W3DQ

Discuss/explain how you can utilize contrast in your designs. How do you retain an overall sense of balance with contrast?
Then...
Find an example of an artwork from the site below that supports your conclusions, download it, resize, and repost for us in our web format of 72 dpi, no more than 800 pixels wide, and describe its use of contrast and balance in the composition. MAke sure you label it with title and artist's name.
There are a number of artworks from different time periods at http://www.artcyclopedia.com/

So...to summarize:
the written component will be:
1. How to utilize contrast
2. How to balance contrast
3. A specific analysis of contrast and balance used in an artwork posted as attachment

Example below:

Daniel O'Brien

Contrast in design can be accomplished in many ways. For instance size of objects in the design can be different from a large item to smaller items. Larger items will grab the viewers’ attention to highlight a company name or logo making it important in contrast to the smaller items on the design.

To achieve balance using objects a large item must include a number of smaller items to give an equal weight or balance.
Type can also provide contrast in a design by using a bold type face or even a different font. For areas that you want the viewers attention and to highlight or emphasize an important point bold type is an option. Headlines are a good example for contrast in design in order to grab the viewers attention. Overuse can result in the viewer losing interest or slowing the viewer down. Highlighting of names in type is a way to draw attention of the viewer but can also be distracting and take away from the main subject of an article or paragraph.
The value of color of an object in relation to its background is a form of contrast in design. The darker the object and the lighter the background or vice versa the more contrast is achieved. The eye is drawn more towards items of higher contrast to lighter ones. Mixing different values of contrast can create items more important with higher contrast to less important using lower contrast.
Hard lines with sharper edges included with items that have softer edges can draw attention and provide contrast like a photograph and its main subject in focus while the background is soft and out of focus.

The painting I chose for this week’s assignment is “Large Fish Market” (1603) by the Flemish painter Jan Bruegel the Elder. The main focal point of this painting is obvious given the title of the painting. The lower left side of the painting is the fish market and the use of brighter more vibrant warmer colors compared to the cooler blue green backdrop of the sky water and mountains contrast each other. The detail and size of the market goers and the tree compared to the smaller people by the water get softer the further back into the landscape you look. Some of the people with dark clothes contrast to the backdrop of the water and other people with colorful clothing. With the main focal point at the lower left is not common but does provide some contrast to the rest of the painting and provides a focal point. The large tree provides some balance to the buildings in the town on the opposite side. I’m not exactly sure why I chose this painting but it is challenging to me to spot the different areas of contrast.

Sources:
http://desktoppub.about.com
http://www.artcyclopedia.com