WK9

Tone

In the above example, tone is an active design element. You immediately notice the colors in this image, all of them being very bright with a lot of light pattern areas. With such colors you avoid the absence of light which can express certain feelings that the artist of this poster was clearly trying to avoid. Because tone is the most basic means by which we distinguish our visual environment very strong associations such as time of day, seasons, mood, and place. In this particular image you can very well assume that is a beautiful sunny day, during spring when the grass is greenest, the birds are chirping, and rivers flow vigorously. Never once in my mind could I have a negative thought in regards to this image.

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bentheillustrator/3660247660/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Movement

Movement is clearly an active element in this graphic design. The lines in this all generally flow in the same direction. As your eyes travel through the composition, your eyes naturally stop on the circles, which work as stopping points. It leads to top-down processing because you process all the detail as your eyes bounce back and forth between sections of detail. Also, the texts in the illustration cause movement because you move your eyes from text to text, processing information.

Image source: http://www.coroflot.com/allisonboozer/Conscious-Alliance-print-design/1

Shape

In this example, shapes are used as an active element to send a message to the viewer. By using connecting lines, two circles have been created and connected together. The simplicity of this design offers a complex and greater meaning: the idea of infinite options (infinity). The main shape in this image has become widely known and accepted, which makes it a symbol that holds greater meaning. The artist that recreated this basic shape out of two circles creates a sense of fluidity with a never-ending path. The viewer doesn’t know where the shape begins or ends, and can even trace over this design multiple times without hitting an ending point. Using circles has allowed the message of endlessness and continuation to be apparent.

Image source: http://wallpaperstock.net/digital-infinity_wallpapers_7472_1024x768_1.html