The Elements of Art line color value texture shape form space

Transcription

1 The Elements of Art line color value texture shape form space

2 Line Rembrandt van Rijn Man in a furlined coat Museum of Art, Toledo Lines are marks drawn on a surface. Line can have many qualities and can be described in many ways: rectilinear/curvilinear organic/planar calm/frenzied emphatic/dissolving Compare the quality of line in the Rembrandt with quality of line in the Mucha. Both works began with a drawing, but in the final product, which work is line more distinct? Line: A line is a point extended in space by a tool, such as a pencil, a stylus, a stick of charcoal, a paintbrush, a computer mouse, or a chisel. Lines come in varying lengths, widths, orientations, and characters, depending on the expressive choices of the artist. For example, lines can be soft, heavy, nervous, and/ or curvaceous. They can be used to outline an object in the case of contour lines, or they can suggest movement in the case of gestural lines. Lines can be bold or subtle and implied. Alphonse Mucha, advertisement for Job cigarettes, 1898 Wall painting with four horses, Chauvet cave, France, paint on limestone, 28,000 b.c.

3 Color A color has various properties: Hue: The primary color or hues are red, yellow, and blue. In traditional media mixing, two primary hues make a secondary hue. A tertiary or intermediate hue is a mixture of a primary hue and an adjacent secondary hue. Value: The value refers to the relative lightness or darkness of a hue. Comparing a color to a gray scale diagram will help you determine its value. Intensity: This describes the purity of a color and how bright or grayed down it is. Intensity can also be described as saturation. Temperature: Warm colors range from yellow to red on the color wheel, and they tend to push forward in a work of art. Cool colors range from green to violet on the color wheel, and they appear to recede in space in an artwork. Traditional color wheel The same color can look very different depending on the colors it is sitting next to. Josef Albers, Homage to the Square, 1965 Joseph Albers on Color Theory Video: Complementary colors are shown opposite to one another on the color wheel, for example, yellow and violet, red and green, and blue and orange. Mixing complementary colors together on a palette produces a neutral, grayish color. Placing complementary colors beside each other in a work of art or design (for example, think about a room design) can create a lot of energy or even tension.

4 Value The degree of lightness or darkness of an area. Value varies from the bright white of a light source (often represented by the white of the paper) through shades of gray to the deepest black shadows. Value: Value refers to how dark or light a tone or color is. Value contrasts help the eye to see and understand a 2D work of art. These works can be read because of the value difference of dark letters and light background. Value also helps artists express lighting, mood, and depth. It also helps them create variety in their compositions. Value is important because it has the power to describe form, create a point or center of interest, and define space. Value contrast can also be seen in color. Some pure colors, such as yellow, are naturally light in value. Other colors, such as purple and blue, are darker in value. Although mixing paint for a desired shade is complicated, a painter can mix any hue with a white color to lighten it. Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937

5 Texture Texture refers to the surface quality, both simulated and actual, of an artwork. Simulated textures occur when a smooth 2D art surface, such as a traditional or a digital painting, appears to be textural. Interior design artists use multiple textures in a very physical way, by using textiles, solids, and paints, with varying textures to build a sensuous experience for the eye. The Dutch still life is full of simulated textures: bumpy lemon peel, smooth glass, crisp linen tablecloth. The interior applies actual textures to provide contrast and interest to a space. Pieter Claesz, A still life with a roemer, a crab and a peeled lemon, 1643 Dutch Frank Lloyd Wright, living room fireplace, Ennis House, Los Angeles, California.

6 Shape Shape is line in-filled with color. A shape refers to a 2D object in a space. There are two types of shapes, geometric shapes (squares, triangles, and rectangles) and organic shapes (free form or curvilinear shapes). Shapes do not have depth, though the term might be creatively used to describe a three-dimensional (3D) art object if its visual characteristics have a strong 2D outline. Henri Matisse, Blue Nude II, gouache and cut paper, 1952 Horse, cave painting, Lascaux, France, b.c.

7 Form Form describes the work in a very general sense. A form has depth and represents a 3D volume of an object in space. Forms can be viewed or perceived from many angles. A sculpture is an example of a form; it can be viewed from all sides. Artists working on 2D surfaces, however, employ many devices to create the naturalistic appearance of form in their work. Closed Form- mummy-like no projecting parts Open Formmany projecting parts Cycladic female, Cyclades, BCE Venus of Arles, 1st century BCE, Greek. Marble. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France.

8 Space Yayoi Kusama, The Passing Winter, Mirror and glass. Tate Modern, London. Space is a 3D volume that has a width, a height, and a depth. Space can be empty or filled with objects. Visual artists, such as painters and graphic designers, working on a 2D surface can create an illusion of space in their work using an array of techniques, such as relative proportion, overlapping of objects, value, color temperature, and linear and atmospheric perspectives. Frederic Edwin Church, Niagara Falls, 1857, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. (Period: Hudson River School)

9 ART1000 The Principles of Design balance emphasis contrast movement rhythm and pattern unity scale or proportion

10 Balance 1 2 In the visual arts, there two types of balance: symmetrical and asymmetrical. In Symmetrical balance, left and right sides are equivalent, split by a central axis. In asymmetrical balance, colors or shapes with a heavier visual weight are countered by strong colors or shapes on the other side. Balance is achieved when opposing forces find equality. 3 4 All over pattern is another form of balance, covering the entire canvas with objects of equal weight. 5 Match the images to the terms a. asymmetrical balance b. allover pattern c. symmetrical balance

11 Emphasis (and Subordination) 1 2 Emphasis is the focal point of the painting. Subordinate areas support the focal point. Which object is emphasized? What are the ways in which the designer emphasizes the object? 3 4 Josef Mueller-Brockmann, Swiss Air poster

12 Contrast 1 2 Dissimilar elements are juxtaposed to create a contrast. Contrast may exist in the form of texture, color, shape or subject matter. Describe some of the contrasts you see What are the ways in which the designer creates contrast? 3 4 5

13 Movement (Directional Forces) 1 2 Directional forces are paths our eyes take when exploring a work of art. What are the directional forces in these designs? What are some of the ways the designer creates the sense of movement? 4 3 5

14 Rhythm and Pattern (Repetition) 1 2 Repetition of visual elements gives unity to a composition. Rhythm is achieved by repeating images with slight variations. 3 4

15 Unity and Variety 1 2 Unity is the characteristic of oneness. Works of art may be unified by the repetition of a certain shape, color or other element. Variation serves to counter unity, providing visual interest. What are some of the characteristics that unify these works? Which elements did the designer change to add variety? 3 4 5