Homework 3 Blog

I enjoy cooking and have a collection of cookbooks. This scan is of the cover of a cookbook of Morimoto's recipes. The natural colors of his face are echoed in the title banner/bands and the greenish/grayscale background gradient brings the focus to his face even more. The dark edges and highlighted areas of the background recede and also draw my focus to the center, balancing the top two-thirds of the image. He must have a big ego because the title banner area covers the bottom third of the page and has secondary importance.



This cookbook has recipes from the Middle East. The foods and flavors are the focus of the book. The foods are the central focus in the image, also. The circular shapes of the title and the placement of the items draw your eye to the center, as does the bright yellow fruit. The fonts and gold filigree around the outside edge emphasize the exotic nature of the region.

Homework 2 Blog

I am posting two illustrations from The Society of Illustrators 49th Annual of American Illustration.

The first illustration was published by Peter De Seve and is found on page 69 of the Editorial Section. This image caught my attention because of the umbrellas and rain. I work for a lab that analyzes precipitation for "acid rain," so rain pictures intrigue me. As I studied the print, I liked the subtle feelings expressed by the facial features of the creatures and was reminded of the people I see every day as I wait for the shuttle bus that takes me to work. I found it playful and witty as it also indirectly refers to the biblical story of Noah and his Ark. It reminded me of children's stories and that is one of my favorite genre.



As I turned to page 71, I saw another image that reminded me of a children's story. I saw the traditional, folksy tile floor and the tail which resembled a woven rug and felt an immediate peace and calm that a family pet can bring. This image was published by Gurbuz Eksioglu in "The Media Cat Magazine." He records that he "tried to illustrate the idea that a cat can be happy without needing anyone." I think he succeeded.