Sun

The Sun 

Sun has been portrayed in many different ways from the classical style of 

Claude to the Impressionist style of Monet and Seurat. The sun in 

paintings is commonly depicted as a sunset or sunrise because the artists 

can depict intense colours. Landscape paintings in art used to be a low 

genre and artists like Claude would paint a landscape then add a narrative 

to it. 

I am now going to study a range of work, which depicts how different 

artists portray the sun and the use of light.

Classicism 

Classicism started during the Renaissance and it dominated the most of western art. The term 

classicism came around during the 17 th century. Classicism work was defined by its use of Ancient 

Greek and Roman concepts. The Baroque period brought about many changes and gave way for new 

ideas and concepts. When the Baroque period came around it also led to more developments and a 

wider range of art produced in the style of classicism. 

Classicism paintings are refined and detailed. They focused a lot onto elegance and perfection, they 

also commonly used symmetry in their paintings. They also contain idealised figures and used correct 

proportions with the use of perspective. The colour in Classicism paintings tends to be more subtle and 

neutral. 

One of the most famous classicism artists was Claude Lorraine along side another artist called 

Poussin. Claude became famous because even though he had no classical education or training he 

seemed to develop and create the “Classical Landscape”. 

I would now like to look at Claude Lorraine’s work and his use of the style classicism ; his work also 

strongly focuses on the use of light and sun light.

Claude Lorraine 

Claude was believed to have been born around 1600. He was a 

famous Landscape painter in the Baroque era but was well known 

for his use of Classicism. Claude’s paintings were often turned into 

the superior genre of history paintings typically by adding small 

figures and narratives. Claude made many paintings in which he 

was paid a high price, however his artwork was not deemed as 

innovative for Landscape paintings. Claude was well known for 

introducing the sun into landscape paintings as they were not often 

portrayed before him. 

Claude had four brothers and spent most of his life 

living in Italy. Both of his parents were believed to 

have died when he was a very young age, therefore 

he went to live with one of his older brothers Jean 

Gellée. 

Hagar and the 

Angel, 

1646, 

52 x 42cm, 

Oil on Canvas.

Claude Lorraine, 

1639, 

Oil on Canvas, 

103 x 131 cm. 

Seaport at Sunset

The seaport depicted in this 

painting is not of a specific 

place but merely just a 

landscape painting upon 

which Claude has 

demonstrated his 

meticulous technique for 

painting the sky. 

In this painting the 

orthoganals can be seen 

at the waters edge and 

on the buildings. This is 

then echoed on the right 

hand side of the painting 

with th alignment of the 

boats. 

In this painting Claude 

has created his horizon 

line a third up the canvas 

this leaves a vast amount 

of space for him to paint 

the sun setting in the 

background and use 

atmospheric perspective 

to create depth. In this 

painting you can also see 

the use of one point 

perspective where the 

orthoganals lead the 

viewers eye towards the 

sun. 

In this painting Claude has depicted many figures in the foreground talking and interacting with one another. The 

foreground of the painting is made up of a small slither of land before the waters edge. Claude has used a technique 

called repoussior which brings the painting into the viewers space. He has created this by bringing the land right up to 

the edge of the canvas which makes the viewer feel as if they could step into the painting.

The sun in this painting is 

clearly setting because the 

colours Claude has used 

signifies an orange sunset 

compared to a yellow 

sunrise. Claude has 

achieved a bright sunset 

in this painting by 

illuminating the area 

around the sun and then 

also highlighting the sun 

itself with a lemon yellow. 

Many aspects of this painting 

have been created at drawing 

the viewers eye towards the 

sunset. The sun itself in this 

painting is the vanishing point 

of the one point perspective, 

which leads the viewers eye to 

looking at it. The sun is the 

only source of light in this 

painting and Claude has 

carefully depicted the shadows 

it would cast. 

In this painting Claude hasn’t included many signs of movement which creates a very calm and relaxed atmosphere 

to the painting. In this painting subtle movements can be seen between the people in the foreground and the rippling 

of the water. The rippling movement of the water catches the sunlight perfectly and reflects a mirror image. The slow 

gentle movement of the water also creates a call atmosphere compared to that of a storm would create. 

In this painting Claude 

has also used 

complementary colours 

of the oranges and blues. 

This is aesthetically 

pleasing to the eye and 

again draws the viewers 

attention to the sky.

Seaport with the Embarkation 

of St Ursula 

Claude Lorraine, 

1641, 


113 x 149 cm.

This painting depicts the story of St Ursula. The story of St Ursula has been told in many ways but this is the story according to 

Jacopo da Varagine's Golden Legend. St Ursula was to be married to a pagan man however she was devoted to her virginity and 

couldn’t go through with it. St Ursula then declared that she was going to tour around Europe with a lot of virgins, first she stopped of 

in Rome and the carried on to Cologne. However at the time it was under attack by the Huns. The King of the Huns was believed to 

have fallen in love with St Ursula but at her refusal to marry him resulted in him slaughtering the virgins and shooting St Ursula in the 

heart. 

We can identify which person St Ursula is by the 

golden dress and the fan she is carrying, compared 

to her maidens who are carrying bows and arrows. 

The bows and arrows are supposed to be symbolic 

of the martyrdom. 

The boats in the 

background are to 

depict that St Ursula 

and her maidens are 

about to set sail. This 

can be shown by the 

people preparing in 

the foreground. 

The rising sun could also be allegorical of St 

Ursula’s death. That as the sun rises this is the 

beginning of her end as she leaves. 

Compared to Carpaccio and 

Caravaggio’s depiction of this 

story Claude has created a very 

serene atmosphere. This is 

because he has depicted the 

beginning of the story where she 

is setting sail rather than after the 

tragedy.

In this painting Claude has framed the sunrise with the 

buildings to the left and the boats to the right. This technique 

draws are attention to the landscape. Claude loved to paint 

landscapes, however they were a low genre in art. Therefore 

he was quoted to have said “you can pay for the landscape 

and I’ll add the figures for free”. 

Claude 

painted the 

Embarkation 

of the Queen 

of Sheba 

after this 

painting. 

Claude’s 

style 

developed 

by making 

his paintings 

more 

symmetrical. 

In this painting Claude has drawn the viewers 

into the image with his use of atmospheric 

perspective. The cropping of the figures in the 

foreground, to the left hand side also brings the 

viewers into the image by the use of repoussior. 

In Claude's paintings he always depicted the sky at dawn 

or twilight this was because he believed these were the 

most poetic of skies to paint. He technique for painting the 

sky was very meticulous, but he achieved an atmosphere 

in all of his paintings which captured the viewers attention.

Romanticism 

Romanticism started to develop during the late 18 th century and developed until its end in the mid 19 th 

century. Romanticism contrast to that of the Classicism work because the artist decided to focus more 

on the power of emotion and imagination. Therefore all the work produced was very unique and 

individual, where as Classicism focused on order and symmetry. 

The style and technique used during the Romantic period was much looser and the rivalry between 

Classicism and Romanticism grew. Romanticism was a large era of change and artist like Delacroix, 

Constable and Gericault were among this movement. The style of a Romantic painting was seen in 

the eyes of Classicism painters as unfinished, merely sketches. 

During the Romantic era the subject matter for the paintings changed vastly. Many paintings were 

based upon horror, violence and even the supernatural. The paintings often depicted historical events 

and scenes. 

Romanticism spread throughout many different countries but the style started to vary. Artists from 

different countries portrayed very different images due to the fact that Romanticism was based upon 

emotions and British artists like Turner and Constable based there paintings on their surroundings. I 

am now going to look at Turners work and how he was influenced by the Classic work of Claude.

JMW Turner 

I am now going to look at Turner and his use of sunlight. I was inspired to do this 

because in Turners will he asked for the Claude painting Seaport with the 

Embarkation of St Ursula to be hung next to his Dido Building Carthage. 

Self portrait on canvas, 

circa 1799. 

Turner was born in 1775 and was an English Romantic Landscape Painter. His 

mother was from a family of butchers, where as his father was a barber and wig 

maker. Turner had a younger sister but she died at the age of 5. A couple of years 

after this event his mothers mental health started to deteriorate and she was 

institutionalized in a house for “Lunatics”. Turner went to live with his uncle which is 

where he started to create his first artworks. Turner went on to travel across Europe 

and study in the Louvre (France). 

In his artwork Turner studied the use of light. He created many 

oil paintings but was also famous for his water colours. Turner 

didn’t have many friends during his life time but he was believed 

to have a very close relationship with his father. Turners father 

used to help around in his studio and was his assistant for 

roughly 30 years. When Turners father died he suffered from 

depression and mental illness before dying, but was not 

institutionalized. 

Dido Building Carthage, 1815, 

Oil on canvas, 155.5 x 230 cm

1815, 

Oil on canvas, 

155.5 x 230 cm 

Dido Building Carthage

This painting contains a 

narrative which comes from 

the Aeneid poem by Virgil. 

The style of this painting is 

Romanticism which is 

typical of a Turner painting. 

Dido was broken, she felt 

guilty for loving another 

man after her late first 

husband. So Dido built a 

tomb to remember and 

honor him by. She then 

committed suicide by 

throwing herself onto the 

fire in which she was 

burning Aeneas’ items and 

stabbed herself with the 

sword that Aeneas gave 

her. (a Romantic idea). 

The narrative is 

about a woman 

named Dido, who 

fled from Tyre 

after her husband 

was murdered. 

A man called Aeneas was 

shipwrecked at Carthage and 

he and Dido fell in love. 

However Aeneas was 

destined by Jupiter to found 

the city of Rome and he 

abandoned Dido. 

Once Dido had fled from 

Tyre she founded a city 

name Carthage. 

Carthage was founded 

on the coast of North 

Africa. 

Once the population had 

grown considerably the 

people encouraged the 

rise of a city. Therefore 

foundation were dug and 

placed and the city was 

growing. 

Dido had made and 

agreement with the King 

Larbas that she could 

temporarily set up camp 

there before moving on. 

The agreed upon amount 

of land was what she 

could encircle with an ox 

hide. So Dido cut the ox 

hide into thin strips and 

surround an entire hill. 

Many people joined her 

settlement, the people 

within which fled Tyre 

with her, some prostitutes 

they picked up while 

resting in Cyprus and 

nearby villagers who 

decided to move.

In the centre background of this 

painting Turner had painted a 

bright and intense, yellow sunrise. 

This sunrise could represent the 

dawn of the new empire and the 

growth of the city. Turner painted 

the skyline similarly to the Claude 

painting which inspired him. 

The figure seen to be wearing white 

and blue on the left hand side of the 

painting is believed to be Dido. The 

large masculine figure in front of her is 

then believed to be Aeneas 

In this painting Turner 

has successfully 

created aerial 

perspective and used 

impasto brushwork. 

The way this image 

has been cropped 

frames the sun in the 

centre adding more 

intensity to the image. 

On the right hand side of the painting 

you can see the Tomb which was 

erected for Dido’s husband. This side 

of the painting could represent the 

doom of the city, with its dark shadow.

The Fighting Temeraire, Tugged to her Last Berth to be 

Broken Up. 

The sun in Turners 

Paintings are made up 

of vivid and bright 

colours. Turner based 

his sun’s on the work of 

Claude Lorrain. 

JWM Turner, 

1839, 


91 x 113cm

In this painting Turner has depicted an old war ship called the Temeraire. 

Temeraire was an name that meant fearless and this ship once fought in 

the battle of Trafalgar. The Temeraire was famous for saving Admiral 

Nelsons ship the Victory and took down two French ships. However the 

ship took a beating and had to be towed away as depicted in this image. 

The positioning of the masts and the 

steam from the funnel have been 

carefully positioned. Turner actually 

altered the style of the steam boat so 

he could create the effect of the steam 

covering the ship in an upwards 

diagonal movement. This diagonal line 

leads the viewer into the forward 

movement of the two boats. 

In this painting Turner has depicted 

the Temeraire with its sails. 

However when the old warship 

was actually tugged to be broken 

up it would have already been 

without its sails. 

Seen to the right 

of the 

Temeraire, in 

the background, 

you can see 

another ship in 

the background 

with its sails 

open. This ship 

in all its glory 

could be to 

remind the 

viewer of the 

glory days of the 

Temeraire

Seen very faintly in 

the sky, top left 

hand corner, Turner 

has painted a 

crescent moon. This 

is believed to 

symbolize the 

changing of an era 

from sail to steam 

ship. 

In 1824 Turner painted Nelson’s ship 

HMS Victory waving the British Flag 

signifying the victory of the British. It 

is Believed that Turner could have 

been inspired to paint his image after 

seeing Clarkson Stanfield’s the Battle 

of Trafalgar, 1805. 

Turner shows the ship being towed 

by one tug boat when in reality it 

would have been tugged by two, he 

also had the ship being tugged east 

so he could have the sunset in the 

background. However the ship 

would have be tugged west to the 

breakers yard. This technique was 

to capture and show the finality of 

the ship. 

This painting was exhibited a year after the 

Temeraire was broken up and it received many 

compliments. This painting was one of Turners 

most loved paintings and he refused all offers for it 

to be bought. In this painting Turner has depicted 

the realistic scene but created it in respect to the 

magnificent ship.

The sunset in this painting 

could depict the end of the 

ships time. As it is the end of 

the day it is symbolic of the 

end of the ship life. This fits 

in well with the painting being 

Romantic because it’s a 

Romantic idea. 

Turner was inspired to create 

works of art around the sun 

after seeing Claude Lorrain’s 

work. He was very much 

influenced by Claude’s use of 

sun light. However Turner 

applied his paints much more 

loosely and less 

meticulously. 

Turner in this painting has used thin 

translucent glazes and then once 

they had dried he applied a thick 

layer of paint called Impasto paint. 

Turner commonly painted using a 

palette knife to apply large amount 

of paint, however in this painting it 

appears he has used a thick brush, 

loaded with paint. In this painting he 

has used a lemon yellow which is a 

very intense colour combined with 

chrome yellow. This creates a 

bright sunset combined with the 

oranges and the reds. Turner very 

successfully mixed these colours to 

create the effects of the clouds in 

the sky. 

In this painting Turner has achieved an even more intense 

sunset by reflecting it in the water. This makes the sunset 

even more intense because the colours of the sunset fill 

the canvas and catches the viewers attention. The 

reflection in the water is darker and harsher maybe 

suggesting that this is a dark time with the boat being 

broken up.

JMW Turner, 

1840, 


91 x 123cm 

Slave Ship

This image is almost depicting a real event. It is believed 

that it is based upon the Zong massacre. The Zong 

massacre was a tragic event that took place in the 

November of 1781. the Zong was a British ship which was 

carrying slaves back from Africa. However the Africa slaves 

upon the ship were ill and rife with disease, therefore the 

captain of the ship ordered his crew to throw them over 

board. By throwing them over board the Captain still got paid 

the insurance money for his troubles. 

Turner was thought to be influenced to the this 

painting because during the mid 17 th century antislavery 

was growing popular. In 1850 the British had 

forcibly ended the Atlantic Slave Trade in all nations. 

Turner Exhibited this painting and the Royal Academy in 

1840. This coincided with the meeting of the Anti-slavery 

league in which Prince Albert was speaking. It is though 

that Turner Painting and exhibited it then to impress him. 

In the bottom right hand corner of the painting you 

can just see the arms and hands of the drowning 

slaves reaching up out of the water. Turner has made 

there death even more brutal with the birds flying 

above the water waiting for them to die and the fish 

swimming around them, again waiting for them die to 

so they can eat them. This could suggest that 

everyone is just waiting for the slaves to die.

In this painting Turner 

has depicted an 

intense sunset. The 

sunset is the main 

focus for the viewer as 

it is painted centrally 

and the use of bright 

Chrome yellow and 

Vermillion red. This 

intense sunset is 

thought to represent 

that nothing is more 

powerful than nature 

and these slave traders 

are playing Mother 

Nature by choosing 

when people should 

die. 

Turner painted this image with rapid 

and loose brush strokes this 

creates the effect of chaos and 

disorder for the viewer. 

In this painting Turner has precariously placed the 

ship in the background with a huge wave coming 

towards it. The ship has been painted in dark reds 

maybe suggesting that the ship is funded on blood 

money. This is thought to suggest that all the 

people involved in the slave trade will get their 

punishment. 

The use of having the sun the main focus in this 

painting is believed to be that Turner wanted to 

depict the Sublime. The sublime is to represent 

the power of nature and the terror of man. Turner 

also created this effect with the use of the strong 

crashing waves and the small size in which he 

painted the drowning slaves and the ship. 

A Victorian art critic called John Ruskin owned this painting 

and he loved Turners work. Ruskin increased the desirability 

of Turners work and he emphasized the punishment shown 

towards the Slave traders.

Carl Spitzweg 

Spitzweg was born 1808, he has one older and one younger 

brother. He trained to become a Pharmacist and gained his 

qualification in Munich. After falling ill himself, he took up painting. 

Spitzweg was a self taught painter, who learnt by copying Flemish 

masters. During the Biedermeier era his German Romantic works 

were seen to be among the most important. His work commonly 

portrayed Middle-class people engaging in their hobbies. Later in 

life he travelled around Europe to further his painting style by 

copying more masters of art. 

During the 1930’s art forgeries where plentiful and 

Carl Spitzweg was imitated many times. An artist 

called Toni used to copy his work and sign them with 

his own name and saying after Spitzweg. This made 

it easy for forgers to erase this writing, age the 

painting and re sell them as an original Spitzweg. 

Many of these forgers where however caught and 

sentenced up to 10 years in jail. 

Newspaper 

reader in his 

backyard, 

1845-58.

Carl Spitzweg, 

1845-58, 


Newspaper Reader in his Backyard

In this painting Spitzweg 

has painted a simple 

middle class man in a 

garden reading the 

newspaper. This subject 

matter was common for 

Spitzweg, he enjoyed 

painting the middle class 

engaging in their hobbies. 

In the foreground Spitzweg has used repoussior 

with the use of cropping the steps. This repoussior 

pulls the viewer into the painting. This technique 

makes the viewer feel the mood and atmosphere 

of the painting, this along side with the sun and the 

mans stance calms the viewer. 

This painting depicts a 

cropped composition. 

The man is the centre of 

attention for this painting 

as he is framed by the 

wall to the left and the 

tree to the right. This 

painting is a closed 

composition as the wall 

in the background brings 

the painting to a halt. 

The atmosphere in this painting also feels relaxed 

because Spitzweg has showed no suggestions to 

things moving rapid and quickly. In this painting it 

shows a person living in the moment and not 

worrying about rushing around as time passes. 

The stance in which the man is stood reflects the 

atmosphere created by the lighting in the image. 

He appears to be content and relaxed, with his 

hand in his pocket and shoulders relaxed.

Spitzweg has included a detailed image with light flowing diagonally across 

the canvas in the form of raking light. In this painting the light is coming from 

the sun but it is unseen as the image is cropped. The light is coming from the 

top left hand corner and diffuses across the canvas naturally. 

Spitzweg has also used 

atmospheric perspective in the 

background to create a sense 

of depth. In this background 

you can see the bright blue sky 

which again creates a sense of 

tranquility because it is a clear 

day. 

The use of the sun in this painting has 

been used to create a sense of 

tranquility and a clam atmosphere. 

Spitzweg has created this effect by using 

natural colours that aren’t to bright and 

intense. This style and the use of sun 

contrasts to the style of Turner and his 

loose brushwork and intense colours. 

The natural light can also be 

represented in Spitzweg’s 

use of shadows. Distinct 

shadows can been seen in the 

bottom half of the painting.

The Bookworm 

Carl Spitzweg, 

1850, 


27 x 50cm.

This painting by Spitzweg is typical of the 

Biedermeier era similarly to his painting the 

Newspaper Reader in His Backyard. The 

Biedermeier era was when artists in Germany 

during the Napoleonic wars decided to paint 

mundane people going about their hobbies and 

pleasures rather than focusing on wars and 

events. 

The scholar in this painting is precariously 

stood upon the top of a step ladder. Balanced 

under his arms and in between his legs are 

even more books. Spitzweg has depicted this 

figure very similarly to his newspaper reader, 

with relaxed shoulders, stood up facing towards 

the left hand side of the painting and not 

engaging with the viewer. In both paintings they 

are also engrossed in what they are reading. 

This composition creates a tranquil and calm 

atmosphere as it depicts no movement or 

danger. 

In this painting Spitzweg has 

depicted an old scholar in a musty 

library. This painting is characteristic 

of the Biedermeier because the 

scholar doesn’t have care in the 

world for what is going on in other 

peoples lives. This painting very 

much depicts a man living in the 

moment and enjoying this time he 

has. 

The composition of this painting is closed 

due to the background being book shelves. 

This technique pushes the figure forward and 

again into the viewer space. 

In the foreground of this painting a 

pipe can be seen in the bottom left 

hand corner. The cropping of this 

object adds depth to the image pulls 

the viewer with the technique of a 

repoussior. This technique makes the 

viewer feel the atmosphere of the 

painting.

The light in this painting is raking light which travels diagonally 

across the canvas like Spitzweg's other painting. The light is 

coming from an unseen light source. However, the colours and 

diffusion of the light suggests that the light is natural and is coming 

through a window above the scholars head. 

The colours in this painting are very warm 

and inviting to the viewer. The use of subtle 

variations of yellow produces stream of light 

that encases the scholar. This use of light 

creates a calm atmosphere in the painting 

because it could represent a bright time in 

life. The light in this painting also adds 

depth to the painting creating a space upon 

which the viewer is drawn in. The depth is 

created with the use of shadows which is 

visible on the bookshelf, he scholars 

shadow. 

In the bottom right hand corner there is dust 

rising in the light. This technique is good at 

depicting the light because it represents the 

reflections of the particles as they catch the 

light. The dust slowly settling to the ground 

also indicates subtle movements as the 

scholar is moving books.

Frederic Edwin Church 

Church is an American artist who is well known for painting 

dramatic natural events. He was born in 1826 and attended the 

Hudson River School for American Landscape painters. Church 

was taught directly by the founder of the school Thomas Cole, who 

was a British painter who moved to America. Many pupils of 

Hudson River School focused of the effect of light and had a very 

Romantic way of painting. 

Churches family was wealthy, which was from his 

fathers family. This wealth allowed Church to 

pursue his interest in art from a very early age. By 

the age of 18 Church had already established 

places in art schools. He went on to be the 

youngest elected to be an associate of the 

National Academy of design. Afterwards Church 

sold his first major work. 

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), 1865, oil on 

canvas.

Frederic Edwin 

Church, 

1862, 


122 x 216cm. 

Cotopaxi

In this painting Church depicts a stratovolcano erupting. 

The painting has been named after the volcano Cotopaxi. 

A stratovolcano is known for erupting with lava of a high 

viscosity therefore the lava cools and hardens before it 

can travel far. These eruptions tend to cause many 

craters surrounding the volcano if it doesn’t collapse 

itself. 

In this painting Church has used aerial perspective 

which can been seen has the land and sky fades 

into the background. This technique adds depth to 

the image and adds a greater sense of the scale of 

the volcano into the painting. By depicting the 

volcano in the background church can capture the 

tremendous effect this natural occurrence has on 

its surroundings. 

This subject matter is typical of a Church painting 

because he enjoyed painting Romantic scenes of Natural 

disasters or events. 

In the background of the painting the volcano is visible 

with white ash covering the sides of it as the lava erupts 

out of the top. Covering the skyline to the right hand side 

of the painting Church has painted a mass of clouds of 

ash. The sun setting can been seen piercing through the 

ash clouds.

In 1855 Church painted his first version of 

Cotopaxi which contrasts completely to his later 

fiery version. In both versions however, Church 

depicts an illuminated sky of natural light. 

In the background of this painting Church has created an intense 

sunset, which he has then reflected in the pool of water before it. 

This sunset is so intense because the bright and vivid colours he 

has used to create it. In this scene he has used very deep 

vermillion red and some oranges. The sun stands out so well itself 

due to the crisp circle he ahs created using yellow. The sun is then 

highlighted itself by the colours being mimicked in the background 

behind it, but in a paler shade. The sun has been depicted in this 

painting to be very strong. The light the sun is generating in this 

painting adds a sense of danger to the painting due to the darker 

colours, in contrast to Carl Spitzweg’s more subtle use light. 

In the bottom of the image you can see a 

rushing waterfall crashing through the craters 

made by the previous eruptions. This shows to 

the viewers the danger of this landscape and 

also its beauty. 

The trees and rocks in the bottom 

of the painting are also cropped 

and frame the painting. The trees 

show deep shadows which again 

creates a sense of depth for the 

viewer.

Albert Bierstadt 

Bierstadt was an American artist born in 1830. He was a Romantic painter 

and like Frederic Edwin Church he attended the Hudson River School. 

Bierstadt was one of the last pupils from the school has he work clearly 

depict the techniques of the school and there use of light. The Hudson 

River School focused on the artists native land in the paintings and glowing 

light, both of which Bierstadt depicts in his paintings. 

Bierstadt was actually born in Germany but in the early years of 

his life his family moved to America. Bierstadt always showed 

signs of becoming an artist. When he was very young he used to 

create sketches with crayon and by 1851 he had started painting 

in oil paint. During the 1860s Bierstadt’s work took off and 

became very sought after. This funded him for a very comfortable 

and luxurious lifestyle, along with many trips abroad. Most of 

Bierstadt’s inspiration came from the west of America even 

though he used to travel widely. However by the 1880s his 

Romantic style was going out of fashion and was no longer 

sought after because it was considered old fashioned. 

Rocky Mountain Landscape, 1870, 

oil on canvas.

Among the Sierra 

Nevada Mountains 

Albert 

Bierstadt, 

1868, 


183 x 305cm.

In this painting Bierstadt has framed the 

image on both the left and right hand side. 

He has done this by having the mountains 

on the left and the trees on the right. This 

use of framing highlights the centre of the 

image and the landscape in the middle. 

This painting was actually shown in Europe 

before be shipped back to the United States. It 

was a well received and popular image 

because Bierstadt captured the beauty of the 

landscape and was emphasising that America 

was the “promise land”. This was a popular 

notion towards European people because they 

wanted to leave their countries for a better life. 

In the foreground of this painting Bierstadt has painted animals moving around in the shallow water. To the bottom 

left he has depicted birds in mid flight across the water. This sense of movement captures the viewers eye and pulls 

them into the image along with his use of Repoussior. Repoussior has been used in this painting clearly to the right 

hand side, where he brings the land right up to the edge of the painting.

In this painting Bierstadt has created a picturesque 

landscape, which includes a glowing luminosity behind the 

clouds depicting the sun. The sun in this painting can’t be 

seen however the light and yellow warmth of the clouds 

indicates that its there. 

The mountains in the background creating echoing 

forms across the canvas entrancing the viewer with 

a subtle use of symmetry. This symmetry again 

pulls the viewers sight towards the centre of the 

painting and the glowing light. 

The colours used in this 

painting aren’t very bright but 

are still warm due to the yellows 

in the sky. Bierstadt uses a vivid 

green on the right hand side of 

the painting which is 

complemented well by the 

darker greys on the left hand 

side. 

Bierstadt has 

carefully modeled 

the light in this 

painting so that it 

flows down the 

sides of the 

mountains casting 

shadows which 

adds depth to the 

painting. He has 

also added more 

light by reflecting it 

in the water. 

In this painting you can also see the use of atmospheric 

perspective towards the background, making the viewer 

see the great monumentality of the landscape. This is 

created by the depth Bierstadt has achieved and creates 

a sense of awe.

Albert 

Bierstadt, 

1869, 


79 x 125cm. 

The Oregon Trail

The scene depicted in this painting is that of the Oregon trail. The Oregon trail was a long road that lead from Missouri 

to Oregon. This trail was made by fur traders and was used from 1811-40. the trail was just a track carved into the 

earth and at the beginning was only passable on foot or horse. This track was then developed to be accessible to 

wagons and carts. 

In this painting Bierstadt 

has depicted it in the 

later years where carts 

where able to travel 

along it. He as also 

included a wide range of 

cattle and horses in this 

painting to depict what 

would have pulled the 

carts. 

In this painting 

Bierstadt has also 

used echoing 

forms in the 

background. This 

can be seen by 

the rounded the 

shape the tops of 

the trees and 

mountains create. 

The luminosity of this painting 

is intense which is a typical 

feature of Bierstadt because 

this is what the Hudson River 

school taught. 

In this painting Bierstadt 

has created a very low 

horizon line, which 

similarly to Claude 

allowed him to add more 

emphasis on the sky and 

the suns luminosity. The 

low horizon line in this 

painting also shows a 

vast amount of the 

landscape and it depicts 

the grandeur of its scale.

The sun in this painting 

has been painted behind 

trees. This technique 

really enhances the 

luminosity of the sun 

because the dark trunks 

and leaves of the trees 

contrast well to the bright 

glow of the sun. 

Bierstadt has created a 

picturesque painting with 

a strong use of light in 

the painting. 

The sky in this painting uses 

complementary colours, golden 

yellows are well complimented by 

the, blues which draws the 

viewers attention towards it. 

The sun in this painting 

appears to be created by a 

lemon yellow. This yellow is 

very bright add highlights 

the circular shape of the 

sun, making it clearly 

distinct in front of the 

background. 


positioned just setting 

above the horizon line. This 

draws the viewers attention 

towards it because 

Bierstadt has placed the 

sun where the vanishing 

point is for the perspective.

Inspired by Albert Bierstadt’s The Oregon Trail I have taken some photos of the sun myself. I like these photos because similarly to 

Bierstadt they depict intense orange and yellows in the sky adding depth and definition to the clouds. Unlike Bierstadt’s painting I have 

depicted the sun itself as it was shrouded by clouds. However in the bottom image I have taken I wanted to recreate the effects of the 

light passing through the tree which clearly shows a distinct silhouette of the tree. 

This work has now inspired me to create a poster that 

includes a silhouette of and object or figure with the light 

shining through behind them.

Impressionism 

Impressionism was a 19 th century art movement. During this movement artists focused on loose brushstrokes and 

capturing the light in a scene. Impressionism developed after the works of Gustave Courbet and the Realists. 

Impressionism was influenced by the bold work of Japanese block prints and the developing world of photography. 

During the 19 th century people believed that impressionist work was unfinished and that the choice of their subject 

matter was poor. Impressionist artists deemed that the subject matter in their paintings was less important than the 

style in which it was painted, the artists just painted landscapes of the urban and suburban to depict their portrayal 

of light. 

Later in the 19 th century Impressionism developed into Neo and Post Impressionism. Neo and Post Impressionism 

both Kept the style of Impressionism with the use of loose brushstrokes, however these two styles didn’t want to be 

restrained by the limitations of Impressionism. 

The term Neoimpressionism came from the French art critic Felix Fénéon when he reviewed the final Impressionist 

exhibition. Neoimpressionism was well known for its use of dots “Pointillism”. Seurat depicts this clearly in Sunday 

Afternoon on the Island of la Grand Jatte. 

The name post impressionism was coined by a British art critic Roger Fry. Post Impressionism developed from 

Impressionism by using a wider variety of brushstrokes. They also used a wider variety of subject matter and a wider 

variety of colours. 

Due to the disapproval of Impressionists work they didn’t display their work in the Salon. Instead they opened their 

own exhibition in 1874 and had 8 exhibitions which took place between then and 1886.

Monet 

Monet was a French artist who was born in 1840. Monet was 

considered to be a founder of the Impressionist art movement. In 

Monet’s early life he show created many charcoal sketches which he 

sold in the streets around where he lived. His dad disapproved of his 

choice to go into an art career as he wanted him to continue the 

family business. 1851 was the year Monet joined his first art school, 

Le Havre secondary school of arts. An artist by the name of Eugene 

Boudin met Monet on a beach in Normandy. He then taught Monet 

how to use oil paints and even the technique of painting en plein aire, 

outside. 

In his later life Monet became a part of the group known as the 

anonymous society, who are now known as the Impressionists. 

During the Franco-Prussian war Monet and his family took refuge 

in England. Here he studied the works of Constable and Turner 

which seen in his works were very influential on him. Monet 

submitted his work into the Royal academy but was rejected as 

well as impressionist work in the Salon. So in 1874 when the 

Impressionists held their own exhibition he showed Impression 

Sunrise. 

Impression Sunrise, 1872-73, 

Oil on Canvas.

Claude Monet, 

1872-73, 


48 x 63 cm. 

Impression sunrise

This painting was exhibited in 

the very first Impressionist 

exhibition in 1874. this was 

because his work was seen to 

be to radical to be displayed in 

the Salon. 

Monet has used Complementary 

colours of orange and blue. Which 

he then went on to use in his 

Autumn effect at Argenteuil. 

In this painting Monet has 

depicted the changing effects 

of light, throughout Monet’s life 

this has been his paintings 

subject matter. 

The scene depicted isn’t the usual picturesque image associated with 

landscape paintings. Instead Monet has depicted a modern harbor 

with big chimneys and smoke rising into the air in the background. 

With the rapid a loose brushwork see in 

this painting its suggestive that this 

painting would have been painted in one 

sitting and en plein aire. This painting 

we know was also painted en plein aire 

because of it small scale which made it 

possible for Monet to carry around with 

him. 

During the 19 th century artists were able to 

paint en plein aire because the industrial 

revolution saw the invention of ready 

made paint sold in portable metal tubes 

and ready made canvases. This allowed 

artists to be able to carry a minimal 

amount of materials around with them.

Even though we know this painting depicts a 

sunrise scene at the port of Le Havre, Monet 

has not depicted an image upon which we 

could associate Le Havre. This is due to his 

loose brush strokes. This painting is unusual 

for Monet because in this painting the 

horizon line isn’t clearly visible and the 

reflections in the water start to merge with 

the scenes in the sky. 


very intense due to Monet’s 

use of complementary 

colours. The complementary 

colours highlight this sun 

because they are contrasting 

with the bright orange to a 

dull blue. The sun also 

stands out because the clear 

circular shape of the sun 

stands out compared to the 

loose brushwork of all the 

other shapes. The sun in this 

painting is surrounded by 

echoing forms above and 

below with the reflection in 

the water and the sky. 

Monet has depicted minimal detail in this painting for the viewer to 

see. This is because he wanted to depict the light of the scene rather 

than the landscape itself. In the middle of this painting Monet has 

depicted two small row boats which are barley recognizable. These 

boats accentuate Monet’s use of light with the reflection in the 

foreground with the sparkling use of lines in the water. 

When Monet exhibited 

this painting it was 

seen by art critic Louis 

Leroy and he said that 

they’re just a bunch of 

impressionists based 

on the title if this 

painting, however it 

was intended as an 

insult but it stuck.

Georges Seurat 

Seurat was a French Pointillism artist born in Paris, 1859. He had a 

short lived career but was extremely successful. Seurat started his 

career in art at the École Municipale de Sculpture et Dessin before he 

attended the École des Beaux-Arts. He learned to painting through the 

traditional methods, by studying the old masters and creating paintings 

from objects. 

Seurat’s style of pointillism was about letting the viewers 

eye mix the colours he paints on the canvas. Pointillism 

consisted of a series of small dots of colour positioned 

correctly on the canvas to achieve this illusion. Seurat was 

a post Impressionist painter however his paintings where 

said to be the development and the initial paintings of Neo- 

Impressionism movement. Seurat’s career was short lived 

because of his sudden death in 1891, which left his last 

painting The Circus unfinished. The cause of his death was 

unknown but two weeks later his son also died. Le Chahut, Oil on Canvas, 1889-90.

Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La 

Grande Jatte 

Georges 

Seurat, 

1884-86, 


208 x 308cm.

This painting was Seurat’s most famous and well received 

paintings. For this painting he did a vast amount of sketches and 

preparatory drawings. One of Seurat’s final sketches was this 

same image without any figures, he did this because he wanted 

to depict the landscape setting of the island in his painting. 

When in actual fact the Island containing drinking and dinning 

establishments along side a ship builders yard. 

Seurat painted this painting with a bored of red 

and blue, contrasting colours. The colour variation 

of the border changes as you go around the 

painting because Seurat wanted to achieve the 

best contrast at every point on this painting. 

When Seurat was sketching designs for this 

painting he changed the amount of figures 

numerous times. He started off with five figures 

sat in the bottom left hand corner in the shade, 

however he later changed in to three. 

When Seurat painted this image in his studio an artist and a 

friend Paul Signac said the canvas was too large for the image. 

This is said to be why Seurat’s figures are out of proportion and 

perspective. The figures fit slightly better if you viewer the 

painting diagonally while standing to the right hand side of it. 

Seurat’s pointillism 

technique can be clearly 

seen in this painting with 

the use of tiny little dots. 

Seurat actually finished 

this painting in 1885, but 

then later that year he 

decided to go back to it 

and add all the little dots. 

This technique is to allow 

the viewers eyes to do 

the mixing rather than 

mixing it on the canvas.

In the foreground of this painting you 

can clearly see a monkey being walked 

on a lead by a the woman in blue. At 

this time Monkeys were fashionable to 

have as pets, however a female 

monkey was also to be Known as a 

woman who is a prostitute. 

In the foreground of this painting three 

unlikely figures from different social classes 

are positioned sitting next to each other in 

the shade. At the front is a muscular man 

smoking a pipe while laid back, in cheaper 

clothing. Positioned behind him is an 

educated lady reading her book and finally 

there is a business man sat up right with his 

cane and top hat. Even though Seurat has 

position this figures in close proximity on the 

canvas none of them are intellectually 

engaging with one another. 

The woman in the orange dress on the left hand 

side is fishing. In the French language the word 

to fish and to sin are very similar with only an 

accent different. During Seurat’s time puns were 

a popular thing and so it is believed that Seurat 

is depicting this woman as a prostitute because 

she is fishing for men. Further in the 

background two men can be seen walking away 

which appear to look like Toy Soldiers which is 

thought to be a possible “catch” of the woman in 

orange.

Seurat’s use of colour theory 

In this painting Seurat has 

meticulously used the colour 

theories from Charles Henry’s book 

Introduction à une Esthétique 

Scientifique. In this painting you 

can see Seurat has recreated the 

colour with the orange to the top 

left hand corner and the purples to 

the bottom right hand corner. he 

has also included a young girl in 

the centre of the painting wearing 

white, reflecting the centre of the 

colour wheel. 

This little girl wearing white is a 

point of resolution because 

white is the union of the three 

primary colours. The use of the 

central positioning also creates 

the sense of complete stillness 

which is then echoed around 

the canvas as Seurat has 

positioned his figures not in 

movement. 

In this painting Seurat has not used one single 

point of perspective for the viewer to look at the 

image from. 

Seurat’s use of pointillism in this painting was very meticulous 

and this was because of Seurat’s knowledge of the colour 

wheel. Seurat knew that if he positioned small dots of yellow 

and blue on the canvas next to each other he would get a 

brighter more intense colour than if he mixed the paint and 

then applied it to the canvas.

This painting actually mirrors one of 

Seurat’s other paintings, Bathers at 

Asnieres. The Bathers depicts the left side 

of the bank where working class people 

are relaxing by the side of the River Siene 

and the Sunday Afternoon on the Island at 

La Grande Jatte represents the right side 

of the bank where the higher class are 

said to be relaxing. 

The use of more pale and subtle colours Seurat has used in 

this painting depict the colours of light that would be 

produced for a warm summers day. This can also be shown 

by the fact that most of the figures in the painting are sat in 

the shade, wearing hats or holding umbrellas to stay cooler. 

In this painting the light 

is coming from an 

unseen source however 

because it is outside we 

know that the light is 

natural from the sun. 

The light in this painting 

comes from the top left 

hand corner of the 

painting with the sun 

assumed to be 

positioned slightly 

behind the viewer if you 

look at the angle of the 

shadows cast on the 

ground. 

The orange headscarf 

positioned in this painting is 

distinctive of a wet nurse, 

however Seurat has given 

this “character” no form but 

is seen to be just an object 

in this painting, with her 

back turned to us. 

This painting doesn’t use atmospheric 

perspective but with the open area of 

grass at the front of the painting and 

having figures so close in the 

foreground is the use of repoussior. This 

technique allows the viewer to feel as if 

they could step into the paintings, which 

adds a sense of depth to the painting 

alongside the overlapping of figures.

Camille Pissarro 

Pissarro was a French-Danish artist who was born in 1830. He 

studied the works of Courbet and Corot and his work became 

Impressionism. Pissarro’s father own a hardware store and when he 

turned 17 he wanted him to join the business. Camille spent most of 

his holidays and breaks practicing art. At the age of 21 he met 

another artist called Fritz Melbye. Melbye inspired Pissarro to change 

his career and study art full time. Pissarro and Melbye moved to 

Caracas for two years, here he creating hundreds of drawings and 

sketches, his subject matter ranged from landscapes and villages to 

people. 

Later in his life Pissarro went on to study along side Seurat and 

Signac. This is went his style changed from Post-Impressionism to 

Neo-Impressionism. The Impressionist work was not considered to 

be finished art therefore there work was not able to be exhibited in 

the Paris Salon. This lead to the creating the own exhibition, called 

the Impressionist exhibition. Pissarro is well know for leading and 

encouraging other Impressionist artists and he was the only one to 

exhibit in all eight Impressionist exhibitions. 

Hay harvest at Eragny, 1901, 

Oil on Canvas.

Camille Pissarro, 

1888, 


61 x 74cm. 

Apple Picking at Eragny

None of the figures in this painting are interacting with the 

viewer, however the way Pissarro had brought the ground right 

to the bottom edge of the canvas pulls the viewer into the 

image. 

The style used in this painting is pointillism, which is created 

by a series of closely placed dots. However if you look closely 

at this image you will see that very few are actually round but 

more like little squares. To then make the figures stand out 

from their background Pissarro subtly changed the shape of 

his dots which gives the characters a more rounded form. 

In this painting Pissarro 

has depicted a warm 

summers day with 

working class people 

picking apples. His 

paintings composition 

appears to be 

symmetrical with four 

evenly placed figures in 

the foreground, a tree 

behind them and then a 

rolling hill lined with more 

trees. 

The background in this image is very simple which draws the viewers attention to the 

foreground and the movement of the figures. Pissarro has positioned these figures with 

echoing forms across the front of the canvas. Two of the figures are bending down to the 

ground, while the other two are looking up to the apples still on the tree. 

Pissarro has created depth in this 

painting with the overlapping of 

objects and shadows cast across 

the ground. He has also used 

foreshortening which is visible on 

the figures and in the background 

you can see a subtle use of 

atmospheric perspective as well.

The light in this painting 

comes from an un seen 

source but seeing as they are 

outside we know that it is the 

sun. The large shadow 

Pissarro has cast in the 

foreground is an indicator that 

the sun is in the background. 

This shadow adds depth to the image, however there is no tonal modeling of the shadow 

due to the style of pointillism, which is to let your eyes do the mixing. This appears to 

make the shadow appear quite flat. 

The horizon line in this painting is very high up which 

leaves very little view of the sky. However this 

allowed Pissarro to add more detail to the people and 

objects in the foreground. With such horizon line the 

sun isn’t visible in the sky but the colours Pissarro 

has used in this image is suggestive of a clear sky. 

Pissarro has used complementary colours in this 

painting with the use of reds and green, orange and 

blues. This is aesthetically pleasing for the viewer. 

This image is made up of a wide variety of yellows 

this is suggestive of the natural light from a warm 

summer sun. the use of warm oranges alongside this 

is also suggestive that this is later in the afternoon 

compared to a bright morning sun. 

Pissarro's use of the tree at the 

top of the painting frames the 

image and draws the attention 

down towards the scene in the 

foreground because it is blocking 

the majority of the background. 

The tree covering the skyline 

also creates a good silhouette 

upon which Pissarro has used to 

shine through the sun light.

My Intentions 

I have now looked at a number of key examples and my intention is to now 

produce an exhibition based on the depiction of the sun in my chosen images 

The sun in these paintings commonly reflected an intense use of colour and 

light which created a sense of awe in these paintings. The use of sunlight in 

paintings is also portrayed by the use of shadows and more yellow colours 

reflecting its natural light. 

I now intend to further develop my exploration into the exhibition by creating a 

poster, booklet and exhibition room design. I am also going to analyse existing 

poster, booklet and exhibition designs. I intend to incorporate the ideas and 

elements I have seen in the examples I have analysed. In my posters I would 

like to reflect the intensity of the sun and I think this could be created by the use 

of bold, bright colours and similarly to the work of Albert Bierstadt incorporating 

and image to overlap the sun and cast deep shadows.

I now intend to look at book covers to gain inspiration for a font style that I could use for my poster and gallery exhibition. I have decided 

to look at book covers first and then when I come to develop my own poster I will look into poster fonts. I have chosen to look at book 

fonts to also analyse where they have positioned their text and the colours they used for it. 

On this book they have positioned the text so that it is overlapping the imagery on the top half 

of the cover. However the imagery on the cover then appears to extend back in front of the 

writing. The writing on this cover has been placed on a plaque which accentuates the writing. 

Positioning the writing on the plaque is an effective technique which allows the designer to 

make the writing stand out without having to change the background. The title of this book is 

also the framed with a border each end which I would like to use in my font development on 

my poster. 

On this book cover they have created an interaction between the text and the imagery. 

This has been created with the overlapping with the butterfly in the foreground. The font 

stands out on this cover because the text has been positioned on top of a flat purple 

which then contrasts to the tone and colour, silver, of the writing. The title included on 

this cover has also been positioned at the top of the cover, alongside the use of a large 

font it makes the text stand out to the viewer. The font on this cover has tonal shading 

which adds depth to the writing and creates repoussior to bring it into the viewers 

space. The font on this cover also stands out because the accentuation of the letters K 

and A appear to be reaching out over the cover. This draws the viewers attention 

towards the title with the use of the movement overlapping a still background scene.

I really like the cover of this book because the writing stands out so clearly against the 

background. This has been achieved because the only colour on this cover is blue which 

highlights the shadows and light. Therefore the font has been created in flat white and is 

positioned in the foreground to make it stand out. The shape of the font in this cover echo's the 

forms created by the arch in the background of the imagery. This technique is effective at 

emphasising the writing and making the font and the imagery work harmoniously. The text of 

this cover is written completely in capitals even the less important text. This effect creates unity 

on the cover linking all the text together, along with the use of the text all in white. On this 

cover I like that the font for the title is larger than the rest of the font on this cover, also they 

have depicted the less important information in decreasing font size. 

The cover of this book has been solely focused on the text rather than the imagery which has 

been positioned in the background and is a small scale. The font on this cover has also been 

framed by an illustrative pattern which draws the viewers attention towards it. I like this cover 

design because if I create a poster in this design I could create a similar effect that Albert 

Bierstadt created in The Oregon Trail and have the sun shine through the font. The font on 

this cover is very unusual because the words are symmetrical and have been the letters have 

been positioned at all different heights. The font on this cover is also irregular because the text 

has been written with letters randomly being in capitals or not. The writing on this cover is still 

easy to read though because the font colour is light which contrast to the dark background 

colours. When I create my poster I would like to use this effect because it is common place in 

all the fonts I have analysed so far.

Creation of Exhibition title 

and Font Creation 

• The Sun 

• Incandescence 

• Luminosity 

• Romantic Light 

• Luminous Landscapes

Finalising My Font Style 

On this page I am now going to analyse my four favorite font designs to narrow the choice down to two. I want to 

have two favorite fonts because I can then compare how well they work on my poster. 

This font is very eye catching with the irregularity of the shape 

of each letter. I like this font because the style appears to be 

like impasto paint and brush like with the use of the tone. This 

would link well into be exhibition because it is similar to the 

brushwork of the Impressionist painters I looked at. 

I really like this font design because it reflects light with the 

use of tone. I also like the spacing and width of the font 

because it would be clear to see on a busy background. 

However this font would not be suitable for a clipping mask 

because the image would be to distorted. 

The width of this font is quite large therefore this would be 

perfect for a clipping mask. This font is also slightly different 

from the rest of the fonts I have chosen because it has serifs 

on the letters. I like this font because of the uniformity to it 

however it is to simple and I’m not going to continue with this 

one. 

The design of this font is very simple with a thin letter width. 

This font would not be suitable for a clipping mask, however I do 

like this font because it appears to look like a signature. This 

would work well on a poster because it would be as if an artists 

has signed the poster. 

Now that I have looked at these fonts in more detail the two below are the ones I intend to develop and use further. I have 

chosen these because they link better to my theme of the sun and light.

I have decided to edit this font in Photoshop before continuing with it to 

develop a clipping mask. I have done this because the tone in the font would 

have made it very difficult for the letters to be clearly distinct and the image 

wouldn’t show up properly. The font looks much better now because I have 

created more definition to each letter and the font itself isn’t as blurry when I 

zoom in. 

On this font I love the 

white highlights in the 

letters. Now that I 

have used Photoshop 

on them they look 

even more defined. 

On this font I also like the 

spine on the S because 

the width of it is an even 

thickness and it contrasts 

well to the rest of the linear 

letters. 

With both of these fonts I love that the even though the y should be a descender and go below the rest of the letters it doesn’t. this 

makes the font look very uniformed and symmetrical. After looking at both of these fonts in more detail I can see they would both be 

suitable for a clipping mask because the width of the font text is large. These fonts both attract the viewers attention because of 

how clean looking they are, with smooth edges at the top and bottom. Both of these fonts are also sans serif which makes the 

shape of the letters more simplified, this is good because it draws your attention to the writing more than the shape. 

This font is greatly 

different to the rest of 

the fonts I looked at 

because the letters 

are very uniform and 

square. 

This font is very simplistic in shape 

because it has no ascenders or 

descenders. 

I really like this font because of the separation of the lines in 

each letter and the use of vertical tone. This makes the font 

really stand out and capture your attention, which would 

work well on a poster.

Clipping Masks 

With my two chosen font 

designs I now intend to 

create clipping masks as a 

further development for my 

font. 

Next I found roughly the position upon which my clipping 

mask would take place in the painting. In this painting I 

wanted to include the bright yellow light and if possible 

the sun itself. 

I have started my choosing a suitable image from the paintings I analysed. 

In this case I chose Slave Ship by Turner. I picked this painting because to 

me the sun in the background is so intense it clearly represents luminosity 

and I thought the tone would show up well in my font letters. 

The font I have chosen is suitable for a clipping mask because the width 

of the letters is large and there is a suitable amount of spacing between 

each. It is key to have large width letters because ever wise you won’t be 

able to see any of the image and the font will become distorted. 

On Photoshop I then had to remove the background of 

my font to make sure I had just the letters left behind. 

With this font it was even more difficult because if I 

wanted the lines to show up through my clipping mask I 

had to edit out each white line in the letters. 

Finally I merged the painting and the font together to create this clipping mask. This effect was successful because the lines in the letters 

and the shapes of the letters came out really clearly. In this clipping mask I also love the luminosity of the colours across the word.

In my second clipping mask I 

chose to use Albert Bierstadt’s the 

Oregon Trail. I chose this painting 

because I loved the way the light 

shone through the branches of the 

tress and illuminated the sky. 

Next I cropped the image so I had the text roughly over the part of the image 

that I wanted. I made sure that the sun would be in my text and I also 

wanted to depict the animals in the painting so it didn’t look to similar to my 

last clipping mask. 

I am using my other chosen font for this clipping 

mask but I am going to use the one I 

Photoshopped. I am doing this because the tone 

in the font would not be visible so I only need the 

shape of the letters. 

Finally I merged the painting 

and the font again. I prefer 

this clipping mask to the last 

one because the shape of 

the font works much better 

and adds movement to the 

text. The colours in this 

clipping mask worked 

perfectly and I could capture 

the sun and its light, while 

still being able to read the 

text. 

Then I removed the background 

to my font text and cleaned up 

the shape of the text again. I did 

this by smoothing the edges and 

sharpening them and then I 

increased the space between the 

letters I and M slightly so you 

could still read the word.

Logo Analysis 

I am now going to analyse other companies Logo designs to help me gain inspiration and insight into what my logo 

should aim to look at. I have decided to analyse not just art galleries logo’s because I wanted a wider range of ideas 

and techniques to work with. 

I like this logo design because of the 

symmetry of the shape. The circular 

shape of this logo help unify all the 

different components and would 

make it stand out against almost 

any background. This idea I would 

like to use in the design of my own 

logo because I like its unity. 

The colours used in this design are 

very simple because it is just red 

and white. This colour scheme is 

effective because when you see the 

simple colour scheme it makes your 

brain associate with the company. 

However in my logo design I would 

like to include more colours because 

I would like to depict the sun light. 

The coffee beans in this logo clearly 

depict to the viewer that this is a café. 

The beans in the centre are also 

simple line drawings which simplifies 

the design making it more easy to 

recognise at a distance. This simple 

line drawing I would like to take 

further and use in my own design 

because it compliments the style. 

Finally the text used on this logo 

design is very minimal to keep in with 

the theme of simplicity. I also like that 

in this design the font mirrors the 

shape of the logo design itself. For 

this logo design they have used very 

little text which lets the viewer focus 

of the imagery. When I create my logo 

I am going to do this.

The text and imagery in this logo design have been unified with the use of just one colour. This 

also works well because when people see this colour they will think of the company. For example 

people associate Coca-Cola with red. When I create my own logo design I would however like to 

use multiple colours to reflect the light of the sun. 

For a logo a silhouette design works well 

because it simplifies the design, which is 

what is needed for a viewer to easily 

associate that design with the company. 

I like the imagery used 

in this logo design. To 

draw the viewers 

attention towards the 

logos imagery the 

drawing is the only part 

of the logo design with 

tonal shading. I really 

like this effect because 

it adds emphasis of the 

shape of the imagery 

rather than the details. 

The text in this logo design compliments 

the imagery well with its irregular shape. 

I like the style of text used in this logo 

with having some of the letters at 

different heights. I also like the use of 

two lines of text rather than trying to fit it 

all on one line, this brings the design 

co=loser together. I would like to achieve 

a closely linked and tight design like this 

for my logo because it keeps the text 

and imagery unified.

Logo design 

I now intend to start developing a logo design for my gallery exhibition. I was inspired by the work the produced by Albert Bierstadt 

therefore I have created a simplified line drawing of the mountains from one of his paintings. I wanted to simplify the style because 

logos tend to be simple making it easy for a person to associate a product or company with it. I created this line drawing in Photoshop, 

this I then further developed by adding some tonal shading to represent the shadows cast by the sun. 

The shape of the mountains in this simple sketched 

was successful as they fluidly roll into one another 

creating an aesthetically pleasing mountain range. 

Next I added I border to surround my mountains 

because I would like to incorporate a sunset in the 

background and this shape unifies my logo design. 

The shading on my mountain range I then edited 

further in Photoshop by smudging and blurring it 

subtly to merge it into the background with a slow 

gradient.

For the sunset in the background of my logo I used 

my own photos that I captured, when I was inspired 

by Albert Bierstadt’s The Oregon Trail. The image I 

chose was one which capture the intense yellows and 

oranges of the sky with a minimal amount of objects 

blocking the view. This photo will work really well in 

the background because it clearly depicts the sun 

which links with my theme. 

I was inspired to use a photo of the bright intense 

sunlight shinning through from behind my mountain 

range from the works I analysed earlier. The photo I had 

to edit in Photoshop to fit behind my mountain range 

perfectly. I started with cropping out the silhouettes that I 

didn’t want I then duplicated the layer twice and merged 

the layers. Once this had been completed I move on to 

filling the gaps with content aware. 

Finally I cropped the sunset skyline into the oval shape 

of my logo. I also cropped it to be positioned behind my 

mountain range, to and depth to my logo design. The 

Logo looks really good however the mountains seem to 

be the viewers main focus which I don’t want. Therefore 

I intend to add my gallery name to overlap my imagery 

and attract the viewers attention.

When adding my gallery name to the logo 

the first font I used was my favourite from 

my font development. I loved the way the 

font looked like a paintings brushstrokes 

which works well for gallery logo. However 

the font on this logo design doesn’t work 

well with the imagery in the background 

because of the contrast between the sharp 

brushstrokes and the rolling mountains. 

This font design I also no longer think 

works well because of the deep bold line of 

the L which was not so prominent in my 

clipping masks. 

I have therefore developed my logo to have a 

different font. The font I have chosen was 

inspired by my previous font. However the 

shaping of the letters isn’t as harsh and bold. The 

font on this logo works better with the imagery 

because the rounded edges of the font 

compliment the rounded edges of the mountains 

and the oval. This font looks more aesthetically 

pleasing than the last one because the brush 

marks are more defined and the font is sharper. I 

also like this font because only the first letter of 

each word is a capital.

Final Logo Design 

I really like my final logo design because the font compliments the imagery well, with the echoing of the rounded 

forms. The sunset in the background of my logo was very successful at merging together in Photoshop and it 

gives a strong visual connection to the sun. To finalize this logo design I removed the grey background around 

the outside of the oval. This unifies my logo inside the logo and will help it stand out better on the majority of 

poster designs.

Poster Mood Board 

On this page I have created a mood board 

of poster ideas. This is to help me decided 

what time of poster effects I would like to 

explore when creating my own. On this 

board I have included posters that have 

been digitally manipulated because that is 

the type of poster I would like to create.

I like the Photoshop effect used in this 

poster, with the use of having selected 

parts of the image showing. This effect is 

successful at highlight the part of the 

photo you want to be seen, it is also 

aesthetically pleasing with the symmetry 

and regularity of the shapes. The effect 

works well because of the contrast 

between the flat black background and 

the light grey colour of the photo 

background. The rectangles are uniformly 

spaced between the horizontals which 

enhances the effect by adding the 

emphasis on the gaps to the side. This 

technique is cropping the image but in an 

artistic and original way. I would like to try 

and use this effect in one of my poster 

designs because it will allow me to refine 

the amount of imagery included in my 

poster. 

Poster Analysis 

In this poster design I like the style 

of how they include the title in the 

middle of the cropped squares. 

This really emphasises and 

highlights the writing, it also 

captures the viewers attention 

because of the contrast between 

the black background and the 

white writing. The font style in this 

poster is very simple with using a 

basic font in capitals. However the 

contrast between the simple font 

and the busy background 

compliments each other well 

capturing the viewers attention. 

In this poster they haven’t included all 

the information that I would include on 

my exhibition poster because this is a 

poster for a movie. Therefore the 

information at the bottom of the actors 

name I would replace with contact 

information and my gallery logo. I lie 

that they have placed all the text in the 

bottom half of the poster because it 

doesn’t detract attention away from 

the imagery and Photoshop effects of 

the poster.

In this poster my eyes are 

immediately drawn towards the 

figure in the centre with the 

Photoshop effect and the flowers. 

The colours in this poster are 

what captures the viewers 

attention because of the deep 

contrast between the reds and 

blacks. The red stands out in this 

poster so much because the rest 

of the poster isn’t in colour. This 

effect works really well at 

highlighting the part of the poster 

you want peoples attention to be 

drawn to. I would like to develop 

my poster with the consideration 

of this development because it 

would work well at depicting the 

light of the sun. The colours in the 

poster would be different from this 

poster as I would use yellow 

which would represent the light of 

the sun. The Photoshop effect 

used in this poster would also be 

a good development in my poster 

because at the figures lower back 

it deforms the image of the figure 

allowing for a bright white to shine 

through the gap imitating what 

sun light would do. 

In this poster depth has been created with 

chiaroscuro which also links in well with my theme 

of the sun and it light, shadows. The colour and 

tone in this poster is definitely something I would 

like to explore. Depth has also been created in this 

painting with the use of overlapping this can be 

seen with the petals and the writing overlapping 

the figure. In my poster I would like to overlap the 

edge of my imagery with my exhibition to create 

depth in my poster. Similarly to this poster I will 

then include the rest of necessary information in 

the lower half of the poster so it doesn’t detract the 

viewers attention. 

The font in this poster has shadows and tonal modeling on it to add depth to the poster. The 

font colour used in this poster is suitable because the white is the best contrast for the black 

and grey background. This makes it easy for the viewer to read what the text says. When 

considering the text on my poster I would like to consider the most appropriate font colour. 

However I would also like to makes sure it doesn’t detract the attention from my imagery.

The contrast of the complementary 

colours orange and blue work really well 

in this poster at making it stand out to the 

viewer. I love this direct split in this poster 

because the symmetry of the background 

then emphasises this effect. This 

Photoshop effect is successful because 

the merge between the colours is so 

smooth. I would like to consider using this 

in my development because it clearly 

depicts my theme of the sun. In my poster 

I would also use the colour yellow to 

depict the sun. However rather than 

having the contrast of complementary 

colours I could have the contrast of a dark 

sunset and a bright sunrise. The colours 

in this poster are very intense and use 

chiaroscuro, deep shadows and 

highlighting to depict depth. Depth in this 

poster has been created in many ways 

with the use of the foreshortening path, 

tonal modeling and overlapping of figures 

and objects. 

In this poster the effect I love the most is the use of repoussior created by the bird 

flying toward the viewer in the foreground. This effect works really well because the 

bird is appears to be coming into the viewers space. This technique makes the 

viewer feel as if they are part of the scene that is shown before them. I would like to 

try and develop my poster to incorporate the use of repoussior because it is 

successful and captivating the viewer. The positioning of the bird soaring above the 

viewers head creates a sense of awe and is aesthetically pleasing with its level of 

detail. 

The text in this poster is very 

minimal with only including the film 

title. However in my poster there is 

more information that is required, 

like the exhibition dates and location 

along side contact details. The font 

of the writing in this poster is 

overlapping the imagery which 

creates depth. The font in this 

poster is also created with a design 

which appears similar to a clipping 

mask. This inspires me to include 

one of my clipping mask, which I will 

also include over the top of a less 

busy background like this one to 

make it stand out.

The layout of this poster is simple with 

one piece of imagery in the foreground 

of the poster. The background of this 

poster is plain white with no tone which 

highlights and emphasises the imagery 

in this poster because of its contrast. 

The contrast works well in this poster 

because of the detail that is created in 

the silhouette. In my poster I would like 

to experiment with using a plain 

background to create the best contrast 

to my imagery. 

The text in this poster is very minimal with 

the incorporation of the title and the 

company logo. The information included in 

this poster is suitable for its purpose. 

However for my gallery exhibition I will 

need to include more information. From this 

poster I would like to incorporate the idea of 

including a gallery logo . 

In this poster I love the design of the 

silhouette being filled with a scene of 

another imager. This effect is very 

captivating and aesthetically pleasing. I 

would like to experiment with the design 

because I could fit in really well with my 

theme of the sun, imitating a shadow. 

Having busy imagery would thus result in a 

plain background which would be perfect to 

apply a clipping mask to. This poster also 

stands out due to its limited colour palette. 

The only colour they have used in this poster 

is blue which creates a cool feel to the 

image. When I develop my own poster I 

would like to experiment with using yellow to 

depict the sun and create a warmth. The 

limited colour palette would also work well 

for my design because I could then clearly 

depict light and shadowing similarly to how it 

has been achieved here. This effect is also 

very successful because the imagery inside 

the silhouette is minimal in detail but 

incorporates elements of the silhouette, for 

example the moon is the bears eye.

I started my poster by 

sketching an image of 

the sun. when 

creating this sketch I 

made it as a bold line 

drawing because I 

then wanted to scan it 

into the computer and 

edit it on Photoshop. I 

chose to make the 

sketch to appear as 

the light spreads out 

from the sun when 

you look at it. This 

sketch worked really 

well when I edited on 

Photoshop to a 

silhouette. I loved the 

thin streaks that 

come out of the 

centre. This sketch of 

the sun has been 

cropped because I 

wanted it to fill most 

of the canvas and my 

poster is going to be 

A3 portrait. 

Poster design 

For my poster I wanted to design it from the inspiration I had 

gathered from my poster analysis and painting analysis. 

Inspired by the posters I analysed I decided to create my 

poster using a silhouette because this design worked really 

well at creating depth and focus on the imagery. 

Next I wanted to 

add one of the 

painting I 

analysed inside 

my silhouette. I 

chose the 

Oregon Trial 

because I loved 

the bright intense 

sun light as it 

shone through 

the trees. I 

achieved this 

effect by creating 

a clipping mask 

on Photoshop.

I then added text to my poster design. I considered about adding my 

clipping mask however I had used the same image in that which made it 

very difficult to read the writing and the text didn’t create a 

complementary contrast with the imagery. I decided to use the same 

font that I used in my clipping mask but I chose to use it as just plain 

black. This contrasted well to the busy imagery in the background. 

However the writing still didn’t stand out as much as I like because of 

the contrast between the shadows and highlights. Therefore I chose to 

mimic this in the text and overlay the black text on top of a white version 

of it. This effect I really liked because it pushed the exhibition title 

forward and added more depth to the poster. 

Next I wanted to change the 

background because the plain white 

didn’t highlight the imagery well, but I 

didn’t want to change the colour or add 

a pattern because it would then detract 

the attention away form the imagery. I 

decided to add shadows to the 

background which was successful and 

highlighting the image.

To complete my poster I added my logo design in the bottom left hand 

corner. My logo fitted in really well with this poster design due to its 

unified form and shape. I kept the size of my logo design small 

because it didn’t want this detracting from the imagery of the poster, 

this is also why I positioned it in the bottom corner. 

In this poster design I really 

like the positioning of my 

components because I have 

minimal overlapping of my 

main silhouette apart from 

the exhibition title and I 

have not crammed to much 

information into this design. 

Inspired by the other 

posters I analysed I chose 

to keep the text to a minimal 

so I only put my logo rather 

than having the web 

address and telephone 

number. 

This poster isn’t what I feel my poster design should look like because it is 

missing components that I would like to add. For example I would like some 

of my own imagery incorporated into the central silhouette. Therefore I am 

going to develop another poster with the similar aspects as this one. I am 

going to continue with the design of the silhouette because I think this is 

successful at depicting my theme of the sun.

I completed this design by 

moving the text around a bit 

because I didn’t like having 

the date and address at the 

bottom. Having it under the 

title in a smaller font size 

looks much better and is 

something I would like to use 

in my next poster design.

Second Poster Design 

For my second poster design I have decided to include more 

of my own imagery. I wanted to incorporate the same 

silhouette of the sun that I used in my previous poster design 

because it was very successful. However I wanted to include 

more of my own imagery, so with inspiration from the poster I 

analysed I am going to have a silhouette inside a silhouette. 

I have decided to use trees as my second silhouette because I was inspired By the painting The Oregon Trail. I loved 

how Bierstadt depicted the sun shining through the trees. I started by gathering images of trees so that I could pick a 

silhouette I liked. I decided to go with a tree that didn’t have any leaves because it created a clearer silhouette. 

I then chose a different image 

to include inside my sun 

silhouette because I wanted 

a brighter and more intense 

sun in the background than 

the last poster I created. 

Therefore I decided to use 

Slave ship, this painting will 

also work better because of 

the loose brushwork which 

helps the viewer focus on the 

shapes and not the details of 

the painting.

When I added the tree it looked out of 

place because it was floating. So again I 

took inspiration from the posters I 

analysed and I added the black silhouette 

of land at the bottom and this work really 

well. The black silhouette made the trees 

fit it but it also drew the attention towards 

the sun in the background by obscuring 

the imagery at the bottom. 

I started by creating a clipping 

mask of slave ship inside my sun 

silhouette. My aim for this poster is 

to depict the sun therefore I have 

zoomed in and cropped the image 

of Slave Ship that the sun is the 

main focus. This worked really well 

because the loose brushwork 

meant the image didn’t look blurry. 

I then added in the image of my 

tree silhouette to experiment with 

where I was going to position it. 

After I made the tree silhouette work 

well inside the sun silhouette it still 

looked odd because it was the only 

one. Therefore I added more trees 

to the image inspired by The Oregon 

Trail. This brought the image 

together really well and added 

emphasis on the horizontal, due to 

the new horizon line I have created.

I have now added a background to my poster design. I didn’t 

want to keep the background white because it made the poster 

look flat and I wanted to add emphasis on the depth and light. 

For my background I used the burn tool to create shadows 

around my sun silhouette to highlight it this effect worked well 

but still didn’t look complete so I further developed the 

background by using a brush to add tonal shading to reflect the 

shadows that the sun would create. I really like this background 

because its monotone draws the viewers attention to the center 

of the poster and the colour. This background 

complimented the 

imagery well because 

it appeared to be 

shadows which adds 

depth. Also the darker 

tones in the 

background highlighted 

the light shape of the 

silhouette at the top 

which was barely 

visible on a white 

background. 

Finally I completed this poster design with my logo in the bottom left hand 

corner because this size and positioning worked well on my last poster design. I 

have also continued to used the overlay of the black exhibition title on top of the 

white one because again this worked well at making the font clearer. In this 

poster design I have included the website because it brought the poster 

together like the posters I analysed.

I really like my poster 

design because the 

imagery and the fonts work 

well in harmony by 

complementing each other 

with the use of the same 

colours. This poster design 

was successful for me and 

portraying my theme of the 

sun and its light.

Now I am going to analyse tickets for events because I want to see a wider range of tickets than just art galleries. I 

intend to gain inspiration from these design to help me create my own gallery ticket. From these design I will also 

analyse what information I should be including on my design and what is unnecessary. 

The shape of this ticket is a 

simple quadrilateral. This shape 

fits well to the function of a ticket 

because it is easy to mass 

produce and is suitable to create 

a visually appealing layout. I 

intend to create my ticket with in 

a similar shape to this because I 

think it is the most suitable for its 

function. 

On this ticket design the main 

focus is the writing and the text 

rather than the imagery and 

design. This is important 

because it makes sure the visitor 

has all the information they need 

to attend the event. The text has 

been separated in this design 

away from the imagery creating 

a contrast and making it easy to 

read and understand. 

Ticket Analysis 

The volume of text of this ticket 

is quite larger because there is 

a lot of necessary information 

that needs to be included. The 

information included on this 

ticket is important and I intend 

to add on my gallery ticket. For 

example: 

Date 

Time 

Exhibition Title 

Location 

Price 

Gallery 

Telephone/ Website 

The imagery and design used for this ticket is very simple with the use of a plain 

white background and only one image. Down the center of the ticket they have 

included a red separating line which clearly distinguishes the design from the 

text. When I create my ticket I intend to keep my imagery separated from the text 

because they compliment each other better with the contrast and it makes it 

easier to understand.

Similarly to the last ticket I analysed the layout of this ticket is very simple along with its quadrilateral shape. I prefer 

the shape of this ticket because the length allows the writing to be written across clearer horizontally. This idea I will be 

using in my ticket design because the composition works better. The horizontality of this design also allows the viewer 

to easier associate it with a ticket because tickets commonly tend to be landscape compared to the portrait layout of 

posters. This ticket again similarly to the last one is very basic and lacks in colour. The only colour on this ticket is the 

exhibition title and date which emphasises these. I like the use of minimal colour in this design, however the flat, plain 

white background is un appealing and doesn’t emphasize the writing in the foreground. Therefore when I create my 

ticket I intend to add some design to my ticket rather than just a cropped image. 

The text in this ticket design is the main attention and focus due to the lack of design and imagery, however this does 

fulfill the criteria of a ticket being function over design. On a ticket the most important part is the text to ensure the 

visitor is in the right place at the right time. On this ticket design I like how the gallery name is the largest font and is 

also bold on the ticket because alongside the red title it stands out well. To add some intrigue to the ticket they have 

included the font in all different size making the more important text larger and bolder. This is a technique that I would 

like to use when creating my own ticket design because it shows the priority of the information.

Ticket Design 

On this page I am now designing a concept for my ticket because I would like to insure that my design contains all the 

necessary and relevant information. The ideas I have gathered for this ticket concept I was inspired from the previous 

tickets I have analysed and seen. The shape of my ticket was inspired from the second ticket I analysed because the 

landscape layout made the composition of the imagery and work flow better, making it more visually appealing to the 

viewer. I have added the dashed line because I was inspired by I ticket that I saw, this dashed line helps prevent 

people from using a ticket twice or forging them. Because of the dashed line I have therefore decided to include the 

date twice because the sections will be separated. I also decided to include a barcode on my ticket design because 

this again deters people from forging tickets. This concept is very helpful because it shows what information I need to 

fit on the ticket therefore allowing me to concentrate on the layout and design to create the most visually appealing 

aesthetic. 

• Date 

• Exhibi,on Title 

• Time 

• Loca,on, Address, Postcode 

• Gallery 

• Price 

• Website 

• Phone Number 

• General Instruc,ons, Informa,on 

Date

£3.50 

Visit our website: 

www.VisionGalleries/art.co.uk 

Telephone: 01793 284018 

£3.50 



Telephone: 01793 284018 

I have now gained 

inspiration from the poster I 

analysed because I want 

them to be unified and 

visually compliment each 

other with the design. To 

achieve the unity I want 

between ticket and poster I 

have decided to use the 

same silhouette of the sun 

that was used. 

The sun silhouette works really well with the shape of the ticket design because the the contrast between the regular 

and irregular shapes catches the viewers attention. The silhouette also works well because the negative space is well 

balanced, creating plenty of room to place the necessary information and even a barcode and my gallery logo. I have 

placed the logo on this ticket because I wanted to keep the text to a minimum and the logo replaces the need to add 

the gallery name. 

I have then further developed 

the silhouette on my ticket 

design to also have a clipping 

mask using the same image 

that I used for my poster. 

This image works well in the 

clipping mask because the 

section highlighted clearly 

represents and intense sun 

light, representing the gallery 

theme.

£3.50 

5 th – 12 th April 

@9091 International Drive Florida 



Telephone: 01793 284018 

My final ticket design I really like because the intense colour of the sun contrasts well with the grey background. This 

ticket design also links well with the poster because I have decided to keep the same design elements. The 

composition of this ticket design also works well because I like the balance between text and imagery. When creating a 

ticket I focused strongly on the positioning of my text and planning the design around it. I decided to do this because 

the previous tickets I analysed focused mainly on the information over design. For this design I like the use of the 

barcode and the rip of tab because it clearly shows to the viewer that the product that they holding is a ticket. Finally on 

this design I also like that the colours of the texts are suitable for the background they are positioned on so that the 

texts is legible and still compliments the design.

The inside cover of this booklet is composed of 

background information about the artist. This gives the 

reader context about his life, which helps them 

understand his thought process for creating the works. 

I like this idea because it sums up the work and his 

life, this technique I would like to use in my own 

booklet. However my booklet is about multiple artists 

so therefore I will instead include a page about the sun 

and its representation in artworks. The page next to 

this is the booklet is a full page image of the artist 

himself which links well to the information. In my 

booklet I would like to incorporate full page images to 

enhance the aesthetics. 

Booklet Analysis 

I am now going to analyse existing booklets that have been created for gallery 

exhibitions. I have decided to do this because I want to gain inspiration for the 

design of my own gallery booklet. While analyzing these booklets I will be looking at 

their design and the compositional layout. The cover design of this booklet is very 

simple with the use of a plain background and one of the pieces of artwork being 

displayed in the center of the page. This technique emphasises the title of the 

gallery exhibition. The title of the gallery exhibition captures the viewers attention 

because of the contrast between the background and the font colour. I like this 

technique and would like to use it in my booklet cover design because I want the 

gallery title to be centre of focus which will unify my ticket, poster and booklet.

Over the next couple of pages the booklet contains an image 

covering half the page and then writing on the other half. I 

like this design because it create a complimentary contrast in 

the design. The design of this booklet is very simple because 

it is unified with the use of monotone throughout because 

the booklet is black and white. However in my booklet I 

would like to incorporate colour because it will suit my theme 

of the sun better and the use of similar colours will unify it to 

my poster and ticket. I do like the layout of this booklet with 

the use of a lot of images to balance ou the amount of text 

provided. I also like how they have use each page for a 

different piece of artwork, so not to over power the viewer 

visually with a lot of work on one page. 

The middle section of this booklet is comprised of detailed 

information about the artworks and which room they are 

being shown in. The page on the left hand side contains a 

small passage of information which is then complimented 

by a full page image on the right. On the bottom of the left 

hand page there is also information about the picture that 

was on the previous page. I like the idea of full page 

images however when creating my own booklet I would like 

to have the small section of information overlapping it and 

not on a different page, this stops confusion for the reader. 

On the left hand page they have also included a small 

inspirational quote across the center of the page however 

they haven’t included who said it which just leaves the 

reader to assume it was the artist.

At the back of the booklet they have 

incorporated a double page spread of extra 

information. I like this design because it is a 

page containing all the information a viewer 

could need for other events . This 

information I would like to incorporate in my 

booklet on a page to itself like this booklet 

because it is easier for the reader to find. 

For this page spread I also like their layout 

because they have created smaller 

columns down the page which makes the 

composition of the page flow better and 

easier to read. The display of the text has 

also been displayed with the same font that 

has been used throughout the rest of the 

booklet this unifies the design along side 

the continuous lack of colour. 

Throughout my booklet I would like to use the idea of using the same font size and colour where possible because it 

links the pages together and helps the reader flow through the booklet easily. In my booklet I am going to include a 

page of other events that my gallery is offering however I don’t have has many planned events so I am therefore 

going to include this on a page with the general information. The positioning of this page in my booklet I would also 

like to make it the inside back cover therefore easy to flick to for the reader. The information they have included on 

this page that I would like to include is: 

• Talks 

• Guided tours 

• Online 

• Study Days 

• Performances 

On my page of other events I would also like to include the idea of 

audio guided tours and prices so people have all the information 

required to have the best experience.

For the back inside cover they have included the a general 

information page which includes dates and times of upcoming 

events and gallery opening times. I would like to include this page 

as my inside back cover because it is easy to access. On this page I 

am going to include prices of other books for sale and audio tapes. 

My general information page is also going to include the contact 

information for the gallery so if people need more information they 

can either go online or ring up. Finally I like the idea again of having 

a full page image to compliment my general information page 

because the vast amount of writing won’t look so daunting against 

the image which looks like an aesthetically pleasing design. 

On the back cover of this booklet they have placed a 

map of the the gallery. This idea is one that I would 

like to use because it is practical positioning for the 

reader because they won’t have to flick through the 

book. I also like the idea of having a map on my 

booklet because it shows the flow of the gallery and 

people won’t get lost as easily.

The next booklet I am going to analyse is a fold out so therefore it opens 

differently. I don’t like how this booklet opens because they layout is 

confusing, I therefore intend to not use this idea but use the layout of the 

previous booklet I analysed. The cover of this booklet is also simple like the 

last booklet with a piece of artwork form the gallery as the background and 

then the title of the gallery as the centre of attention. The gallery title has 

been made the center of attention by overlapping the imagery and the bold 

lettering. 

I like this cover for the 

booklet because it stands 

out for the viewers eye 

with the use of the 

contrasting colours of 

writing and the 

background. The use of 

the full colour 

background also 

captures the viewers 

attention compared to a 

plain background. 

The second page in this booklet is a introduction into the works that 

they are going to be showing in the gallery. I like this idea and I am 

going to include it in my gallery booklet. I also like the positioning of this 

page because having this as the first page gives the reader a 

background understanding before reading the rest of the booklet. The 

layout of information on this page flows well with the use of columns 

and paragraphs, this compliments the imagery in the corner and makes 

the page appear more aesthetically pleasing.

The next four pages of this booklet are comprised 

of images and information about the artworks that 

are going to be displayed in this gallery. For each 

A5 page they have included one image per page. 

However I intend to create my booklet on A4 

therefore I would like to compliment my greater 

volume of information with more images. I like the 

layout of these pages because the writing has 

been placed in columns rather than stretching 

across the width of the page this technique makes 

the design look more aesthetically pleasing for the 

reader. This is an idea that I would like to include 

in my own booklet. The design for this booklet is 

minimal because they haven’t included any type of 

pattern or background that runs throughout the 

booklet. In my booklet I intend to incorporated a 

design to un throughout this will help unify the 

design. In this booklet the design has been unified 

with the use of the same font and colours 

throughout, I like this idea and I intend to also use 

the same font size where possible. On these 

information pages they have only included 

information about the painting because it is the 

same artist for all of them. In my booklet I however 

intend to include small passages about the artists 

alongside their paintings because I am displaying 

multiple artists work.

For the design on this page they have kept it to a minimal because it 

focuses the viewers attention on the writing. When I create my booklet I 

intend to keep this pages focus on the information as well. I don’t like the 

use of having these pages on a dark background because it makes the 

writing harder to read. I therefore to intend to have black writing on a pale 

coloured background that incorporates with the rest of my booklet. I do 

like the layout of the writing on these pages because the columns make 

the page look more aesthetically pleasing and easier to read. 

The last two pages in this booklet are comprised of information about 

events and other general information that is needed for the gallery. I intend 

to create a page like this in my gallery booklet because it is helpful to have 

all important information in the same place. I also like the positioning of this 

page because it is at the back of the booklet which makes it quickly and 

easily accessible. The information I intend to include on this general 

information page is: 

• Audio Books 

• Exhibition Books 

• Events 

• Evening activities 

• Eating, Drinking 

• Opening times and dates 

• Gift shop 

• Donors and members 

• Workshops 

• Contact details

Booklet Design 

I'm now designing my own gallery booklet with inspiration from the other 

booklets I have anaylsed. For the cover of my booklet I have decided to 

focus on the imagery rather than the information. I was inspired to do this 

because the booklet itself is going to contain all the necessary information, 

therefore I could focus on making the booklet eye catching and 

aesthetically appealing. The cover for the booklet is a simplified version of 

my poster, I have done this because I wanted all my work to link together 

appear to be unified. 

For the inside cover I have created a double 

page spread of the image that was use of the 

covers clipping mask. I have then used 

Photoshop to fade the image out into a general 

information page. This technique I really like 

because it is eye catching and looks 

aesthetically appealing. I was inspired to 

create the general information page from the 

other works I analysed I I like the positioning of 

the page in the booklet because it is easy for 

the reader to find.

For the layout of the 

middle page I have 

decided to have one artist 

per page where possible. 

This made the booklet flow 

better and easier for the 

reader to understand. On 

each artist page I have 

included the images that 

are going to be displayed 

in my gallery. This makes it 

easier for the reader to 

associate each piece of 

artwork with the right artist. 

On these pages I have 

given a brief background 

on the life and the style in 

which the artist was living. 

This idea I was inspired to 

do by one of the booklets I 

have analysed and it 

works really well visually. 

The background of these pages I have decided to use the same background as my ticket and poster. This design works 

really well at unifying all my works, making it easier for the reader to visually associate them together. The background 

of these pages also works well because it adds depth to the pages and emphasises the the imagery and text in the 

foreground making the pages look visually appealing. The text throughout my booklet I have decided to keep as the 

same font, size and colour. This unifies the booklet well and makes the layout more attractive.

For the artists Carl Spitzweg and Fredric Edwin 

Church I have decided to incorporate these artists 

on the same page because there is less known 

information about them and the layout of the booklet 

looked more appealing to have them on the same 

page rather than surrounded in negative space on 

their own. Even though they are on the same page I 

have still included the images that will be displayed 

in the gallery exhibition and the layout is still 

highlighted by the background design. 

Next I decided to incorporate one of my gallery 

paintings as a full page image. I like this design 

because it is visually appealing and shows the reader 

the painting in greater detail. I was inspired to do this 

by the Brancusi booklet that I analysed. The next 

page I then decided to create a double page spread 

of one of my images. This technique works well 

because the use of imagery balances the vast 

amount of text displayed on the pages, which attracts 

the viewer to the booklet. The double page spread 

also worked well because the image didn’t need to 

be cropped and it was also possible to add the 

paintings information on the same page.

I decided to put each of these artists on a page on 

their own because each of their artworks are 

memorable and I wanted this to be portrayed 

through a larger scale. I also placed each of these 

artists on a page on their own because there was 

more information that would be relevant to the 

exhibition which I wanted to show. I liked these artist 

pages because they are relevant to my gallery and 

the information gives a detailed background 

knowledge for the reader to learn. 

For the next four artists I have kept the layout the 

same because it worked well at emphasising the 

imagery but it also separated the writing making it 

less daunting for the reader. This technique I was 

again inspired to do from the existing booklets I 

analysed because the text broken into sections 

looked more appealing. The design of these 

pages I have also kept the same as the last 

pages I have created because I still wanted to 

keep the booklet unified even after the double 

page image spreads. The background works well 

with the layout of these pages also highlighting 

the images.

For my final double page spread I have included a detailed road map of 

how to get to the gallery. I was inspired to do this by the booklets I have 

analysed. On this page I also included the galleries contact details, so if 

needed they could get more information. On the back inside cover I have 

decided to incorporate my poster for a different gallery exhibition because 

it is good free advertising for an upcoming event. This idea I was also 

inspired to do by one of the booklets I analysed. I like the positioning of 

this poster because it is clearly separate from the rest of the booklet. 

Finally the back cover of my booklet 

displays the the map of the gallery 

itself. I like the positioning of this 

page because the reader doesn’t 

have to flick though the pages to find 

it, they can simply turn the booklet 

over. I wanted to include a map of 

the gallery on my booklet because it 

will help visitors find where they want 

to go and keep the gallery flowing.

Exhibition analysis 

I am now going to look at and analyse other art galleries to see how 

their buildings are laid out and what type of the design they have used 

in the interior. I then intend to use the designs as inspiration for when I 

design my own gallery exhibition. 

The first gallery I’m looking at is the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 

Netherlands. I have gathered some panoramic views of how they have 

displayed their paintings and their layout. 

In this gallery they have design the interior with a really simple scheme 

because throughout the building they have used one colour for the walls 

and a plain wooden floor. Having wooden floor throughout the art gallery 

is practical because it can been easily cleaned. The grey walls in the 

design works really well because it doesn’t darken the gallery and it 

doesn’t detract the attention away from the art works. When I create my 

gallery exhibition I intend to use this idea because patterned wall paper 

would become a piece of art work in its self. I do like the use of the grey 

throughout because it unifies the building so the viewer can flow from 

one art work to another. However I would like to experiment and see 

how another colour on the walls looks to compliment the grey. The plain colour scheme in this design is complimented by the more 

complicated architectural designs with the arches. I really like this 

technique because the rooms flow into one another because of the lack 

of doors, however it still allows for plenty of wall space to hang the 

paintings from. This arch design also looks good because they have 

arches framing some of the paintings which draws the viewers 

attention towards them. In this design all the rooms are quadrilateral 

shaped which keeps the layout simplified so the viewers can see all the 

artworks. When I create my design I intend to use this idea and I also 

like their use of the benches in the rooms because its thinking about 

the viewers needs.

The next gallery I intend to analyse is the 

Vancouver Art Gallery in Canada. Compared to the 

last art gallery I analysed this one displays modern 

artworks and sculpture. However their layout 

design are very similar and they both keep the 

main focus on the art work at all times. In this 

gallery they had multiple rooms that contained only 

one piece of art work due to its grand scale and 

they didn’t want pieces of art work being ignored or 

overpowered. I like this idea because artworks are 

then shown together if they are of a similar impact. 

In this gallery design they have also created a very simple layout with the use of their rooms only being quadrilateral or regular shapes. 

This helps the building flow from one room to another. Similarly to the other design this one also doesn’t have doors going from one 

room to another but arches. This is an idea I intend to use in my design because it unifies the building and helps the art work flow, it 

also shows to the viewers where to head to next once they finished in one room. In my design I also intend to have my rooms flow 

around so that there is a start and an end going through a gift shop like this one did. I want to do this because then people wont miss 

rooms and it is a good marketing tool to have them go through the gift shop. From looking at these design I have noticed some things 

that I have to put in my gallery like fire exits and toilets, however both of these galleries don’t have windows in the rooms the artwork is 

displayed. 

In my design I intend to not have windows 

because as seen by these designs, the lack of 

windows means more space on the walls for 

the artworks. Not having windows in these 

galleries is designed to protect the paintings 

from the rays of sunlight and also it is easier to 

break in and steal when you can fit through a 

window. Similarly again to the last design the 

interior has a limited colour palette for the walls 

with a subtle cream and plain hard wood floors. 

So in my design I intend to use this scheme.

Exhibition Design 1 

For my exhibition designs I am using an online software called 3D Room Styler. 

With this software I intend to create three designs that would be suitable for my 

gallery. When I am creating these designs I also intend to use some of the ideas I 

have gathered from the galleries I have previously analysed. 

For my first design I started by creating a simple floor plan of the layout and 

checking the room size so that they are also suitable for my art works to fit. From 

my analyse I made sure to include bathrooms which I have included on the left 

hand side. 

When it comes to the layout of this design, I designed all of my rooms so that 

they are regular shapes. I wanted to do this because the design flows from one 

space to another better and there will be more sufficient wall space to place the 

paintings on. In this design I also have included any widows for the purpose of 

function, therefore I will again have more wall space for paintings. The layout of 

this design also works well because to get to the exit you have to go through 

every room and the gift shop, this makes the design work better because you can 

aim which paintings the viewer look at first and last.

I was inspired by the 

national gallery to include 

benches inside my 

gallery where people can 

sit down and relax, 

therefore I have 

positioned these inside to 

demonstrate how many I 

would have. In this 

design I have also made 

sure that the viewers are 

greeted at the door my a 

receptionist because I 

learnt from my analyse 

galleries don’t just go 

straight into rooms of 

artwork. Th colour scale 

for this design I have 

decided to go with grey 

because the monotone 

colour scheme will 

highlight the colourful 

artworks placed upon the 

wall. I have used two 

tones of grey to add 

some contrasts to the 

room however in my next 

design I will intend to 

include a pastel wall 

colour instead alongside 

the grey. 

This design revolves around the flow of visitors so I 

have made sure that when they are exiting they 

have to pass through the gift shop first, which is 

what the other galleries had done. The floor I have 

chosen to keep hard a simple light hard wood floor 

throughout and this works really well in compliment 

to the simple colour scheme on the wall, so intend 

to use this idea in my final design.


In this design I have chosen to use 

archways from one room to another 

rather than doors because I was 

inspired by the other galleries I 

analysed. This idea worked really 

well at opening up the space inside 

the gallery and is definitely a 

concept I am going to use in my 

final design because the rooms flow 

better. I have also continued to use 

the light coloured wooden floors. In 

this design I have added skirting 

board to the rooms as the soft made 

me unable however I do intend to 

add small white ones around the 

walls to brighten up the rooms. 

For my second design I have taken inspiration both from the exhibitions I analysed and my previous design idea. In this design I 

wanted to brighten up the colours on the wall because the grey was to monotone. I have therefore decided to include a pastel green 

as a wall colour instead of another grey. This colour scheme works well because it brightens up the interior and the green being a 

pastel doesn’t detract attention away from any of the artwork on the walls. In this design I have chosen to create a regular shaped 

building because I wanted to see how it would flow. However through this design I have found that I loose room and wall space which 

I didn’t want, therefore in my final design I will design the layout around how big the rooms are and how well they flow around each 

other. In this design I did like that I have incorporated the idea of going in the entrance and having to go around the whole gallery and 

the gift shop before exiting. This idea I intend to use in my final exhibition design. Similarly to my first design I have included the 

benches in my rooms of artwork for people to sit at to demonstrate how big the rooms are and how many benches would be needed.

In this design I have added 

two small toilets halfway 

around the exhibition. I like 

this positioning and intend to 

incorporate in my final design 

because the design becomes 

more symmetrical which 

would allow people to easily 

find the toilets whatever part 

of the exhibition their in. in this 

design I have also included a 

courtyard garden inside the 

middle of my gallery as I saw 

inspired from a gallery I 

visited. However I don’t like 

this concept because it isn’t 

practical and doesn’t enhance 

my gallery design. Therefore 

in my final design I will not 

include a courtyard garden. In 

this design I have included a 

window to the reception room 

which I like because it 

brightens the entrance to the 

gallery up and is still practical 

because no art work will be 

displayed in this room. I have 

continued to have no windows 

around the rest of my 

exhibition though and it still 

works well. 

In this design I have also incorporated a fire exit 

halfway around the gallery because this is a 

necessity. I have included it halfway around 

from the main entrance because that is the best 

positioning for safety. I like this design the way 

the rooms flow into each other however it has 

some flaws like the garden which in my next 

design I would like to improve. In my next 

design I am also going to consider the amount 

of rooms I need to create a suitable sized 

gallery because this one is a bit to small.


For my final design I have incorporated all the ideas that worked really well in my previous 

2 designs and the ideas from the galleries I have analysed, however in this design I have 

also excluded the design flaws that occurred in my past to designs. This design I started 

with creating a layout that flowed around the gallery by starting at the reception and 

finishing at the gift shop. In this design that worked really well because with the use of 

minimal archways I have directed the flow of visitors in the direction that I want. 

In this design the archways I have still 

used in stead of doors because they 

worked so well in my past two 

designs. From my past two designs I 

have also decided to not included 

windows throughout my gallery. 

However inspired from my second 

design I did incorporate windows to 

the reception room, which did work 

well. In this design I changed the 

paint colour scheme to a cool blue 

and grey rather than the green 

because these tow colours 

compliment each other better. I 

decided to use the blue less than the 

grey because it was a more powerful 

colour and the ratio worked out really 

well at keeping the rooms bright but 

not detracting the attention from the 

artwork. The layout of this design isn’t 

symmetrical but the layout does flow 

well due to the positioning of the 

rooms and their shapes which I really 

like as my final concept.

In this design I incorporated the 

idea of having two toilets 

positioned halfway around my 

gallery exhibit and having the fire 

exit halfway around as well. The 

bathrooms in this design I 

separated because they fitted into 

the shape of the building better. 

I have also included the benches 

in this design however I have 

minimalized how many I have 

used because I don’t want them 

to be in the way when people are 

walking around the gallery 

therefore I have positioned them 

in the center of the rooms so 

people can walk around them and 

see the art work. In this design I 

specifically designed the rooms 

so that they have larger walls so 

that the bigger paintings will look 

better and fit. This design I really 

like because of how well it flows 

and hew well it fits the function of 

the gallery. 

In this design there are no points in which I 

would want to improve apart from adding a 

white skirting board around the rooms 

which I will do, however it was not possible 

with this software. I have included the use 

of the wooden floors in this design and also 

the subtle grey colour scheme which 

compliment each other well. I also used the 

arches instead of doors because of how 

well it worked in all the other gallery 

designs I looked at,

In Photoshop I have now edited my final exhibition design to include the paintings I have analysed. This is really helpful because it 

depicts whether or not the gallery is fulfilling its function. The paintings I have added in perspective to make the design more realistic. 

This design was successful at fulfilling its function because all the paintings fit neatly on the walls. The colour scheme of this design also 

works really well because it doesn’t detract attention from the paintings but it compliments them. The blue in this design also brightens 

the room with the compliment of the yellow in the paintings.

Checklist 

• Write about the ar,st…you may include other work. 

• Write the context of the ,me period and art 

movement. You may include images by other ar,sts 

which are similar or different. 

• Formally analyse the composi,on of the artwork. 

• Try to make the slides as full as possible and neat. 

• Ten examples 

• Then add your inten,on 

• External font analysis 

• Exhibi,on ,tle 

• Font analysis 

• Then font design 

• Poster mood board 

• Primary sourced photos 

• Logo analysis 

• Logo design 

• Then poster analysis 

• Create a poster x2 

• Booklet analysis 

• Booklet design 

• Exhibi,on analysis 

• 3d room design 

• Add works to the walls 

• Ticket analysis 

• Ticket design 

• Pdf/ issuu 

• Present final poster, ,cket, booklet, exhibi,on 

• Extend further by anima,ng the poster

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