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The Artistic "Hook"

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killnpc polycounter
I have kind of a broad question to ask. I've heard the term "Hook" used here and there in my day: "It's missing a Hook" "It needs a Hook"

I've always understood it as the element or combination of elements that made a subject interesting. But, I honestly couldn't say what people mean for certain when they use this term. What is the Hook?

I'd love to hear your understanding of what an Artistic Hook was.

thx,
kp

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  • Ferg
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    Ferg polycounter lvl 17
    I've been a guy that likes to draw for twenty years, and a professional artist for almost seven, working on 3d and traditional media projects, and I've never heard that term used in relation to art before.

    It's generally been my experience that when people talk about what makes art good or bad using words that aren't technical terms (composition, color harmony, mood, contrast, lighting, etc), they're usually full of shit and just trying to sound smart... Unless they can immediately follow it up with an informed example like "It needs a hook... try popping the contrast around this character and darkening the lighting behind him to draw the eye". That said... your interpretation of it sounds pretty close to the intended usage. GG kp.

    My two cents anyway.

    love,
    ferg
  • Zipfinator
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    Zipfinator polycounter lvl 9
    Sounds like it means some sort of unique trait or item/set piece to make it less generic? I've never heard it used but that's what I would guess.
  • cholden
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    cholden polycounter lvl 18
    It's a more inarticulate way of saying "marketable to me"

    This can be applied more to selling traditional art pieces because more pleasing things have more opportunity to sell.

    As for portfolios, something memorable. If it's a bunch of generic scenes and/or characters you'll be lost in the mix.

    There's also something to be said about aesthetically pleasing scenes versus a dirty alleyway or bathroom.
  • DeadlyFreeze
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    DeadlyFreeze polycounter lvl 17
    I've never actually heard anyone use hook before, 'style' on the other hand...
  • sprunghunt
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    sprunghunt polycounter
    I've never actually heard anyone use hook before, 'style' on the other hand...

    Hook is a marketing term. It's the unique part if the subject matter that catches your attention. It's not a technique or style term.

    http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/hook.html
  • Ghostscape
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    Ghostscape polycounter lvl 13
    I have rewritten your post below to include a hook, hopefully demonstrating what they're looking for for you.

    Let me know if you need another
    killnpc wrote: »
    I have kind of a broad question to ask. I've heard the term "Hook" used here and there in my day: "It's missing a Hook" "It needs a Hook"

    I've always understood it as the element or combination of elements that made a subject interesting. But, I honestly couldn't say what people mean for certain when they use this term. What is the Hook?

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS3jfTgJKenwKhG7r1cEczqHYVIe6CIvEVhZqesP29VGkdRKVlcm6fyY0PA

    I'd love to hear your understanding of what an Artistic Hook was.

    thx,
    kp
  • MagicSugar
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    MagicSugar polycounter lvl 10
  • Jason Young
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    Jason Young polycounter lvl 14
    Pretty much the same thing it means in music. The part that makes a piece memorable, and many times grabs your attention. In art, it could be some visual element or motif, subject matter, or it could be the style itself.
  • Kwramm
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    Kwramm interpolator
    sometimes I wish more people in our industry had the skill of expressing complex things in simple english. I respect people who can do that, because it shows they truly know what they're talking about. Now think of all the miscommunication and confusion gone... and all the other annoying CG buzzwords.
  • DeadlyFreeze
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    DeadlyFreeze polycounter lvl 17
    sprunghunt wrote: »
    Hook is a marketing term. It's the unique part if the subject matter that catches your attention. It's not a technique or style term.

    Look at Meats Meier or AndyH, they style they use is their hook.
  • Illusions
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    Illusions polycounter lvl 18
    The way I've always heard it described when referring to literature is that the hook is what catches your attention/interest and draws you in. If you want an example of this, grab a few non-technical books you might have available and just read the first page/few paragraphs. A hook is usually only necessary for something that is going to require an investment though, like time or money, which is why its usually present at the beginning of movies, books, and some videogames. The hook is going to be what gets you to continue being involved past the beginning of the story out of interest rather than obligation.

    Marketing, or salesmanship-wise, its going to be the thing or idea that makes people want to invest their resources in whatever you're selling, since they've already invested some time/money in hearing you try to pitch your idea/product/service/whatever.
  • kite
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    kite polycounter lvl 17
    In concept art I've always taken the term hook to just mean an idea which differentiates a design from others of a generic type. I associate the term with double reads and wit in graphic design and advertising more than concept art though.

    design with hooks in:
    http://www.turnerduckworth.com/large_screen.html

    vs style
    http://www.thedesignersrepublic.com/

    Style gets dated fast but a design with an idea will always be interesting.

    I don't think it's directly translatable to concept art, in concept art the hook could be an unusual helmet, or a giant hammer, or lots of belts :>. Or style can be the hook, or an iconic silhouette.

    But i think in the best and truest designs those elements are there for a reason, because there is an idea, and the clearer the idea, the less you will need to prevaricate with generic elements/ lots of belts/ giant hammers etc.

    this is a good book about ideas in graphic design

    [ame="http://www.amazon.com/A-Smile-Mind-Beryl-McAlhone/dp/0714838128"]Amazon.com: A Smile in the Mind (9780714838120): Beryl McAlhone: Books[/ame]
  • killnpc
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    killnpc polycounter
    Excellent replies. Thank you!
  • Jeff Parrott
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    Jeff Parrott polycounter lvl 19
    It comes from music http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_(music) which is basically the chorus. It's what you're humming in the check out line without knowing it. I think cholden is onto it with 'marketable'. It's what's memorable, catchy about that character, level, etc that people will be talking about. But also the same thing that pulls the art together.
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    jeffro wrote: »
    It comes from music http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_(music) which is basically the chorus.

    no, it's not the chorus... it's almost always a phrase from the chorus, but it's not the chorus itself. a hook doesn't even have to be lyrical.

    if you wanted a fairly extreme example, take "enter sandman" by metallica... sure the chorus is pretty robust, and memorable. but the hook is actually the guitar riff, you could humm that riff and almost everyone in the civilised world would recognise the track, without knowing or remembering the lyrics.
  • SHEPEIRO
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    SHEPEIRO polycounter lvl 17
    when talking about game art the way i look at it... the hook is the feature that makes you think beyond "that looks good" onto a more interesting "i wander" it makes you imagine the possibilities. On a character it could be an interesting weapon that gives you clues to what its uses are but also wander at how it will work and ant to try it out, in an environment something like journey is a good example where the tower is intriguing because its so prominent and suggestive but its possibilities are a mystery and it automatically encourages the player to get to it.
  • Jeff Parrott
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    Jeff Parrott polycounter lvl 19
    Sorry, you're right gir. That's a better explanation of it than I gave.

    I thin the key is recognizing something with very little information (guitar riff, skydome, etc).
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    an example of an artistic hook for videogames:
    funnyfpscoverwarsoldier.jpg
  • 3DKnight
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    3DKnight polycounter lvl 17
    perfect example of going for a "hook":

    Initial Team Fortress 2 screenshots at the start of the project, then after the reboot.

    http://pc.ign.com/articles/718/718838p1.html


    Journey is also another game all about the visual appeal and "hook" that draws the player into the world.

    I don't mind the use of the term, as long as there is a precise explanation of it, followed by exploratory concepts and styleboards and r&d to back up the goal of it.
  • Mark Dygert
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-feWHV2sN-Y"]Shit Marketing Executives Say - YouTube[/ame]

    Often heard alongside:
    • Add more pop
    • More sizzle
    • It’s not about what I want…
    • Make it more…something. Whatever. You figure it out.
    • There’s an idea in there. “Ok, where?” That’s your job to figure out.
    • Just pour some awesome sauce on it.
    • Work your magic.
    • Take another pass at that.
    • Do that thing that you do, but do it a little different.
    • Right now it's 98%, just put the extra 2% in and we're gravy!
    • Just bring it all together.
    • Can you ‘bring it’? You know what I mean, right? ‘Bring it’.
    • You need to stretch this idea.
  • Ace-Angel
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    Ace-Angel polycounter lvl 12
    ^
    "Make is square, but not square, make it red, but not red, make it a girl wearing a pirate bikini on a bike, but don't make it a girl wearing a pirate bikini on a bike, make her fall in love with shark, but not a shark, and a dog, but not a dog, make her get married, but not married...basically, it's your work, but now, but it is, but not, so do your thing, but not your thing....just your thing which is not your thing."

    -Marketing and Co.
  • dfacto
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    dfacto polycounter lvl 18
    Probably talking about something specific that makes the image pop. Some images have this element that drives them, most don't and the "hook" is the general concept and composition. So yeah, "hook" = "whatever I like"
  • Zwebbie
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    Zwebbie polycounter lvl 18
    Dictionary.com:
    "4. something that attracts attention or serves as an enticement: The product is good but we need a sales hook to get people to buy it."

    It might actually be a useful exercise to see if you can think of one element in your design that draws interest, now that I think of it. Personally, I've always maintained that any good design needs one silly element to make it memorable.
  • killnpc
  • Olli.
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    Olli. polycounter lvl 8
    part of the piece in question which "hooks" the viewer. Captivates them.
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