Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Movement & Implied Motion

Credit to: http://www.visionmagazine.com/archives/0709/artistofthemonth.html
This design is by one of my favorite artists, New York based Justin Bua. It depicts a breakdancing scene during the 80's when Hip Hop was at its prime. This image is great because it emphasizes motion on many levels. The focal point that draws you in is the breakdancer in the center. His legs are not actually moving but the artist does a great job of portraying motion through scale and detailing. The people near the foreground of the image also have a sense of motion by the way their bodies curve out and upwards, almost dodging out the dancer. Looking down the vanishing point there is a crowd of viewers visible. Many of these characters don't look stagnant, they seem as if they are all an active part of the scene and are reacting to the flashy dance skills. The buildings in the background were also intentionally designed to portray movement, almost as if they are right there dancing to the beat of the boombox that plays on the street.

Credit to: http://iproduceart.com/lebron-nike-zoom-concept/
This design is a concept for the Lebron James Nike Sneaker. Nike is an athletic brand that promotes many designs that showcase movement, because their product of course is based around fitness. The logo itself is a check mark (or swoosh) that is, at its basic level, a motion graphic. With that being said, there is an extreme amount of movement present within this design. Without even looking closely at the details, the overall shape looks like something between an explosion and dropping a heavy object in a pool of water to see the splash. Taking a closer look, some of the implied motions are more apparent. For example, the splash of color coming from the top of the shoe on both the right and the left side of the design suggest outward motion. The sharp, blade-like design in the background also gives an implied motion that the shoe is almost gliding down through the canvas. All these elements along with the cracking lined texture of the background make this piece successful in the implied motion of the design.