How it all comes together

Somnath explains how his observational techniques enable him to create a composition that speaks volumes

1 Contrasting elements

The brief is about a well-educated psychopath who kills people out of boredom. Her contrasting nature reminds me of the opposing forces of yin and yang, which in turn guides my composition. I’m particularly careful about the nature of clothes: how the folds in jeans would behave different from those in cotton.

2 Capture the emotion

For my values, I follow up on my thumbnail. The cultural aspect is reflected in the woman’s clothing and personal style. The driving emotion is callousness, which I try to depict through the woman’s irreverent attitude - checking her phone. The bowl of potato chips initially seems a total misfit, but actually adds to the irreverence.

3 Colour plays its part

I want the colours in the composition to be eccentric and choose to stay away from realism. Since the bottle of wine (originally bottom right) isn’t adding a secondary story, I decide to replace it with a provocative magazine, but tone it down so that it doesn’t grab attention away from the main story.