{"id":17830,"date":"2021-03-21T02:55:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-21T09:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thepolymerarts.com\/blog\/?p=17830"},"modified":"2021-03-21T00:45:46","modified_gmt":"2021-03-21T07:45:46","slug":"approaching-subtle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thepolymerarts.com\/blog\/approaching-subtle\/","title":{"rendered":"Approaching Subtle"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"<\/a>When asked about your thoughts on contrast in your work, do you think about your range of contrast or whether your work has high contrast? How about when asked about color saturation or texture?<\/p>\n

When talking about concepts that are representative of a range of possibilities in design\u2014contrast, saturation, size, texture, etc.\u2014we often think of those terms as representing one end of the range of possibilities, or maybe more precisely put, what we think is the better outcome. By doing so, though, we may be cutting ourselves off from other wonderful possibilities.<\/p>\n

Let’s look at contrast as our example. I think most people assume that with contrast, the broader or bigger the differences the better. It\u2019s true that higher contrast creates more visual energy, but that isn\u2019t necessarily a good thing. As always, it goes back to your intention. If you want a piece to be calm or dreamy, high contrast and high energy is not going to relay that very well. Sometimes, subtlety is what’s called for.<\/p>\n

Look at the bezeled polymer cabochons in the opening image by Phyllis Cahill<\/a>. The highest contrast we have here is with those white spots against the pale colors. The evenness of the bezels edge does contrast against the irregular lines in the polymer but that\u2019s also fairly subtle. The cool feel of the color palette borders on warmth as the greens turned yellow but that barely registers. Still, there is some energy in these, in part from the subtle contrast but mostly in the way the element of line shows movement where the watercolor she uses spreads from one section to another. Overall though, Phyllis used elements in simple and subtle ways and it works wonderfully.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Subtlety doesn\u2019t come just in the form of general design elements either. Being subtle is also a choice when using imagery. Creating literal and clear translations of imagery can be beautiful but it leaves less room for the viewer to insert their own thoughts, interpretations, and experiences. Blurring lines, merging shapes and leaving out details allows us to fill in the rest with our own recollections.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always admired Lorraine Vogel\u2019s<\/a> work for this reason. She works a lot with floral and leafy imagery but you rarely get the whole flower or the whole leaf. What you do get is elegantly minimalized, inviting you to stay and fill in the rest with your own imagery.<\/p>\n

So keep your range of options in mind. When thinking contrast, consider how much energy you want the contrast to add to a piece. When considering color saturation, keep pastels and neutrals in mind. When choosing textures, of course you have many types but even a particular type can be lightly textured if that will better fulfill the intention. And when contemplating imagery, ask yourself how detailed it needs to be.<\/p>\n

In other words, it\u2019s not, \u201cDo I have enough contrast, saturation, detail\u2026?\u201d The question is, \u201cHow much do I need or want?<\/p>\n

The thing is, I\u2019m sure we all know we have these ranges of choice, but do we contemplate the full range when we are working? Sometimes we just need a reminder to look at all our options and, maybe, challenge ourselves to work outside our norm.<\/p>\n

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Last Week\u2019s Giveaway<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Okay, we have another winner to announce from last week’s giveaway!<\/p>\n

This last week\u2019s randomly chosen winner was Nicky Moxey! She’s in the UK so I’m sending her a gift certificate. We’ll just have to have another giveaway next month to give that clay away.<\/p>\n

I have to point out a fabulous comment Nicky made regarding the work she’s been doing on contrast in colors and thin layers of clay … “I\u2019m making a lot of happy mistakes,” she wrote. That is the attitude! We learn more from our mistakes than our successes and often come upon some of our greatest discoveries when we “slip up”. I just love to hear comments like that!<\/p>\n

Congrats Nicky!<\/p>\n

This Week\u2019s Giveaway<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Thank you to everyone who took part in last week\u2019s giveaway through comments on the post.\u00a0So, once again, let\u2019s do this!<\/p>\n

The Goodies<\/strong>:\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n