Assignment 3: Project Visual Properties

Exercise#3 – Visual Properties

I am being asked to choose one image that could be from my family album, magazine or someone’s artwork. The goal of this exercise is to show how one image can convey different messages by changing the focus. I found this photo on National Geographic Website and I thought it could work very well for this exercise since it has a scene and dominant subject in focus. I cut two “L” shapes of cardboard, printed the photo and started the experiment.

This is printed photo I started with. It shows teenage boys in Rio lighting the fireworks.

I cropped it so the character in focus (boy with a hat and cigarette) and a figure below his arm are visible and make a scene. When isolated it looks like teenager is trying to cover from the storm. Main character is still in focus.  I would call it “Gimme Shelter”. Actually the whole picture has some bitterness when we look at those kids so this title  would point to  some deeper problem beneath this game with fire.

I cropped the photo so the one part of a main character is  still visible. Although I wanted to draw viewer’s attention to male figure in black with a white hat, red elements of boy’s cloths are dominant because of hot color, so the main figure is still first to be seen. His face also has a warm color which pop out from cool background. This picture could convey feeling that boy with cigarette is actually pressing a man with his arm showing his dominance. I would call it “Dominance”

This scene shows a boy behind main character who is trying to activate a firework. Since I hid the part of a image that shows a boy with cigarette only his arm with label “Rio” is visible. Again importance of using hot colors places label “Rio” into focus. Orange tones of label on a blue-grey background creates a contrast that draws attention. I would call this image “Rio: Ready to fire” as it suggests that all happen in Rio.

This image shows all three characters and suggest on starting some explosion. One boy is starting the firework while others are preparing for explosion. Main character is still on focus because of its size, hot colors and position on image. Part of the scene is covered with smoke and tiny pieces visible in the air. I would call it “Alert”.

This scene is maybe the most dramatic. It creates the feeling of emptiness depicting abandoned place that looks polluted. Tree is exposed to smoke from the pipe. I will call it “Nothing out there”

This is also dramatic scene where the tree covered in smoke is in focus because of its size and position (rule of thirds). Firebrands which are in hot colors also draw attention. The boy that is starting the fire also has a good position so I think elements on this scene work very good in conveying message. I will call it “Starting fire”.

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This scene shows hidden figure that works something on pipe while the other pipe is exhausting fumes. On a first sight the scene consists of tree and pipes but drama and dynamic are added with this hidden figure in motion on a left side. I would call it “Heat and run”

This picture can be interpreted differently when it’s cropped like this. It has less drama, creating the feeling that a boy with a hat is simply leaving the place while the other boy is continuing with his work looking content.  Background is hazy with a few details in the air. The focus is on a boy with hat and cigarette because of its size, hot colors and position. Warm and hot colors create good contrasts with cool background drawing the eye on a right place. I would call this picture “Leaving the place”.

In this picture focus is on the boy in green jacket who is starting fireworks. His size and position draws viewer’s attention. Smoky background provides contrast. There are three individuals here but two of them are partly shown on image suggesting that boy isn’t working alone. The scene suggests that people are occupied with what they are doing. I could call it “Occupied in smoke”

This scene creates feeling of dirt, mess, and chaos as it shows ground with a lot of things thrown around. Pipe with exhausting fumes is what first catches my eye.  Two human figures are partly shown as they are trying to light sticks. I will call it “Aftermath”

This was a quick sketch, before I decided how I will actually do it.

Bellow is my final version of the poster.

As for the typography I was considering some typefaces that look solid and strong like Impact or Stencil and I could play with them by adding some textures. After experimenting with some grunge styles I decided to use this font “Paint” as it seemed it would work well with street style of image.

I spent quite amount of time on this exercise but it was valuable experience I had to gain so I could be better prepared for new challenges.