Compose styles
Rather than blending styles toward a middle, this gives them roles. The first one carries the structure, the next comes in as the accent, and anything after that shows up in a single detail. Where they fight each other, it says so before you start.
How to divide the work
- Composition
- Follow Art Deco: Centered, symmetrical composition
- Type
- Set in Art Deco's manner (Tall, narrow geometric display type), and let Art Nouveau's lettering (Curvilinear serifs or hand lettering) appear only where you want the eye to catch.
- Material
- Ground in Art Deco's material (Black, gold, ivory; repeated hairlines); bring in exactly one thing from Art Nouveau (Dusty greens and gold, line work, paper texture).
- Colour
- Build on #17140f, #c8a65b, #f0e6cf and admit one accent from #e9ddbe, #829270, #6f3f35.
Where they fight
- Art Deco and Art Nouveau both belong to Historical Styles, so the difference is small. Push the roles further apart than feels comfortable.
Caution
- Art Deco Too much ornament turns theme-park. Let white space carry the dignity.
- Art Nouveau Stock vine ornaments stay superficial. Carry the line through the whole composition.
Image prompt
Produce four original images that take their structure from Art Deco (style, 1920s–1930s) and their accent from Art Nouveau (style, 1890s–1910s). ## What to make Make the kind of thing Art Deco exists for: giving an event a sense of occasion, or producing instant classic luxury. Choose one subject and hold it across all four. ## Structure comes from Art Deco - Symmetry - Radiating lines - Stepped motifs - Gold and black Composition: Centered, symmetrical composition. Type and lettering: Tall, narrow geometric display type. ## Accent comes from Art Nouveau, used sparingly - Botanical curves - Ornamental frames - Female figures - Muted natural colors Let one material quality come from it: Dusty greens and gold, line work, paper texture. ## Colour and feeling Build the ground on #f0e6cf, carry the structure in #c8a65b and #17140f, and let a single accent come from #829270. These are read off real works, so a direction rather than a fixed palette. Feeling to carry: luxury, exhilaration, intimacy. ## Where they fight - Art Deco and Art Nouveau both belong to Historical Styles, so the difference is small. Push the roles further apart than feels comfortable. ## What goes wrong - Art Deco: Too much ornament turns theme-park. Let white space carry the dignity. - Art Nouveau: Stock vine ornaments stay superficial. Carry the line through the whole composition. ## Across the four Keep the roles fixed in all four. Vary the framing, the scale and the arrangement so the set shows what this pairing can do rather than four versions of one picture. ## Constraints - Do not imitate, reference or name any specific artist, studio, brand, character or copyrighted work. - Do not reproduce the composition of an existing work. - Produce original compositions in the general period languages described above.
Related entries
- Art Deco 1920s–1930s / Style / Historical Styles
Stages urban luxury with repeating geometry and a metallic sheen.
- Art Nouveau 1890s–1910s / Style / Historical Styles
Joins letters, figures and ornament into one flowing, plant-like line.
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