a r t w o r k : m i a d : f l a g f o r s c h o o l
Title: Reagan High School Flag
Size: 9 x 12 Inches Medium: Colored Pencil and Marker on Paper Completion: April 2019 Exhibition Text:Being assigned to create our own interpretation of a Reagan Flag, to the left is my color pencil and marker outlined flag concept attached to foam board. My Reagan Flag represents student achievement, making the Husky pawprint a shooting star to symbolize breaking outside of the box to stand out from other MPS/IB schools. There’s strong representation in hue variety, using blue and yellow a lot throughout, while also showing a harmony of symbols and structure to represent the unity in Reagan.
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Inspiration, Project Research, and Planning:
I will be looking around through all kinds of sources to find the following:
The page to the left is made up of my initial notes and research. It starts at the top with notes on Vexillogy, the study of flags, and then continues into some other things we went over with our MIAD presenter. This included the way a flag should look, the design flaws it should avoid, what to consider on the way, and etc. I will debrief this below. This page also leads into the importance of both elements of art and the principles of design. I identify things that the flag must have to be a success. And then, at the bottom of the page, I start to dig into color meaning/significance while also exploring things around Reagan and IB. These logos were the main colors I'd constantly connect back to I my several planning sketches below. They just really link to Reagan well. |
Like I said above, I began by taking a ton of notes from the MIAD Presenter while she was here. These are located to the left at the upper half of the page. This was indicate how I'd lay out details, elements, and other shapes onto the flag.
To the right, I include a closeup to the research I began to do on Reagan, IB, and MPS as a whole. I included details that I thought were important about the subject matter, and lead into the a curiosity towards color theory and symbol representation. Below that journal page closeup, I included images of symbols and other things that showed up in my flag planning sketches below. These were important to have as references. |
Below is digging more into my Planning Sketches and other bits of planning for my final product!
The sheet to the right was given to us by our MIAD presenter to begin drawing out planning sketches. It had me combine all of the inspiration and symbolic research from above, and gradually produce flags. I ended up creating a maximum of 15 planning flags, of which you can see to the side.
I tried to keep a sense of mainly Reagan and students in my mind while sketching out these 15 sketches. It was a long process of experimentation and redrawing things. The ones that I starred are the ones I ended up liking the most out of what I created to the right. Most of the details, ideas, and main reasonings for why each flag looked the way it did is on that paper to the right.
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Experimentation & Process:
Most of my experimentation happened during the sketching of my flags, as seen above, so this section won't be so filled up.
Below lies the first step of my process. Obviously, as shown a lot above, I began by researching a bunch of knowledge on flags, color theory, and shape symbolism to draw out 15 flag designs. This took me some time, as I had to consider the harmony a piece holds when all types of shapes and symbols are added beside color choice. I drew them out in pencil, colored these designs in with my Prisma colored pencil back, and outlined each in Prisma branded markers.
Here are a few images that closely focus in on each of my flag designs.
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I choice to include the symbolism in both colors, shapes, and images to enhance each of my flags into something more than it just looked like on the surface.
- I used a lot of Blue, Yellow, White, Green, and even Black as main colors in each of my flags. This ended up representing some of the following things...
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Experimentation with colored pencils & other art tools:
I used my Prisma Colored Pencils to fully color in each of my flag designs. I wanted the soft texture and a tool that wouldn't bleed through the paper onto its back. That would only increase the mess of these sheets, and risked the chance of other pages being ruined because of my indecency. I also used my Prisma Markers because, although bleeding through just a little bit, they made good outlining tools for each of my flag designs.
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Continuation of Process:
* I was critiqued for my 15 flag designs on March 22nd by a MIAD professor.
To the right lies my flags, as I redrew them based on the in-class critique we had with the MIAD presenter. She had a more specific interest in my 7, 8, and 9 flag designs, even saying that 9 had the potential of being a final contender for the project, so I tried to mix those ideas into something more interesting. The first flag to the top is a direct redrew of Flag 9. This flag just seemed fine as is, so I made it my job to replicate the flag onto this larger base with a careful eye to freshly marked lines and so forth. My second flag redesign was a mix of both Flag 7 and Flag 8. The MIAD presenter told me that the main symbol of Flag 7 drew her eyes to it really quick, and that she quite enjoyed the meaning behind it. Also liking the meaning of my Flag 8, she suggested I place the paw print design of Flag 7 onto Flag 8, as if it was booming outside of that box I created on the page already. I tried my best to connect back to those ideas, and you can see the outcome to the right of this text. |
Afterwards, we were critiqued by the same MIAD professor once again, and were given the job to decide which flag we liked most for the final product. I reflected off of the notes this professor gave me, and decided on going with Flag 2 since she said it was my strongest. In this version, however, I tried to distinctly make the paw look far more like it was shooting out of the box. I had to mess around with the form and the curves of line towards the husky paw, so an emphasis would be placed on its action. The rest of my flag looked a lot like flag too, but I also decided on leaving the bottom of it white to create a sense of harmony in the color placement. Plus, it made the background divide into three sections (hint to IB, Reagan, and MPS). I carefully colored in and outlined the needed sections with the tools provided to me.
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Next was where I had to cut my foam board to the correct dimensions for future presentation of my flag. I gathered materials:
- Black foam board (would be cut 12.5 x 15 inches later on)
- An X-Acto knife (to cut through the foam)
- A cutting board (goes underneath so I don’t cut into table)
- A ruler (I was guided into using a straight edge ruler since the foam board was rather thick)
I had to use the school’s sprawling booth to apply my art piece on top of a 12.5 x 15in cut foam board for presentation. I began by placing my flag design face down on newsprint, material I put under it so it wouldn’t sit everywhere else in the booth, and began spraying. After shaking my can of adhesive glue spray can, I applied the glue onto my piece from left to right. I did this a few more times so I’d get every section of it covered. Afterwards, I carefully took out the the flag from the machine, and, with caution and deep focus, pressed the glue flag drawing side onto the cut foam board. I held it down so it’d stay there and dry.
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Critique:
Below I’ll be comparing my final product flag to the main couple inspirations I had above in the Inspiration area. This will look a lot different than my normal critiques, as there isn’t really a main artist that at I was inspired by.
Similarities May Include:
To the left is a photo collage of the many things I took inspiration from . . .
- Both used blue and yellow hues. For the logos, they have these colors to present themselves strictly of the sorts. The colors are what make you think of MPS, IB, and Reagan as a whole, so I decided to also incorporate that into my flag piece. - Both my inspirations and I give off the very formal theme that I feel those school related organizations share. Mixing royal blue with yellow, black, and white, gave my flag a more professional feel to it. We both give off a very structured and powerful system in the way things look. - I decided on using elements from Reagan too. This being, again, that royal blue color, but also in using the husky mascot. Mine has a husky paw metaphorical towards husky pride and other things of the sorts. |
Differences May Include:
- Every symbol and slight motif on my piece had the purpose of being on a flag. The logos, colors, and other symbols kind of stand on their own for presentation. Mine was a collection of many ideas to be connected onto the structure of a flag.
- My flag includes a paw print, something I didn’t see directly from my inspiration, but I included it to give a more Reagan feel to the entire flag as a whole. Although Reagan goes more straight up husky in symbolism, I felt that the paw print met more to the standards of good flag design. It’d be easier to replicate as well, making it better than putting a husky.
- There isn’t much, if any, black in my inspirations. I initially researched the regal and serious-feel to the color black, and eventually came to using it as a major stepping stool for professionalism in my work. My inspirations, especially the logos, just stand on their own without outline. I thought the black would support the strong, powerful feeling of Reagan as a school, so I incorporated it anyway.
- My flag includes a paw print, something I didn’t see directly from my inspiration, but I included it to give a more Reagan feel to the entire flag as a whole. Although Reagan goes more straight up husky in symbolism, I felt that the paw print met more to the standards of good flag design. It’d be easier to replicate as well, making it better than putting a husky.
- There isn’t much, if any, black in my inspirations. I initially researched the regal and serious-feel to the color black, and eventually came to using it as a major stepping stool for professionalism in my work. My inspirations, especially the logos, just stand on their own without outline. I thought the black would support the strong, powerful feeling of Reagan as a school, so I incorporated it anyway.
Reflection:
This flag project was something significantly new towards my past art experience to take on. I’m not used to designing things such as flag, honestly I haven’t actually put my mind to flag etiquette and layout before this, but I tried to keep a light head towards what I felt meant Reagan. This school is just so powerful and full of ideas, it was difficult to try and cross all those details and major qualities into one singular flag.
My piece tries to emulate Reagan in strict hue choice, emphasis on a husky paw print for school pride, and the symbolism of a shooting star jumping out of the box. Reagan’s a very “out of the box” school, I’ve used related symbolism in my other MIAD silk screen prints, but I wanted to show how every student, represented in as a husky paw print, shoots outside of the box intelligently and creatively. We’re all shooting stars here, in a way, trying to find where we’ll go in the future, but always moving forward, being more than just what’s expected (staying inside that box).
Outline the box and adding black into the figure of the paw print had to be my favorite part of the flag. I like how formal it looks, it’s professionality in the sense of black, and on how neat it looks in those sections. It’s putting emphasis on the paw print enormously which is, again, very symbolic of how the students truly make Reagan what is is. I also enjoyed the harmony of blue, white, and yellow throughout my work. It made the flag really pop out, while also sticking to that original Reagan feel. Perhaps if I’d change anything, I’d move the paw print a little more down and enlarge it. I feel like I accidentally drew it smaller than it should’ve been. In conclusion, though, I feel that my flag turned out pretty successful.
My piece tries to emulate Reagan in strict hue choice, emphasis on a husky paw print for school pride, and the symbolism of a shooting star jumping out of the box. Reagan’s a very “out of the box” school, I’ve used related symbolism in my other MIAD silk screen prints, but I wanted to show how every student, represented in as a husky paw print, shoots outside of the box intelligently and creatively. We’re all shooting stars here, in a way, trying to find where we’ll go in the future, but always moving forward, being more than just what’s expected (staying inside that box).
Outline the box and adding black into the figure of the paw print had to be my favorite part of the flag. I like how formal it looks, it’s professionality in the sense of black, and on how neat it looks in those sections. It’s putting emphasis on the paw print enormously which is, again, very symbolic of how the students truly make Reagan what is is. I also enjoyed the harmony of blue, white, and yellow throughout my work. It made the flag really pop out, while also sticking to that original Reagan feel. Perhaps if I’d change anything, I’d move the paw print a little more down and enlarge it. I feel like I accidentally drew it smaller than it should’ve been. In conclusion, though, I feel that my flag turned out pretty successful.
Connecting to the ACT:
1.) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
I liked the colors in the symbols I found; more directly from the IB and MPS logo. These drew back into my work the most. I also used three main colors, diving the flag into those three colors, to represent how Reagan is a combination of MPS, IB, and itself. The paw print was also a direct correlation to the Reagan Husky, our school’s mascot, so I used that to symbolize a shooting star (which I researched and found to sometimes represent “advancement in life”).
2.) What is the overall approach ( point of view ) the author ( from your research ) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My inspirations were mostly school based, and they all had some sort of relation back to the straight up looks of Reagan and the people that make it up, Everything had to give off a Reagan vibe, in my opinion, so I only took in inspiration that would confirm that point.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I kind of learned that it’s a lot harder to communicate a whole school in one flag, and how flag designing and anything of the such takes a lot of research and careful planning.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Ronald Reagan isn’t like other MPS and IB system schools. Their students reach outside of standardized school regulations and criteria to be even better, to shine even brighter, than other students may at times. The school here is always screaming “More”.
5.) What kind of inferences ( conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning ) did you make while reading your research?
Flags, even in its discrete lines and placement choices, can hold all sorts of symbolism.
I liked the colors in the symbols I found; more directly from the IB and MPS logo. These drew back into my work the most. I also used three main colors, diving the flag into those three colors, to represent how Reagan is a combination of MPS, IB, and itself. The paw print was also a direct correlation to the Reagan Husky, our school’s mascot, so I used that to symbolize a shooting star (which I researched and found to sometimes represent “advancement in life”).
2.) What is the overall approach ( point of view ) the author ( from your research ) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My inspirations were mostly school based, and they all had some sort of relation back to the straight up looks of Reagan and the people that make it up, Everything had to give off a Reagan vibe, in my opinion, so I only took in inspiration that would confirm that point.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I kind of learned that it’s a lot harder to communicate a whole school in one flag, and how flag designing and anything of the such takes a lot of research and careful planning.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Ronald Reagan isn’t like other MPS and IB system schools. Their students reach outside of standardized school regulations and criteria to be even better, to shine even brighter, than other students may at times. The school here is always screaming “More”.
5.) What kind of inferences ( conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning ) did you make while reading your research?
Flags, even in its discrete lines and placement choices, can hold all sorts of symbolism.
CITATIONS ( DONE IN MLA FORMAT )
“All Star Flags.” AllStar Flags, www.allstarflags.com/facts/color-meanings-in-flags/.
“Color Meanings - All About Colors and Symbolism.” Color, www.color-meanings.com/.
“Reagan IB High School / Overview.” Reagan IB High School / Overview, www.ronaldreaganhs.org/.
“Color Meanings - All About Colors and Symbolism.” Color, www.color-meanings.com/.
“Reagan IB High School / Overview.” Reagan IB High School / Overview, www.ronaldreaganhs.org/.