Figure/Ground

Using only two letters create a series of typographic compositions effectively utilizing dynamic figure/ground relationships. Figure ground relationships are formed when the eye attempts to differentiate the subject of a composition (the figure) from the context of the image (the ground).

A popular example of figure ground is the cup and faces image:

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Ultimately you goal is to create beautiful and dynamic form by playing with letterforms.

Your objective with this assignment is to:

  • Understand how shapes interact to produce foreground and background relationships.
  • Learn how to manipulate design shapes to produce dynamic figure/ground compositions.
  • Create an obvious figure/ground relationship using letters of the alphabet.
  • Create ambiguous figure/ground compositions using the negative shapes from the letter project.

Rules of the Game

  1. You may only use two letters per composition
  2. You make only use Garamond, Baskerville, Bodoni, Century, Helvetica
  3. You may only scale and rotate
  4. Do NOT stretch any letters
  5. You may have one black and one white letter or two black letters
  6. The base background must always be white. No black backgrounds.
  7. All work must be printed on a laser printer
  8. All work must be trimmed to size (6″x6″)

Make 25 Compositions
Make 25 6″x 6″ compositions in InDesign using any two letters from the five class typefaces: Garamond, Baskerville, Bodoni, Clarendon, Helvetica.

  • Do 5 using two letters from Garamond
  • Do 5 using two letters from Baskerville
  • Do 5 using two letters from Bodoni
  • Do 5 using two letters from Clarendon
  • Do 5 using two letters from Helvetica

Use two different letters for each composition.

Format: 6″ x 6″ trimmed
Output: Laser (no inkjet)

Printing
Each 6″x6″ square must be printed and trimmed to the exact size using crop marks. When you print DO NOT use the “Fit to Screen” function located in the print dialog. I usually generate a PDF and print from Acrobat.  All work must be submitted in an manilla envelope with your name in the top right corner.  Folded and dog-eared work will not be accepted.

Due Tuesday, September 23
10 compositions (mixture of typefaces) designed in illustrator
Printed and trimmed to 6″ x 6″ precisely and cleanly

Due Thursday, September 25
10 best compositions (mixture of typefaces) designed in illustrator
All 25 compositions in a separate PDF
Printed and trimmed to 6″ x 6″ precisely and cleanly