A studio clean up and the launching of a friend's web site inspired me this week to make changes to my own web site and blog. There is a theory out there that having a black or very dark background makes artwork pop forward a bit more and reduces eye strain, which is why I went with that scheme when I started my web site, now nearly three years ago.
But now I'm not so sure that works as well as I thought it did. After looking at any number of sites, including this one belonging to my friend Katie, I started to realize that what the dark background actually did was emphasize the dark areas of the images and that a lighter background makes them brighter. Brighter images seems a bit more appropriate for "luminous brightscapes". Simplification seems to help as well, though a blog will always be rather busy - it's the nature of the beast.
I'd love to hear what you think - should I keep the the lighter scheme, or go back to the dark one?
Posts
10 Things I Didn't Say on the BoldBrush Show
1 year ago
Wow, I just discovered I haven't been here in awhile. The new art looks great! I think your neutral tone is very easy on the eyes, and it really makes your artwork pop. Your background is about the same tone as 18% gray, which is a photographer's friend of course.
ReplyDeleteMy site is probably a little harsh, though I like the drama. (It is actually a pale gray, though it looks white. I thought reducing the contrast a little would get the effect I wanted without quite so much eyestrain.) My images are on a dark background when you click in, but I kind of like the thumbs on white even though that's not orthodox. Always interesting to think about color.
Thanks Katie, glad you like it! I think the rules are a little bit different for photographs - they often seem to hold up better against black or white than paintings do for some reason. And of course if you want to create drama the high contrast is perfect. I've decided to go with a bit more of zen feeling and the hope that it will emphasize the blues better. It's pretty amazing what a difference background colors make.
ReplyDeleteThis looks better.
ReplyDelete