Butterflies of America

A E I

Atalia Skipper

B F J

Black Swallowtail

Chisos Copper

D H L
P

Dorcas Copper

Emerald Aguna

Flashing Astraptes

G K

Great Bluestreak

Hispaniola Swallowtail

Illinois Prepona

Julias Skipper

Karner Blue

Lapine Skipper

M Q U Y

Mexican Yellow

N R

Northern Skipper

O S

Orange Banner

Pronus Aguna

Questia Polygonia

Russet Skipwing

Shorttail Skipper

True Cattleheart

Ursine Skipper

V Z

Variable Aguna

Whitter Crescent

Xiaque Satyr

Yellow Tip Flasher

Zerene Fritillary

A Note on Color I designed the text and frames in black, and set the images against a white background, instead of using a color palette for these elements. I wanted the poster to feature the natural colors of the butterflies, so I decided not to use tinted layers to make the photographs more uniform in color. Because the butterflies show an entire spectrum of colors, using one a few of these colors for the text and frames caused some butterflies to to stand out more than others, making the overall poster seem unbalanced. Accordingly, I only used black for the non-photographic elements.

A Note on Typeface The text on the poster is set in Mona Lisa Solid. This typeface was designed by Pat Hickson in 1991. Hickson based the typeface on type designed by Albert Auspurg in the 1930s. Both Hicksons and Auspurgs typefaces are meant to capture the lines and glyphs popular in 1930s Art Deco typography and design. I chose to use Mona Lisa for the poster because butterflies were a popular motif in the Art Deco period. I also liked the way the variable weights of the lines in the typeface echoed the the veins in the butterflies wings, while the tall, straight ascenders on the letters contrasted with the curves of the butterflies wings. The intended audience is adults who are not necessarily interested in lepidoptery (the study of butterflies), but who might appreciate butterflies for their natural beauty. Because the poster is targeted to adults, I used a typeface that has a distinct style, rather than a typeface that would be easily legible to children. The overall purpose of the design is to highlight the variety and beauty of butterflies in the United States. Accordingly, the most prominient elements on the poster are the realistic, full-color photographs of butterflies.