Illustrator Type Week: Concrete Poetry – Final Draft

Objective: Use the Type Tools, Effects Menu, Appearance panel and Graphic Styles panel in Illustrator to produce a Visual Poem using expressive text and the Principles of Design.

Student Friendly Objective: I can use Illustrator to produce a concrete poem with expressive type.

Web Link:
Adobe Illustrator CS5 Tutorial 37 | Appearances & Graphic Styles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDtraLlf5rA

Topics Discussed:

  • Typography
  • Appearance Panel
  • Graphic Styles Panel
  • Effect Menu
  • Warp Dialog
  • Post-Modernism
  • Expressive Text

Assignment:

Watch the “Adobe Illustrator CS5 Tutorial 37 | Appearances & Graphic Styles” tutorial video. Review the tutorial if necessary to refresh your memory on how to use the Appearance Panel, and how to save object appearances as Graphic Styles.

Visual Poetry and Concrete Poetry

  1. Concrete poetry is a type of poetry where the way the words look, and the arrangement of the words is more important in expressing the meaning of the poem than the words themselves. It is sometimes referred to as visual poetry, a term which has developed into its own unique style.
  2. Create a New Document in Illustrator. Use the Print, Letter size (612pt x 792pt) Preset. You may use Portrait or Landscape orientation.
  3. Use the pre-set Graphic Styles libraries, the Warp tools and the Type Tool to produce your concrete poem on the fourth artboard in Illustrator.
  4. Use the original poem that you wrote on the fourth artboard of last week’s assignment. You may copy and paste the poem or rebuild it, depending on your visual purpose.
  5. Your poem should visually represent, both in the arrangement of the words and in the visual style of the words, the theme of the poem.
    The theme of the poem should be obvious, based on the arrangement of the words and the Appearance or Graphic Style of the words.
  6. There is no minimum or maximum length of the poem, but the poem must express a recognizable idea, and must effectively present the idea through the arrangement and graphic style of the words.
  7. Remember the Principles of Design as you lay out your page: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity – use them, as well as what we have learned about Color Theory and Symbolism to maximize the visual appeal and meaning of your poem!
  8. The completed Concrete Poem is due on Wednesday, April 10th. We will work on the poem in the days between now and then.
  9. The completed Concrete Poems will be printed and displayed in the room for all to enjoy, so do your best to make this something unique and visually appealing!

Assigned: April 8th, 2019
Teacher Pacing Due Date: April 10th, 2019