Delicacy and Expressiveness. Part 2: Recommendations.

Have a nice continuation, friends!

In the first part of the article, I tried to provide a more or less stable technical basis for a difficult-to-define, but interesting characteristic of appearance - the parameter "delicacy-expressiveness".

Today's task is to translate theory and other perceptions into practical recommendations. And let's start, as usual, with color.

Color

It would seem, what does color have to do with it when it comes to composition?

pincushion and barrel distortion

Let's recall that when discussing the phenomenon of distortion in the previous article, we identified several key qualities that it gives to an object: the sensation of approaching the viewer (barrel-shaped) / moving away from him (pincushion-shaped); the sensation of expansion and contraction; the sensation of enlargement and reduction.

To understand how color can be incorporated into distortion, let's turn to coloristics, specifically the psychophysiological impact of color on humans. This impact is actively used by various designers—in advertising, product design, and interior design. How can research into this topic help us? Here's how:

"Color perception is also affected by certain visual characteristics: under normal conditions, yellow colors are focused precisely on the surface of the retina, red colors are focused in front of the retina, and violet colors are focused behind it. This is one of the reasons why cool colors appear to move away (retreat) from the viewer, i.e., appear further away than their actual location, while warm colors appear to approach (protrude) toward them. Warm and cool colors of equal saturation, placed on the same plane, are perceived as lying on different planes."

Cold ones move away, warm ones move closer. Is there a compositional correlation? Yes.

But that's not all:

“One more pattern of perception can be noted: warm colors, especially yellow and orange, seem to be “expanding”, cold colors seem to be “contracting”, and red, purple-red, as well as green and yellow-green colors seem to be static, not changing the size of the spot.”

Expansion and contraction. Based on these facts, can we draw parallels and derive harmonizing recommendations for delicate and expressive colors? No one can stop us, but before that, let's delve a little deeper into other properties of cool and warm colors that may be useful:

"The colors of the red-yellow part of the circle are called warm—they are associated with the color of incandescent bodies, fire, and sunlight. The colors of the bluish-blue part of the circle are called cool because they are associated with the color of water, air, ice, and metal. It is this associative aspect of color perception that underlies the division of colors into "warm" and "cold."

"Warm colors are also called active. They always dominate passive cool colors, as the stimulating effect of the former significantly exceeds that of the latter. They are noticed much more quickly and are retained in memory longer. Red is not very common in nature, and when it is, it is in very small quantities, while green is constantly visible. Therefore, a small amount of green does not attract attention to the same extent as red. Naturally, therefore, surfaces or objects that you want to highlight should be painted in warmer, more saturated, prominent colors."

Now let's draw a conclusion:

• those with delicate features, regardless of their color type, will benefit from cool colors, a calm natural palette, and shades of gray - they will allow such features to shine through;

• expressive features will benefit from active warm colors and a general riot of colors - they will balance and harmonize the composition.

Let's move smoothly from the topic of coloristics to textures, since based on the above information, conclusions about them are self-evident.

Textures

Textures are almost always determined based on an associative series, therefore:

• Warm, dry textures for expressive features – matte, soft, voluminous, and rough surfaces, fur, knitted fabric, suede. Associations: sand, paper, rough stones, shaggy textures.

• Cool, damp textures for delicate features – flat, glossy, shiny, lacquered, and smooth surfaces. Associations: water, ice, metals, porcelain, cut stones, smooth vegetation.

Important: we also consider hair texture as a part of our look. Therefore, regardless of the original texture, we recommend using bold curls for expressive features, while smooth, silky hair and waves are for delicate features. Recall the comparison between Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman from Part 1 of this article.

Let's move on to more obvious means of expression that are influenced by the parameter we are discussing:

Scale and detail

To delicate - delicate, to expressive - expressive.

This means that the larger, more prominent, and more weighty the features, the larger, wider, denser, and thicker the "strokes" can be: accessories, jewelry, makeup details (more prominent eyebrows, brighter accents), the volume of hairstyles and haircuts, the amount of fabric, and the volume of silhouettes. Consequently, the finer and more delicate the features, the finer, lighter, and more nuanced the frame.

This partially applies to detail, but it is also influenced by figurative types and linearity. When viewed in a vacuum, expressiveness naturally involves a wealth of detail, many accents, even "all the best at once," while delicateness involves elegance, restraint, and pure minimalism, among other things. But! With the appropriate scale and tonal contrast, minimalism is also accessible to expressiveness, and a wealth of detail is accessible to delicateness.

National coloring can be a good guide to determining the degree of expressiveness – observe the differences between southern women (active details and palette) and northern women (restraint and nuance), or the preferences of people representing the highly expressive Negroid race or the delicate Mongoloid race. Imagery preferences built on the characteristics that adorn a particular ethnic group are a reliable foundation that has stood the test of time.

By the way, this tip can be useful not only from a technical perspective, but also for harmonizing one's image as a combination of static and dynamic elements. Different nationalities have different types of attractiveness. Therefore, let's also touch on the topic of characterization in general:

Bonus: image

An expressive appearance favors not only a hot and vibrant frame, but also behavior: activity, emotionality, extroversion, impulsiveness, contrast, passion, openly expressed, "mature," sultry sexuality, and with it an open body, an open smile, generous gestures, loud displays, warmth, and an open soul. Look at Italians – and the picture should come together.

A delicate appearance, on the contrary, is emphasized by a cool and emotionally subtle demeanor. Introverted, reserved, unfussy, thoughtful, and refined. She suits meaningful glances, the shadow of a smile, and a thoughtful demeanor. Her sexuality is not overt but veiled—like that of elegant ladies at a social event or in the aesthetics of East Asia: deep feelings, romanticism, minimal skin (preferring the back and shoulders), mystery, intrigue, and understatement.

---

That's all I have for you, dear fellow travelers. I hope this discussion will prove useful in your style journey. ♥

Peace between the outer and inner to each and everyone!

Thank you for your trust, and until next time!