceful and easy on the eye. I think if it were made on the computer it would be a bit more vibrant and I think these colors would be hard to duplicate. This poster which was made by hand is special and one of a kind in that the colors and type would be hard to replicate exactly. Despite these minor details, I think the poster’s main design and feel could be replicated on a computer.

Blog Assignment #5

As you begin to get into your project design I thought it would be useful for you all to spend some time thinking about the historical significance of poster design.

The birth of graphic design can be traced back 30,00 years to cave paintings, and as we can see it has come a long way since then.  With the advent of technology over the last few decades and this surge of digitization that is encompassing more and more of our lives it may be hard at times to remember that things like graphic design started out with people literally drawing posters by hand.

Many of you may have seen the poster by Henri de Toulous-Lautrec that is posted below before now, but to those who are not familiar with it Lautrec did a series of posters in the late 19th century designed for the promotion of the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France.  Now he didn’t have any computers to generate color and type, or Illustrator and tablets to draw out his design, it is a lithograph that he designed by hand.

What I want you to do is first analyze the design principles in this poster (what you like/don’t like, what could change, etc.).  Once you have done that I would like you to answer the following questions:

Does this type of design still hold relevance in today’s digital age? Why or why not?

If this design were replicated by a computer would it have the same feel/effect on the viewer?