Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Contour Continuation


I created some visual development background art for a game that was never released. As you can see, it goes from a paradise like forest on the left going to a more evil place on the right. I thought I was pretty happy with some parts of it, until last week I found an interesting post on contour continuation by Frederick Gardner that I just wanted to share with you. If you look at my background pan after reading his post you can notice some weak spots.

"I started using this "Contour Continuation" technique as a background designer at Warner Bros Classics. Contour Continuation is the lining up of shapes to continue a contour (or directional element) across the composition. Sometimes this technique is extremely successful and beautiful, other times, it is subtle and almost invisible."
"I have used "Contour Continuation" to create a flowing rhythm to the composition. As the camera pans through the scene, the landscape "flows" by the camera like water so lacking in the environment. Pay particular attention to the dead tree branches hugging the contour of the hills behind them."

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