johnbennett

VIS 362 Wiki Project**
 * John Bennett


 * Categories:**
 * **Composition**
 * **Space**
 * **Form**
 * **Tone**
 * **Color**
 * **Subject**

=Composition=



This is a photograph titled "Edge of the Earth". It was taken by Zack Schnepf at Mt. Hood. It may be found at the following URL: []

This photograph shows us a man (who is also the photographer) standing on the edge of a nearby cliff. A tree is just below him. Another mountain is off in the distance. Almost everything in the lower part of the picture is obscured by clouds or fog. The upper half is filled with clear sky.

This image has interesting composition in that it is relatively simple, yet it displays all three dimensions in space. It is simple because there is very little clutter. The number of objects are minimal. There is the man, the cliff, the tree, and the mountain. The backdrop is either the fog or the clear blue sky, so there is no "background noise."

However, depth is shown through the relationship with these objects. The man is on top of the cliff, the tree is next to it, and the mountain is off in the distance. These relationships also give us a sense of scale. If the man were not in the photo, it might be hard to image the actual size of the cliff and the tree, and thus is would lessen the scope of the mountain in the background.

The position of the camera also gives us a sense of height. The man is near the top edge of the photo, leaving a lot of space below him. Although the tree is evidence that there is some ground just below, the fog obscures the view, so we don't know if it is on a ledge or a slope.

The image is divided into quadrants. The horizon created by the fog cuts the image in half horizontally, and the tree pointing straight up from below cuts the image vertically. In this way, the man, the cliff, and the mountain each occupies its own quadrant, with the fog in the bottom-right quadrant allowing our imaginations to fill in the blank.

The composition, as well as the use of space, do a great job of portraying scale. Perhaps it could also be said that this image is "sublime."

=Space=

This image is a promotional screenshot for an upcoming video game called Metroid: Other M. It shows us some indoor complex (presumably in outer space), with a bridge stretching through a corridor to a platform in the distance. The main character, Samus Aran, is beginning to run across the bridge.

The perspective strongly suggests a vanishing point a little up and to the left from the center of the image. The game is set in a 3D environment, so we are given a sense of space and depth. The angle of this screenshot, along with the action of Samus’ running, suggests that the game’s camera will follow her across the bridge. This also gives us a sense of depth within the image. There appears to be a radar in the upper-right corner of the screen, showing us a 2D map of the environment. This provides a contrast that also helps to emphasize the 3D perspective. Thus, this screenshot serves to indicate the immersion of the game’s 3D environment.

=Form= This is a painting from 1882 called “The Nut Gatherers” (or “Les Noisettes”) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau.

Bouguereau was a classic-style painter known for his nearly photo-realistic depictions. In this painting, we see two girls in a slightly wooded area. Bouguereau nearly makes this scene look like a high-quality photograph. The girls seem to have real substance, as if they actually exist in three-dimensional space. Their posture seems very natural, and easily indicates to us that they are relaxed. Their clothing is especially well rendered, with the light shimmering off of their shirts, and the velvety texture of their dresses giving us a sense of softness. Their hair is also very realistic, in that we can nearly see every individual strand.

From looking at some of Bouguereau’s other paintings, his backgrounds tend not to be as convincing as his subjects. In this painting, though, the background seems to be almost as tangible as the girls. There is a real sense of how solid the ground is as the girls are sitting on it. Also, the vegetation in the background seems to have a lot of depth, as each individual leaf has a unique position. The use of light and shadow also gives us a feeling that we could step into the panting and crawl through the thicket ourselves.

= = =Tone= This image is a screen capture from the movie The Lion King. This is from the scene just after Simba has seen the vision of his father in the clouds. Here, we see Simba sitting in the grass, looking up at the sky. The sky takes up at least ¾ of the screen. The tone of the sky changes from being darker near the top, to lighter near the horizon. As such, the stars are more visible higher up, just like in real life.

The change in tone also suggests the coming of dawn, with the sun approaching below the horizon. This is also an indication of a change in the plot. Simba has realized his responsibility, and he has decided to return to his home and overthrow Scar. Thus, the tone of this scene is symbolic of the “dark” times coming to an end, and the coming of light foreshadows the “dawn” of a new era.

=Color=

This is an official artwork created by Yasushi Suzuki for an upcoming video game called //Sin & Punishment: Star Successor//.

At a glance, this image may not seem to have a lot of color in it. However, examining it more closely, it turns out that there is quite a bit of color in it, such as greens, blues, yellows, violets, and little bits of red and orange. However, the colors are so muted that they don’t draw attention to themselves.

The actual scene seems to be taking place either during or after a war. The dust in the background, the explosion in the sky, and the giant bird on the left with flared wings all suggest movement. However, the subdued colors give everything a feeling of stillness. The bird, in fact, even seems to be an organic part of the environment, blending in with its surroundings.

Slightly more defined are the two human characters on the right. One of which is in a lounging position, which also contradicts any suggestion of urgency.

The image has almost a watercolor style and texture. There are hints of brushstrokes and streaks. Some of the color seems faded, as if the image, itself, has succumbed to the wear and tear of the scene that it portrays.

=Subject=



This image is a fan art called “In the Bowels of Hell”. It was a collaboration between three artists who call themselves wynahiros, mastafuu and famira. The medium is a mix between pencil, ink and CG. The original image can be viewed at the following address: []

Because this image is a fan art, the subject is only recognizable to fans of the material upon which it is based. To everyone else, it is not obvious what the image is meant to represent. What we see is a boy dressed in green hanging from some kind of grip. Below him is what appears to be a monster emerging from some bright space, possibly a portal or fire. It looks as if it wants to lunge up and eat the boy. If we look closely, we can see that the boy is holding a sword, suggesting that a battle is taking place, and perhaps the boy is trying to escape.

Clearly, the subject, by itself, doesn’t carry a lot of meaning. However, when we learn about the base material, we then begin to understand what we are looking at. This image depicts a scene from the video game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The boy in green is named Link, and the monster below him is called Gohma, who is emerging from a pool of lava. In this particular part of the game, Link explores a cave in a mountain in order to discover why a dragon named Valoo has become angry. He discovers that the monster Gohma is hurting Valoo’s tail, which is stuck in the ceiling. Link fights Gohma by using a grappling hook to hang from Valoo’s tail (which is not visible in the image).

It might help to actually see a video of this part of the game. You can see it at the following address: []

With this information, we now have a better understanding of what this image is depicting. Perhaps the artists thought this particular part of the game was memorable, and decided to create their own interpretation of it.