First of all, bring your attention to the color scheme. All around, a very gray atmosphere. Nothing too bright..... But what's this?!? A single paper gleams white against the pale gray surroundings. And on it are two dark blobs, contrasting against the bright paper that, in turn, contrasts against the desk. These two blobs are fresh fingerprints on a prison entrance form. However, these prints weren't made with the traditional stamp ink. Instead, they were made by a fine point Sharpie Permanent Marker, and a third is in the middle of being documented.
This simple act of criminal documentation provides a powerful assumption of how precise this Sharpie actually is. An ethos of this image is in the actual printed paper. I don't know much about other places, but I know that the United States treatment of criminals is extremely strict in what information they keep. The fact that a Sharpie would be used in the criminal justice system really speaks to its implied precision. This gives it a certain authority; the fact that the American Government would choose this method of documentation over any other is certainly a feat that not many others can boast of. Or, at least that's what they want you to think.
Another rhetorical device, logos, is placed into the image with the method of imprinting as well. While it is still impressive that one can write finely enough to document a fingerprint, there is still the fact that it is being sketched BY EYE. With no technological aid, one man has already sketched two fingerprints, and is currently fine copying a third! This level of expertise is assumed to have a direct correlation to the pen that the sketch artist is using. Can anyone draw this precisely just by using a Sharpie Permanent Marker? Can YOU!?!......Well, that's what they want you to think.
The final -os of today's analysis is the pathos of the image. While it's all fine and dandy that the pen and paper are the main focus of the image, a nifty little side-show is present just off to the left. See that hand? No, not the sketcher's hand, the other one. That hand is the hand of a convicted felon. This man has done something to earn him hard time in the slammer. Maybe he's killed men. Maybe he's slaughtered pedestrians. Maybe he's done both. But, all the same, there is a single writing utensil that is effectively putting this man behind bars, and that, my friends, is the Sharpie Permanent Marker. By supporting this marker, you are aiding in the fight against crime everywhere....... At least that's what they want you to think.
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