Compose two styles

Rather than blending two styles into a middle, this assigns them roles: one carries the structure, the other appears as an accent. Where the two fight, it says so before you start.

How to divide the work

Composition
Follow Bauhaus: Treat shapes and letters as the same building blocks
Type
Set in Bauhaus's manner (Geometric sans-serif), and let De Stijl's lettering (A rectilinear sans; treat letters as rectangles too) appear only where you want the eye to catch.
Material
Ground in Bauhaus's material (Red, blue and yellow held together by black and off-white); bring in exactly one thing from De Stijl (White, black, primaries; ration the colored planes).
Colour
Build on #eee7d4, #df2c22, #153f8c and admit one accent from #f2efe2, #d53225, #1f4b93.

Where they fight

These two are already listed as related, so the join should come easily.

Caution

  • Bauhaus Scattered shapes read as childish. Give every element a job.
  • De Stijl Not just red-blue-yellow squares. Design the ratios and the asymmetric balance.

Image prompt

An original image that takes its structure from Bauhaus (Style, 1919–1933) and its accent from De Stijl (Style, 1917–1931). Structural cues: Elementary shapes; Primary colors; Functional beauty; Visible structure. Accent cues, used sparingly: Vertical and horizontal; Red, blue, yellow; White planes; Asymmetric equilibrium. Composition: Treat shapes and letters as the same building blocks. Type and lettering: Geometric sans-serif. Let one material quality come from the second style: White, black, primaries; ration the colored planes. Mood: Trust, Play, Calm, Technology. Color: build on #eee7d4, #df2c22, #153f8c with a single accent drawn from #f2efe2, #d53225, #1f4b93. Constraints: do not imitate, reference or name any specific artist, studio, brand, character or copyrighted work. Produce an original composition in the general period languages described above.

Related entries

  • Bauhaus 1919–1933 / Style / Functionalism

    Makes function and play coexist through the circle, triangle and square.

  • De Stijl 1917–1931 / Style / Geometric Abstraction

    Restricts the vocabulary to vertical, horizontal and primary color, building universal order from balance.

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