Design Basics Emphasis resource material: Design Basics by David A. Lauer and Stephen Pentak (pages 42 through 52) Launching the Imagination:Two Dimensional Design by Mary Stewart (3-15 through 3-19) Emphasis student examples Daily we are confronted with hundreds of images. We take this abundance of pictures for granted. Designers use emphasis or focal point to attract attention and encourage the viewer to look further. Emphasis gives part of a design particular prominence. It is almost impossible to look at Henri Rousseau's The Dream and not first notice the nude lady. The painting has many objects: lions, jungle flowers and trees, a bird, but our eye is drawn to the lady. This is a concept of focal point. The painting by Stuart Davis is a pattern of simple, bold forms in bright, flat color. The more complex curving black shape near the center provides a change and becomes the focal point. Separation and Connection: - any anomaly, or break from the norm, tends to stand out- Mark Riedy's illustration creates a clear pattern that increases connection among the visual elements then breaks the pattern accentuating separation. Location: - location of a line or shape within the format can attract attention- The compositional center is strong. Sam Francis places a rectangle shape in the middle establishing a focal point and distinctive stability. Another example of Sam Francis creating emphasis with focal point. The focal point in Gericault's Raft of the Medusa was created using a pattern of compositional lines. The arms and legs of the sailors, the floorboards of the raft, and the angle of the sail all direct attention toward the rescue ship in the upper right corner. Contrast: Contrast is created when two or more elements operate in opposition. Examples of contrast. Contrast in color. A compelling use of color occurs in Schindler's List, by Steven Spielberg. Midway through the black-and-white film, a small girl in a red coat is shown walking toward her death. This is the only use of color in the main body of the film. More examples of emphasis using contrast of color by the Brazilian designer, Rico Lins. Absence of Focal Point: A definite focal point is not a necessity for successful design. It is a tool that artists may or maynot use, depending on what is desired. An artist may wish to emphasis the entire surface of a composition over any individual elements. Lee Krasner's paintings are an example. An artist's theme might suggest the absence of a focal point. In Andy Warhol's painting there are a hundred repetitions of precisely the same image with no change, no contrast , and no point of emphasis. But the repetitive quality is the basic point and dictated the design.