Here is my research results for my ace of spades card that I am designing as part of my JFK conspiracy.

I first started looking at some basic Ace of spades designs from the internet and then decided that some of my designs were to be a combination of the CIA emblem or badge and the Ace of spades.

What I see:

An ace of spades card which is surrounded by other symbols such as a rose and a crown. It seems to be a tattoo because of the ribbon with text on it. There are also two birds flying next to opposite corners and two dice.

What makes me think that:

• The ace of spades is used a symbol of good luck and in some games of cards in English speaking countries it is the most valuable card in the deck.
• The composition of the image could represent the notion of good luck throughout ones life which is signified by the text on the ribbon.
• The notion of luck is further emphasised by the presence of the dice.

What more can I find:

• the presences of the birds could represent the idea of freedom as we humans typically see birds as free animals because they can seemingly go wherever they want with no obstacles in the way.

What I see:

a stack of all four aces within a deck of cards with the ace of spades taking the front position as it is the most valuable card in the deck. There is a skull situated in the suit which could be a representation of death or mortality.

What makes me think that:

• The skull on the ace is ironic because in English speaking countries, the suit is seen to be lucky. However, putting a skull on it contrasts that notion. Perhaps it is to do with the idea of cheating death. This notion is supported by the text beneath which says All In which is a popular phrase used in poker or when when someone is seen to be putting everything they have the line for a gamble.

What more can I find:

• It seems that the cards are not decorated in a traditional playing card format as the quit letter and symbol are located on both corners instead of opposite inverse ones.

 

 

What I see:

The CIA’s emblem used in official government documents in the USA. It features a blue background and a white shield with a eagle figurehead above the shield. The yellow and the blue are complimentary colours which allows for the seal to stand out and the red lettering against the yellow of the ribbon also help the text stand out.

What makes me think that:

• The eagle is the USA’s national bird which represents strength and alertness and is a major symbol which is synonymous with america and freedom.
• The compass rose represent the convergence of intelligence data from all over the world to a central point
• The shield is a standard symbol universally of defence.

What more can I find:

I do not exactly know what the object beneath the eagle’s head is but I will probably include it in my design to tie it all together.

 

What I see:

Different vector images of various eagles that incorporate negative space of some form.

What makes me think that:

• the almost regal shape of the eagle make it seem like it is a king among birds
• they seem to have an aggressive gesture about them as they all seem like they are mid swoop in catching prey
• their speed is also well captured in these reference images
•  the wings are very curved but the individual feathers seem aggressive because they are flat vectors with no depth

What more can I find:

white lines are used to separate the two wings and some individual feathers in order to make the image clearer to the audience.

 

What I see:

• a woman clad in shadow
• she is either wearing a low cut top at the front or back
• she is wearing 2 necklaces
• she has rep lipstick on
• her eyes are hidden by a shadow

What makes me think that:

• I can tell it is a woman because of the soft features of the body I can see. They are not angular like a typical male figure
• I can tell that the top she is wearing is low cut but I cannot tell what direction she is facing. I assume the white is reflective of her skin as it remains consistent with the colour of her face.
• the shapes on what look to be her neck are in the typical minimal design of a necklace.
• The striking red lipstick on her lips are evident because they stand out against the black and white colour scheme by being a colour which is not close to either on the colour spectrum. It also emphasises the notion that the figure is a female.
• They eyes hidden by shadow signify a element of mystery behind the woman as the audience is unable to truly identify her.

What more can I find:

• it could be suggested that the woman is dressed to go to a party because of the nature of dress she is wearing which is black which is usually associated with formality which then leads the audience to presume that she is wealthy to some degree.

What I see:

• a blonde man peering through blinds
• he is wearing a suit and a red tie
• he looks to be hiding or peeking
• lighting suggests that it is late afternoon or early evening

What makes me think that:

• I can see that the man is blonde by looking at the choice of yellow used for his hair. Now the colour is not strictly blonde but the minimalist approach easily leads audiences to know that the context of the image is minimal.
• the way the mans body language is presented leads the audience to suggest that he does not want to be seen and the blind help emphasise this notion because they are synonymous with remaining unseen whilst also allowing others to be seen through windows.
• the way the lighting is hitting the mans face, his face is revealed but not his eyes which signify the idea further that he does not wish to be seen easily, including the audience.

What more can I find:

• the hand gesture he uses to pull the blind down could lead audiences to suggest that he has a manner of finesse about him as he is using his more dexterous fingers instead of his whole hand.

What I see:

• a bowl cut
• a naked woman
• red heels
• faint hint of light

What makes me think that:

• I can see the woman is naked because she is not wearing any clothes
• The light source is minimal because it only partially reveals the woman’s body
• I can tell it is a woman because of the soft edges and contours of the body as well as the high heals
• woman is mysterious because over half her body is covered in shadow

What more can I find:

• woman is facing away from the light source so none of her recognisable features are able to be seen by audiences. Thus she remains an enigma.

What I see:

• black and white colour scheme
• old man holding a trumpet
• shapes instead of lines
• hat and glasses like the previous images I had been researching

What makes me think that:

• image is made of shapes instead of lines
• shadows are inverted so the white is considered the shadow instead
• black background to make the white stand out

What more can I find:

• I notice the way the lighting hits the mans features which i can use as a reference to improve the shadow placement on my illustration

What I see:

• space
• astronaut
• planet? moon?
• black and white colour scheme

What makes me think that:

• the planetary body in the background and the stars denote the notion of space, This along with the astronaut cements this thought
• the black and white colour scheme is appropriate for space because it is devoid of colour except when closely observed
• shadows created again with shapes and negative space
• astronaut partially framed by the planet or moon behind them

What more can I find:

• a shape is used to depict another light source behind the planet or moon. This could be a nearby star which could be assumed to be the sun which is a nice subtle touch to the illustration.

What I see:

• silhouette of a man
• overcoat and hat
• framed by a spotlight
• smoking a cigarette
• figure shown but details obscured

What makes me think that:

• black and white colour scheme in order to convey shadow and mystery
• it also hides the mans features
• can tell its a man because of the build and shape of the face
• cigarette is synonymous with undercover work as it is perceived by media to be stressful. it is possibly a coping mechanism form many.

What more can I find:

• side profile view to further obscure true identity of the man
• legs not shwon
• framed by the spotlight

What I see:

• black and white colour scheme
• individual who does not want to be identified
• shapes used instead of lines to form into the shape of a hat, overcoat and eyes
• aggressive eye pose
• negative space used to create the illusion of form

What makes me think that:

• black and white colour scheme denotes a mysterious aura
• overcoat and hat cover the individual entirely to make sure they are not revealed. emphasises secrecy and mystery
• the angle of the eyes denotes that the motives of the individuals are negative and he perhaps intends to do harm directly or indirectly

What more can I find:

• This one is not framed by anything
• the shape of the coat points towards the text at the bottom which is an effective hailing technique

 

What I see:

• a individual in a trench coat and hat
• individual has shifty eyes looking towards something
• face is obscured by shadows
• cartoon style

What makes me think that:

• individual does not want to be identified which is why all their feature except eyes are obscured
• cartoon style because it is highly illustrated and the body of the individual is exaggerated in certain areas
• eyes are mischievous in nature and they look unwelcoming and focused

 

What more can I find:

• hands are hidden behind their back could denote that they are keeping a secret from the viewer which is synonymous with spies

What I see:

• James bond style graphic
• bullet barrel framing
• a glamorous version of what is stereotypically known to be a spy
• confident pose
• tuxedo
• gun
• absence of a hat

What makes me think that:

• The elements of the bullet barrel framing the tuxedo clad individual along with the gun is very synonymous with the James Bond franchise which features a glamorous take on the spy genre.
• pose denotes that the man in the image is a no nonsense kind of guy
• there is an aura of danger which is associated with being a spy

What more can I find:

• black and white colour scheme hides the face blatantly this time in order to cover the identity of the man. Spies do not want their identities to be known.

 

 

VTS

What I see:

• Man who looks like a spy
• The shadows are made up of shapes which produces a silhouette of his face and clothing
• face is obscured by the shadows
• plain white background makes the icon pop out against the background

Why does it make me think that:

• man looks like a spy because of the had and the long clothes he is wearing which is synonymous with under cover operatives and detectives which are portrayed similarly in the media.
• the figure is clearly shaped by the shadows because of their position in order to portray an image of a spy
• the juxtaposition of the black and white colours hail the audience’s eye to focus towards the icon in the middle

 

What more can I find:

• tiny details are not produced by lines but with negative space and thoughtful positioning of shadows to produce the illusion of shadow.

 

What I see:

• incognito icon from Google Chrome
• circular shape frames the hat and the glasses
• black and white colour scheme
• image made up of geometric shapes

What makes me think that:

• Icon is famous because it is part of  one of the most famous browsers in use
• hat and glasses are depicted in order to convey a sign of mystery or secrecy as when you use incognito mode on Chrome, your search history is not recorded which emphasises the secrecy of the icon.
• black and white colour scheme is conventional of the mystery/secretive context of the logo.

 

What more can I find:

• framing circle could be a sign of  a spotlight and the fact that there is no face further emphasises the elusiveness or mystery of the icon and therefor is a strong sign to use for Incognito mode.

 

 

What I see:

• A logo which depicts a detective or a spy
• framed in a hexagon
• shadows used in order to shape out the face, clothes and hat
• black and white colour scheme

What makes me think that:

• the geometric shapes are used instead of lines in order to form the shape of a detective/spy
• framing is used to in order to hail the audiences attention towards the icon
• shadows are used in order to emphasise mysterious undercover context of the image
• black and white colour scheme again used to emphasise the point above

What more can I find:

• hexagon used in order to convey a level of professionalism which is synonymous with the profession of under cover work as you need to be very decisive and efficient

What I see:

• two spies, possibly on different sides
• a lamppost which separates them
• they both wear hats and glasses
• they are very angular
• black and white colour scheme

What makes me think that:

• the different colour of black and white signify that the two spies are opposites so it is safe to assume that they are on different sides.
• the separation device of the lamp is used to emphasise their different allegiances
• the lamp is also a sign that the spies can hide behind in a comical fashion but emphasise the point that they are sneaky and can hide easily/elusive.
• attire is tide to the idea that spies are secretive and elusive

 

What more can I find:

• the grins on their faces could denote that they are up to something mischievous

 

These images show my previous design to a more recent one. Here, I have made a few alterations to the illustration. First the hats shape has been changed into a more accurate shape of  a fedora which is stereotypically used by private investigators or detectives which is popular within media. Then, I changed the position of the blue ring to around the rim of the hat and added a subtle glowing effect to bring the illustration more in line with the Alexa product as it to has the light around the rim,

Finally, I changed the colour of the hand from black to primarily white in order to bring it more in line with the colour scheme of the man in the icon. It was very hard to judge where the light would hit the hand and where in turn a shadow would be cast and I went through many iterations of trying to arrive at this result.

I think that the large black shapes emphasise the mystery and shady goings on behind the scenes of the conspiracy and the added hand gesture is displayed as if to say this is all a secret to keep quiet which makes me believe that this is a strong illustration to convey the conspiracy theory.