Formal Analysis
For the final project I decided to go with the artist Ryan Hewett as a source of inspiration for the piece. I admire his utilization of semi-abstraction to imply the shape of the women through the use of simplified shapes yet with some more realistic features mixed in. However, in my piece I decided to go more objective and just swap out some feature for shapes rather than having them be the majority. I also drew inspiration from the artist John Dyer Baizley who is of the band Baroness and a prominent album cover artist in the metal community.
The composition includes a variety of shapes in what feels like three prominent sections. There are a combination of natural, organic shapes along with ones that are geometric and simplified in nature. There are also a variety of colors ranging from overly vibrant to more natural tones which I think lends balance and interest. I was able to take the colors I used and layer them to create value throughout the piece in terms of highlights and shadows. The line work is simplified yet effective in conveying boundaries and textural interest. I added an assortment of textures to the image using several methods of shading, color layering, stippling, and hatching and cross-hatching which took the work from feeling flat to feeling more soft and dimensional.
The geometric shapes are used to replaces various body parts of the image so a double circle replaces left breast, the large triangle stands in for part of the face, and the crescent moon plus smaller triangles represent the hair. I believe that the use of shapes creates balance and a movement that draws the eye in toward the bottom left on up top right and back around. The more organic, biomorphic shapes of the body soften the image and balance out the more blunt, sharp geometric shapes to help them play well together. I also think that the geometric shapes create economy.
The stark black background and the sheer amount of skin tone in the composition help balance the intensity of the louder colors. The way the colors are positioned throughout the piece help it feel proportionate, there’s not too much of one element in one area or else it is balanced and weighted by color in another area. In that sense the colors are pleasing to the eye and feel harmonic throughout.
The bottom half of the composition is economic to allow the viewer to read the more detailed upper half without feeling disconnected from the piece. The movement pulls the eye in and around so that the composition feels unified. The geometric shapes and stern face feel a little uptight but as the draws around to the flowing hair and feathers the feeling softens. The hair and feathers leave a feeling that is almost wind-blown.
I feel that in the end a lot of the elements in this work are effective such as the balance, proportion, movement, economy, and harmony. A weak area is that the composition overall feels very 2D, even considering the shading techniques. The work could be improved upon with some softening of features in the face and even in the body to perhaps make it more dimensional. The hair could probably be improved with increased detail, as well. The geometric shapes could use some value variation to make them slightly more interesting. They maybe feel too flat in comparison to the rest of the composition but then again that somewhat was the point. Overall, it was fun to branch out of my comfort zone am very happy with how the piece turned out but it certainly has room for improvement.
