Mixture of Image types

From the general to the particular, from the particular to the general

Image type is essentially a visualization of a fusion of two of the five stylistic trends most widely used to artistically depict the world around us. Each of these trends—drama, naturalism, classicism, romanticism, and naiveté—in turn represents a set of physical properties that allow them to be united under the concept of "style."

The fewer stylistic elements an image uses, the more striking it is, but also the simpler and more clichéd it is. When choosing the right amount, it's important to consider the context.

Our area of ​​interest is personal style, so the balance between stereotypicality and originality for us will be determined by two factors: external and internal.

Appearance can be very categorical, but it usually still allows for two distinct stylistic vectors. And this is quite sufficient for a three-dimensional, non-flat, interesting image.

Appearance can be extremely flexible and offer the potential to combine more than three styles (possibly all five, but something usually clashes). In this case, building an image will require the active participation of an internal factor: a developed creative mind, an experienced eye, and perhaps an innate sense of taste. Creating a cohesive image based on four or five styles is a challenging task, and I find it difficult to imagine a situation in which this investment would be worthwhile. It's much easier to prioritize and focus on the "larger strokes."

Depending on the plasticity of the appearance, we will consider two or three to be the ideal number of stylistic components for a deep, holistic and well-readable image.

Let's move on to the methods of finding them and further interaction.

Mixing methods

There are usually two paths to a complete personal style: from the specific to the general and from the general to the specific, depending on your type of thinking:

• You can examine expressive means separately (texture, line, color, composition, vertical proportions, scale, contrast, etc.) and analyze which of these relate to which stylistic component. Then you can assemble the image piece by piece, test it, reassemble it, prioritize it, and see what stylistic stories emerge from it. And from these stories, in turn, you can extract additional technical characteristics to refine your recommendations.

The main means of expression can be structured as follows:

	drama	classic	natural	romantism	naive
color	dark/bright	cold	warm	soft	light/bright
contrast	high	medium	medium	low	вhigh
texture	glossy	smooth	rough	shiny	matte
size	large	medium	сmedium	delicate	small
lines	expressive	calm/graphic	voluminous/soft	thin/elongated	dynamic
design	ascending▼	stable ■	any	descending ▲	compact⚫️

At first, you might not even need to focus on the figurative part at all, to allow the information you've discovered to sink in. It's quite possible that the technical aspects will be enough to help you feel a sense of harmonization in your appearance.

• Or you can work with the Imagery Guideline right away - evaluate the harmony of appearance and aesthetics of Imagery types, visualize possible spaces and styles produced by mixing the most suitable of them, and only then isolate specific means of expression from it, set priorities and make recommendations.

To make this task easier, this impressive cheat sheet may be useful::

Influential

➕ Savage - if a hotter, more passionate image is needed

➕ Mystery - if you need more decoration and mystery

➕ Manor - if it seems cold and cramped

➕ Exquisite - if you want to add some historicism and vintage

➕ Dolly or Cheeky - if you need to lighten the image

Cheeky

➕ Dolly - if you want to add structure/peace

➕ Cheerful - if it seems too smooth

➕ Tender - if he looks rude, aggressive

➕ Influentinal/Savage/Mystery, accordingly - if you need to bring some seriousness/maturity/weight in addition to the previous points

Savage

➕ Influentinal - if you want to add some polish and brevity

➕ Mystery - if the image lacks witchcraft

➕ Sensual - if you need to add delicacy and smoothness

➕ Manor - if you want to make it more homey

➕ Cheeky or Cheerful - if a more playful impression arises

Cheerful

➕ Dolly - if you want a more neat, "diligent" impression

➕ Cheeky - if you need a tomboy image

➕ Tender - if a more fabulous, "fairy" image arises

➕ Manor, Savage or Sensual, accordingly - in addition to the previous points, if it seems childish/simple-minded

Dolly

➕ Cheeky - if you want something more provocative and contrasting

➕ Cheerful - if there is a desire to move to fresh air

➕ Tender - if you need more magic and decorations

➕ Influentinal, Manor or Exquisite, accordingly, if in addition to one of the previous points you want to add severity and nobility

Tender

➕ Dolly - if you need less detail and more structure

➕ Cheeky - if you want to "darken" the image, make it more dangerous

➕ Cheerful - if it seems too transparent and disembodied

➕ Exquisite, Mystery, Sensual, in accordance with the previous points - if you need to further "mature" the impression

Manor

➕ Savage - if there is not enough freedom and wind

➕ Influentinal - if you want to add some nobility

➕ Sensual - if it seems too dry and reasonable

➕ Exquisite - if you need a more gentle and introverted image

➕ Cheerful or Dolly - if a lighter and more mobile impression arises

Mystery

➕ Savage - if will and scope are required

➕ Influentinal - if it looks too decorated, theatrical

➕ Sensual - if there is not enough languor and body

➕ Exquisite - if you want to tone down the passions, add some conservatism and a more casual feel

➕ Tender or Cheeky - if it seems more cartoonish, doll-like

Exquisite

➕ Influentinal - if you need a more "weighty", regal impression

➕ Manor - if there is a lack of warmth and hospitality

➕ Sensual - if there is a need for relaxation and physicality

➕ Mystery - if it seems more theatrical and expressive

➕ Dolly or Tender - if you want to add touchingness and delicacy

Sensual

➕ Savage - if it seems more aggressive and textured than a pure image type

➕ Manor - if you need to add seriousness and practicality

➕ Exquisite - if you want to bring in some intelligence and historicism

➕ Mystery - if you need a more mystical and bohemian look

➕ Tender or Cheerful - if the impression is more cute and compact

Example of mixing

I will try to demonstrate the algorithm of my brain when it is necessary to create an alloy of Figurative types using the example of the Cheerful (because it is winter, vitamin deficiency and an acute lack of sun on weekdays ☀️).

So, Cheerful. It's a combination of natural and naive elements. To varying degrees or equal extents, the expressive means can be combined in a variety of ways, but I'll focus on the stereotypical manifestation: warm, vibrant colors, natural, expressive textures, lush, amorphous lines in silhouettes, small, contrasting details, and a compact composition.

If we are talking about any alloy, then one of the two components will become dominant, and as a result, there will be three possible mixtures for each:

Natural: Savage, Manor, Sensual

Naive: Cheeky, Dolly, Tender

Drama provides expressiveness, classical music provides structure, and romanticism provides spirituality.

Two dramas, two classics, two romanticisms, but due to their different dominants, they will manifest themselves differently:

• The unifying feature of the natural component (Wild, Local, Sensual) is naturalness. Freedom and natural aesthetics: natural warm colors, rough or fuzzy textures, relaxed lines. In this case, the influence of the naive component of the Cheerful will be noticeable in the compact forms and vibrant palette. They will impart lightness, freshness, and a certain youthfulness to the pure types.

• The unifying feature of the naive component (Bold, Doll-like, Tender) is that very youth. Spontaneity and dynamism: a somewhat infantile, dessert-like palette, short and compact forms, an abundance of small details. The natural influence will be manifested in the simplicity/provinciality/unpretentiousness of forms, natural motifs of prints and nuances, and natural textures, which will make the images of pure types more earthy and good-natured.

By mixing these characteristics in the right proportions, possible, more specific, figurative guidelines are born:

Savage-Cheerful - expressive and joyful southern flavor

Manor-Cheerful - a classic embodiment of the spontaneous 70s

Sensual-Cheerful - eternal youth and freedom of hippie style

Savage-Cheerful - shabby and playful grunge style

Dolly-Cheerful - romance and aristocracy in country aesthetics

Tender-Cheerful - weightless tiny flower/fruit fairies

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And, as mentioned earlier, the next step is to analyze the resulting reference point and "disassemble" it: identify its key qualities, establish reference points based on them, imagine suitable fabrics and materials, the ideal palette and color combinations, select styles, hairstyles, accessory themes, and prints, constantly checking the correspondence between what you've found and what you already have, i.e., your appearance, and testing your hypotheses.

From the specific to the general and back again. Perhaps more than once, because figurative stylistics is always a process. Fascinating and creative for some, but, I can imagine, complex and arduous for others. Nevertheless, if you are here, I hope you found this article enjoyable and/or useful. ♥

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To everyone - peace between the external and the internal!

Thank you for your trust and see you soon!