Project 1 Reading Response

In Principles of 2D Design, Wong focuses on the importance of contrast in images. Wong touches on many areas such as size, texture, direction, position, and space to explain the dynamic relationships that shape can have with each other in a piece. He also touches on the connection between the dominance of majority versus the emphasis of minority.

Meggs also touches on contrasts when speaking about a composition's field of tension in Type and Image. Diagonal movements and countermovements are some of the way of creating a dynamic, visually stimulating image. Meggs goes on in pages 19-29 to talk about visual syntax. The correct arrangement of pieces in an image is essential to conveying a cohesive message. Images can be altered, exaggerated, combined, and transformed to better help form the piece's meaning. The author touches on the unreliability of photos as computers are more and more able manipulate them. I thought this was funny, especially as they explained the process in which an image in scanned into a computer as if it was something new. Then I realized the book was made in 1992, and it made more sense.

Dondis uses a system of pairing opposing visual techniques to talk about elements used to make a visuall compelling image. The Primer of Visual Literacy goes on to explain the following pairs:

Balance - Instability
Symmetry - Asymmetry
Regularity - Irregularity
Simplicity - Complexity
Unity - Fragmentation
Economy - Intricacy
Predictability - Spontaneity
Activeness - Stasis
Subtlety - Bold
Nuetrality - Accent
Transparency - Opacity
Consistency - Variation
Accuracy - Distortion
Flatness - Depth
Singularity - Juxtaposition
Sequential - Randomness
Sharpness - Diffusion
Repetition - Episodicity

Some of these are pretty self-explanatory. Others like the economy - intricacy pair for instance, were a little less clear. That is when you choose between using minimal units and are "frugal" in your composition or you create a more detailed, ornamentation-based piece.

All three readings were VERY relevant to what were are doing in both Visual Communications and Typography, and I learned quite a bit about making visually striking images by using all the different elements discussed in the texts.