♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #61

Image/Graphics/Visual Post – Include a collection of images around a central topic or idea.

Welcome back to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop! If you’re new to the series, the authors included are grateful for your reads and appreciate, even more so, when you share our writings with your friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Be prepared to become a regular reader.

Images, graphics and visuals are important to writing. Although authors paint their images with words, they need to have visual literacy in order to effectively write a scene. During the months I studied film for my graduate degree, I rehashed the idea of mise-en-scène. If you’re not a visual artist, it’s pretty certain you don’t know what that even means. Most writers probably aren’t familiar with the term.

Mise-en-scène (French pronunciation: [mizɑ̃sɛn] “placing on stage”) is an expression used to describe the design aspects of a theater or film production, which essentially means “visual theme” or “telling a story”—both in visually artful ways through story-boarding, cinematography and stage design, and in poetically artful ways through direction. It is also commonly used to refer to multiple single scenes within the film to represent the film. Mise-en-scène has been called film criticism’s “grand undefined term”. (Wikipedia)

Despite the term being alien, most authors are writing with a design in mind. It’s the active voice without exhibition. Your character’s behavior, and the things with which they interact tell a sub story that informs the main story. When selecting a cover design, this very thing should be considered.

Photographers, not just filmmakers, also use the theory to set up their shots. They’re more likely to call it framing. Their use of this tool is what has viewers of their work say they have a good eye. Graphic artists also use it.

Since I happen to also be a photographer and graphics artist, I’ll include some examples below…

These first several images, up to the Gyuto Order graphic, illustrate mise-en-scène for graphic design. Each image conveys a story, cluing the viewer into themes and ideas that are particular to the message the ad should convey.

Watchers, Order of Illuminati

Cavalry Horse, Blue Honor Cover Photo

This is the cover I designed for Blue Honor when I first published the book. It made use of a photograph I had taken at a living history event. The design is very simple and effective, but it’s not fantastic.

The covers are the first and second editions, respectively. The latter more clearly shows what the reader can expect from the text.

Photograph – Sadie Sue Shagbottom Naps

My photography of animals, scenery and even food are also staged, even when they seem intimate and candid.

8 Days In Ireland

Saratoga – http://kwilliamsphoto.deviantart.com/art/Saratoga-101659274

Hot Air Balloon – Commission: Post Processing Work

US Civil War 15, “Fiddler”

“Milkweed Fairy” is a digital collage called a photomanipulation. Everything contained in the image serves a purpose, a point in the story of the scene. The next images are digital and traditional drawings. Some contain more detail than the others, but each is it’s own story.

Cat Hill – http://kwilliamsphoto.deviantart.com/art/Cat-Hill-100432352

Tea Cup Digital Painting

Pagoda Digital Painting

Oliver Diglebee is a poetic verse story for kids by K. Williams

Umbrella – pencil on high weight paper

You can find a lot more of my visual stories in my online gallery. You can also check out my Pinterest Boards online.

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