About the examExample

Composition

• The artist has created a sense of distance by placing the large wave in the foreground and the mountain in the background. As the mountain is small, this suggests a great distance.
• The focal point is the ‘great wave’ itself, as its large scale dominates the composition, threatening to swallow the small boats in its path.
• The viewpoint is from below the wave, so the viewer can imagine being part of the scene, with the wave towering above them.

Shape

• The scene is made of layers of flat shapes, including the waves, boats and mountain. This makes an image which is simplified into flat shapes but which is easy to understand.
• The claw-like shapes at the top of the wave look like grasping hands. This makes it look as if the waves are reaching for the people in the small boats which adds to the mood of danger.

Colour

• A restricted colour palette of mainly cool blues and greys has been used. This contrasts with the warmer pale yellow of the boats, making the boats stand out from the background.
• The sky has been painted with a grey which is graduated to get darker towards the horizon. This suggests a storm is coming and that the waves will get worse.
• The waves have been depicted with only three shades of blue and white. This creates a simple, graphic style which is very effective in communicating the scene.

Visual impact

• Although it is not a large scale work it has a lot of visual impact. This is created by the large oversized wave which gives a sense of drama, as if something disastrous is about to happen.
• The tonal contrast helps to create visual impact as there is a lot of contrast between the dark blue and the white of the wave which draws the viewer’s attention.