Let's Play with Type #2: Shape- Shifting
Fatima Godinez
The Topic
Upon knowing our proposal for this assignment, my mind instantly went to numerous topics that I could cover- Fast
Fashion and the enormous amount of clothes piled up on the Chile Mountain, Farm workers and Pesticides or their living wages, and lead contamination in our very own Oakland. Thus, that’s where I approached my first step- the research. Although all of the following issues are important and should be advertised more, the reality is that we have to choose simply one topic to cover. Thus, I recalled the numerous times and even then, the current stories my grandfather tells upon his time working as a Bracero in the Bracero Program of 1942. I even recount the numerous Chicano and History classes that I took which covered this topic and the emotions that it got from me. With that, I finalized my decision to ultimately Farm Workers and pesticides.
First Area of Research
As mentioned above, the first step in creating a poster, or anything for the matter is research. Similarly to an essay or any written piece you gather your information that will make your argument or thesis both credible and strong. Thus, that was my first approach. I found multiple articles that talked upon the dangerous use of pesticides such as leading to cancer, headaches, Parkinson's Disease, etc. In addition, I found multiple articles in which Farm Workers talked upon their experience in the field and their health as a cause of the harsh chemicals found in Pesticides. Attached below are the following links.
Second Area of Research
Continuing with my research, I recall the following Poster “ Sun Mad” by Ester Hernandez. The way she took the original engraved image of the cheerful girl and altered it to be a skeleton was my first spark of inspiration. How could I do my own approach to that? In addition, I took upon myself to look at multiple posters that I found from both activists and simply from different topics. With that I then began sketching.
Here are simply a few of the pieces that I found to be interesting and wanted to create again along with the Ester Hernandez Sun Mad. The first picture in specific, creates emotions as it highlights the man's face whereas the alcohol poster has altered it’s typography in a way that makes sense.
Headline and photo
At this point, I had an idea of what I wanted to do both in the way that I wanted to cause emotion or a reaction from the one looking at my poster and in the way in which I wanted to design it. However I was missing my headline and the photo. Upon doing further research, possible headlines that came to mind were those of the following.
- If there's no farmers left… who will grow your strawberries
- If all our migrant workers are sick.. Who will grow your fruit/crop
- Soon not even one will stand
- Breathing should be a right
-Breathing should be free
- Elige tu veneno
- Pick your poison
Sketching
I then took it upon myself to do some sketches of everything that came to mind- as a strong believer, that this process would later get to me to another point. Although, I soon found myself focusing not so much on the typography and the way I could alter, shape, and form each letter but rather the image itself. This is where I knew I had to go and continue to do my own research.
Further Inspiration
While working on this project, I took it upon myself to look for further inspiration. How could I alter my words. What were others doing and how was it working for them. As I took walks around the city, in particular while visiting Oakland, I took it upon myself to stop, observe and take photos. In addition, I looked at magazines and printed photos that could inspire my work. Attached below are some of the following.
Getting started on Illustrator
Moving on, I began incorporating multiple tools that I knew I could use. Such as those that consist of the following- Puppet Warp tool to alter the letters, pin points, the pencil tool to create the words and, the Roughen Effect tool. I knew that once I chose to include veneno or poison as part of my headline I wanted to create the letters to drip. Thus, I used a pencil tool to draw on the drip effect. In addition, as I associate the color red to describe danger and death, I chose to highlight poison in red. Lastly, I chose to alter the opacity, the size of each letter and their position.
Final Result
After a while of playing with illustrator I finally had my final product. Quickly beforehand, I chose make two more drafts in which I translated " Pick your Poison" in Spanish. Hence, the " Elije tu veneno". All in all through this process, I wanted to ensure myself that the all of the piece worked. Using Spanish illustrators the Braceros and even then any Latin Farm Worker. The picking of the strawberries though may look simple to the eye, holds toxic pesticides. With that being said attached below is my final product.
