The objective for this project was to use color and basic 3D shapes to create a hierarchical composition that would rotate slowly around the y-axis.

My primary sources of inspiration for this project were the Marker from Dead Space and Sauron’s tower from The Lord of the Rings. I wanted to do a structure that slowly curved upwards, guiding the eye to the top. I felt that this would provide an appropriate rhythm that would tell the viewer that the most important object was at the top.

The largest object on the screen, however, is the tower itself. To make sure the viewer knew that the topmost orb was the focus and not the tower, I made the shapes in the middle of the tower vibrant colors to contrast with the tower’s dull gray. Just as the spires on the tower slowly bend upwards, the colors on the shapes get brighter as the eye goes up, culminating in the yellow orb at the top. This, coupled with the increasing size of the shapes and the unique shape of the orb at the top, let the viewer know that the topmost shape is the most important one.

Finally, I messed with the rotation of the shapes a little bit. I had the image in my head of a powerful mass of energy at the top of the tower like the eye of Sauron or a laser cannon about to be fired. I felt that this kind of association would heighten the hierarchical effect, so I made the speed of rotation increase as the eye traveled up through the shapes.

If I had more time on the project, I would’ve liked to make the transition from the spires to the tower a little smoother. It’s definitely the part of the composition that looks the most out-of-place, and I feel like a more smooth transition would guide the eye better and further accentuate the topmost shape.