Design Success and Failure - Syntactical Guidelines

Mirumoto Key- by Mario Wibisono (formerly RAYNKAZUYA)

Style : Digital art Drawing Fantasy

Success

  This is an illustration done for the game Legend of the Five Rings. The illustrators for video games usually pay the close attention to outfits details of their character and put stress on weapons, because it is the first things the buyer of video games focus on. These two things send the fans of a video games a visual message so they can easier imagine characters in actions. Second priority is how character look (depending on the game they either very attractive or intimidating and scary looking) All of it achieved by using varieties of designer’s technics.

Although the illustration is almost centered it doesn't look boring because elements on that picture do not compete for your attention and your eye can easily follow the elements on the image because of the perfect hierarchy and harmony.  Swords are probably the first elements of hierarchic ladder followed by character itself. The diagonal placement of the weapon makes it stand out and create movement. Swords placement create 3D illusion (like it will jump out of the picture to the viewer’s place). Wibisono uses the white color (lighter colors have a tendency to stand up from the darker background ),glowing effect and movement of the smoke-like magic light to make sure that viewer’s eye will go to the swords first. All of it also maximizes the movement effect. Wibisono applies principle of foreclosure for the right sword. Foreclosure in this case accomplish two things; suggests that sword is much longer than you see it on the picture (therefore  character is dual wielding) and take eyes out of the picture so you eye can follow the arm back to the picture  and then reach the face. Gentiles of cheeks and leaps vs. eyes that are concentrated on whoever approaches create interesting mixture of softness and strength.

The similar relationship of softness and sharpness happens between background and foreground. The dominating presents of the figure and blurred branch of a sakura on the background. Also background and foreground relationship achieved by playing with brightness of colors. A brighter colors of the kimono and well defend details are also put emphases on the figure.

Harmony and balance are also achieved by color palette: Because of similarity and repetition of colors on the background and foreground but with different intensity balance and unity is achieved without ruining softness-sharpness contrast between background foregrounds.

Failure

I found that poster on Disneygo.com website. This is invitation to participate in Manga Woolf contest.

This poster is disturbing in many ways.  The balance between positive and negative (background/foreground is completely ruined) Yes manga is associated with bright colors and they are present, but in weird proportions.  Type, images and background are al competing for attention and focus point is not defined. Wolves are too big and despite expectation that once it bigger it should be brighter and attract you attention background grabs your attention because of it fluorescent color. It doesn't make sense because background color is just a bit lighter than text color which makes message less legible.

   There is no unity of hierarchy within the phrases on background. Everything is equally leveled there is no emphases on anything in particular even though it should be. Every color makes image equally busy; background, type, dog’s eyes- all of it screams at you. It feels like you want to close your eye shake your head and look at it again and see if you can read it more easily this time. “Manga Wolf” phrase is bigger but for some reasons fading under blue line which prevent it for standing out as it should.

There is no harmony. The separate phrases are intended to be done in a form of a chat but stripes of colors with phrases are seating almost on the top of each other and interfere one with another. The images of wolves that actually supposed to be brighter in manga style look slightly boring and only Woolf’s different eye color save the situation. The leaves pattern on background doesn't serve any visual purpose. The balance is also ruined by the annoying manner of the author use every available corner of the poster to squeeze more information between images of the wolves. Colors don’t look good together.