black and white illustration analysis

 Composition

As much as I love the color pieces 
I've been looking at lately, I'm always really drawn to black and white images that use value control to great affect to create really striking images. Value control as stated in the last analysis I did is key if you want to get good with color, in fact as long as you have each separated into its own group you can drop and color into whatever value so long as the values are matching and you can make them work together even if they are not the "right" Colors.

In this piece I was drawn to the really strong composition lines and the sway of forms that draw our eye around the page. For instance the back arm of the figure we can see big waving lines that go up and behind the figure and swoop around on the other side and connect us with the figure again. The placement of the moon behind his silhouette is a classic move we've already seen countless times as it gives contrast to our focal point and pushes his head forwards. 

There is a contrast in the swooping shapes of the horses hair, the cape he wears, the clouds, the staff along with the strong straight diagonal of the staff that cuts through our main area of interest and the very square like shapes of the armor covering his body. We can see elements of repeating patterns all over his armor and elements of repeating patterns can be found on his shoes, his armor and the garter controls on the horse. For example notice the circles moving away from us in perspective as they go back pointing towards him. These same circles are in the moon and the two chest plates prominently.

In the figure of the horse itself we see the rendering is very well done, and by that I mean the rendering always follows the turn of the form, as it gets darker underneath the horse and lighter as it turns upwards and gets hit by the light.