Essays & General Comments 08-05-04 CARD SKETCHES? (May 04, 2008)
It has come to the kitten's attention that the latest 'buzz' going about is . . . . . . . card sketches.
Sorry ? ? Did I miss something ? ?
OK, I can't let that go past without giving my comments.
Speaking as a designer who drafts / re-drafts / uses layouts / and sketches ALL THE TIME - sketches for cards?
I use scrap book sketches a lot. You can turn them about and upside down and re-work it . . and a good sketch will hold the 'balance' which ever way you turn it. It will also forgive certain liabilities - you can inter-change photos / journaling / embellishments - and move titles without damaging the integrity of a good sketch. You don't have to think about the ins and outs - it just happens when you do it. and you know it looks good! (So does everyone else).
You don't have that breath of choice with a card - it is small - a certain shape - it goes a certain way - you can't re-choose or re-order that - there is no space for the manoeuvring of details.
If those two statements follow on as logic - you can't pass on information about cards in the same way as you do with scrap booking. You can't pass it around and let it to grow, give it 'your view' - which is what scrap book sketching is all about. Therefore all a card sketch is, is a blue print that you have to copy. For example - I have certain styles that I revert to time and time again (bold corner / layers / fine lines). Although they change - with the paper design / use of embellishments - The basic theory won't take adaption. OK - so if you print out one of the new Oriental cards and turn it upside down... it won't work - it looks unbalanced and horrid, SOMETIMES it will work if you turn it sideways (the ones with the text down the edge), mostly it will need a counter balancing action (the ones with the square of greeting would need a long greeting to make it work - but you would also need the paper at the bottom to give the weight at the base). That's the whole point - with cards you have to weight it to the way it stands on the shelf.
So - there is no point is a card sketch. If you can see the card, you can see the design and copy it, but you can't re-interpret it and produce a new sketch for someone else to re-interpret and reproduce a new sketch - and so on. It can't 'grow' - can't adapt
As always the kitten is open to counter suggestion -
test the theory and get back to me.
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