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Getting Creative with Leftover Scraps
Every time we cut into a rigid substrate sheet we invariably had left over scrap. Even with intelligent nesting programs, there were always these odd shapes left over. So, as the scrap inventory grew, I began to imagine what I might do with the scrap besides throw perfectly good material in the dumpster. As an art teacher you learn to hoard everything as potential art media and found object art was a lesson I had always enjoyed teaching to my high school students. Now with all of this stuff, I had the perfect opportunity to create something epic! I started to arrange some flat circles and the image of a clock popped up in my mind’s eye. As I glanced over at a box of ribbed tubing and wires, I instantly knew what I wanted to make… a Steam Punk Wall Clock! I eagerly searched through foam scraps and continued to arrange the rough layout. Mental images for the clock faces were starting to appear as I altered some of the shapes to fit my plan.
Is Adding Dimension to my Sign Worth it?
Blame it on the artist in me or my 34 years of art teaching experience while observing young minds that are easily bored with the ordinary. I feel that signs should command attention and even inspire a desire to touch. Dimensional elements on your sign paired with great fundamental design principles are a sure fire way to get noticed and stay in the mind’s eye of the viewer.
What does it take for an individual sign to catch and hold the viewer’s attention? Adding dimension to your sign immediately adds visual interest. By adding layers of depth, you engage the viewer’s mind as they analyze what they are seeing. Longer viewing time typically leads to increased memory retention. Isn’t that what your striving for? Not just to have a functional sign, but to also be memorable?