Demonstrating dimensionality of form is a foundational way of shifting a flat image from 2nd, to at least 3rd gear. Finding that hybrid between committing to gradient tone and graphic surfaces that imbue reality and a simple vector outline really only offers up a handful of tricks. Shadow has long been a staple of the designer to convey space in a flat graphic. They are less about the absence of light than they are about defining a light source. Harsh shadows on these marks can help to communicate a client’s desire to be under the focus of a spotlight and open for complete inspection with nothing to hide.
What differentiate this group from other shadow marks are the 45-degree angular cuts that would ordinarily be cast if the surface it appears on is a separate plain angling away. This is modestly troublesome in trying to actually model the realism of the light conditions. I’m convinced these designs are less about crafting reality than they are about creating a dramatic fictional dimension, embellished by stark shadows with flexible rules. The mass appearance of this effect is mostly played out on sans serif letterforms and tends to hearken to the angled effect of a serif, excised from the letters in a chiseled dimensional form.
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