Design Elements Analysis-Book 2

[Britty]

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin tells a story of barnyard animals who negotiate for supplies with their farmer, Farmer Brown, using a typewriter. The story's images are extremely detailed and correlate with the text well. Through the design elements we discussed in class, it is clear to see that the lines in the book would be categorized as thin or faded primarily when dealing with Farmer Brown, background scenery, or transition pages. The animals in focus in the text, however, were in heavier lines- this suggests an emphasis placed on these characters. The shape of the images in the book vary, but most animals have curving edges, fitting with their organic nature. This brings a peaceful tone to mind, the animals are the protagonists of the story. The colors vary throughout the story, but are typically warm and even bright in tense situations (such as when the cows or chickens are demanding and on strike). The value of these colors correlate, the more dramatic situations receiving more saturation and more emphasis even still. Texture is subtle due to the type of media used, but the effect is softer.
I believe the images shown in this book were created with watercolor because there is ample amounts of shading and transparency. Again, I think this adds to the organic and peaceful overall feel of the pictures. The watercolors blend and bring more of a realistic aspect to the paintings. The style of this book is realism. The artist, although depicting very unrealistic events, portrays nature as having the same characteristics that it has in real life. The details of the pictures are in depth and appealing, suitable for the story line.
I enjoyed this book, I thought it offered a comical and entertaining way to view negotiation and that the pictures really aided in the telling of the story.