Kristin Becker's DTC Classes at WSU

LAYERS:

Layers are overlapping components of an image in a sequence. Layers are used in everyday sequences in computer programs, books, nature and even on sports fields. Layers help build dimension and emphasis in a story, art piece, building or even in a market scheme. Layers help with the depth especially in screen printing, it is typical you print separately and stamp over, each layer at a time, but other examples have all layers placed on and then scans it into a one dimensional image which adds an interesting effect. There are many forms of layer forming, one of the most common ones is what we are all familiar with in our 4^th grade art class, cut and paste. I recently took an art class where we made in-depth collages and it was definitely my favorite project. Adding images from different sequences really spoke to me. Layers is definitely my favorite way to add depth into some of my own personal designs.

In the book, Exits by Daryl Seitchik, he does an exceptional job layering his visual story in a way it is simplistic and dynamic. He isn’t using any colors, and minimal words so the strip layering down the page is an effective way to convey his image. On the page that I’m analyzing, he is a little sad boy hiding in grass. you can tell it is of a guy looking at grass, but he layers the grass into the eyes to imply that sight, the last layer is all black to emphasize he might as well have been dead.

Exits by Daryl Seitchik

TEXTURE:

Texture is the textile of everything in our lives, and helps us understand the nature of things. When it comes to art textures some times they are intentionally contrasted and manipulated with how they look as an art compilation. Texture can be elegant, ugly, slimy, fury, fuzzy, ect.. Textures are used to help tell a story for the ultimate visual description. Using textures correctly can convey emotional bonds to a story or object, it can bring back memories or convey moods, it is relevant in all mediums of art and can be used to stack on top of each other or one eliminated to complete a whole new texture, not familiar. There are a few types of textures that are the most relevant in design. Concrete texture is the physical quality resulting slicing, burning, marking ad extracting. It creates a robust appeal, as if something was roughly glowing. Surface manipulation artfully reflects the active process featured. This method is crisscrossing lines on a cutting board r something similar to represent an urban touch. Textual Harmony and contrast is a very visually satisfying application. The textures used on the objects also directly work with color for opposites or analogous color to satisfy ones eye looking at this objet.

For my example I am using Ballad written by Blexbolex. This book is filled with texture harmony and pattern. The artist does a really good job convincing its reader of the emotions thought images. This book has tops 3 words on every page, s the visual aspect is insanely important. Especially adding and utilizing texture in a successful way. One the page I’m analyzing, “the escape” are the only words written on the page, and it is of a man and the queen escaping a cave with what appears to be flames shooting at them. Just by looking at it , and the use of texture with the fire and dark night cave I can kind of imply t that there is a dragon chasing them out. But since I read the book, I know that it is a dragon. I think having that critical accuracy in a book just by looking at one page is a success on the artist’s part.

Ballad written by Blexbolex

In Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Philips’ chapter of color they highlight the concept of color and the remarkable tricks it can play on the eye. Color has a remarkable role in moods, it can differentiate, camouflage and high light different aspects of an image. The first tool within the color world they point out is the color wheel. The color wheel is extremely helpful, and there are many of these wheels that emphasis primary, secondary, complement, tertiary and analogous colors. These wheels are the helpful to see what colors are opposite, next to, the same hue or adjacent to the others. Within these colors there is a dynamic system to completely customize a color from the value, shade, tint, saturation, hue and intensity. These are described as the aspects of colors and relate to the range of attribute within these colors. Knowing how each color works with each is a great and required skill to have in successful graphics. A way a color is placed next to each other can completely change a color or shape to the eye. So, knowing how to work with color can really benefit you. Especially in marketing, if you emphasize a certain part of something that needs to stand out. Color is the perfect way to do that because it draws the eye to that area. My personal favorite aspect to graphic design is color and playing with the different variations. I think different colors can make or break an image to being subpar to great. I have always had an acute obsession with mixing colors and brightness’s together to make my own.

My comic is of Jimmy Corrigan The Smartest Kid On Earth. I particularity chose this pictures because the comic itself does an excellent job at using colors at appropriate time for the audience. The title itself is just blue and white which bring the viewers in aesthetically, but it takes a second to see the graphic picture itself. When I first looked at this picture, all I saw was the blue and a kid but re looking at it I was he was basically killing an older man and his assumed mother is screaming in the background. Besides the cover I think the actual comic in this piece does a good job drawing in the focal points. The comics are a light chromatic green and dull colors, but the key factors of the comic are bright red and yellow to keep the audiences eye on it. I think it is good to have good color coordination in graphic novels because the book is all visual there are not description boxes it wat you see. So color can truly help or hinder an image and story.

Jimmy Corrigan The Smartest Kid On Earth by Chris Ware