Design elements and principles are crucial for the foundation of comics or really any art.  In our class reading “Understanding Comics” written by Scott McCloud shows a good use of examples on how those elements are used. I chose a page 25

Page 25 from McCloud’s “Understanding Comics”

from his book that features The Treachery of Images. I took a Fine Arts course last semester where we had looked at this piece. It really stuck with me throughout this reading because it was familiar to me and also related to the projects we are working on. McCloud used this example with the intentions of showing how there can be images used that simply are representing something rather than the real thing.

The elements of design include line,shape,direction, size, texture, color, and value. Although these seem simple to see, there is deeper meaning beyond the surface. These elements are used to convey a message and support the meaning The Treachery of Images has.

Principles of design include balance, gradation, repetition, contrast, harmony, dominance, and unity. These principles are important to keep in mind because they help give flow with balance , contrast, gradation, unity and harmony. Repetition and dominance help to make the material memorable.

McCloud’s layout is effective because it uses basic shapes that represent real things, with repetition to ensure that his message is understood. By using a character to imagine being told the information is helpful. He used a repetitive image with different text to give all the information. McCloud didn’t need to use color since he was able to make a gradient using line work hatching. This made it easier to focus more on the information rather than any flashy bright colors.  I chose this page to grab from because it has that same message happening within the comic itself. McCloud was able to use the principles and elements well.