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kevinkidwell β Chosen
Published: 2012-06-25 02:02:30 +0000 UTC; Views: 46877; Favourites: 3338; Downloads: 0
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Description
A quote that I came up with myself while thinking about some personal things. I decided that I wanted to write it down, make it look good, and show it to other people and inspire them to also be happy despite what may be wrong in their lives.
Color Choices: I took my colors from the flags of the two sexualities stated, which are here ([link] ). Gay is a rainbow, straight is black and white, but I chose to make the straight shades of grey because even being straight there is no black and white, but shades of grey and so many variations.
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Fonts used: Helvetica Neue, Cochin ([link] ), Fontin ([link] ), Fertigo Pro ([link] ), Futura
Note: This was originally intended to be a personal portfolio piece, but it is now available as a print here on Deviantart for purchase, if you're so inclined. If you're interested in a size larger than what is offered through the print shop, send me a note and we can work something out.
For sale: This design is available for purchase on a number of products at [link]
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Edit: Thanks everyone for all the faves, comments, and for front page. This is my first deviation to get there and the one with the most faves/comments. Thank you all so much!
Purchase a digital copy of this using dA's new Premium Content Platform here:
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Comments: 679
I enjoy this piece a lot. I like that, in the end, the message comes across to me that it doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, as long as you're happy.
I like the different fonts used. It's creative, and makes it fun to read. I also enjoy the colors used for gay, straight, and happy. I like the emphasis it adds to those words.
If I had one complaint about the image, it's simply that the word 'gay' has a lovely vertical coloring of rainbow, and I wished that you'd used the same technique on the word 'straight' with how the color darkens. That would have made it stand out more for me, because of how many other dark colors are in this piece. My only other critique is that the word 'happy' is too similar in color to the word 'gay'. I'd have liked to see it have more of it's own place in the color scheme, to make it all the more powerful.
Overall though I truly enjoy the piece. Nice job.
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I love this quote, I always have.
Being heterosexual , homosexual, or bisexual, shouldn't matter when your determining if someone is a good person or not. Everyone deserves happiness. So I wanted to thank you for making this image beautifully. I do agree with some of the Critique about the colouration on the word "straight".
The light to dark was a nice touch, however I think it should have been a particular colour such as Turquoise. The only fear I have is if it takes something away from the image/quote. You in all did a wonderful job.
You chose a wonderful quote. You simply did a beautiful job.
Thank you or sharing.
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I'd like to start this off with stating that I LOVE this quote. A lot of similar quotes have been presented but I like how simple the idea is presented. It has a lot of impact.
I like how you stressed "could." It shows you don't have a bias towards either side of the whole gay is genetic vs. a choice argument.
My only complaint is the way you colored Straight vs. Gay. The gay rainbow makes sense, but the faded/dull straight i think could have been better suited to a more uplifting color. Plus, by using black and white v. color, you're pitting the two against each other when instead you are trying to create a middle ground of happiness.
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i don't really have an issue with the direction, more the color.
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I do agree with the colour choice thing, but I guess what the artist wants to do is up to him.
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It's good work, but when talking about such a touchy subject, you have to think about it from every angle. One thing I think the artist could have done is water out the rainbow more or use blues to color the "straight."
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Yup. In my opinion, they could have coloured the word "straight" from top to bottom with black and white stirpes going horizontally. After all, the flag DOES look a bit like that.
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Well, ive only done a few critiques before, but oh well. This piece is really touching for me, saying I'm a bullied Bisexual teen. It feels so good to come onto a website where you wouldn't expect a lot of acception, and here it is one the front page. Anyway, The vision is fantastic, very clear and colorful.
The originality I gave a 3. Like the others have writen, there are a lot of quotes like this one, but still amazing none of the less. (Plus the different colors and fonts add more to it) Technique i gave a 4 becuase You normally don't see text or quote pieces with this much of an impact. It was a good idea to use more than one font, might i add. It adds a little extra "boost" I guess. Especially the words "gay" and "straight". I love the rainbow on gay and Grayscale on Straight representing the differance without compleatly seperating them. The impact is 4.5 becuase i was so happy when i read this. I mean, come on. This speaks the truth!!
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First of, this really isn't the most original artwork I've seen thus far; I can find tons of typography work with a message really similar. They're all cutesy wootesy and have pretty bright colours, while the subject is not cutesy at all. Homosexuals still fight hard to make people understand that they never choose their sexuality, and sometimes, it's a pretty violent and bloody fight. I understand that you wanted to create a cute little typography work, but everyone has already done it. Giving it a real impact, making it seem less all pretty and cute would have at least made this one stand out a bit from the crowd.
However, what I do like about this piece is the choice of fonts. You didn't used the same font for the whole thing and just changed the colours or font size. While, of course, people have already done that kind of thing, compared to the ocean of typography work submitted to deviantART, it stands out at least a tiny bit. Also, what I also like is the fact that those fonts seem so familiar, as if everyone had already used those. However, when reading the description, I noticed that I had never heard of a majority of them. There's just this feeling of familiarity behind the piece, and instead of standing out with really weird and unusual fonts, it's more classic. I think it expresses the issue of homosexuality pretty well; homosexuals are not queer, or deviant. They're like everyone else. Maybe it was not intended at first, but I find it pretty clever.
Finally, there's just something that irks me and that bothered other people as well, and even though they were all 'attacked' by other deviants for saying that, I'll point it out too; why the dull and boring colours for the word "straight"? The word "gay" has pretty colours, in fact almost the same colours as the word "happy". It's almost like you thought that being gay was better, or more original than being straight, because the word "straight" here even fades into the background, as if it didn't matter at all. This really bothers me, because the goal of this piece shouldn't be to belittle heterosexual people, but instead putting everyone of every sexuality on the same level. Heterosexual people shouldn't be downgraded just so that homosexual people can finally feel better. This was, I think, a really bad thing to do, since it just shows a bad message to other people, that downgrading heterosexuals is totally okay.
In conclusion, there are good things about this piece, like the fonts and some of the colours used, but it simply lacks originality and neutrality over all. I think this piece could have indeed been better, that you can easily learn from these minor mistakes to make even better artwork in the future.
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I do agree with your point on the lack of neutrality on the piece, Nazgul100. When you take just a brief look, you immediately see the grayscale 'straight' and the colorful 'gay'. And then you see the similarity between 'gay' and 'happy'. This can be really offensive towards the 'straight' audience in the way that your message may imply that in order to be 'happy' you must be 'gay', or that those who are 'straight' are never 'happy' because they only live their chosen life because of the pressure from the opinion of the majority. Instead of delivering the desired effect, you will find that those who thouroughly evaluate the work will see that this is a very biased statement towards homosexuality.
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Thanks for the honest critique, I appreciate it! The only reason straight looks like it does is because, when I looked up the colors for each, straight was simply black and white, and I felt it needed some tonal range through the word. I didn't mean to make seem unimportant, just using what I found to be the colors. I used the rainbow colors for Happy because happiness comes from so many different aspects of life, from all different directions and places, that it is all that and more, it's not limited.
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If thats what you were going for, you maybe should have had colours both from the word gay, and the coulours from the word straight incorperated in the coulours of happy.
Because it it true what Colbatros says.
One does associate gay with happy, while one seperates the words straight and happy due to the colour schemes.
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Happiness is the only word there that really is a choice, as abstract as it is. The main problem with the new tumblr LGBT culture is that a lot of them seem to have the idea that if they were born looking like Barbie they would somehow be automatically happy... and then they hate anyone that actually is cissexual, regardless of that person's personal happiness. The sad thing is that they're mostly teenagers that never have to or want to realize that it's not one little thing they hate about themselves that could be changed and they'd be happy, whether it's gender or sexuality or weight or facial features... it's their whole self they hate, and it's that hatred that needs to change before they can be "happy". But instead of learning to love themselves and others, they focus that hate on "fixing" themselves, hating other groups that are just trying to get by in life, and getting the approval of other hateful, messed up people.
...Woo, sorry about that rant. Really I just wanted to say that if people were born happy there wouldn't be any real point to life or free will. No matter what you're born as you always have the potential for happiness, and I don't think it's right to stifle that potential to feel temporarily better about oneself for being "different". Being different doesn't really exist, and it's not what makes you special. What you do with yourself and your choices makes you special and maybe even happy.
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The only fault I find with this deviation is that perhaps homosexual should have been the word used instead of gay, merely because of the fact that 'gay' directly translates as happy, word wise.
Though of course the meaning behind it is something utterly different, I'm just getting nit picky.
Other to that I find that the deviation is well done, the background is not a flat white either, which adds dimension. One thing I would say is that the bravery to post such, is quite recommendable, although of course you'll find hate everywhere for anything that's done nowadays.
I like how the message is just, plain, 'Be Happy'.
I doubt the grey for straight means dull, or was translated to mean such, it's clean and nice, just as the rainbow for the word gay is. Colours are just colours, they aren't the value of this message, so I hope no-one works their panties into a knot over that.
Great job, keep up the good work.
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Alot of gays find the word Homosexual to be unpleasing. It's like if we were to call you all 'Heteros." It's all you hear, "You Homosexuals" No, you "Heteros." It's just gay, that's what most of us like, not Homosexual. I'd appreciate if you keep that in mind, because there's no reason for it. =\
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No reason for what? I wasn't being rude. Though, that is to say, I'm merely saying the word gay is used literally as the word 'happy'. Before society changed the meaning, although you can argue the same with straight of course. Though with the context of the image it seemed as though some could find it redundant. As stated above, I said the meaning behind it is something utterly different. Quite honestly, however, you aren't aware of my sexual orientation, so perhaps I don't find it rude myself.. if it offended you, I do apologize, but the greater meaning was not that, and I think that's quite clear. I label myself by my name, not anything else quite frankly, so I'm often not phased by words in the least. However, have a good day.
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I think this is so inspirational. It's the first thing that popped out to me on the home page thingy-whatever.
Anyway, I have no clue if I'm straight, bi, or lesbian, because I'm still a bit to young to think about it. But, whatever I choose, I would choose to be happy. Even, if my parents disagree with choice, what can they do about it? I have a life! And so do many other people. They can choose whatever they want as long as they're happy. e.deviantart.net/emoticons/b/b⦠" width="15" height="15" alt="
<3 DAL
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This is completely true. My older gay and he is very happy with his boyfriend. I don't believe anyone should be judged on there sexual orientation. They should just be aloud to be happy and free. I think how you have done this quote is wonderful and lovely.
The color chose is amazing and I think you have real talent. I am grateful that you posted this, it just made my day much better.
Thank you so much. This is true, amazing, and brought delight to my eyes.
A really great job, I hope you do another one like this.
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I love it. As a lesbian I have encountered many a trial, and this really speaks to me. It give me, and I'm sure any other person who reads this, a certain feeling of hope, of strength. Being gay, or lesbian, or even bi, isn't something we choose. It's how we were born. And in the end, I believe that if we all were given a choice as to change our sexuality, most of us would stay exactly the same, simply because it is what makes us happy. And I mean truly happy. If we were forced to love, or marry the gender we did not like, or even someone we didn't like, we could never be happy. Love is love, no matter the gender.
Also the colors and simplicity of this, is beautiful. I adore the use of rainbows, and different fonts and sizes. It's very motivational poster looking, and very creative.
Overall, I'd say stunning work. You have amazed me.
<3
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Thank you so much! That is exactly what I wanted people to see with this.
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You are very welcome. I hope my critique was alright. It was my first one. hehe. But I really like this. I was wondering if it'd be alright if I posted this on my facebook, and linked back to you? I'd like to share my love of this.
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I hate having it on facebook with how they love to claim images, but so long as it's linked back to me, I don't mind. It would get posted there otherwise eventually, probably.
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I'll link back to you, I promise! I just want to share with a friend of mine, who's struggling with accepting her feelings towards the same gender
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Over all I think this gives off a good message to anyone who lacks faith in themselves. It tells people that no matter what is wrong, or what the choices are in life, to pick the one that makes you happy, not someone else, but yourself. I have been going through some hard times and I love this, it gives me ideas and answers. It is a beautiful, amazing, and touching thing. I love it!
The colors are bright and the message is bold, it pops out to anyone needing help, guidance, or a mere pick up. You are a very bright person and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Again, this is amazing and I adore the message.
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I was playing with my sexuality and then gender fluid comes out everywhere
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But the thing is you CAN choose, so choose to be straight.
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also curious question: even if it was a choice, why does it bother you so much
like
literally
how it is effecting ur life whatsoever. you are literally hating ppl for being gay? for? loving people of the same gender? how dare they not change themselves to make you and other homophobes happy?
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n....no you can't choose omg..
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y....yes you can choose omg..
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i mean? it is a choice to be in a gay relationship, where.. there's literally Nothhng wrong with that, god can u imagine being in love with someone.. Awful just Awful
but nah. being gay is not a choice, sorry to burst ur bubble my dudeΒ
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Well.... gay literally means happy so..... yeeeeeeeeeah....
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I believe in love that doesn`t ask which or what gender
Great quote and I love the colors and fonts too
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The text was done in Illustrator and the background was a free paper texture that I found years ago and modified it to work with the text.
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Well spoken, good sir! Well spoken!
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nothing makes things less gay than straight people!
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