POSTER PRESENTATION TIPS
COLOR
HUE, CONTRAST, SATURATION, SHADING
images thanks to http://purplekecleon.deviantart.com/art/How-I-See-Color-A-Tutorial-184642625 --check them out! The use of color is integral to representation of an image or an idea. It is important to make sure the image feels coherent-but what does it mean to ‘feel’ coherent? We already learned about hues and the color chart in Doug Cooper’s art class, so I won’t go over it in depth. But, it is important to understand in this lesson that everything is RELATIVE, and when you pick one color, that means you just limited yourself to a palette around that color. For example: HUES:
this little torchic is colored with only warm hues. in reference to the image, however, the yellow is the warmer color. the purple hue is relatively cold in comparison to the orange/yellow hues.
CONTRAST:
this iteration of torchic has begun to use color contrast. notice how the blues and greens start to take over as the cool color in the image,and the purple becomes the warm, darker color. there is use of colors very close to white and black, giving this image a good amount of brightness contrast.
SATURATION:
it is important to keep the saturation of an image consistent in order to make the image believable and appealing to look at. outlining objects almost always will require a color wthin the set color scheme, almost always with a heavy brightness contrast from the rest of the object.
SATURATION + CONTRAST:
this top-right pikachu has a more saturated outline than the bottom-right one. heavier saturation means higher contrast in the image. the lower pikachu is more consistent in its saturation due to the outline saturation matching the intensity of the other colors.
BAD SHADING:
SATURATION + HUE:
the bottom-left pikachu here matches gray outline in saturation but not in hue. the hue of the outline is slightly colder than the colors in pikachu. the bottom-center pikachu has a warmer hue with the same amount of saturation, making the color composition more consistent.
the people in this render have no shadows. how can one even tell where their feet meet the ground? the surfaces do not show shadows in concave corners, making the image feel generally flat, and thus the image less convincing, and in turn, less appealing.
SHADING/SHADOWS:
the #1 pikachu is nice, but it is rather flat looking. implement shadows to achieve depth, and achieve a more realistic pikachu. the #2 pikachu is a nicely shaded drawing that shows the contours of pikachu’s figure, giving him a sense of depth. the use of a soft gradient implements ambient light also helps the viewer understand the shape of #2 pikachu’s face 3-dimensionally.
BAD SHADING:
this #3 pikachu is poorly rendered due to an unrealistic implementation of shadow, because: smooth convex surfaces tend to reflect the most ambient light on the side of the object that is opposite to the direction of the light source. gradation ought to be softer. the harshness depicted here makes pikachu looks like he’s faceted.
COLOR
REPETITION AND BALANCE
Now although the hues help bring a sense of completion to an image by balancing warm with cool, and by keeping a consistency in contrast generally throughout the image, using contrast in areas to highlight certain elements, notice that you will rarely ever see a hue show up only once in an image. The use of color is similar to music, and repetition gives a sense of a wholistic composition that can be easily understood.
RECURRING COLORS:
the hue of the bug in the grass is similar to that of the hues in the bushes, pikachu’s cheeks, tongue, and between his legs. the hue of the bug on the log does not show up again anywhere else in the image. the bug on the log does not match the image due to the lack of color repetition. this bug is accented nicely, but it creates an imbalance. note the use of blue throughout the image as the cool color. the blue in the log balanced the blue in the sky. in fact, all of the colors in this image are used throughout the image and never used only once (except for the bad-example magenta bug).
COLOR PALETTE:
notice the color palette of each of these images: they tend to actualy be sets of lighter and darker versons of the same (or similar) hues. the top-most image uses just one color as an accent over a generally gray-scale layout. the second image depicts similar qualities to the first, but uses two contrasting colors as opposed to one accenting color. the bottom image is much more saturated than the other images, and so the colors don’t necessarily work as accents the same way the first two did. the colors do contrast, though, and they do so enough such that each part of the building is differentiable. this intense use of color is often nicely tied together through the use of black and white.
RECURRING COLORS:
the left image uses white and red, but the red is not repeated throughout the image, and this throws it off balance. the people in the left image are made transparent so that it can blend better, but their colors do not quite match the render. maybe if they had more of a red hue to them, this image could have felt more complete. the bottom image has accents of orange over the green scape, which is used throughout the bottom half of the image. the people in this image are not transparent, but were editted to have a similar light quality to the rest of the render.
LINE WEIGHT
IN AXOS, IN RENDERINGS
When used in image rendering, line weight is often used to inform the depth of an edge condition on an object. Generally, the outline of an object has the thickest lineweight, while inner-lines tend to be thinner. Line weights are also varied to show importance or emphasis. Each drawing can actually have its own set of rules for line weights, as long as it is generally consistent and readable.
BAD EXAMPLE:
GOOD EXAMPLE: SHADED AXO:
the left image shows a shaded axo, but the image appears to lack depth or a three dimensional understanding. the image on the right takes the line weights and pushes the overlap so that it is clearer what is going on.
ARCHITECTURAL AXO:
the left image has some missing lines and shows little to no understanding of overlap. the right image clearly depicts outer-edges, showing overlap very clearly. the outer edges are slightly thinner than the inner edges, giving a sense for what edges point out and what ones point in.
LINE WEIGHT COUNT:
this image to the right depicts different layers of information through different line weight counts. the middle cube chooses to put the heaviest weight at the bottom, where the cube touches the surface it sits on. this works nicely to emphasize where an object meets its shadow. the third cube continues the base trend, using the second-thickest lineweight to emphasize the outer-contour of the edges. where there is overlap, or potentially another object behind it, the line is thicker. lines within the outline of the object tend to be the thinnest ones.
http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Tutorial-Line-Weights-33902222
DEPTH WITH LINE WEIGHTS:
the images below show a simple process to add lineweight into a render. the first image renders flat with no lineweights. the second image shows depth through lineweight, where the closer instances of the object have thicker line weights. the third object prefers contouring based on the outline versus outer edges within the drawing, as well as inner edges and then detail lines are the thinnest. the fourth image combines the previous two so that the object (the girl) is actually fully outlined, with heavier line weight, and then added to the parts of her (her hands) that are closer to the viewer. the combination gets across a level of depth while maintaining rules for different line types.
LINE WEIGHT
DIVIDING LINES
In presentations, line weight plays a key role in defining the layout. They can help separate different types of information, make certain parts of the presentation stand out more than others, or they can allow for a smoother transition from one piece of information to another. Lines visually define the organization of a presentation. Notice how the line weights of the two lower presentations tend to be relevant to the concept of the project itself. DECORATIVE DIVIDER
the image below uses a decorative thick line to separate the renderings from the technical drawings. the line actually does not consist of any blackit is actually most likely a rectangle with a white line texture fill, while the rest is transparent. this is evident due to the lowest render that bleeds into the dividing line and creating a gray background as opposed to the black that appears everywhere else. this allows for the render to bleed into the other side of the presentation.
ACCENTING THE DIVIDER
better example of a thick dividing line as an accented divider! note the bleeding onto the divider, as well as text usage!
REPEATING LINES AND BENDING LINES
this line, similarly to the example above this image, uses bleeding to get the plot to feel more connected with the render. the horizontal lines allow the render to become a part of a larger composition, as opposed to being the only bright colored box on a black layout. the lines also bring lighter gray into the black, so the dark-to-light transition between the black background and the bright blue sky is less abrupt. notice the single moment where the vertical break between the render and the section bends diagonally and then continues straight. this happens at the same point where part of a building in the render meets the edge. this softens up that meeting point, and makes the render feel as if it continues. this same strategy is used in the bottom right edge where the street perspective occurs. repetition in lines and rule-breaking supports the composition of the presentation.
the yellow in this presentation board is repeated throughout, being used as an accent for labeling. the color repetition makes this dividing line more reasonable. however, this line is rather thick and doesn’t do much for the presentation. the information being separated by this dividing line doesn’t seem to be organized, seeing as there are renders, diagrams, and drafts on both sides of the line. despite the unclear decision making for organization, this thick line strategy does attract the eye. it might have been nice to take advantage of this yellow strip by putting some text there, where it can become the informational strip throughout the presentation.
IMPLIED LINES
check out the way the render is set up on this plot. notice that there are no dividing lines anywhere on this image, and yet there is a sense of organization. the most prominent dividing line is through the center of the image, which is apparently the division between the bright side of the moon and the dark side. the division occurs through the implied line between the ‘dark’ and the ‘light’.
GRID
SETTING UP
The grid is a common tool used for all forms of presentation- photography, website design, presentation boards, and so on. The most common way to use the grid is to split up a page into rows and columns based on the ratio of the page itself. There can be more or less complex grid layouts, and the complexity of the grid is often in response to the amount of information that will be placed on the page.
quarters
thirds using too many divisions in a grid can lead to a lack of hierarchy and the plot can get muddled. be careful!
custom
GRID
BREAKING THE GRID
Creating a grid is essentially just setting up rules for you to follow when organizing a layout. Just as in an architecture project, there are times when breaking your own rules implies something of significance, that attracts the viewers attention toward the irregularities. Breaking the grid is commonly used for this same purpose, organizationally allowing for a hierarchy to emphasize something important.
GOOD EXAMPLE:
joining
deforming
overlapping
you get a clear sense of hierarchy from the image below. the render above stands out clearly from the other images.
breaking the grid at the top is a simple way to fit images cohesively on a plot while maintaining a structured layout. the location where the grid deformation occurs tends to get more attention.
using a limited amount of grid-blocks to overlap other images onto is a good idea so that it still has a sense of organization. this allows for looseness on the page, while maintaining an organized structure.
BAD EXAMPLE:
using this strategy too much in a plot makes it difficult to understand what is important and what should be looked at- and even where the image ends. the sample below could almost look like one render at first glance.
the break doesnt seem to emphasize anything, there is nothing be highlighted, objects seem to be floating without rule.
trying to rotate the image to create some overlap throughout the presentation in this example doesn’t work very well, instead making the presentation look messy.
VOCABULARY HUES:
hue: the attribute of colors that permits them to be classed as (red, green, blue), (magenta, cyan, yellow), or an intermediate between any contiguous pair of these colors. the components that make up a single color, most commonly broken down into the RGB and CMYK breakdown format. the higher color component determines the dominant hue of the color. RGB: color identification based on values of the primary colors,red, green, and blue (RGB), and maxing out at the number 255. (e.g. red = (255,0,0), black = (0,0,0), white = (255,255,255)) CMYK: colors identification based on percentages of magenta, cyan, yellow, and key(black) (CMYK). (e.g. black = (c100%,m100%,y100%,k100%), white = (c100%,m100%,y100%,k0%), red = (c0%,m100%,y100%,k0%)). key: the amount of black added to the color in CMYK. this controls the brightness/darkness. warm: colors that seem to be providing a relatively “warmer” light, generally the colors with the highest red and yellow ratios in the image. cool: colors that seem colder, and tend to include a higher ratio of blues and yellows than reds.
CONTRAST:
contrast: the difference, or degree of difference, between things having similar or comparable natures. color insensity: the higher the ratio difference is between color components, the higher the color intensity becomes. colors with higher intensity tend to pop out of a page more than colors with less intensity. color contrast: the degree of opposition in colors in the color wheel used in a composition. (e.g. blue to orange, purple to green are high-contrast colors. purple to blue or brown to purple are low-contrast colors. brightness contrast: the intensity of black and white value usage in an image. an image with various of gray values has low contrast, while an image with pure whites and pure blacks will have a high brightness contrast.
SATURATION:
saturation: the consistent intensity of the colors throughout an image color scheme: a palette of colors that generate from a variation of (usually) two main colors, usually one cool and one warm. usually a mutation of the original colors, with slight changes in hue, saturation, and brightness.
SHADING/SHADOWS:
depth: the depiction of three-dimensionality in an image, generally rendered through the implementation of shadows. flat: lack of depth in an image. flat drawings and images often are less realistic, and appear more often in images that are not ncessarily attempting to represent something in our occupiable world. e.g. the TV show “adventure time” is rendered flat, while “the boondocks” renders with more depth. gradient: the gradation from one color to another, often going from a darker to a lighter one to show lighting and depth. a gradient can be soft, with which the transition from one color to another is very gradual, or it can be harsh, which takes fewer steps to get from one color to the next. harsher gradients often give a surface the sense of being faceted. contour: marking of level change at (usually) equal increments across surface. gradients step colors at these contours. if the increment between contours is larger, then the amount of color steps in a gradient goes down, and the gradient becomes harsher. realistic: the believability of an image existing in the occupyable world. many factors effect how realistic an image is, such as how much it resembles the way our world is rendered in reality (e.g. drawing anime eyes versus an actual human’s eyes), color, detail, and most importantly, light quality, which is what we will be using this term in reference to most often. ambient light: all surfaces reflect light. this reflected light is softer than the direct light, and is always present. without ambient light, images and renderings are less realistic and lack depth. ambient light is most commonly used to represent something with a more realistic quality. direct light: a palette of colors that generate from a variation of (usually) two main colors, usually one cool and one warm. usually a mutation of the original colors, with slight changes in hue, saturation, and brightness. light source: a palette of colors that generate from a variation of (usually) two main colors, usually one cool and one warm. usually a mutation of the original colors, with slight changes in hue, saturation, and brightness.
COLOR BALANCE/REPETITION:
repetition: the consistent use of a color or hue from a color throughout an image. without color repetition, an image might feel poorly composed or unbalanced. balance: the equal weight of color use on different quadrants or thirds of an image. if an image only implements a color on one side of the image without a contrasting color of similar intensity or the same color on the other side, the image will seem unbalanced. balance is easier to understand through examples than definition. accent: the use of a contrasting color in small amounts to highlight a certain component of a project. accents work best with repetition.
LINE WEIGHT:
line weight: the thickness of a line. overlap: when one part of an object appears to be in front of another part of the same (or a different) object. line weight count: the number of different line weights in an image. outline: the outermost lines around an object, often also referred to as the silhouette of the image.
GRID:
hierarchy: the level of importance of images in a presentation. generally depicted through use of lineweight, size, and color. grid block: a single component that makes up part of a grid.
DIAGRAM Consider the diagram as a drawing that reperesents a very specific idea or behavior at its most basic level. They often occur as a series of images depicting the behavior in progression.
this is a diagram:
this succession of diagrams describes the simple idea of module organization and the forces upon it. the reason for the forces, however, remain unclear.
the top-left diagram depicts the main inspiration for the form. the series of diagrams after that depict how the building reacts to the site, using various forces such as wind (the blue arrows), the sun (yellow), and street adjacencies (red). with this it is clear to see why the building is distorted to the final shape.
these are NOT diagrams:
tricky to define: AXO VS DIAGRAM:
this is a rendered plan, not a diagram. any type of plan or section is not a diagram.
axos tend to depict more detail and shows decision making in regards to the construction details and tend to be scaled to a specific ratio. diagrams can be the right proportions but not necessarily set to a specific scale, and tend not to focus on any realistic or measurable construction methods. this image shows a render of an exploded axo, but picks it apart to show spatial relationships of different programs-this is an idea about relationships, which is not a measurable substance. when in doubt, ask yourself: “what specific idea/concept is this trying to depict?� if your answer is something that is not depicted using measurements or statistics, it is most likely a diagram.
this is not a diagram, because it is measurable information accross a scape. this particlar image is a mapping of bus routes.
axos are good to show the way a building comes together and include details so that the viewer can understand how it works. this, however, is still not what a diagram is.
this has too much information to be considered a diagram; it shows multiple layers of information and it is unclear what particular information it is getting across. this is actually just a rendered plan, and is even labeled as such. detailed axos tend to depict construction methods of a particular system of a building. details show the makeup of a system with a measured and scaled depiction of the building techtonics.
AXO INTO DIAGRAM:
the drawing on the right is definitely an axonometric drawing of the building, explaining no particular piece of information to the viewer. the other three, however, are definitely depicting a specific piece of information about that site. the use of color over the drawing makes it very clear that this axo is being used as a diagram, but does not mean that it is a diagram. the reason it is a diagram, however, is because it shows an unmeasured general behavior that is influenced by a specific concept or idea.
DIAGRAM Let’s look at these presentation boards. What part of this is a diagram? How is it being organized on the page? How did you know this was a diagram? The key qualities are discussed below.
these presenations incorporate diagrams:
EXAMPLE 1
the diagram in this presentation board is easy to call out. this is because: the building has been broken apart into basic components these components are then depicted through a series of general transformations there is a common use of arrows to depict forces on the various components the presence of logos almost always implies that the image is a diagram the lineweights are exaggerated, so that the different weights emphasize different information. (e.g. pointers are mostly thick so that it reads clearly over the diagram) notice the bottom-center diagram used thin red lines, and is slightly more difficult to read than the top-center image with the thick red lines. this shows the importance of line weight! however, the thin lines represent circulation while the thick lines represent a force on the building, so the line-weight difference actually makes sense. the colors are very loud and are used to differentiate blocks of the building. you have a clearer understanding of a logic about a certain behavior of the building now that you saw it the diagrams are smaller than the other images: this is because each diagram has less information on it and does not need to be large to be understood.
EXAMPLE 2
the diagram in this presentation board is a little more difficult to specify, as it is not actually iterative and is not as simplified as most diagrams would be. it is clear that the axo on the top left is a diagram, however, because it is at an unspecific scale where the detail does not read, but it does depict a vague representation of the building logic. the use of color over the image gives you enough information to understand the idea in context with the text. the text (though difficul to read here) is clearly calling out specific components and explaining the logic of it. each image depicts something broken own to a very basic level. the use of colored lines over the image clearly imply that it represents an abstraction of a force or building component. the top diagram shows basic program phases. the middle diagram shows the axes of circulation, which is pretty obvious, but might not have been considered if not depicted so clearly. the bottom diagram depicts a system implementation, which is actually the only time this system is explained in the presentation, so it feels the least supported in this presentation.
VOCABULARY HUES:
hue: the attribute of colors that permits them to be classed as (red, green, blue), (magenta, cyan, yellow), or an intermediate between any contiguous pair of these colors. the components that make up a single color, most commonly broken down into the RGB and CMYK breakdown format. the higher color component determines the dominant hue of the color. RGB: color identification based on values of the primary colors,red, green, and blue (RGB), and maxing out at the number 255. (e.g. red = (255,0,0), black = (0,0,0), white = (255,255,255)) CMYK: colors identification based on percentages of magenta, cyan, yellow, and key(black) (CMYK). (e.g. black = (c100%,m100%,y100%,k100%), white = (c100%,m100%,y100%,k0%), red = (c0%,m100%,y100%,k0%)). key: the amount of black added to the color in CMYK. this controls the brightness/darkness. warm: colors that seem to be providing a relatively “warmer” light, generally the colors with the highest red and yellow ratios in the image. cool: colors that seem colder, and tend to include a higher ratio of blues and yellows than reds.
CONTRAST:
contrast: the difference, or degree of difference, between things having similar or comparable natures. color insensity: the higher the ratio difference is between color components, the higher the color intensity becomes. colors with higher intensity tend to pop out of a page more than colors with less intensity. color contrast: the degree of opposition in colors in the color wheel used in a composition. (e.g. blue to orange, purple to green are high-contrast colors. purple to blue or brown to purple are low-contrast colors. brightness contrast: the intensity of black and white value usage in an image. an image with various of gray values has low contrast, while an image with pure whites and pure blacks will have a high brightness contrast.
SATURATION:
saturation: the consistent intensity of the colors throughout an image color scheme: a palette of colors that generate from a variation of (usually) two main colors, usually one cool and one warm. usually a mutation of the original colors, with slight changes in hue, saturation, and brightness.
SHADING/SHADOWS:
depth: the depiction of three-dimensionality in an image, generally rendered through the implementation of shadows. flat: lack of depth in an image. flat drawings and images often are less realistic, and appear more often in images that are not ncessarily attempting to represent something in our occupiable world. e.g. the TV show “adventure time” is rendered flat, while “the boondocks” renders with more depth. gradient: the gradation from one color to another, often going from a darker to a lighter one to show lighting and depth. a gradient can be soft, with which the transition from one color to another is very gradual, or it can be harsh, which takes fewer steps to get from one color to the next. harsher gradients often give a surface the sense of being faceted. contour: marking of level change at (usually) equal increments across surface. gradients step colors at these contours. if the increment between contours is larger, then the amount of color steps in a gradient goes down, and the gradient becomes harsher. realistic: the believability of an image existing in the occupyable world. many factors effect how realistic an image is, such as how much it resembles the way our world is rendered in reality (e.g. drawing anime eyes versus an actual human’s eyes), color, detail, and most importantly, light quality, which is what we will be using this term in reference to most often. ambient light: all surfaces reflect light. this reflected light is softer than the direct light, and is always present. without ambient light, images and renderings are less realistic and lack depth. ambient light is most commonly used to represent something with a more realistic quality. direct light: a palette of colors that generate from a variation of (usually) two main colors, usually one cool and one warm. usually a mutation of the original colors, with slight changes in hue, saturation, and brightness. light source: a palette of colors that generate from a variation of (usually) two main colors, usually one cool and one warm. usually a mutation of the original colors, with slight changes in hue, saturation, and brightness.
COLOR BALANCE/REPETITION:
repetition: the consistent use of a color or hue from a color throughout an image. without color repetition, an image might feel poorly composed or unbalanced. balance: the equal weight of color use on different quadrants or thirds of an image. if an image only implements a color on one side of the image without a contrasting color of similar intensity or the same color on the other side, the image will seem unbalanced. balance is easier to understand through examples than definition. accent: the use of a contrasting color in small amounts to highlight a certain component of a project. accents work best with repetition.
LINE WEIGHT:
line weight: the thickness of a line. overlap: when one part of an object appears to be in front of another part of the same (or a different) object. line weight count: the number of different line weights in an image. outline: the outermost lines around an object, often also referred to as the silhouette of the image.
GRID:
hierarchy: the level of importance of images in a presentation. generally depicted through use of lineweight, size, and color. grid block: a single component that makes up part of a grid.
DIAGRAM:
diagram : a simplified drawing showing the appearance, structure, or workings of something specifically; a schematic representation. axonometric drawing (axo): a drawing generally set to where there is no perspective and there is a consistent scale throughout the drawing such that it can be measured and it would accurately represent the actual scale of the building scale: when a drawing is of accurate measurements, but resized to a specific ratio dimension (e.g. 1inch = 1 foot). detailed axo: an axo that depicts in accurate detail how a particular component of a building comes together.
FIND AND EXPLAIN THE DIAGRAM Your job now is to discuss the use of a diagram in two of the three presentation boards. Use the rubric to help you analyze particular attributes of the diagram in relation to the presentation and the concept.
FIND AND EXPLAIN THE DIAGRAM Your job now is to discuss the use of a diagram in two of the three presentation boards. Use the rubric to help you analyze particular attributes of the diagram in relation to the presentation and the concept.
FIND AND EXPLAIN THE DIAGRAM Your job now is to discuss the use of a diagram in two of the three presentation boards. Use the rubric to help you analyze particular attributes of the diagram in relation to the presentation and the concept.
RUBRIC COLOR USE:
PLACE ON GRID:
LINE WEIGHT:
WHAT IS BEING EXPLAINED?
IS IT CLEAR? WHY OR WHY NOT?
HOW DOES IT RELATE TO THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION?
HOW DOES IT RELATE TO THE CONCEPT? (try guessing a concept- i know it’s difficult with this brief layout)
EXTRA NOTES: