Modern Propaganda style Posters Initial Research

poster created by Frank Shepard Fairey
In my initial 1900-1950 research i found that the posters that i found most effective were generally the ones that used 2 or 3 main colours, so i decided to try and find a modern equivalent. The colours are again contrasting and bold, they simplify the face and divide it into light and shade the reds and blues are very American which obviously concurs with the subject matter. The dark navy creates shadow and offsets the slogan, the font of the text itself is easy to read its simplicity is mirrored in the one word command, the message is clear and understandable "CHANGE". obviously because its contemporary the lines are sharper, and the portrait although stylistic is more realistic than those previously researched. i espescially like the lines which help to construct shadow and help to diverge texturally another modern touch which i will consider when designing.
http://www.gwennseemel.com/images/blog08/ShepardFaireyChange.jpg

Poster art Steve Thomas
Again minimal colour manipulation, these seem to have a slightly more angular feel (bottom left espescially) an aspecept i found intriging when looking at the Spanish civil war posters. Out of the four i think that its the bottom right which draws my attention the most. The white of the water tank covers a larger area and seems brighter against the red possibly due to the thick black outline and shading, its central positioning focuses the design and the eye is led vertically down the frame to the remaining text "gossip ends with you". The "loose lips" phrase refers to an American Propaganda poster "loose lips might sink ships"the message efficiently cemented  by the use of rhyme. This intepretation has continued  with the near rhyme "create rifts" which is still just as effective at imparting the overall message.
  http://wiki-images.enotes.com/f/f8/Loose_lips_might_sink_ships.jpg
The poster top left is another favourite (and refers to social network sites which concurs with our brief). I appreciate the subtlety evident within this poster it seemingly alludes to Twitter but although the message is clear it is not made explicit- theres no twitter logo but it is suggested by the bird. The black bird is the main focus as it is exemplified by the plain red background and i like the curved line of the bottom phrase which makes it stand out against the rest of the design.
http://johngushue.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f25369e2014e88233f0b970d-800wi

Im not sure if these would be considered propaganda posters but they have a distinctive russian propaganda like style and they are promotional advertisments.
http://www.designcontest.com/assets/galleries/3564/Soviet_Propaganda_poster_by_dmavromatis.jpg
Black white and red have again been used again and they again create brilliant contrast exemplifying shape. I love the angularity of the top right which is reminicient of the spanish propaganda poster i previously researched. the straight bold lines are incredibly directional and dramatic and it seems yet again that it is its simplicity which makes it so striking. The faces in each are flat and silhouetted which i think makes the design more seamless and definately ensures the continuity throughout the four. The top left is very contained within the white which i also think benefits the design, its centeral and the white fully conveys the wing shapes. Wings which in turn frame the central figure neatly drawing the eye to the Black Swan title.
http://www.theballetbag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BSthumb.jpg

This poster was created during the Cold war so its not exactly modern but its dated 1970 after the specific 1900-1950 date given in the brief so im putting it in this section. limited colour useage and manipulation of a silhouetted figure (common themes seen throughout a lot of the propaganda posters researched). No foreign words or slogans just the name Lenin which ensures a broader target audience, though without the added clarification of a slogan the design is made solely responsible in conveying message. The red is the most eyecatching aspect so i can assume that the poster is promoting Lenin, the eye is then drawn diagonally down frame to the man whose lack of distinctive features confirms the wider audience. There is a sense of light and dark which helps to break up some of the block colour but i find that i dont like the brown washed background which doesnt look as stark as a solid colour would have. As i have discovered in my previous research i think black would have looked more dramatic and striking than the brown does. overall i like the stylised figure but im not too sure on the brown and its a little bland.
http://www.designer-daily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/lenin.jpg

i think that this poster is a little more fun than the others ( obviously because its purpose is fairly light). The simple yellow block background contradicts the more textural appearance of the figure which has a nice hand drawn feel, hes very simple in terms of shape but theres a sense of depth introduced through the shading. the use of the exclamation mark at the end of the phrase "use your library often!" gives it a more friendly vibe ( which completely differs from the harsher commands seen in other posters this distinction again is down to the message). the figures pose very practically, directs the eye down to the "KNOWLEDGE" which efficiently assures full message transferal.
http://rlv.zcache.com/for_greater_knowledge_use_your_library_poster-r49b795a049c946138e7824ee6f703e47_ai4d1_210.jpg

1900-1950 Propaganda Initial Research

im wasnt really sure where to start so i decided to begin researching and analysing propaganda posters that caught my eye.

This was one of the first WW1 posters that caught my eye. I particularly liked the use of the silhouette which looks exceptionally striking against the gold/yellow background. The faceless man could be any man, which from a design perspective ensures a wide target audience and is congruent with the posters purpose. Since the poster has been created to persuade men to enlist the faceless man represents every man in turn making it more relatable. The gold background itself has connotations of glory whilst the horizontal position of the gun segments the frame creating a sense of symmetry (possibly suggesting that the army itself is balanced). The thick font and the simplicity of the phrase cements the command (something to consider in my own design).

http://www.ww1propaganda.com/sites/default/files/3g11307u-1032.jpg?1309094689

This poster is at lot more engaging than the first, although again the concealment of the face creates the broader audience and again is aimed at influencing society. There is a sense viciousness that is not evident within the other it appears that the glory of war (which was implied in the previous poster by the gold background and the strong man) has faded. The posters purpose is no longer recruitment. It is  instead being aimed at society back home to ensure the continuation of  rationing and luxury sacrifice. The comic book stylisation; the bold outlines and shading is visually striking and it again places emphasis on colour. Yellow seems to be very popular within British and American propaganda whilst red appears more within Russian (communist red). The italic knew essentially grounds the poster within reality, horror is being manipulated to ensure the public continue their efforts on the homefront.

Poster Produced by Winchester

NARA Still Picture Branch
http://www.propagandaposters.us/sacrific.jpg

 "Drive to the collective farm"
This so far is one of my favourite propaganda posters- its a russian poster and is enforcing collectivisation which occured throughout the 20s and 30s, a process which consolidated individual farms to increase food supply. Mostly I just love the contrast evident within the poster, the black on red is exceptionally striking framing the faces whilst keeping the overall design fairly simple ( too much colour would detract from the message) . The target audience is obviously women again those that would be left behind, and whilst the faces are visible there arent any defining features which keeps the message broad. The use of curve and shape segments the poster diagonally into two halves directing the eye diagonally up the poster to the heading.
http://www.posterpal.com/_images/z230724.jpg

 
Since i liked the red and black colour scheme in the russian propaganda poster, i decided to try and find more propaganda posters that featured the same colours. This is a spanish propaganda poster created during the civil war (30s) to make men join the labour force. again the poster features a diagonal segmentation directing the eye to the slogan, the slanted positioning of the text combined with the angular depiction of the man gives the poster a very geometric feel. the harsh angles possibly mirror the severity of the war whilst simoultaneously creating contrast which is also exemplified by the manipulation of colour.  The grey tones helps to incorporate a gradient which initiates a sense of light and dark and theres a hint of shadow which contradicts the flat angularity of the design. shape is something that i think will play heavily within my own design since its exceptionally effective in providing both direction and contrast.
http://www.spanishcivilwarposters.com/

i couldnt find much information on this poster but i liked the use of colour- and how 3 colours have been used to generate contrast. Much like the three previous posters i have analysed, it is its simplicity that makes it effective. i think its warning of the dangers of chemical warfare (im extrapilating from the gasmask).whereas the last poster that i looked at manipulated square lines this seems to revolve around softer curved shapes, theres also more of a gradient which helps to fade the bold emblems into the base background colour. the use of this gradient also introduces a 3dimensional quality particularly around the head and the gasmask. the yellow contrasts against the blue which helps to initiate highlights and shine, theres even a grainy aspect which softens the edges. diagonal segmentation has also been manipulated ( a common theme which should be considered when designing) which once again focuses the eye on the logo and the text.
http://www.allposters.co.uk/-sp/Italian-Fascism-Posters_i8178657_.htm

so far im leaning more towards the spanish  propaganda and think that i will begin my further research more into that area.  

First Project Brief

24/09/12
Project 1
 General overview: Producing at least one poster promoting - either Facebook,Twitter,Flickr,Google+,LinkedIn,Blogger,Vimeo or Youtube. A1 in size. Based on propaganda posters (1900-1950).