The hierarchy of images is one of the vital parts of graphic design and illustrations. It’s always useful to consider the most important aspect of the subject and identify the key component and the meaning it brings to communication. It’s important for illustrators to analyse the composition by using a ‘pecking order’ established for each element in illustration, and only after the colour usage and its context. All of that helps to control the image and keep its function of transferring the main idea of the illustration.
In this exercise, I need to analyse the illustration above and its hierarchy within the image and identify the most important elements in terms of bringing the message and the way it has been processed.
What the image is about. What is it saying?
The action takes place in the dragon’s cave. In the centre of attention was a sleeping dragon, with a green chair that was placed around the dragon’s body. The dragon is guiding a pile of golden coins and other treasures. Two small characters, a boy and a girl came into the room with a torch flame. Looks like the girl wants to push forward, meanwhile the boy is pointing to the exit. In the foreground also located swords and armouries.
Work out the narrative and identify the story.
The visual of the illustration and the way it has been painted suggest to me that it could be taken from a quest game, computer game, or adventure book. Also, the bright colour scheme and cartoon character can identify that the narrative has been made for kids.
Looks like those two characters have been looking for the treasures, they came into the cave well-prepared with a touch, so I would assume it was not an accident that they stumbled into the dragon. As two little characters stood near the entry of the dragon’s cave, I would suggest that kids just entered the premises, and discuss with each other what their next step is. The font character suggesting to move forward, and points at the dragon, whereas the smaller character points at the exit and looks scared to move forward, and hides behind the girl’s back.
In the foreground are located armours, that potentially have been left by the previous investigators. I would assume that they failed the battle with the dragon, or escaped the place with fear, as the way they left their weapons. The size of the armoury is much bigger than the kids, I would assume the weapons belonged to someone related to the army, like a soldier.
Colourwise I can see the connection between the clothes of the kids, the swamp shades, the juicy green and blue shades of the armoury, and the green chair, which can identify that kids are warriors, and the throne, or armchair could be their part of victory too, particularly the girl, she seemed to be the brave one in this illustration. The dragon is red, the same colour as the flame in children’s hands, and the top part of the rock in red and yellow shades carries danger. The dragon’s tip tale with the shape of the arrow pointing to the armchair suggests the direction of movement.
Describe the palette and tonal range which has been used. Note if the colours are hot or cold, whether the elements are detailed or textural, and where these approaches are used.
In that image were used two contrasting shades, warm and cold. Hot colours, such as red, yellow, and orange, bring objects to the vocal, dominant point in the foreground. Cold colours, such as blue, and purple areas sit further in the hierarchy and visually move objects in the background.
The vocal, dominant point in this image is on the sleeping dragon, pictured in bright red colour, and a flame that rises above the dragon at the top of the rock and does the wrapping around the top of the children in an arc shape, thereby drawing attention to them. The flame of the torch in the girl’s hands is also red-orange, but less noticeable, as it merges with the red background of the bigger flame. There is a triangle of bright green colours connection, which is partly placed on the armoury, the girl’s outfit, and the armchair, which suggests to me, that girl is a leader or warrior who came for victory. The coins are golden, and yellow in colour with some red parts implemented into them, which could symbolise the danger around the treasures, as they are similar colour to the flame on the top, in addition to the dragon covering them up, wich made them more difficult to achieve. The background shades were chosen pale blue, navy blue and purple colours, which create a strong contrast with the warm palette, and suggest the effect of a cold environment, the rock could be made from ice or pictured in the winter season.
The is also a noticeable texture on the blue and red colours on the top of the rock. On the blue, and purple colours, those leaks look like an ice lollipop, but the red colour of the flame reminds me of melted lava. The grainy texture on the ground where the kids stood attracted the attention of the kids as well.
Is there any connection between hot colour and the importance of the element in telling the story?
I would assume that there is a connection between the hot red colour and the massive red giant dragon. They are dominant parts of the story, not only sizewise but also about the brightest colour of the shades pallet, which is red. The rest colours in that imagery, such as green for the chair, children’s outfit and armoury create a contrast to the dragon. If green objects were painted in a similar to dragon warm colours, they would become invisible, and wouldn’t create a contrast to the vocal point. The fact for painting kids’ outfits used more natural colours, like a brown outfit for the boy, makes them look more natural and closer to the familiar colour palette we get used to seeing in nature.
Reference
The Clockwork Dragon by Jonathan Emmett (2015)
https://jonathanemmett.com/books/picture-books/the-clockwork-dragon
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