Tutorial 111 - Proximity (Patreon)

This image plays with the gestalt design principle of proximity. 

Whenever we place things near each other in a painting or drawing, the viewer will usually assume those things belong to a group or are somehow related. We will either conclude they share a similar attribute or we might search for a relationship, consciously or subconsciously. 

This is a good example of how principles of design can alter story and mood:

In this illustration, the approaching group of attacking white walkers are all placed central left and though clearly distant from the hero, they still feel somewhat threatening and contact seems imminent due to their proximity, they are almost overlapping with the hero character.

Our hero, the beloved Jon Snow, appropriately prepared with a can of antifreeze, appears still and calm. We can imagine if the attackers were placed somewhat randomly, to the left and to the right, some much closer perhaps, then the white walkers would feel much more threatening and Mr. Snow might not appear so collected.

Using proximity in your images is a powerful way to guide the eye and it will often override other principles like similarity (in shape or color, for example).