If they fit the bill, hey, they fit the bill.

Most graphic designers on the web (professional and wannabe alike) are having a field day putting down Text Only Designs as if they were of no value whatsoever. There is so much one can do with type! I could list quite a few areas of use and design styles that favor Simple Text Designs. But I will only list one area of use and one design style, namely the Sign Industry and the Minimalist School of Design.

Continue reading “Simple Text Designs” »

There seems to be an increasing interest in Original and Vintage Movie Posters. Some of them are priceless since they never printed a lot of them. These posters used to travel from one movie house to another all over a particular State. These days, a Near Mint poster can command a pretty high price.

I love Movie Posters the same way I do Antiques Signs. Today, I am sharing my list of links with you. Continue reading “Where to find Vintage Movie Posters” »

This is the first installment of our Design of the Week feature. It’s a post where we will pick one of our designs to find out if it works or not, and why. A kind of troubleshooting after the fact. At the same time we will be learning a few principles of Layout, Typography, Beauty, Balance, etc.

At first glance this looks like a beautiful composition. I would say it is! It has simplicity, symmetry and Continue reading “Design of the Week (Tabou Combo)” »

I love Vintage Movie Posters. Their beauty and style are unmatched by today’s graphic compositions. I completely agree with whomever said that the designers of our times are just technicians (in computer graphics). But, the designers and sign makers of the 40s, 50s and 60s, were first and foremost, artists. In the true sense of the word!

For today’s study, we will consider two posters of the movie “A Streetcar Named Desire“. First the popular American version, then the German version.

American version. Here we have a beautiful poster. Rather unconventional but nevertheless beautiful. On this side of the Atlantic, it’s a Classic. I kind of like it for the controlled balance it exudes. But, let’s study it thoroughly, to see if there is anything we can learn from a Layout point of view.

Let us start with the top part. It stands in strong contrast against the bottom part, for being mostly graphic. We have a brushed red rectangle and a scene from the picture. In this frame, there are two distinct areas which are almost diametrically opposed: the picture with the gray background vs. the white space. We also have a block of text vs. the picture itself. We could even go so far as to say that the text relates directly to the man, while the woman is interposing. Even though it may not seem so at first glance, this top part has very good balance.

Continue reading “Studying Vintage Movie Posters” »

As I said in an earlier post, I am aggressively learning everything I can about Creative Graphic Design. It takes dedication and time, but at least I know exactly where I want to go. As a beginning artist, I must balance a few important and distinct elements of what I call “my graphic journey”.

Learning Graphic Design itself

I am not a graduate of any graphic design school, and neither have I had any specific classes in this particular field. As a consequence, I must learn everything myself. I must read everything I can find on the subject, in print or online. I have to learn about the basic elements of design: color, shape, type, function, balance Continue reading “Learning Graphic Design” »

This is Jessie, the Cutest German Shepherd ever! She is the one who made it all happen. Thanks to her, Lakay Graphics and Bagay Lakay came into existence.

Continue reading “The Cutest” »

The purpose of this side of the blog is to take you along on a journey into the world of Creative Graphic Design. Primarily, I will be searching out and evaluating Tutorials and Articles on Graphic Design and related Software. I will point out the best resources for learning the principles of good design. Together we will peek into the the finest online portfolios. I want to learn all the Photoshop-style Text Effects in the world: the cheesier the better! Let’s master the art of Designing with Color. Let’s learn to create Logos and Layouts that deliver that knock out punch. Come along!

Continue reading “Creative Graphic Design” »