Chiaroscuro

29 April 2022 (Week 1 - 6)

Mabuchi ARATA / 0351579
Visual illustration & Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task : Chiarosco

1, Introduction

(Fig 1,1 David with the Head of Goliath, 1610, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio)

Chiaroscuro is the design technique to make strong impression to any design prodecuts by using strong light contrast on the image. It can create image ore impressive and dramatic.

Simply to explain, in the world of design, "Light" is one of the most essential factor, because many artists and designer represent their own design from light refrection, however, , if contrast in the visual product between light and dark is not strong enough, the impression of views will not good as you expected, or it isn't enough to express your idea or feelings at all, however, if we using the strong light in our design, the strong "contrast" can be made.

To explain about this much simply, the contrast is difference between more than two design elements, by using contrast wisely, we can create strong influence in the design. It also produces us a detail of image clearly.

(Fig 1.2 Chiaroscuro with Mango-liked Shape 1, 28th April 2022)

Let's find out more by looking at the example. This artwork shown above is my artwork about mango hanged by one rope made by illustrator. Details of the artwork become much complex as it goes from left above to right bottom. Even though they're all artwork of mango, the impression of the artwork become more strong and unique as it goes.

The reason for this is because when I add details on my work, I reminded about making the light contrast. Actually, I created this artwork from the photograph of ango hanged from abouve. In the original photograph, There is strong light comes from left side and it provides us strong presence for mango in the photograph.

(Fig 1.3 Hanged Mango)

In the adobe software, I tried to expless the impression of existence of mango in this photograph by adding many shapes one by none onto the original mango-liked shaped object. As the result shows, the impression and force to attract viewrs become much stronger and stronger. This is how contrast of light and dark works.

To sum up the ideas about "Chiaroscuro", Main purpose of Chiaroscuro is providing strong impression on the image, so views can notice details, dramatic impression and emotion and strong influence about where the main features exist in the image or design (it can alter to state as "strong attention").

2, Example

You may understand the consept of the Chiaroscuro even better by looking at Examples. My recomended Chiaroscure work is artworks of "Hendrick ter Brugghen".

Hendrick ter Brugghen(1588 - 1625) is a Netherlands' artist and his artworks used contrast of light and dark wisely.

(Fig 1.4 Boy playing a recorder, 1621, Hendrick ter Brugghen)

When you look at his work, you may notice that his artworks are "dramatic" and "emotional". His artwork's main characteristic is that "contrast of light". Both of his religious and normal people's life artworksthe strong light and darkness can be found, in the result, there are always strong contrast between light and dark.

What the strong light contrast provides us? First of all, strong light can attract people's attention towards the point where strong light exists in the design, It also make the character in the artworks more dramatic and impressive by lighting up , in the result, the character/ object in the artwork become much noticeable and emotional, so it can collect viewr's sttention .

Strong light contrast easily attract people to see because it can provide up strong impression that makes artwork

(Fig 1.5 Melancholia, 1627-1628, Hendrick ter Brugghen)

3, My work

I create this image by drawing tool called "Krita". Originally, I was planned to import Adobe illustrator to organize some linesto make it more smoother, but rather tnan takes time to convert my work, I decided to use only Krita so I can quickly complete my work.

When I thought about light contrast, I decided to represent strong light shining in the darkness, then I decided to make motorbike driving through midnight highway.

(Fig 1.6 Midnight Motorbike, 28th April 2022)

The main problem I found during my production is colour of motorbike, because main purpose of Chiaroscure is making elements in the visual image attractive and dramatic, but when I draw my artwork, I've found some serious problem.

(Fig 1.7 Motorbike image, 28th April 2022)

The colour of motorbike driver was originally black, however, if the colour of motorbike driver was black, It'd be much harder to find out where motorbike driver is. Therefore I needed to change my driver's jacket's colour from brack to silver colour with some lighting meterial on the driver's jacket, so I solved the problem by changing driver's jacket into some lightable jacket.

(Fig 1.8 Golden Spiral)

I used golden ratio for my artwork's ratio for my work and I tried to put the motorbike in the centre of golden spiral, however, in the result, the motorbike moved too much left side. it may be the good idea to use golden spiral as one of my work's layer.

(Fig 1.9 Chiaroscuro with Mango-liked Shape 2, 28th April 2022)

I made another Chiaroscuro work using Adobe illustrator as I've already shown before. I tried to represent the light contrast by adding different colour tones onto the mango-liked shaped onject. I use different colour background to find out the best background colour.