The interest to be outside and in nature had never been appealing to me. However, when COVID-19 forced us to be outdoors all summer of 2020, I had no choice but to explore the sweltering heat, bugs, and plants, in which the outside contained. To my surprise, I became connected with nature; my camera roll quickly filled with various photographs of trees, moths, and most frequently, the sky. The effortlessly gradient skies captivated me, and this interest continued into my first and second semesters of college. Since I painted my color chart, which explored chroma, value, hue, and temperature, I had wanted to experiment with gradients. I was interested in the transition between one hue and the complementary of that hue.
For the project, I created three posters that describe the wellness center’s goals and services. The wellness center is an outlet and relaxed space for communities where mental health resources aren’t available. I wanted the posters to emulate a sense of stability and tranquility, hence my reasons for using gradients. The three hues used in the piece were yellow, blue, and cream, which I hand painted for the background. I was interested in the meaning behind the colors and how they relate to the way the poster would be perceived. Blue represents stability and tranquility, yellow represents joy and hope, and cream also represents calmness and neutrality. The use of blue and yellow gradients creates a sense of stability and joy that the wellness center would aspire to bring to the community. I also used different values in transparencies behind specific text to command attention to essential titles in the posters. My color choices in the text often contrast with the background behind them, making the text stand out in the viewer’s eye. Overall, the use of color in the posters produces balance for the viewer’s eye and a balance within themselves.