Image Essay # 12

For this image essay, I will talk about dynamics. For an image to be dynamic, it has to be energetic, vigorous, and forceful; creating or suggesting change or motion. Dynamic images usually make the works more interesting to look at. An image with some curvilinear shapes could also make it more dynamic because the curvilinear shapes would cause the viewer’s eyes to change direction easily. The change in motion will make the eyes move around the image more and that is good to keep a good rhythm throughout the work so the eye does not stay focused at just one particular point. In the image that I am showing, there seems to be a lot of motion that keeps the eyes moving around. The circular shapes create the movement. Another thing that the image shows is the very colorful colors used in the image. There is a good mix of bright colors from the middle going towards the right hand side and some darker colors on the left hand side. I think the colors too help move the viewer’s eyes around the image. The combination of the color and the curves makes the image seem very energetic and forceful, which is good for being a dynamic piece.

Image Essay # 11

For this image essay, I will talk about figure. A figure is the primary or positive shape in a design; a shape, which is noticeably separated from the surrounding ground, or negative shape. The figure is the dominant, advancing shape in a figure ground relationship. In the image that I am showing, the figure is the gentleman that is smoking a cigarette in a bar type environment. The man is the most dominant object in the image; the other subordinate objects are the cigarette and the glass of wine or juice sitting on top of the table. The figure is easily separated from the background by the smoke towards the top of the image and in shoulder region of the man, there seems to be a yellow glow that separated him from merging in with the background of the room. The figure of the man’s hands is separated from the counter top by using shadows to keep it from also merging in with the table. The background seems to have a blue tone to it and that is a little darker that the skin tone of the man and that also makes it easier to distinguish him from the background.

Image Essay # 10

For this image essay, I will talk about texture. Texture is the surface quality of a two dimensional shape or a three dimensional volume. Everything that we see tends to have a texture on it. Some objects may be simple and have just one texture and some other objects may be a little more complex and have more than just one texture. Texture is not only something to look at, but we can feel texture and how different each texture may feel from one to another. In my image that I am showing, there only seems to be two different types of textures. In the image, it shows an up close shot of an elephant’s head area. The textures that I see are the skin of the elephant, which we can see has a little variety of color. The other texture that I see on the elephant is the wrinkles all over the face of it, and mainly near the mouth area and the trunk of the elephant. There can be dominance with texture as well. In this image, it seems as though the wrinkles may be more dominant than that of the skin. Also, from the image it may seem like the texture of the wrinkles and the skin may have a feeling of being rough.

Image Essay # 9

For this image essay, I will talk about symmetrical balance. Symmetrical balance is a form of balance that is created when shapes are mirrored on either side of an axis, as in a composition that is vertically divided down the center. Images that contain symmetrical balance is easy to spot because of the fact that an image is mirrored. It would be easy to see if something is not right. Anything not the same on one side would throw off the balance of the image of symmetry. In the image that I am showing, the image seems to be of a fish and bubbles and some other objects being mirrored in a vertical way. The left and right side are similar, but they are just flipped. The image also contains figure ground reversal, where on the left hand side there is a black fish on the white background and on the right hand side there is a white fish on a black background. The figure ground reversal makes the symmetrical balance a little easier to see. It also makes the image a bit more interesting to look at. An image with symmetrical balance has to have both sides similar to each other or else it will not look right.

Image Essay # 8

For this image essay, I will talk about contrast. Contrast is the degree of difference between compositional parts or between one image and another. Contrast is created when two or more forces operate in opposition. High contrast tends to be eye catching, and is often used to create dynamic, highly readable images. Contrast can change an image dramatically. If an image were to have high contrast, it can be used to heighten a dramatic scene. In the image that I am showing, there is a separation with the sky. The high contrast area from the center down creates sort of a dark feeling. The low contrast on the top blue sky makes the feeling completely different. It seems happy and light on the top, while the bottom is dark and gloomy. The high contrast part of the image seems to catch the viewer’s eyes more so than the low contrast. The high contrast area seems to make the eyes wander around in that area to see if they can make anything out, and in the image it is a little difficult to see what the silhouettes are exactly. Having high and low contrast can make an image more dynamic and make it better for the viewer to look at.

Image Essay # 7

For this image essay, I will talk about figure ground reversal. Figure ground reversal is an arrangement in which positive and negative shapes alternatively command attention. It is also known as positive and negative interchange. We have talked about this in one of our assignments where we had to choose a word and make the figure ground reversal in the image. Most images that have figure ground reversal are in black and white, to show the positive and negative colors. An artist by the name of M.C. Escher does a few works that contain figure ground reversal. The image that I am showing is one of his works. In the image, we see black and white lines across the top, bottom, and sides with the center containing no stripping. The top half of the image is white and the bottom image is black. In the top white half, the artist creates his bird shapes using black and the birds are also going, from top to bottom, more detailed to less detailed. In the bottom half of the image, Escher creates his fish shapes using white, since the background is already black. The fish are, from top to bottom, going from less detailed to more detailed, which is opposite from the top.

Image Essay # 6

For this image essay, I will talk about curvilinear shapes. A curvilinear shape is a shape whose contour is dominated by curves and flowing lines. Images with shapes that contain the curves create a more dynamic image. The curves in the shapes tend to create motion or a change in the motion if the viewer follows the curved lines. Having the curves creates a rhythm for the viewer to follow. In the image I am showing, the whole center of focus of the piece is the white shape that is full of curves. The white piece creates a very dynamic flow, and the viewer’s eyes tend to follow the line as it curves into different directions. It creates almost a maze type of effect, and the viewer would most likely try to find the beginning of the image and try to follow it around to see if there is an end. The curvilinear shapes keep the viewer’s eyes moving at all times which is a good thing to do. The artist would not want the viewer’s eyes to stay in one place and not notice the rest of the image. It also creates layers and shadows are apparent, and that gives it a good indication of depth.