Fire and ice crash and collide in this exciting backdrop that depicts a large flame and colossal ice cube. The orange red flames lick the sides of the ice cube, threatening to melt its sharp edges. Shades of red are visible through the orange and yellow light and clash with the light white and blue of the large frozen block of water. If we were to draw a line down the middle of this backdrop we could examine carefully the techniques used to create such a bold image. On the left, we can see the care that was taken to show the illuminating features of the fire: the light yellows at the tips of the flames and the dark reds at the bottom. In the middle the reds and yellows are mixed together, creating a burning orange. On the right side of the backdrop we can see the interior structure of the ice cube and how there is an uncanny resemblance between this painting and an ice cube in real life. Light reflecting off of the clear blue color scheme of the cube gives the appearance of translucence which is exactly what we expect of a real cube. The sides aren’t completely straight because the fire is warming the edges of the ice cube and defrosting its sharp angles. This classic visual of fire vs. ice is not only a comparison of two opposing forces, but in this case also a further representation of what happens when the two elements come together.

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