Since the dawn of time, pictures have been the most effective way for people to communicate ideas. A single image can have a huge effect on a global scale, crossing language barriers and evoking strong emotions for millions of people.
Images in communication
Images have been used throughout history to influence our thoughts and opinions and affect our decisions. In this modern age where our lives are awash with a continual flood of information, image usage has become an even more important part of the way in which we communicate. Take, for example, the simple emoticon or emoji. Mainly used to depict moods, it has become increasingly used as a form of expression in textual communication, so much so that the Oxford Dictionary has chosen an emoji as its Word of the Year for 2015. The emoji in question depicts an expression with tears of joy or laughter and has been shown to be the most widely used smiley face in the UK.
The struggle for perfection
As technology advances at an ever-increasing rate, the quality of images continues to improve. The world of High-Definition TV is already moving on to the next generation of image broadcasting, 4K or Ultra High-Definition, delivering even crisper pictures, higher frame rates and more realistic colours. In the world of digital art, the story isn’t much different.
As artistic software becomes ever more sophisticated and hardware speed and power improve, digital artists are pushing their capabilities to the limits. Flip through a glossy interior design catalogue and you might be forgiven for thinking that you are looking at actual photographs. In many cases, these “photographs” aren’t even real.
Companies such as redandgray produce 3D digital images in the UK from simple products to large architectural designs. Often, computer-generated designs end up being displayed alongside real-life photographs in the same magazine or catalogue, and the level of detail modern 3D digital artists can produce is so advanced that the untrained eye won’t notice any difference.
The medium through which we create our images might continue to change in the future, and the part that images play in our lives could very well evolve yet again. One thing is certain, however, and that is that the power of images will remain the most powerful form of communication we have.
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