DAI 323 Dimension/Depth/Space/Scale

In this screenshot of game-play from the video game Call of Duty 4, from Infinity Ward and Activision, many depth cues allow the viewer’s mind to know that this image is of a 3-dimmensional space instead of a flat 2-dimmensional picture. The most outright cue is overlap, also referred to as interposition or occlusion, which is when one object blocks a portion of another object from sight, showing that the first object is closer in depth to the viewer than the objects it blocks. This can be seen most prominently in the overlap of the gun over the soldiers, trees, grass, and ground, but it can also be seen in the overlap of the trees and the helicopter and the trees and helicopter with the mountain. The second most prominent cue is relative size: when two objects that the viewer knows are the same size appear as different sizes depending on their depth from each other. An example is when a light post in a picture appears extremely large while another light post appears as a fraction of the size it means that the larger post is closer while the smaller post is further from the viewer. This cue can be seen in the sizes of the soldiers and trees, the closer they are to the viewer the bigger they seem, while the further away they are the smaller they seem. The third most prominent is texture gradient, which is when the viewer can see the fine details of objects that are close in depth, but the further an object is the more obscure the fine details become. This cue can be seen in the grass and tree branches of the screenshot. The clumps of grass that are close to the viewer can be seen as being composed of long blades of grass while the ones further away are clumps of similar, grass-like, colors. The same happens with the tree branches, the needles of the trees can be seen on the closer tree branches, but as they become further from the viewer they turn more into clumps of green with small partings where the sky is visible through and shading that shows the branches are at different depths even when they are so close to each.

DAI 323 Week 11 Tone and Color

http://www.thebitbag.com/2010/03/31/my-first-impressions-of-two-worlds-ii-private-press-meeting-at-pax-east-audio-and-images/

How TONE is operating

The tone in this image adds progressively greater detail in each part, though it is most important in the first two parts. In the first part, the sketch, the tone is used to show the difference between the waistcloth and the creature’s skin, and basic shading to draw out the details of the creature. In the second part of the image, the render, tone adds depth to make the creature appear 3 dimensional. This is accomplished by more complex shading that shows the curves and detail of the form. In the third part, the colored render, the tone of color enhances the depth and lighting in the image, giving it a more life-like physical and visual form.

How TONE is interacting

In the sketch, tone interacts with line to establish the boundary and contours of the subject. Line is also used to provide different tones of shading to show the build of the creature, and the detail on the horns, tail, and face. The lines in the render as less defined than in the sketch, but still serve the purpose of adding realistic shading to the muscles, body, and face. In the complete color render there are no longer any lines, they have been replaced by color and tone to show the contour and the detail of the subject.

How COLOR is operating

Color comes after, and as a result, of tone. Tone itself, in the first two parts of the image, provides color as varying shades of grey. In the colored render, color operates by enhancing the details and lighting that tone provided. The render becomes much more life-like when it is colored, the horns, nails, and waistcloth are set apart from the flesh colored body while the cuts are more obvious, all of which give “character” to the creature.

How COLOR is interacting

Color is interacting with texture throughout the image, but primarily in the colored render. In the sketch, the different shades of grey create enough texture to show which parts are supposed to be scales, which are cloths, and which are bone and flesh. In the uncolored render, texture is further fleshed out, now showing the bumps and curves and bulges of the creature, though some of the texture differences between the cloth and skin are lost. The scales on its arms and tail have also been removed and the horns have been changed so that they appear to have a pattern carved in them. In the colored render is where color and texture interact the most together. Here the final texture is added, the creature is given small grooves in the skin of its chest, legs, and arms; the cuts on its chest and leg are more prominent; even the lines on the knuckles are added. However, all this texture would be lost if it wasn’t for the color in this render: the red that makes its wounds more noticeable and the patterns in the horns easily seen, and the lighting that makes the grooves I the skin stand out.

DAI 323 - Video Game Concept Art

Tone is built upon lines and can communicate depth, light and even mood. It uses lines to create the edges between dark and light areas and is the easiest way to communicate depth and detail in the visual environment. In this concept art for the video game, Transformers 2, we see tone along every line, depicting the detail and depth of the image by the clarity of tone: the closer something is to the foreground, the darker it is as well as the more detailed; while the further something is from the foreground, the lighter and more blurred in tone it is. Another way depth and distance, as well as light, is shown is by the brightness in the background furthest from the given point of view. The light creates shadows and darkened areas that are facing away from it, further adding depth in the tone. The use of tone in this image adds a great amount of detail to the visual and helps not only to better convey the scene that the artist wants to show, but also to bring the it to life.

Lines are built off of dots, and by tracing the lines back the viewer can easily find the vanishing point that the lines originate from. The lines in this concept art from the video game The Bourne Conspiracy, by High Moon Studios, are tight and carefully measured. The detail given to the lines brings the buildings to life. As a notation system, the lines in this image create symbols that the viewer interprets, such as the lines on the ground symbolize the lane divides and cross walks while the lines on the buildings shows the pillars, windows, roofs, arches, and ledges. This environment heavily relies on lines for its form and detail.

Direction is active in this image, another concept art image for the video game The Bourne Conspiracy, because of the lines and movement within the picture. With this image balanced so that the subject is perfectly horizontal, the viewer can tell that the bullet lines and muzzle fire, bullets are moving side to side across the image. The viewer can also tell the direction people are facing by the lines of the image. By the movement of the people being shot, they are either moving backward or falling down. The unbalanced nature of the scaffolding conveys that it is collapsing and the unbalanced candles show that they are falling off of the broken altar. 

DAI 323 Visual Thinking Research

My relative solved this puzzle quickly. She first looked for patterns in the edges and noticed that three of the four images had an inner bar that the fourth one didn’t. Her mental process of solving this used the Pattern Seeking, Matching, and Rotating visual thinking operations described by McKim. 

Her puzzle solving strategy was more subconscious for this puzzle. She said that it was difficult for her to figure out which was the ring of cubes that was different. She began by counting the number of cubes in each ring and when she saw there were 10 in each she said that ring C seemed odd to her, but she couldn’t figure out why, and she decided to choose it as her answer. I believe subconsciously her mind used visual memory to see that ring C’s shape did not match the other options.

I began by looking at the center of each square to see if there were any differences, and then I scanned outer edges of each square. This was when I also saw the same bar in 3 of the 4 images. My process also followed the visual thinking operations of Pattern Seeking, Rotating, and Matching.

With this puzzle, I chose to focus on ring B and compare it to the other three options. I focused on the left side wall of ring B and by mentally rotating it was able to match it to A and D, but not C. According to McKim, I used the visual operations of Finding, Rotating, From Another Viewpoint, and Matching, during this puzzle.