Assignment 3 - Poster

Assignment 3 - Design Principles

Curvy Lines were used excessively to give the viewers more of a homey feeling, which helps to turn their attention to the poster.

Complex Shapes were not created so that everyone would easily understand what was meant by the shapes.

To depict that the Earth has lost its colorfulness, a grayscale Value was used for the world map.

Colors were only being used to illuminate the rising liquid inside the thermometer to grab the focus of the viewer to a matter of the utmost importance.

To give a feeling that the map was drawn on a canvas, Texture of a canvas was overlayed on the map.

Assignment 3 - Process

Imported an image of a world map as a template for tracing. Used the Auto Trace Tool to trace the outline of the map, which was then smoothed and tweaked using the Smooth Tool and the Direct Selection Tool.


Turned all the traced paths into a group object and applied the effect, 3D Rotate to get the desired perspective value. In the settings window, almost accurate value was given for the angle of perspective to make it look like the thermometer is being placed on top of the map.


The idea is to show that the surface is being lit by a spot light, which has a circular decay region. A curvy path with a stroke weight of 10 was used to achieve this effect. It was placed across the upper border and was blurred using the effect, Gaussian Blur. Applied a gradient to the fill of the map using the Gradient Tool so it shows a variation of color from light gray to dark gray along the perspective plane. Also made the upper region of the background bit darker by using the Mesh Tool.


Created a grayscale gradient for the Opacity Mask technique in order to apply effects and layer blending options only to a desired portion of the object.


Duplicated the group of objects that was created before and added the effect, Gaussian Blur to the new group. By using the grayscale gradient the blurred and the original groups were blended with each other so that it gives a photorealistic approach to the illustration as if the camera is focused on the front part of the thermometer. Altered the gradient mask to get the blending effect right.


Opened a new document in RGB color profile and created a canvas texture using the effect, Texturizer. Altered different attributes of the effect to get the exact texture. Exported it to a image file and imported the same image to the original document, which works in CMYK color profile. Had to use this method as some of the effects are not working in CMYK color profile.


Imported image was then rotated using 3D Rotate and altered the attribute, Angle of Perspective to place it on the same plane with the rest. Changed layer blending mode of the image to Multiply so the texture gets embedded to the layers below, which were the map and the background.


Created the typography using the Type Tool and once again it was rotated using the effect 3D Rotate. Made the text blend with the layers below by changing its layer blending mode. Shadow effect was being added to the text to get more of an embossed look, using Drop Shadow.

Assignment 3 - Preliminary Studies

Preliminary Studies
Global Mean Temperature

A thermometer is placed on a world map drawn on a canvas. The intention is to depict that the Earth is being affected by the rise of Global Mean Temperature. Colors had faded away from the map due to the unbearable heat, which would be the most apparent consequence of Global Warming.

Assignment 3 - Precedent Studies

A magazine cover art on Global Warming that helped me to think of a good layout for the poster with the proper use of typography.

A world map, that I have used as a reference for tracing. It also inspired me to choose suitable colors and texture for the poster as it inherited much of an authentic look.

Assignment 3 - Background Research

The greenhouse effect is the process in which the emission of infrared radiation by the atmosphere warms a planet's surface.


The Earth's average surface temperature is about 33°C warmer than it would be without the greenhouse effect. The Earth reflects about 30% of the incoming solar radiation. The remaining 70% is absorbed, warming the land, atmosphere and oceans.

For the Earth's temperature to be in steady state so that the Earth does not rapidly heat or cool, this absorbed solar radiation must be very nearly balanced by energy radiated back to space in the infrared wavelengths.

The infrared photons emitted by the surface are mostly absorbed in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases and clouds and do not escape directly to space so the surface temperature will rise until it generates thermal radiation equivalent to the sum of the incoming solar and infrared radiation.

Anthropogenic Global Warming, a recent warming of the Earth's lower atmosphere, is believed to be the result of an 'enhanced greenhouse effect' mainly due to human-produced increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and changes in the use of land.

Assignment 2 - Subject Matter

The final composition of the concept,
Global Mean Temperature