Tim+Eagar

by Tracy J. Butler
 * Lackadaisy Perennial**

I chose this picture because of the way it illustrates the use of contrast to create intensity in colors. Rather than going the typical route of placing the bright colors near dark ones, Lackadaisy Perennial instead contrasts bright colors with desaturated ones. The further to the bottom left one gets in the picture, the more sepia-toned, simple, and degraded the picture gets; however, toward the upper right, the colors get gradually brighter and the picture and background become gradually more detailed (one might note the somewhat simple flower patterns become actual flowers – even in mid-flower). I believe that this picture best illustrates the use of color because of its contrast – the bright colors would not look as bright if they didn’t appear near a washed-out sepia area in the image.


 * The Kraken** by Emily Bongiorno

I chose this picture because of its subject matter – it captures a moment in time as part of a simplistic but intriguing narrative. The picture depicts the Kraken, a legendary beast feared by superstitious sailors for generations. However, though it initially seems to be an account of the terrible beast rending a ship in twain as it is known to do, we are given a slight but noticeable hint that there’s more to this creature than we would think; the Kraken’s eyes show no malice, and indeed perhaps even a bit of sorrow or loneliness. Perhaps it only claws at the ships above because it simply wants some company in the black deep of the ocean.

This picture is an excellent example of a three-dimensional effect created in only two dimensions. I picked it because it’s light on detail, though the geometry of the subject matter is emphasized. The entire thing has a very soft but at the same time very solid sort of look. The forms are emphasized by the lighting – there are multiple light sources (a white spotlight from behind the viewer’s perspective, and some ambient green light from below) that serve to emphasize the shape of the vehicle and give it substance.
 * Blaster Master** by Ian McConville

This image, made for Tom Siddell’s graphic novel Gunnerkrigg Court, is a fine example of basic composition principles. The image is bisected by an imaginary line traveling straight down the center of the image, and each element on one side of the picture has its equal number on the other side, contrasting the two. The trees in the forest are matched by the buildings in the city on the other side, for example, and the various alchemical symbols in the center and faded into the background match each other as well, creating a visually appealing balance.
 * Second Treatise** by Tom Siddell

This image uses space for a very powerful visual effect. While most of the figures in the image are brightly colored and high-contrast, the background is deliberately desaturated to give it a very empty look. This empty space almost exclusively surrounds the children to the right, with none of it appearing on the monster on the left. In this way, the space is used to emphasize the smallness of the children when compared to the creature they encountered, which almost seems to dwarf the entire forest behind it.
 * Lookouts** by Michael Krahulik

This image is a striking example of the use of the starkness of contrast in tone to create an aesthetic effect. The darkness of the deep water is contrasted with the stark white of the flowers floating on top, with the lily pads and the reflection of the clouds providing a neutral balance between them. The ripples in the water create slight differences in the tone, giving the entire picture a real sense of texture.
 * Nightfall** by Cathy Cranford

I chose this picture because of the way it illustrates the use of contrast to create intensity in colors. Rather than going the typical route of placing the bright colors near dark ones, Lackadaisy Perennial instead contrasts bright colors with desaturated ones. The further to the bottom left one gets in the picture, the more sepia-toned, simple, and degraded the picture gets; however, toward the upper right, the colors get gradually brighter and the picture and background become gradually more detailed (one might note the somewhat simple flower patterns become actual flowers – even in mid-flower). I believe that this picture best illustrates the use of color because of its contrast – the bright colors would not look as bright if they didn’t appear near a washed-out sepia area in the image.