An Introduction to Emphasis by Locale Media Company, LLC

Design & Communication | ARTS102

An Introduction t Emphasis

Understanding visual art, design, communication and it’s functions through traditional and contemporary delivery.

Design & Communication: EMPHASIS THE PRINCIPLE OF EMPHASIS IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION - OVERVIEW What is the design principle of EMPHASIS? It is a means by which a designer can direct the viewer to an element within a composition that conveys a message. It’s purpose its to attract the viewer’s attention, without which any message or meaning could be lost We rarely view art in a vacuum. Billboards, store signs, traf c signs and signals all compete for the motorist’s attention. Two ads placed next to each other on a magazine page vie for the viewers attention. An internet site can have multiple images, ashing graphics and sounds. Out of this, the designer must create imagery that will attract attention, not only to the image itself but to the desired content as well. What the designer does is bring clarity out of chaos in a means best suited for the message. One

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means of creating clarity is to direct the viewer to a visual FOCAL POINT The FOCAL POINT is the dominant element within our composition that draws the eye, and the leads the viewer into a more in-depth examination of the image. It may be accompanied by a lesser pint or points of emphasis called ACCENTS The focal point is the heart of the composition. Accents can be enrichments to the “story” being told. It is similar to using BOLD TYPE IN ALL CAPS to emphasize text, or a spotlight on stage to highlight the star of a performance

Emphasis

Focal points are achieved by creating conditions wherein one form or group of forms is emphasized over another. We are going to show several examples of the different ways we can achieve emphasis in design through size, contrast and isolation

Examples of emphasis achieved by SIZE

In the painting Red Flush by Jules Olitski, oil on canvas 1963, right, the large orange shape dominates the composition by size. The lime green circle becomes an accent point by contrast of color and isolation In the corporate logo, below, designed by Paul Rand, the “O” of the title functions as a letter, but also as a metaphor for a sun rise. Rand created a nal design that played on the source of the company’s name—the last line in Thoreau’s Walden, “The sun is but a morning star.” It becomes a focal point by being larger than the other letters, and of a different style.

L Emphasis UCTUS

The objective of contrast is to produce maximum visibility. The more contrast there is the more noticeable an item is. Learning how to use contrast is a matter of knowing how much is needed and how to achieve that contrast

Emphasis through CONTRAST

The small black rectangle, right, dominates the lighter gray ones by contrast, and becomes the focal point In the classic poster of Bob Dylan designed by Milton Glaser in 1966, the contrast of the black silhouette of Dylan’s face dominates over the psychedelic hair and white ground of the image. We see the outline of Dylan as focal point, then relate to the hair, the color, and the time and place of the design as accents relating more of the story In the image, lower right, the blue rectangle dominates the other yellow and white spaces, drawing our eye, creating color contrast.

Above: To see more of Milton Glaser’s iconic Graphic Design work please visit http://www.miltonglaser.com/

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Emphasis through COLOR CONTRAST One of the greatest possible contrasts in art is the difference between black and white (value contrast). Color contrasts can be strong but usually not as strong as value contrasts. Bright colors are more attractive (attract attention) than dull colors. There is room for a great deal of manipulation in color and value. That is one of the reasons that color is so dif cult to use well The painting on the left titled “Mrs. Hugh Hammersly” by John Singer Sargent, oil on canvas 81” x 45”, 1892, is an example of emphasis by color contrast. The red dress of the gure is contrasted against the brown ground, and as it is so different in color and character from the ground it draws our immediate attention. Also the placement of the gure near the center of the composition allows for it to immediately gain the viewers attention In the 75” x 48” oil on canvas painting by Hans Hofmann on the far left titled “The Gate”, circa 1959, the red rectangle draws our eye by color and placement. It is an example of Hofmann’s theory of color in painting called “Push/Pull,” where colors, by their proportion and shape, “pull” against each other and the edges of the picture plane.

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Emphasis through ISOLATION

Isolation is a kind of placement -- where something is put. An item that stands apart from its surroundings will be more noticeable. This doesn’t always make an item be noticed rst BUT can make one item stand out. Where you put objects in the format and in relationship to other objects can strongly affect emphasis

In the center image, the square that is set apart from the others draws our eye as the stronger visual attraction Far left, In this Walker Evans photo, emphasis is achieved by isolation, the manhole cover is the only recognized shape among a very similarly valued and textured street surface

The painting “The Gross Clinic” by Thomas Eakins, 8” x 6.5’ 1875, depicts a medical school demonstration. The standing gure becomes the focal point by isolating his lit head in the darkness of the arena background, drawing our eye rst. Notice in each of the examples the focal point is not directly centered. Centering can and often does appear as too obvious. They are not too close to the edge of the composition either; this can lead the viewer out of the picture as well

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Emphasis with DIRECTION Direction, also called continuance, describes a device for directing the viewer's attention when looking at a composition. It is based on the idea that once you start looking in a particular direction you will continue looking in that direction until you see something significant Notice the arrows on your right. We are drawn to the upper arrow by its placement above and in a different direction from the other arrows. A simple example is shown here. All kinds of pointing devices are used in design.

came to represent the isolation and

Many of these are more subtle than a

hopelessness of poverty. We are drawn to

pointing arrow

him visually by his facing the opposite way of the other men, as well as by diagonals of the

Dorothea Lange’s photo “White Angel

fence and the row of mens hats moving the

Breadline” of 1932 is an important image

viewer to him. His empty cup becomes a

documenting the tragedy of the Great

metaphor for the state of the nation during

Depression. This image of a clearly

this time of want.

downtrodden man and his empty cup

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Emphasis with ECONOMY It takes our brain milliseconds longer to process the outlines and details of a complex image over a simple one. This gives the image more importance just by time spent understanding it. In the contemporary book cover, upper left, by designer Chip Kidd we are drawn to the complexity of Superman’s face, in it’s color and detail, as a focal point, before moving to the accent of the simpler drawn st in black and white. The focal point establishes the visual priority of the image. The designer may enhance the message by using subordinate imagery around the focal point, or may choose to reduce the image to it’s most essential elements Visual economy, also known as SIMPLICITY, is the omitting of all non-essential elements which don’t contribute to the overall composition in order to emphasize what is important. Much of good design focuses on what is left out, rather than trying to

include everything you can. There are no rules for using economy, if an element works in a composition with respect to the whole design or the content it should be kept. If it detracts, it should be re-evaluated. Never use anything for its own sake, always justify its inclusion for the contribution it makes to the overall content or design effect In Richard Avedon’s photograph of Judy Garland, lower left, he has the “background” reduced to pure negative space without any other visual information. This illustrates the concept of ECONOMY, distilling an image to it’s essential parts. In this example this directs the eye to the focal point of the face of the gure. The intent of the image is to reveal inner feelings and personality of the subject and without lesser imagery around her this is all there is to se

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Emphasis with ECONOMY In the rst two images by Utawara Hiroshima shown below the blank, or negative, space serves as a void, whether it is open space as in “Fire ies” or as softer and less distinct background imagery in the “Irises”. Again, the images have been reduced to only essential information

36” x 29” 1893, several visual devices are used to add to the tension and anxiety of the image. The sky, painted in unpleasant colors and moving in a rhythmic yet unnatural manner, suggests fear and anxiety. The strong diagonal leading back to two unknown gures enhances the sense of distance from human contact. Are the men walking away, or are they following? All these additions to the image help reinforce the image of panic of the focal point gure.

Background imagery can also be used aggressively to support the narrative. In Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream”, shown bottom right, oil on canvas

Absence of Emphasis

Absence of a focal point is sometimes used as a compositional device. Absence can be a bad thing in commercial images, as the viewer has no idea of what is being promoted. It IS desirable in textiles, where a focal point on a piece of clothing, drapery, or wall paper could be very distracting. The blue textile example above has no focal point

Absence can be used for purely theoretical reasons, as in the work of Jackson Pollock seen above. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, quote “In this non-representational picture, thinned paint was applied to unprimed, unstretched canvas that lay at on the oor rather tan propped on an easel. Poured, dripped, dribbled scumbled, icked,

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and splattered, the pigment was applied in the most unorthodox means… there’s no central point of focus, no hierarchy of elements in this allover composition in which every bit of the surface is equally signi cant… the artist worked with the canvas at on the oor, constantly moving all around it while applying the paint and working form all four sides. “

Comparing and Contrasting HOW ARTISTS USE EMPHASIS AND ECONOMY DIFFERENTLY Economy or Not A lightning rod between different cultural valencies (high/low, ancient/modern, oriental/ occidental), Takashi Murakami (1962-present) has stated that the artist is someone who Type to enter text

understands the borders between worlds and who makes an effort to know them. With his distinctive “Super at”, style and ethos, which employs highly re ned classical Japanese painting techniques to depict a super-charged mix of Pop, animé and otaku content within a attened representational picture-plane, he moves freely within an ever-expanding eld of aesthetic issues and cultural inspirations. In the work, left, Murakami packs his images with repeated elements into a compressed pictorial space (inside the picture plane) for an eccentric and visually attened artwork

Visit more Takisha Murakami work at http://www.gagosian.com/artists/takashi-murakami

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Visit more Takisha Murakami work at http://www.gagosian.com/artists/takashi-murakami

LUCTUS

Emphasis

Compare & Contrast Contrast the previous images of Murakami’s work with the illustrative ads created by designer Michael Schwab, whose images develop very simple relationships of color and shape to become representative of economy in design Michael Schwab lives and works in northern California. He has established a reputation as one of America’s leading graphic artists. His work is recognized by his use of large, at areas of color, dramatic perspectives and bold graphic images. His work is dramatic in its simplicity. Visit more Michael Schwab work at http://www.michaelschwab.com/

C H Emphasis APTER 2 Compare & Contrast Born in Matsumoto City, Japan in 1929, Yayoi Kusama studied painting in Kyoto before moving to New York in the late 1950s, and by the mid-1960s had become well known in the avant-garde world for her provocative happenings and exhibitions. Since this time, Kusama's extraordinary artistic endeavors have spanned painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, performance, lm, printmaking, installation and environmental art as well as literature, fashion and product design In the installations of her exceptionally busy paintings at right, note there is little breathing room, or rest space, lling the entire picture plane with detailed imagery. Visit more work from the artist a http://www.victoria-miro.com/artists/31-yayoikusama/

C H Emphasis APTER 2 Compare & Contrast Contrast Kasama’s work with these installations of paintings created by Doug Ohlson, whose images are simple relationships of color and shape are representative of economy in design Ohlson was born in Cherokee, Iowa and attended Bethel College before serving in the United States Marine Corps. After completing his military service, he attended the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded a degree in studio art in 1961. He moved to New York City, where he studied at Hunter Colleg See more of Olson’s work a http://www.dougohlson.com/

Objectives • Begin to visually communicate EMPHASIS in a composition • Begin to use size, contrast, isolation and direction to convey Emphasi • To continue to develop skills in design

Helpful Tip Please refer to your software instructions or use the Adobe help website. Try to google photoshop questions or refer to online YouTube tutorials to get familiar with Photoshop type tool and fonts. Build on your knowledge from the last assignment in layers and move/rotate tools.

ASSIGNMENT PART 1: Using the principles of Unity and Emphasis learned so far, you will ll the template provided to visually communicate Emphasis using size, contrast, isolation and direction techniques as discussed in this E-book. You will create 6 compositions on the template provided. Using only letterforms and/or symbols as basic shapes in your composition.

ASSIGNMENT PART 2 Please respond thoughtfully to the following questions regarding your artwork. Please write your answers in the “add comments” section of the drop box when uploading your image. Engage me as your instructor and audience by responding to the questions below as a self evaluation

Research “type as art” for good examples

1. What methods of Emphasis did you use to show a focal point 2. Tell me about your fonts… what fonts did you use and at what size? 3. What do you like about your nished art 4. What can you do better next time

Open the template in the lesson folder using your software. Using the text tool, select letters or symbols from the fonts of your choice. Use new layers for each letter (or symbol), then use copy, paste, move/rotate tools and font sizes to manipulate the letterforms or symbols in a composition

This assignment is worth 20 points. Here is the rubric for the assignment • following directions (20%) • submitting proper le format (20%) (LOW RESOLUTION JPEG) • inclusion of self evaluation (20%) • understanding of lesson concepts (20%) • creativity; clear, effective use of visual communication (20% Please let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy

• Use black, white and grey ONLY. No color • Use one font family per square on the template. • Include letters in upper and lower case, numbers and symbols as desire • Any font may be used in regular, bold or italic style as desired • Do not spell out words - use random letterforms, numbers and symbols Feel free to be as creative as you wish; use other tools or options as you are comfortable within the limitations of the assignment. Save the le as LOW RESOLUTION JPEG. Name your le as: lastname_lesson2.jpeg and upload to the dropbox provided for Lesson 2, Emphasis

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Assignment: EMPHASIS