Line: A few definitions

Transcription

1 Line

2 Line: A few definitions 1. A point in motion. 2. A series of adjacent points. 3. A connection between points. 4. An implied connection between points. 5. One of the most fundamental elements of art and design.

3 Varieties of Line Some of the fundamental types of lines are: Contour lines: these lines follow the outer edges of a form. Cross-contour lines: these lines follow the outer AND inner edges of a form, helping to define dimensions. Hatch lines: perpendicular lines that are close to one another. Cross-hatch lines: perpendicular lines that are close to one another and cross each other. Implied lines: Implied line gives us the impression we are seeing a line where there is no continuous mark. No actual solid line is present; just the idea of a line is created.

4 Contour and Cross Contour Lines The lines on this page are OUTLINES. Outline defines a twodimensional shape; they appear flat. A contour line defines the boundaries we perceive of three-dimensional forms.

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6 The contour lines are the darker lines, showing us the basic outlines of the forms. The lighter cross-contour lines that wrap around the forms enhance the volume.

7 Hatching and Crosshatching Hatching is an artistic technique used to create tonal or shading effects by drawing closely spaced parallel lines. When lines are placed at an angle to one another, it is called cross-hatching. The hand above on the right was drawn using hatching. The lines follow the same direction and do not cross one another. The hand above on the left was drawn using crosshatching- the lines cross one another.

8 Cross-hatching: These cross-hatch lines are slightly curved, subtly suggesting the cross-contours of the figures.

9 Rembrandt van Rijn, The Three Crosses, 1653 The cross-hatching allows the artist to develop a wide range of lights and darks, by overlapping more lines for the darker areas.

10 Implied Lines

11 These hands imply lines through pointing. Your eye follows these implied lines to form a square shape.

12 Alberto Giacometti, Man Pointing, 1947 This sculpture implies a line, as the figure points in a direction to the left.

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14 Titian, Assumption and Consecration of the Virgin, c

15 Line Analysis of Titian s work: Titian ties together the three separate areas of the piece: God the Father above, the Virgin Mary in the middle, and the Apostles below, by implied lines that create simple interlocking triangles. This unifies the mortal world with the spiritual world through unity, and the upward direction of the lines intensify the feeling of ascension.

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17 Zeus, or Poseidon, c. 460 BCE. Bronze, height 82 inches. Zeus was king of the gods in ancient Greece, and Poseidon was the god of the sea. The emphasis on horizontal and vertical lines gives this sculpture a sense of strength, and rational logic.

18 Expressive Qualities of Line Lines can be irregular, reflecting the wildness of nature, chaos, and accident, expressing freedom Such lines free and unrestrained seem passionate and full of feelings that are otherwise hard to express

19 Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889 Van Gogh s expressive lines give the image a whimsical feel, reminiscent of a dream. This painting would have a very different emotional quality if the lines were very straight and angular.

20 Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait, Oil on canvas. Van Gogh s style is highly unique and recognizable. His visible brushstrokes create strong lines in his paintings, which are autographic in style. This style of painting is strongly associated with him.

21 Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night Over the Rhone, Oil on canvas. The lines in this painting are short and straight, compared to the swirling, expressive lines in the Starry Night, 1889.

22 Vincent Van Gogh, Bedroom in Arles (first version), Oil on canvas. Upon first glance, this painting may just appear to describe a bedroom. Looking closely at the lines used by Van Gogh, the lines are not quite straight and are placed at strange angles. This gives the room a claustrophobic feeling.

23 George Bellows, Woodstock Road, Woodstock, New York, Black crayon on wove paper, image 61 8 x 87 8, sheet 91 4 x Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. The artist combines irregular lines of sky with regular lines of architecture This work appears to be a preliminary sketch for another work: note how much variety the artist was able to achieve with a single medium: heavy, muddy road, trees swaying, different crops, head stones in a cemetery, voluminous Center bottom inscription: all lights as high as possible / get color out of shadows. We assume this was written as a reminder of details to include in a finished piece, probably a painting. This work was never meant to be public, as it is from the artist s sketchbook

24 Line Orientation HORIZONTAL lines create calm, DIAGONAL lines create energy, VERTICAL lines imply growth. Directional Line: artists can use line to direct a viewer s attention to a particular part of the work

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27 Théodore Géricault, The Raft of Medusa, Oil on canvas. What appears to be going on in this image? What type of lines organize the composition? How does the artist s choices of line orientation inform the content of the painting?

28 This painting describes the chaotic scene of a raft in a stormy sea. The blue lines above follow the choppy waves of the sea- they are not calm or flat. The red lines above follow the curves of the figures on the raft, indicating chaos and emotion. The yellow triangle follows the implied upward motion of the sail of the raft.

29 Angelica Kauffmann, Cornelia, Pointing to Her Children as Her Treasures, c Oil on canvas. What appears to be going on in this image? What type of lines organize the composition? How does the artist s choices of line orientation inform the content of the painting?

30 This painting shows a calm scene, using straight and rigid lines within the figures and surrounding pillars. A grid on the tile floor reinforces the order of the scene.

31 Op Art is a style of visual art that makes use of optical illusions. It began as a painting movement in the 1960s in America. Optical (Op) Art Historical context: rejection of idyllic 1950s, Civil Rights movement, Kennedy assassination, British pop music Op art is characterized by the use of basic lines and shapes to create implied lines and movement, and sometimes complex compositions.

32 Bridget Riley, Blaze 4, 1964

33 Julian Stanczak: Polish born American artist,

34 Julian Stanczak Stanczak s acrylic paintings often tended toward brightly colored shapes and grids. Typically made through contrasting unlike hues, Stanczak was able to create compositions that are jarring to the eye. They highlight the act of seeing, in the process showing that, when we look at two unlike forms put together, an unexpected element can result: movement. Stanczak recalled his experiences with war and the loss of his right arm and how both influenced his art. Stanczak explained, "The transition from using my left hand as my right, main hand, was very difficult. My youthful experiences with the atrocities of the Second World War are with me,- but I wanted to forget them and live a "normal" life and adapt into society more fully. In the search for Art, you have to separate what is emotional and what is logical. I did not want to be bombarded daily by the past,- I looked for anonymity of actions through non-referential, abstract art. The Op Art movement was named after his first major show, Julian Stanczak: Optical Paintings, held at the Martha Jackson Gallery in New York in 1964.

35 The final set of slides in this presentation correspond with the discussion board topic for this chapter. Note that each work includes a study (a preliminary sketch or drawing) and the final painting.

36 Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Socrates, 1787

37 Jacques-Louis David, Study for The Death of Socrates, 1787

38 Eugѐne Delacroix, The Death of Sardanapalus, 1827

39 Eugѐne Delacroix, The Death of Sardanapalus (study), 1827

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