Color Exercise

Six Strata, Photographic Book, Jonathan Barnbrook

In the design of Six Strata, Jonathan Barnbrook uses a monochrome of blue color to show the underlying strata of the Roppongi Hills. The design throughout the book uses blue which as opposes to natural colors such as green or brown shows the form of the strata in a much more abstract manner. This allows the viewer to focus on the subject of the book, strata. In addition to color, Barnbrook uses lines predominately to bring out the form and structure of the strata. This allows the viewer to see all of the intricacies within the layers of the strata. Throughout the book Barnbrook uses the line to organize and draw attention to points of interest. To contrast the line, he also uses the circle effectively throughout the book. As shown on the cover, the circle adds contrast and also brings attention to points on the page. This adds some visual interest and creates balance on the page. Overall, the cover of this book is well balanced, but still interesting and provocative. The color is used to create the mood and the basic elements help to define the subject.