Fine Art / Visual Art · Lesson 13

Lettering, posters, packaging, printmaking, computer graphics (CorelDRAW)

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: lettering and poster design (Roman, Gothic), book illustration, printmaking (linocut, woodcut, yam print, stencil, screen printing), package design, computer graphics (CorelDraw, Photoshop); Papers 1/2 tools, materials, terms. JAMB Section C 1(a) graphics, 1(d) computer graphics: CorelDraw; C 2 tools (lino cutters, calligraphic pens), materials (lino, wood blocks), equipment (light table,…

WAEC: lettering and poster design (Roman, Gothic), book illustration, printmaking (linocut, woodcut, yam print, stencil, screen printing), package design, computer graphics (CorelDraw, Photoshop); Papers 1/2 tools, materials, terms. JAMB Section C 1(a) graphics, 1(d) computer graphics: CorelDraw; C 2 tools (lino cutters, calligraphic pens), materials (lino, wood blocks), equipment (light table,…

NECO: lettering and poster design (Roman, Gothic), book illustration, printmaking (linocut, woodcut, yam print, stencil, screen printing), package design, computer graphics (CorelDraw, Photoshop); Papers 1/2 tools, materials, terms. JAMB Section C 1(a) graphics, 1(d) computer graphics: CorelDraw; C 2 tools (lino cutters, calligraphic pens), materials (lino, wood blocks), equipment (light table,…

What you will learn

Explain the scope and process of graphic design.
Identify lettering styles, parts and spacing rules.
Design posters, logos, cards and packages.
Describe the four families of printmaking and their processes.
Describe screen-printing stencil methods.
Use basic CorelDRAW tools and print settings.

Key points

Graphic design = message + lettering + image + colour.
Brief first; thumbnails before finished artwork.
Roman has serifs; sans serif does not; space letters optically.
Hierarchy, alignment, margins, contrast.
Poster understood in seconds.
Logo simple and scalable; package protects and informs (NAFDAC no.).
Relief, intaglio, planographic, stencil.
Lino: cut away non-printing areas; print in reverse.
Screen: photo-emulsion hardens in light; squeegee at about 45°.
Vector (CorelDRAW) vs raster (Photoshop); CMYK for print.

Start here: What is graphic design?

Graphic design is the art of communicating messages visually by combining lettering (typography), images, symbols and colour in an organised layout. It is an applied art: the design must work, that is, the message must be seen, read and understood by the target audience.

WAEC areas (Paper 3 Section B)

Lettering and poster design: notices in formal lettering (Roman, Gothic or other formal characters); pictorial posters; greeting cards, invitations, book jackets, logotypes, emblems, symbols, labels and wall hangings.
Book illustration: story and text illustrations for books, magazines and newspapers.
Printmaking: linocut, woodcut, yam print, stencilling, screen printing and others.
Package design: wrappers, cereal packs, CD jackets.
Computer graphics: any of the above designed with software such as CorelDraw or Adobe Photoshop.

JAMB lists graphics under two-dimensional art and names CorelDraw as its computer-graphics topic, plus tools such as calligraphic pens, lino cutters, light table and computer.

Where you see graphic design in Nigeria

Billboards along expressways, campaign posters, naira notes and stamps, newspaper layouts, sachet-water and noodle packets, bus branding, church and mosque programme booklets, wedding invitations (“aso-ebi” cards), school logos and textbook covers. Each one has a client, a message, an audience and a budget.

The design process

Brief: understand the client’s purpose, audience, size and deadline.
Research: collect information and visual references.
Ideas: thumbnails; many quick alternatives.
Rough (visual): develop the best one at a larger scale with colour.
Finished artwork: accurate final design by hand or computer.
Production: printing or digital publication; check proofs.

Careers: graphic designer, art director in an advertising agency, illustrator, cartoonist, typographer, packaging designer, printer, brand designer, UI designer for apps and websites. A Nigerian designer with a strong portfolio can also work remotely for clients worldwide.

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Practice questions

1. Lettering with small finishing strokes at the ends of letters is

serif
sans serif
script
stencil

Show answer

A: serif
Roman letters have serifs.

2. Letters without finishing strokes are called

serif
gothic black-letter
italic
sans serif

Show answer

D: sans serif
Sans = without.

3. Linocut is an example of

planographic printing
stencil printing
relief printing
intaglio printing

Show answer

C: relief printing
Raised areas print.

4. Etching and engraving are

stencil processes
intaglio processes
relief processes
planographic processes

Show answer

B: intaglio processes
Ink held in grooves.

5. Lithography belongs to the

planographic family
relief family
intaglio family
stencil family

Show answer

A: planographic family
Flat surface, grease and water.

Key words

Typography: Art of arranging type.
Serif: Small finishing stroke on a letter.
Sans serif: Letters without serifs.
Baseline: Line letters sit on.
x-height: Height of lower-case x.
Kerning: Spacing between two letters.
Leading: Space between lines.
Copy: The words of a design.
Logotype: Name in distinctive lettering.
Net: Flat development of a package.
Relief print: Prints from raised surface.
Intaglio: Prints from incised lines.

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