Re: Conlang flag design // was Minhyan & the goddess of conlangs

Adrian Morgan wrote:

>>Not being very good at drawing I'm not sure I could come up with a good
>>flag... yours is okay I guess, but I find it a little disturbing lol.
>>This is just my gut reaction, but it looks to me like the faces are
>>devouring.... and the red reminds me of blood. Black isn't so good as a
>>cheerful colour either.... it looks snazzy, it just feels evil to me
>>lol. ;) I hope I don't upset you, because I'm not trying to have a go at
>>you... this is just my gut impression.
>>
>>
>
>I'm no great artist either, especially using a mouse, but I can do a
>proof-of-concept sketch. :-) (For a real flag, I'd make the tongues a
>little bit wider for a start.)
>
>It's true that red usually symbolises blood or war, and you're free to
>suggest an alternative colour scheme provided you can come up with a
>rationale and it doesn't fare *too* badly with heraldic principles
>(there are rules to flag design, but as Terry Pratchett says, "the
>purpose of rules is to make you think before you break them").
>
>Can you think of a good colour, other than red, that could symbolise
>creativity? I suggest purple (because colour psychologists say that
>purple promotes creativity - see for example this website:
><http://www.dulux.com.au/html/inspiration/colour_psychology.aspx>)
>so how would you feel about replacing the red with purple (but leaving
>the black as it is)?
>
>
>
Purple sounds good to me. :) The colour of purple that velvet often is....

>I'm opposed to changing the black, because the only alternative that
>makes sense is white, and that just makes the flag look like it's
>unfinished. Besides, white doesn't show up enough against the sky.
>
>
>
I prefer black to white too. :)

>I find it strange that the red and black should look evil to you,
>though, because as a conlanger you know very well that symbols of good
>and evil vary widely between cultures. For example, to Europeans a
>skull and crossbones represents death, poison and pirates, whereas to
>other cultures it represents the memory of a loved one.
>
>
>
Knowing your gut reaction is culturally conditioned doesn't mean that
you don't feel it. I know that "evil" and "good" colours vary between
cultures, but everyone is a product of their culture.

>> I think the celtic symbol would be nice, I always loved those.... and
>>on top of everything else I believe they were supposed to symbolize how
>>our world and the otherworld were interconnected and intertwined, so
>>they fit with your two worlds theme. Most of the celtic knots I've seen
>>are circular... if your tongues form a knot in the middle, perhaps
>>something in the centre might be appropriate? I know someone suggested a
>>star, but it doesn't have to be that... just something representative.
>>:) Although I do think a star would look snazzy.
>>
>>
>
>My sister owns a book on celtic knots - perhaps I should ask her to
>lend it to me?
>
>
>
If you can persuade her... I definately like the Celtic knot idea. :) I
had a book on the celts once but.... *sigh* I gave it away to someone I
loved once upon a time.

>> Another thing I wonder is.... the sharp boundary in the middle. It
>>looks fine, but maybe a gradient would look good too? I'm just
>>suggesting things here... but I'm not sure that there is a sharp
>>distinction between the two worlds... perhaps one colour gradually
>>fading into the other would be good.
>>
>>
>
>No, definitely not. The rules of heraldry do not allow gradients. I
>don't mind being flexible with the rules, but not that flexible.
>(Besides, I think there is indeed a clear boundary between fact and
>fiction.)
>
>
>
*shrugs* Does it have to conform to the rules of heraldry? But if you
don't want a gradient then that's fine with me... I have no extremely
strong feelings either way, although I do mildly prefer the gradient
idea. And I'm not so sure there is a clear distinction... everything is
relative in the end. :)

>> The faces... I'm not sure about those either... someone mentioned
>>heraldry and although I don't think a coat of arms is a good idea, I do
>>think the fact that coat of arms appear on flags proves that a flag
>>doesn't have to be simple. It can have complex, intricate patterns on it
>>as long as the overall effect is still visible at a distance.
>>
>>
>
>But it shouldn't be more complicated than necessary. A child should be
>able to sketch a recognisable picture of a flag. This doesn't have to
>capture every detail (e.g. a big rectangular asterisk will suffice for
>the Union Jack in the corner of the Australian flag) but it should be
>obvious what it is.
>
>I think the rule is: if you want it complicated, make sure you have a
>good reason.
>
>
>
The faces stay as they are then for now. :)

>> I guess that's it for now... Feel free not to take things on board you
>>don't like, I'm only trying to give constructive critism. :)
>>
>>
>
>I'm not in charge of this; it's a collaborative effort. I'm not even
>volunteering to draw the final version.
>
>Adrian.
>
>P.S. did you deliberately send privately to me, or did you intend to
>send to the list?
>
>
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