FIRST PLACE!

"Smile for Gold", Leslie G., 4th grade

OUR TALENTED Leslie has been awarded 1st place (4th grade, category 2, grades 4th-6th) in the 2013 Dental Health Month Poster Contest for HISD students sponsored by The Greater Houston Dental Society (GHDS) and The Greater Houston Dental Alliance (GHDA) here in Houston, Texas.

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RIGOROUS AND RELEVANT

Creating a successful poster is a challenging task. The artist should be able to convey a message by using the Elements and Principles of Design in such way that the final product becomes an eye catching piece of artwork that effectively communicates the intended idea. Lines, forms, colors, shapes, unity, emphasis… are all the ultimate visual and conceptual tools the artist will use to effectively channel an idea to the viewer.

Leslie was able to produce a highly original, colorful design in which every single part of the whole meant to convey the concept stated by the contest guidelines. Since the project was very well aligned with our fine art curriculum and objectives, it allowed for Leslie and all the contestants in our school to face a rigorous creative challenge that was also relevant to their daily lives. Using pristine lines and solid primary and secondary colors gave Leslie the opportunity to communicate the idea of a clean, impeccable dental health.

A touch of humor was added by Leslie in order to attract more attention from the viewers. This was meant to imply that caring for our teeth can be also fun and rewarding, keeping us all healthy and cheerful. After reading the contest guidelines several times, Leslie also came up with a slogan for the poster. She accomplished that by playing around with short, direct words in "gold", the ultimate conceptual "prize" originally conceived by the contest promoters. Here's a step-by-step documentation of Leslie's work while creating her award-winning poster:

Leslie in the process of creating her award-winning poster

Step one: Read the contest guidelines, brainstorm and sketch an idea

Step two: Sketch a "finished" poster, the way we might like it to look like when finished

Step three: Outline and carefully paint the final draft. Posters are not necessarily paintings; as they convey a more direct message or idea, they are usually done using simple shapes and color combinations...

Step four: Cutting out the main element in the composition will help with going for several backgrounds and color options before deciding on one specific one.