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 Kumadori: Crop tight to the face and let brow and eye lines set the axis
- Type
- Set in Kumadori's manner (Brushed letters that match the stroke energy of the makeup lines), and let Ukiyo-e's lettering (Brush letters or a disciplined mincho fitting the subject; no meaningless Japanese) appear only where you want the eye to catch.
- Material
- Ground in Kumadori's material (Red and indigo brushed over white, the bristle streaks left showing); bring in exactly one thing from Ukiyo-e (Keylines and few color blocks; use the paper as one of the colors).
- Colour
- Build on #fefbed, #b8352b, #26354d and admit one accent from #e6d7b5, #285b7e, #c9a260.
Where they fight
These are already listed as related entries, so the join should come easily.
Caution
- Kumadori Drawing the red and indigo as pure pattern breaks the code that marks good, evil and the superhuman, leaving a decorated face that states nothing.
- Ukiyo-e Not a kit of 'Japanese-style' signs. Research the artist, carver, printer, period and subject.
Image prompt
Produce four original images that take their structure from Kumadori (style, 1673–) and their accent from Ukiyo-e (style, 17th–19th century). ## What to make Make the kind of thing Kumadori exists for: stage makeup and character faces that state temperament through line and color, or posters and packaging where one strong face has to carry the whole design. Choose one subject and hold it across all four. ## Structure comes from Kumadori - Red and indigo kuma lines - Musculature drawn as pattern - White ground - A color code of character Composition: Crop tight to the face and let brow and eye lines set the axis. Type and lettering: Brushed letters that match the stroke energy of the makeup lines. ## Accent comes from Ukiyo-e, used sparingly - Clear outlines - Flat color - Bold cropping - Overlapping space Let one material quality come from it: Keylines and few color blocks; use the paper as one of the colors. ## Colour and feeling Build the ground on #fefbed, carry the structure in #b8352b and #26354d, and let a single accent come from #c9a260. These are read off real works, so a direction rather than a fixed palette. Feeling to carry: exhilaration, rebellion, nostalgia, calm. ## What goes wrong - Kumadori: Drawing the red and indigo as pure pattern breaks the code that marks good, evil and the superhuman, leaving a decorated face that states nothing. - Ukiyo-e: Not a kit of 'Japanese-style' signs. Research the artist, carver, printer, period and subject. ## 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
- Kumadori 1673– / Style / Stage Design
Kabuki makeup that exaggerates muscle and vein in red and indigo lines, diagramming a role's character on the face. With Sharaku's actor prints, the origin of the strong graphic face in Japanese design.
- Ukiyo-e 17th–19th century / Style / Japanese Woodblock Prints
Fixes a passing moment of daily life or landscape into strong composition with contour, flat color and daring crops.
Share this composition:https://indexstyle.org/compose?ids=kumadori+ukiyo-e