Exercise #11: Tone and Color

Tone:

In the world of illustration, tone is always very important in helping to visually define a piece. This is especially important in this example where the illustrator has gone for a stylized noir style meaning that practically everything in the picture is defined by tone; the rain contrasting against the black backdrop to the whites put over one side of the character used to show which direction the light is coming from. In this particular case, tone is interacting with, and through it, better defining the shapes of the piece. As mentioned before, adding the dimension of tone makes it so that the character has a certain depth. Without tone, the light would appear to be uniform meaning that the shapes of the piece themselves would become more one dimensional.

Color:

In this particular example, color is barely used at all. Except for the red lettering at the bottom and the red bandanna on The Spirit, the entire piece is completely monochromatic. However, this approach of only ever highlighting one color in a monochromatic piece has often been used to great effect especially in the noir field allowing the viewer to be visually drawn to one point that the artist feels necessary to draw attention to. The color, while itself a pretty basic red, when posed against the black and white backdrop is perceived by the viewer as especially vibrant. In this particular piece, color would probably interact most with the element of direction. As stated before, the red highlights what the artist want's us to pay special attention to. The bandanna itself is posed diagonally in several different directions in direct opposition to the concept of stability producing a sort of uncontrolled effect on the piece.