Skip to content

07 — Graphic elements

Graphic elements

Gradients, stained glass, and radiating lines all come from the same idea: light moving out from a grounded center.

Gradients

Inspired by early light moving across the floor of the Chapel of the Resurrection, through the stained glass. They should feel warm, slightly in motion, and iridescent enough to suggest range. Every gradient includes brown, gold, or both.

White, gold, brown, light blue

White, gold, light blue

Gold, brown, light blue

Gold to light blue

Brown to dark brown

Yellow to gold

These swatches follow the pairings in the guide. Stops still need tuning in the actual file so overlapping color does not turn muddy.

Gradient don’ts

  • Do notLet overlapping colors turn muddy.
  • Do notUse brand colors outside the approved combinations.
  • Do notBring in off-brand colors.
  • Do notUse the primary colors together as one gradient.

Stained glass graphic

If gradients are the light on the chapel floor, this container is the window: color, radial, angular. The circle is the radiance in a Beacon, and because it holds several photos at once it can leave a specific impression of Valpo.

Aim for about half solid color and half photography or halftone. For a quieter or more formal piece, crop a band of the circle into a narrow rectangle and use that as an accent.

  1. In Illustrator, choose the Polar Grid tool.
  2. Click the canvas and set the dividers. The guide’s settings are a start. Adjust them.
  3. You get a segmented circular grid.
  4. Extend the radiating lines slightly past the largest circle.
  5. Divide with Pathfinder so every intersection becomes its own shape.
  6. Ungroup.
  7. Unite neighboring shapes until the mosaic feels right.
  8. Fill the mosaic with color, photo, and halftone.

A color motif, not a finished window. Real pieces mix photo and flat color.

Radiating graphics

When the stained-glass circle is too loud, use finer radiating lines. They accent type or frame a photo. They stand for impact moving outward. Build them from lines, type, and starbursts. The guide shows several combinations. You can make your own from that idea.

Grounded,
we radiate.