How designers used to work on marks in the pre-digital era

At least till the early 1990s, the computer was an unknown instrument Fig. 1: the creation of the graphic mark had been manual, and often included optical and photographic means. Fig. 2 The work would start from a draft to capture a graphic idea. On that stage, the artist would need basic materials: paper and pencil, ink and brush. The search for solutions in ‘образно-пластичного’¹ and composition required not only the drawing element but also the lettering (or logotype) if needed. Fig. 3

Usually, the further method of project development (printing, casting, etc.) was taken into account at the design stage. Graphic marks were mostly on the labeling, the packaging, signage, and sometimes on the goods themselves as embossing or cover molding (such as television panels, radio receivers, transport vehicles, and other objects). The labels were mostly performed in multicolor printing whereby every color was printed separately, this, however, didn’t lead to high-quality printing. Designers were trying to avoid complicated solutions in coloring: the reason for that was, among other things, the possible faults of printed reproduction. Fig. 4

Each graphic element of a mark had to be a patch with a clear contour. Single-colored signs were the most universal and susceptible to translation into the embossing form. Sometimes, however, using two or three colors in a single mark was indispensable. In that case, the artist would need to avoid the closing in of the graphic elements of different colors, as multicolor printing had no guarantee for exact coinciding of the marks. In most cases, one of the elements was separated from the rest and emphasized in color. Fig. 5

The draft mark would be worked on an enlarged size, eliminating the geometric structure and perfecting the ‘пластику’² of the curves. The final version would be drawn in all the details in the working draft. Later, the lines of the mark would be put on tracing-paper in black-chalk or soft pencil. The original drawing would be executed on thick paper, usually, a best quality Whatman sheet stretched out on a plane table in order to avoid it getting corrugated by water, as they’d been working in water-based paint. Tracing-paper would be fixed at the sides of the plane table by rubber glue or adhesive tape. The graphic image was to be carefully copied onto a Whatman sheet ³ using a hard pencil. Some designers would produce and use reusable ‘copiers’ tracing paper rubbed with graphite created a thick layer on one of its sides (a transfer paper of sorts); this was then placed under transfer paper with the out original drawing on top – this drawing was then pressed through both layers (graphite and original).

Most often, the final project was drawn in black gouache with a tinge of ink to increase the depth of colour, and with a sprinkle of PVA glue for better fixation of the coloring agent. The carefully blended colorant was to be diluted with water, reaching the desired consistency that allowed to use a ruling pen (Reissfeder) or a thin fountain pen. Using those tools together with a boarded ruler, which prevents the paint from spreading, and a triangle provided for pinpoint accuracy in drawing the mark’s contours. A ruling pen filled with paint was used for the curves. Within the contour, the mark had to be homogeneously filled by color with the use of a brush. When the paint dried out, traces of black chalk were removed with a soft eraser. At the stage of finalization, the smallest faults were corrected with white gouache. Advanced designers were also prominent in the technique of horizontal cutting of the upper Whatman layer with a regular shaving blade, which made the corrections nearly invisible.

Careful attention, and sometimes even particular techniques were required in case the mark included lettering. One of the options would be to draft the letters manually, carefully reconciling aligning the spaces in between. If the project was to contain calligraphy, fitting instruments where used – quills or brushes. Many designers used self-made tools: sharpened reeds or bird feathers, as well quills cut from razors (for shaving).