Have you noticed the musical note inside the hole of the guitar?

Most people miss it. Why? Because no one spends too much time examining our images. 

Attention spans are shorter than ever, and what isn’t noticed in the first few seconds often gets overlooked entirely. 

But that’s okay. 

What matters first is having a strong concept that’s immediately understood. 

Once that’s in place, you can add additional details, knowing they’re not crucial for the initial impact.

Now, let’s return to the main image. As you can see, I’m continuing to explore the theme of cages. Here, without altering the object itself, we’ve transformed it into something entirely new.

Who is the person inside the guitar?

Why is the musical note part of their face?

What does it mean for someone to be trapped inside a musical instrument?

If your audience asks even one question while engaging with your image, their attention span increases, and your creation...

Here’s another tip for your #Inktober challenge:  

Remove!  What if, instead of showing what you want to depict, you don’t show it?  

This is called 'drawing attention through absence'.  

It may sound strange, but when we omit something people expect to see, we actually draw more attention.  And here is another tip:

You can add an extra layer of meaning by replacing that absence with something else.

In this case, you’re introducing two levels of disruption: the removal of an expected element (like a violin), and its replacement with something unexpected (a tongue).

Try this removal-and-replacement approach in your next #Inktober2024 drawing!  

Thank you,

Dario Paniagua
Visual Thinkers Coach