Tone and Color

This poster for the film "Moulin Rouge" uses tone and color to make a viewer want to see the movie. Tone is used in this image to blur certain areas and to draw attention to others. Color in this image is minimal; the poster would have nearly the same effect if it was in black in white because of its intense tonal contrast. There is little tonal background detail behind the woman in the image, yet her body and face are distinct. Lightness and shadows are significant in this image. Dondis states that tone is another way of describing light. A bright light appears to be shining on the woman from one angle, while her other side is in shadow. Only half of her face can be seen clearly. Tone here interacts with the basic element of direction. Light and shadow created by tone heighten the canted orientation of the image. The woman is at a slight diagonal, making the image at once unstable and provocative. The shadowy tone adds to this sensation.

Color in the poster is subtle and muted. The woman's face is most saturated area in the image. it presents some color, while the rest of the image has a blue undertone, making it seem neutral, passive, blurred. The dark red of her lips and the light orange of her hair stand out against her shocking white skin and the dark background. The hues of red in this image evoke emotion and interest, and are as provocative as the tonal contrasts. Color in the poster interacts with the basic element of the dot. The image is blurred so much so that dots are visible in areas where color fades to white, such as around the woman's eyes and in the background where blue changes to black. This style is reminiscent of the Pointilist artistic style mentioned by Dondis, in which dots are placed close together to create images, tone, and color.