Title: Milton & Me
Type: Illustration, Web Design
Date: April 2019
Brief:
Milton & Me is a self-portrait study, as part of IAT 102 Graphic Design, that combines the famous Milton Glaser’s style of illustration and design with my personal flair to create a piece that is a unique representation of myself. Inspired by the notion of remixing, I wanted to take a designer I admire and remix their work. Using his artwork, Bob Dylan Greatest Hits Album Poster as a base point for the design, I created my own self-portrait. The intersection of Glaser’s bold psychedelic style and the delicate line work and cursive typography is an addition of my creative yet shy personality.
Design:
To create Milton & Me I first had to abstract Glaser’s work to the core principles he used: bold colours, block typography, and flowing design elements. While Dylan’s portrait showcases his neatly styled hair I wanted my design to have a more chaotic and shuffled feeling like my brain often racing with thoughts. The straight-on profile allowed the design to feel as if the subject was lying down with her hair scattered. The intersection of line art is based on my non-confrontational and sometimes shy personality. The delicateness and simplicity of the lines allow this ethos to shine while not being overpowering. The facial features are referenced from photographs of my face to add realness and character to the portrait.
Reflection:
Looking back on the piece I feel as if I excelled in the concept of the piece, the execution could be better. While the linework for the individual hairpieces is supposed to be chaotic I feel as if it looks unfinished instead. The lack of properly enclosed shapes and a mixture of hard and curved edges are distracting and create an unbalanced design. If I were to recreate this piece I would craft the hair with more intention and care to provide a more unifying illustration.
