Mike McCarty

This is something I've been doodling. I was trying to figure out how I could work this yin-yang symbol into the background of this composition. I just couldn't figure out where, or how to do it with such a limited amount of space. This is what finally came to me.

The drawing is not worth critiquing, but I wondered what others might think of this concept.

A proof of concept, if you will.

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Mike McCarty

Jean Kelly

Nope, it looks like fat raindrops. In order to be symbolic of yin/yang, the two need to be combined into a circle. The two symbols become a whole, showing balance. I think that you could show part of the symbol on the right side with the balance on the left. But it has to be the whole symbol. One big one, not two fractured ones.

I really like the study so far, she is beautiful. I normally wouldn't react so strongly, but I'm searching so hard for balance right now that this scared me!

Sorry,
Jean

Terri Ficenec

Mike is that symbol that you posted the picture of built into an ornamental half-wall kind of thing? Perhaps you could put it (the whole little wall) intact in the distance over her left (our right) shoulder?

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Mike McCarty

The trouble I have is trying to keep from creating a two figure composition, the symbol and the head.

The actual symbol is quite big as you can see here. And, if left life size, it loses its meaning.

Of course I could just leave the whole thing out.

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Mike McCarty

Mike McCarty

The trouble I have is trying to keep from creating a two figure composition, the symbol and the head.

The actual symbol is quite big as you can see here. And, if left life size, it looses it's meaning.

Of course I could just leave the whole thing out, and focus on the spring rolls and stir fry.

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Mike McCarty

Allan Rahbek

Hi Mike,

You know, the yin yang thing is about balance. Two energies in our mind, or how our minds percept things as opposite energies.

So to get the Yin-Yang energy to express itself you have to paint some highly contrasting structures.

One way of expressing the male Yang energy could be the active line, drawing, brush stroke intruding the female Yin energy of the blank paper or the more quiet areas of the canvas.

It´s all about balance.

Most western artists seem to be more aware of the things they have done than the things they have not done on the canvas.

So to make Yin -Yang you have to think vignette, in a way.

Allan

Mike McCarty

I will admit that when you separate the push - pull symbols they are no longer the literal yin-yang. They at best would be a suggestion of the same.

What if, instead of interjecting the yin-yang concept, i had instead placed two Japanese Beatles in their same place. Would the "composition" be balanced?

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Terri Ficenec

This might be a crazy idea, Mike... but was wondering if you could work in the YinYang thing almost subliminally or like a faint overlay of the overall image... image by playing with the values/temperature thing a little.... maybe adjusting the shapes on the hat, clothing a little?

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Chris Saper

OK Mike, I'm thinking a wallpaper border design, placed behind eye level, like Rockwell and the Saturday Night Post covers.

If you use VERY desaturated colors, cool in temperature, and absolutely equal in value, they will disappear in incandescent light, whereas the warm tones in flesh will spring to life (Thomas Kinkaid Secrets Revealed!)

I think the Allen is definitely on the money, but we westerners don't seem to get subtlety, which would be at the core of the Yin Yang. Personally I keep trying for subtlety, but it doesn't seem to be my long suit.

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Mike McCarty

Chris,

Do you mean in a repeating pattern like this? Only dropping it down to eye level (in a border band) and it being covered by the subject in the center? Maybe more than the four I've shown.

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