design theories in Bleach

[laurie-bunter.livejournal.com]

I don’t know if this this is a Captain Obvious sort of post, so just bare with me. :D It may be obvious to fans with serious Graphic Arts Skills but not to everyone.



Like a lot of people, I’ve been awaiting the scans of the spines every week. It’s not that I only want to see who’s next, though. I am also interested because after the first eight spines, I had a feeling I knew where Kubo was going with this artwork.

First off, it’s a challenge to compose this work. It’s of constant height but the width is seemingly endless. It’s like a mural on a very long wall. For something so long to have some overall unity, the artist got to have some tricks up his sleeve.

Thankfully, Kubo is ever the classic draftsman. Remember, this is a man obsessed with design. I’m not an artist myself but my love for the visual arts has led me to observe some things. Right now I’m thinking about the triangle (and reverse triangle) composition scheme! It’s fairly simple. Here are some samples:


If you go though a couple of centuries of European art, the upright triangle is fairly common in portraits. The Bellelli Family by Degas (third painting) is an interesting example -- the mother and daughters form their own little triangular niche while the father is chopped liver. It's suppose to depict the emotional distance of the father from the rest of the family.

Since the Mona Lisa is an example, yes this composition style is as old as the hills. Here are some of Bleach examples:


Why yes, Ichigo's crotch is the point of interest here. It is a depiction of a love triangle after all. :D Kubo, I see what you did there.


It's good to point out that some experts say that the upright triangle invokes stability and solidity -- so it's absolutely perfect for Ichigo in this color spread.


And so we come to the spine artwork. Wider space means more space to play, but also more space to make composition mistakes. Kubo sidesteps the problems neatly with a simple pattern:

Scrapbook version (click click click to enlarge to 100 percent):




Photobucket version (split in two because photobucket keeps resizing the damn file):
http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff330/Kylara21/0001gg2z.jpg


Original scan compilation by Zangetsu01 from BA. Matsumoto boob scan by Spacecat. Awkward photoshopping at the tail end is just me.



The only break in the composition so far are the figures of Renji and Ikkaku, yet they both form diagonal lines, almost like scales that break up the monotony of triangle theme. They are probably there to demarcate the start of the SS arc.

Each section has focal points that the eye is naturally drawn to -- Rukia’s profile leads to Isshin's tiny figure which leads to Orihime’s boobs (LOL). Orihime's breasts lead to the peak of Urahara’s striped hat, and so on. Hitsugaya’s shota cheeks are balanced by Gin and Kenpachi on either side of him. Byakuya’s bishie hair (fangirl squealing here) and his downward gaze leads directly to Matsumoto’s cleavage (more LOL).

Another scheme (broken blue lines) may be a secondary pattern, although after the first few spines I have difficulty tracing its path. I may be totally mistaken about this one. :( Still, there’s always a possibility it was abandoned or modified by Kubo to fit in more characters or naturalize poses, like Hitsugaya’s raised elbow. If some body parts shifted between doing the pencils and coloring, it would make sense.

I think it would be safe to predict that the rest of the artwork follows the general format of the red lines, with perhaps two or three more breaks of diagonals. I suspect other diagonally-oriented figures would be prominent characters from the Hueco Mundo arc, possibly Hiyori and Shinji or Grimmjow and Ulquiorra.

I also assume that two more Ichigos should make an appearance, one in hollow form and another in shinigami form.

To make a bolder prediction for Kubo’s intention for this drawing, though, I feel that either of these two future Ichigos will form diagonal lines with the Ichigo from the very first spine, so that the final artwork can be viewed as a continuous whole. Bleach, after all, is about death and re-birth, and it would simply be great if the whole artwork forms a giant circle.

Now wouldn’t that make a lovely pattern for an extra large Bleach umbrella?! Official merchandising, here we come! *is shot*

I hope no one thinks this post is out to prove there is some sort of hidden meaning in character placement, or worse, that there’s validity in shipping by geometry. :D Hardly so!

I just wanted to share some observations regarding Kubo’s possible intentions for this particular work. Kubo’s current manga chapters gets flak for a lack of scenery, phallic imagery (GIANT AIZEN CONDOMS! EXPLOSIONS!), and a bunch of other complaints.

Reluctantly, I feel that this current work is proof that Kubo still knows what he’s doing with his art 100 percent of the time, even if he’s not as sure with his subplots.




Uhm, feel free to agree or disagree with me regarding my current crazy theory. This is absolutely unbeta-ed and I hope it doesn't totally fail. *bites fingertips off in fear*

Oh yeah, and special thanks to hinodeh who posted Zangetsu01's pic when I asked last week! I know you had no idea I was going to do write this...

Additional thanks to karenai for uploading the large pic to her photobucket. :D *hugs*

Comments

[escarboucle.livejournal.com]

I studied History of Art for 4 years (never repeated a year either) and we never bothered with those triangles - yes yes I'm French, and I also studied the Joconde, of course, because it's such an awesome piece of art, albeit not my favourite. Why? Because it doesn't matter in History of Art, everything is a matter of composition and technic.

Yes there are a lot of triangles, but you know why? Because most of them had them sat on a chair, that's why. People standing up, people sat, there will ALWAYS be triangles. Where you see triangles, I see the need as an artist to put depth in his picture, putting some characters in the forefront, hiding others, giving some more importance than others. And it's not a matter of triangles, it's just a mere matter of composition, IMHO.

Now, triangles DO exist in pictures. And you know what? It's to symbolize the Franc-maçonnerie aka Freemasonry [hi thar (http://ead.univ-angers.fr/~iuttcweb/2010/iuttcwebg16/public_html/image/franc_macon_1.gif)].

Everything has a symbol in painting, especially since before the XIXth century they couldn't go outside to paint what they had under their eyes - they always painted in-doors, Leonardo himself used to sketch a lot, lot when he went outside to get his own ideas because he was very restricted when he painted. [and so, the most interesting pieces to look at are the mythical ones and the biblic ones].

Example: the Bellelli family, you see two triangles, I see a play with gazes - the woman and the youngest daughter have their attention caught by something offscreen, and the husband is looking at his wife, while only one daughter is looking at us. The atmosphere is heavy, and the wife is obviously mourning, all in black - a quick search reaffirms this, it was after the loss of her father - they're all Degas's family, BTW. Although you can't see it on your pic, there's also the portrait of her father near her, on the wall - what does it say about your triangles then? ;)

I also found the interpretation on the Orsay museum website [here (http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/painting/commentaire_id/la-famille-bellelli-7077.html?tx_commentaire_pi1[pidLi]=509&tx_commentaire_pi1[from]=841&cHash=f37daffceb)], if you're interested:
The baron was an Italian patriot, banned from Naples, who lived an exile in Florence. His wife is in mourning for her father, Hilaire, who died recently and whose portrait appears on the framed redline painting close to his daughter's face. In 1860, the two granddaughters, Giovanna and Giula, are 7 and 10. The mother is impressively dignified and affirms a slightly severe authority, contrasting with the relative aloofness of the father. This family portrait evokes those of Flemish painters, van Dyck in particular. Masterpiece of Degas's early years, this portrait evokes the family tensions isolating each member of the family. The imposing dimensions, the sober colours, the structured games of open perspectives (doors and mirrors), all converge in strengthening a climate of oppression. All the more so as suggestions of escape appear, such as this curious little dog split by the frame. The almost playful position of the younger daughter alone, crossing her leg under her skirt, contrasts with the heavy atmosphere whereas her elder sister seems already prisoner of adult conventions.

Yeah, definitely a heavy atmosphere ;_;

My motto, as someone who studied European history of art, is to not to try to lay on things that we invented later on older pieces. Things come naturally, for artists who have a natural talent for placement and such. They don't begin their painting with a triangle, they send us messages on how they want us to interpret their pieces, but that's about it. I will forever lulz on a XXth century painting that was put on the wrong way for YEARS before they discovered a picture with the painter and this picture in the other way... yeah it happened. XD See what I mean? XD

Also if you want to draw a triangle on the IchiRukiRen pic, it's in the other way, IMHO. Clearly.

/end of nerd

[deleonjh.livejournal.com]

Now now, the OP's examples may not have been great but some of those triangles in European art were definitely deliberate and probably unconnected to the Freemasons - see The Wreck of the Medusa above or David's Oath of the Horatii. Or da Vinci's Battle of Anghiari. And Degas' family probably didn't look that way at any specific moment, he most likely arranged them that way afterwards, so the triangle theory still holds. Although yeah, it doesn't really add much to most analysis besides the observation - Hey triangles! Which backwards painting are you talking about, by the way?

[escarboucle.livejournal.com]

Only in a very few paintings the pyramidal thing is something to look at - there's this painting of Nabuchodonosaur (don't know the English spelling) too that comes in mind. But those are kinda.. rare occurrences, not something to look at. Also, I've never said that Degas painted them at an X moment - people know it takes time to draw and paint such a painting so he mostly did like they all did before being able to paint them on the spot - aka sketching and painting afterwards. The composition is STILL NOT two triangles - the play here is with the mirror and the room in the back, see, focusing on the triangles makes you miss the real depth of the painting.

And I definitely think it doesn't need to be a genius to look at the spine and know who will be in the forefront - I guessed right from the start that Byakuya would have a big picture, because of his importance in the plot back then. Same for Shinji, Ulq, GJ - I expect them to be drawn in the forefront in big, rather than in tiny in the background.

I can't remember the name of that painting, it just struck me because they found this while I was in uni studying history of art with a major, major hate for the XXth century art altogether - save for Dali and Gaudi _o/ - and so I thought 'haha, serves you well, being all idiots about the meaning of a painting you can't even hang out properly. I think it was a small museum, but still XD

[vayshti.livejournal.com]

Not a small museum! XD

Well, at least the biggest, recent controversy I know of was over one of Rothko's pieces, and it being hung upside down (or sideways - no one's too sure) in the Tate Modern about 3 years ago.

Matisse's also got hung upside down in the New York Museum of Modern Art in the 60s.

Was it one of these you were thinking of, or another example?

[escarboucle.livejournal.com]

Ah, but it was back in the 90's you see, and it was indeed a small French museum XD

I didn't know about the recent uproars, haha - especially since I hate modern art, I just don't follow it at all XD

[vayshti.livejournal.com]

I imagine it happens all the time, and just most places manage to avoid the media spotlight. I only know about the Rothko one because I'd seen it in the gallery a week before the mis-hanging was announced.

I'm not big on abstract art. Occasionally I like something for the squidges of colour and composition, but generally I prefer things easily recognisable.

[(Anonymous)]

You really can't say that an artist deliberately used triangles when that is something that comes from the analytical side through observation of occurrence. You can however state that Kubo created focal points or "reads" and proved his composition before you ever see it and that is why the image flows from issue to issue.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that over analyzing composition doesn't really help anybody, since the only true rule is to answer a simple question. "Does the image read the way I intended?"

[escarboucle.livejournal.com]

This, thank you XD

[sleepwalkerrrr.livejournal.com]

First of all, thx Laurie_Bunter, it was very interesting observation!

Though I agree here in a way (if I understood this correctly). What immediately came to my mind is that especially in visual things like these, people do not necessarily intend to use any known "formula" for their picture.

When I'm drawing something, I try to sketch and move the points I want to focus on and follow the "feeling" of where they look best. This immediately displays some basic principles of visualization if I manage to follow my sense very well, like the golden ratio etc., because even if I do not know what the term means I may use it because for the human eye this way looks best visually. I would think that this triangle formation, which was new to me and very interesting, is one of those things that people who try to give their best shot for their art, follow instinctively.

Nevertheless, good points :)

[laurie-bunter.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I doubt if any artist would admit to using a formula since it would dispel a bit of the mystery! And of course there's always the problem of repeating oneself too often, so much so it becomes a joke.

But if the visual arts is anything like literature, there are tricks to be learned and exploited. I know that some people are naturally gifted, they have an eye for these things -- or as you put it nicely, a feeling for what looks best. Others have to learn them.

Anyway, it's okay if you disagree, at least you heard me out. :)

[laurie-bunter.livejournal.com]

Thank you. All mention of Freemasons sends hackles up my spine.

Maybe I should have picked other examples, but they were the first to come to mind.

[la-kalaka.livejournal.com]

*LOVING THE NERD*

Thank you for this, I liked the triangle stuff but I have to admit I liked even more like how you exposed this. So you studied story of art, woah! *_* I get a book about Japanese art story and I'm enjoying it the most.

I agree with you, about the interpretation on a picture, which can't not only be relate to a certain symbol but about all their elements as a whole in this (expression, composition, colors) and the story behind it. And now that I know well the story behind Degas' picture, I can't see the portrait as I saw it before read your post.

Thank you (I'm just a newbie but I really like to read about history of art: japanese art is my favorite and I really like Magritte, Monet and Klimt, just because I like what I see in their pictures. Dali is pretty interesting and crazy too)

[escarboucle.livejournal.com]

I love Japanese (an Asian) art, but it's really different from European art.

My personal favourites are medieval and Renaissance eras - I can stare forever at a painting made il Caravaggio or illuminations from the medieval era, which were amongst my favourite topics ever! These were fascinating eras to dissect, as an historian of art XD [after that come Antiquity and XIXth century - yeah the impressionism and romantic movements are interesting]. But seeing too much impressionism kinda made me think that while it was good, it was overrated - the more I studied Renaissance, the more I saw them as real geniuses.

Oh, and Dali. But him alone - his museum near Barcelona is crazily genius I have to say, it's what made me fall in love with his art.

And haha, when the topic of art is on, I just can rant forever XD Deb said it was good that I studied History of Art, because it made me alert for the details, and maybe that's true. XD

[escarboucle.livejournal.com]

I can stare forever at a painting made by il Caravaggio

[posting on mornings is no good] XD

[sleepwalkerrrr.livejournal.com]

//Deb said it was good that I studied History of Art, because it made me alert for the details, and maybe that's true. XD//

I can see where your good sense for shipping comes from :))))

[http://users.livejournal.com/_debbiechan_/]

Also if you want to draw a triangle on the IchiRukiRen pic, it's in the other way, IMHO. Clearly.


In other words, the bottom of the triangle is almost always the butts that people are sitting on--that's how I tend to see most portrait compositions myself, although since the crotch focal point was pointed out, I can't unsee it. XD

I tend to notice lots of crotches in Kubo's work anyway--whether or not he intends them as focal pts is another matter, lol.

[laurie-bunter.livejournal.com]

I thought I was the only one to notice the crotches in Kubo's work. Renji, in particular, seems to be a favorite. :D I wonder why.

[laurie-bunter.livejournal.com]

My degree isn't art studies, just so it's clear. But I am surprised you never bothered with triangles, because in my basic drawing and painting classes, it was a perennial exercise. Graphing, the proportion of ratios, the rule of 3rds, etc. -- all these things were enforced (or encouraged, depending on the teacher's feelings on the matter.)

Freemasonry, ugh. :( I wasn't even thinking of them when I wrote this. I actually don't like Da Vinci but he seemed like an obvious example.

And just so you know, I do know that people had to stick to their studios prior to the scientific breakthroughs in the 19th century, when paints were became portable. :) I've also read a bit about Degas and have seen some of his works on permanent exhibition in the US. And yes, I know some interpretations of that particular painting, but of course not all of them. I didn't think it was necessary to go into that much detail here.

I never said painters begin with a triangle. You misunderstood me. I was trying to illustrate that the composition style occurs. Whether it is done consciously or not is a different matter all together. You obviously don't think this is a valid way of interpretation, but I just wanted to put forward the idea that maybe Kubo is using this pattern. Does this take away anything from how well he draws? No. But does it mean we might be able to predict the look of the rest of the work? Maybe.

On a whole, though, I would have to disagree with you regarding interpretation. Just because a particular theory regarding art or literature hasn't been around during the creation of the piece, it doesn't make it exempt from reinterpreting it using that theory. The only way to keep a piece active and relevant is to reinterpret it continually to see if it holds up to current standards.

Regarding the painting that was hung upside down. Theoretically speaking, what if it looked better that way? What does this say about the original artist or the museum people who hung it that way? There's insight to be had from the reinterpretation, you know.

We probably aren't going to agree on this point, so maybe we should just agree to disagree.