Illustration Friday

         This week's Illustration Friday word is mythology. Here is a work done in notan. Notan (or nōtan, 濃淡) is a Japanese design concept using the illusion and placement of dark and light elements as they relate to one another in a composition in imagery. Nōtan is often presented in ink, paint, or cut paper, but it is recognizable in a number of contemporary illustration techniques. This work in particular is cut paper. The subject is Icarus, the man of Greek mythology who flew too close to the sun with the wings his father had made for him.

Descent of Icarus

Illustration Friday

     Here is some pixel art. It's a recycling bin. After exporting it from the program, the shapes were not grouped together and it had been exported deconstructed. Below is also the deconstructed work.
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blue recycling bin icon

blue recycling bin deconstructed by program error

Illustration Friday

     Media is growing exponential as time passes with technology. This creates a problem for artists and designers. How is any image stand out in a sea of visual noise? One way to attract an audiences attention is with a focal point. In cases of a repetition in design, a focal point can be achieved by changing the proximity of an element in pattern or breaking the continuity altogether.

     Repetition is an exceptionally strong principle of design. Repetition creates a set of visual rules for the viewer to follow. When the rules are understood, they can then be broken for a dramatic effect. It is important to understand that these rules are as important as the are emphasized. If the rules are broken to quickly or subtly, then the effect will not be as significant. For a greater influence, the designer should establish rules consistent with the way they will be broken and how this ‘broken rule’ will guide the viewer.

Focal Point and Unity shown with proximity, continuity, and repetition.

Cylinders

   
     The planned arrangement of repetitive elements constructing 'Cylinders' visual pattern is offset by the right-to-center focal point, the rectangular shapes. This draws the audience in to closely scrutinize the work. There is enough agreement between the elements to bring unity to the composition. This agreement is reinforced by a continuity between the forms and make it easy for the eye to travel through the entire composition. Because the forms are simple, their proximity is kept tight to ensure not to loose the interest of the audience.

Illustration Friday

     This week on Illustration Friday the word 'guitar' was posted. This character's might be 'Hangnail' from the 'Toejam Group'.  He was going to get some color, but time constraints are always a challenge. Maybe a color version will be shown in a later post as well as the rest of his assemble and groupies.

 

 

 

Illustration Friday

     Here's a typography study of the letter 'A' for Illustration Friday. It is intended to be very low key and encourage the viewer to look for the subjects. This is suppose to be a play on the word 'a' the indefinite article as it is used frequently and overlooked just as often. Hopefully this will help audiences appreciate the single letter adjective.

 

 

 

Flyboy of Sky World

     Here are some concepts, old and new, of a world in the clouds. The characters of this story might be messengers or a sort of 'eye in the sky' for their cause. Da Vinci's helicopter and ornithopter were definitely inspirations for these concepts.

Illustration Friday

     This is an Illustration Friday post for the word 'map'. More time might have been put into it, but work, taking down the Christmas decorations, and my daughter are all competing. Those things are a little more important (except the Christmas decorations). Despite everything in this image being slammed together, a lot of work went into a few different concepts. More on that in a later post. Thanks to my wife for all the constructive criticism.