High Key

This is a photograph by Isabel Silva from www.pbase.com. It is not a perfect example of high key because there are some blacks in the piece. However, it is a good example of the basic principles. The entire face almost seems kind of flat because there is no change in value. As a result, the face itself is not what the viewer really looks at. Instead, the eyes and mouth bring the viewer in and become the major focal points of the piece. When I was searching for an example of a high key piece, I came across many photographs. The idea does not seem to be as common among artists that draw or paint. However there are many different websites that either show high key photos or even tell you how to make one yourself. In all the examples I came across the eyes became the focal point. Because of there low value the eye are usually the center of attention in many portraits. However this feature is even more prominent in high key work and the eyes become especially piercing.