# Visual Direction

> Visual art direction expertise for marketing imagery. Covers photography styles, composition rules, color theory, lighting techniques, and product staging. Load this skill when generating image ads, asset sheets, moodboards, or keyframe images.

- Skill: `googlecloudplatform/visual-direction` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add googlecloudplatform/visual-direction`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/googlecloudplatform/visual-direction/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Marketing & Growth
- Author: GoogleCloudPlatform (https://skillmd.com/u/googlecloudplatform)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/googlecloudplatform/visual-direction

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# Visual Direction Skill

## Photography Styles for Ad Imagery

### 1. Premium Studio

Clean white/grey studio, precise product lighting, geometric shadows,
ultra-minimal Apple-style. The product floats in perfect light.

### 2. Lifestyle in Action

Product being used in its natural environment by a real person. Warm, candid,
aspirational. "A day in the life" with product as hero.

### 3. Urban Night

Dramatic cityscape at night, neon reflections, rain-slicked streets, moody
teal-and-orange color grade.

### 4. Golden Hour Epic

Sweeping outdoor landscape at golden hour, warm amber backlighting, lens flares,
dramatic long shadows.

### 5. Tech Noir

Dark, sophisticated, high-contrast. Brushed metal surfaces, precision
engineering close-ups, holographic UI elements.

### 6. Nature Macro

Extreme close-up details surrounded by organic textures (water droplets, leaves,
sand). Hyper-detailed.

## Composition Rules

### Rule of Thirds

Product at power points (1/3 intersections). Never dead center unless
intentionally symmetrical.

### Product Dominance

Product must occupy 40-60% of the frame. Fully visible — nothing cropped or
hidden.

### Breathing Room

Leave negative space for text overlay areas. Top 20% or bottom 20% typically
reserved for headlines.

### Depth of Field

Shallow DOF (f/1.4-2.8 look) for lifestyle shots. Deep DOF for studio/product
detail shots.

## Color Theory for Ads

### Color Psychology

- **Blue**: Trust, reliability, technology (finance, tech, healthcare)
- **Red**: Energy, urgency, passion (food, sports, sales)
- **Green**: Nature, health, growth (organic, wellness, sustainability)
- **Gold/Amber**: Premium, luxury, warmth (spirits, jewelry, automotive)
- **Black + White**: Sophistication, elegance, timelessness (luxury, fashion)

### Color Harmony

- **Complementary**: High contrast, attention-grabbing (blue/orange, red/green)
- **Analogous**: Harmonious, cohesive (blue/teal/green)
- **Triadic**: Vibrant, balanced (red/yellow/blue)

## Product Scale (CRITICAL)

Always render products at REAL-WORLD physical size relative to people and
environments:

- Earbuds: fit in a palm (~2-3cm)
- Phone/tablet: hand-held (~15-30cm)
- Drone: ~30-50cm wingspan
- Bottle: ~20-30cm tall
- Office chair: sitting-height (~100cm)
- Mountain bike: ~170cm long

## Lighting Techniques

- **Key Light**: Main light source, defines the mood (hard = dramatic, soft =
  flattering)
- **Fill Light**: Reduces shadows, controls contrast ratio
- **Rim/Back Light**: Separates subject from background, creates depth
- **Practical Lights**: In-scene light sources (neon signs, candles, screen
  glow)

Read `references/color-palettes.md` for industry-specific color palette
recommendations.