In this lesson, instructor Bill Perkins will lecture on how subtext makes your visual storytelling more engaging. You will learn the effects of framing an image. Then, you will discover that adding or subtracting details will affect how the image reads to the viewer. Bill will demonstrate how dominant and subordinate elements influence the viewer’s takes of the story.

This lesson belongs to the course Visual Storytelling. In this 7-week course, legendary Disney art director Bill Perkins will teach you the skillsets needed to create strong visual storytelling for film and animation. With his years of experience working on films like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Space Jam, Bill will help build your visual vocabulary to aid in your creative storytelling. You will learn about the visual components like primaries of design. Bill will lecture on the importance of dominance and subordination. You will explore ways to achieve shape clarity as well as manipulate both visible and implied lines. From there, Bill will analyze the use of color and visual subtext to help enhance your visual storytelling.

Throughout this course, you’ll have access to the NMA community for feedback and critiques to improve your work as you progress.