Inside Out

Part of an Old Maid Letterpress Deck – where thirty-three artists were asked to create their own Old Maid character – the “Unsinkable Undina” card is based on the idea of an unsinkable water nymph. The concept and design for this particular card came from Slow Industries a small letterpress company.

What makes this card so exciting is the compositional use of negative space to draw the viewer’s eye to the human figure. On one side of the card the break in the cloud form creates the flying human. The contrast between the blue and the white makes it look as if the dark figure is not cut out of the cloud, but in front of it. The small bird to the left balances out the composition, giving the eye a reason to continue moving throughout the composition. The negative space of the ocean allows for a place for type while also making for an easy transition to the other side of the card.

The backside of the card continues with the same character – the “Unsinkable Undina” – this time we find her in the water. Again the card is designed so that the body is not drawn, but formed by negative space. Rather than a cloud form, fish surround “Undina”. Once again the type is offset nicely by the negative space of the sky.

Slow Industries managed to create a dynamic design by employing the concepts of negative and positive space, contrasting colors, and balance. Plus there Old Maid character is whimsical and intriguing, and who can ask for more than that.

Image: Unsinkable Undina, designed and printed by Slow Industries. Part of a larger collections of Old Maid Letterpress Cards.

If you are interested in how to play the Old Maid card game with your own deck or the Old Maid Letterpress Deck visit http://boardgames.about.com/od/cardgames/a/old_maid.htm