What is Composition? Elements: The Tools Shape, Color, Value, Texture, Line, Form, and Space (Sam Can View The Lake From Shore.) Principles: The Rules Repetition/Rhythm, Balance, Contrast, Movement, Pattern, Unity, and Emphasis(Rap Battles Can Make People Uncontrollably Evil.)
Elements (Sam Can View The Lake From Shore) Shape Color Value Texture Line Form Space
Line Line - is a mark on a surface that describes a shape or outline. It can create texture and can be thick and thin. Types of line can include actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and contour lines.
Suptermarket- Ben Shahn Look at this painting by Ben Shahn. What role do the lines play in this piece? Shahn drew these lines to define his subject. Because of the lines he made, we can see recognizable images. Look at the drawing. Look at the title. Can you tell what Shahn has drawn? He uses various line directions to draw his shopping carts. The lines are vertical, horizontal and diagonal.
Self Portrait- Kathe Kollwitz Look at this stirring portrait. This is a self-portrait of the German artist Kathe Kollwitz. To learn of her art, you must first learn about her life. She experienced WW I married to a doctor. She lost her son in that war. She later lost her grandson in WW II. She saw the pain and suffering of the mothers, wives and children of the people lost in the war. Look again at this work. Do you view it differently? Notice the lines carved into this woodcut proof to create the texture of this print. The direction of the lines follow the contour of her face. What impact do the lines have on the overall quality of this print?
Color Color - refers to specific hues and has 3 properties, Chroma, Intensity and Value. The color wheel is a way of showing the chromatic scale in a circle using all the colors made with the primary triad. Complimentary pairs can produce dull and neutral color. Black and white can be added to produce tints (add white), shades (add black) and tones (add gray).
Color What would our world look like without Color. There have been many studies into the psychological effects of Color. Artists have used Color in such ways as to create a mood or feeling of a piece of work. This is done by using colors realistically and by using colors "creatively". Color is also a very important Element Of Art. Here we will take a look at the science of Color, how we have organized Color and how artists have used Color to express their ideas and feeling in their artwork
Values and Color Values can be exercised in all colors. The range of the values can be changed by adding white to lighten or tint a color. Adding black will create a shade of the original color which will appear darker.
Color Example 1 Look at this wonderful painting. What strikes you at first glance? Chances are you notice the colors used first. Why do you think this is so? The artist's use of complementary colors, or colors opposite on the color wheel, creates an exciting painting. The colors appear very intense together. Has the artist done this intentionally? What does he want you to "feel" about the message within this work? Notice how the horses and clouds are expressed in whites, violets and blues. The people and the carousel are reds, golds and oranges. What parts of this painting do you notice first?
Color Example 2 Notice the color scheme in this painting. Do you recall which color family the artist used? This is a monochromatic color painting which means the artist used one true color and added black and white to create tints and shades of that color. How does a monochromatic color scheme affect the overall "mood" of this piece?
Shape and Form Shape - is a 2-dimensional line with no form or thickness. Shapes are flat and can be grouped into two categories, geometric and organic. Form - is a 3-dimensional object having volume and thickness. It is the illusion of a 3- D effect that can be implied with the use of light and shading techniques. Form can be viewed from many angles.
Mondrian This unique painting appears to be all about shapes. The shapes are squares and rectangles. This includes the spaces between the colored shapes as well. Even the shape of the canvas reflects the square patterns in the painting. Here Mondrian uses shape to convey his ideas about the mechanization of the world.
Fibonacci s Numerals This is a colored paper collage made up of organic shapes that overlap. If you look carefully, you may see that this composition was based on the Fibonacci Numerals. Each shape represents the sequence of numbers found in Fibonacci's order: 0,1,2,3,5,8,13,21... Note the rounded edges of the shapes. Would you recognize these shapes in nature?
Icon- Byzantine Period This is an icon. An icon is a religious painting created during the Byzantine period. It was usually a portrait of a saint or the Virgin Mary. Often these icons were using egg tempera on gessoed wood panels and decorated in gold leaf. These wooden panels were used to decorate alters and churches. They can still be found decorating Greek and Russian Orthodox churches. What shape do you notice first? Chances are you noticed the circle around the woman's head. What does this circle represent? Notice that the artist repeats the circle again and again throughout the painting. Why do you think he did this?
Calder Mobile Here we are looking at another type of threedimensional sculpture called a mobile. This is a sculpture that moves. Suspended from the ceiling, this mobile moves slowly as air currents circle the room. Alexander Calder is credited with inventing the mobile as an art form.
Space Space - refers to variations in the proportions of objects, lines or shapes. There is a variation of sizes in objects either real or imagined. (some sources list Proportion/Scale as a Principle of Design)
The Persistence of Time - Dali This is a unique work of art from the Surrealism movement. Surrealism artists painted objects very realistically...but place objects together that would never be found together. One could say that the artists painted their dreams or nightmares. Salvador Dali was one of the great Surrealism artists. How does he create a sense of Space in this painting?
Dali - Study He uses one-point perspective. The brick like blocks all appear to be converging on one point on the horizon line. Look at the diagram below.
Texture Texture - is about surface quality either tactile or visual. Texture can be real or implied by different uses of media. It is the degree of roughness or smoothness in objects.
Self-Portrait This is a self-portrait. That means that the artist painted a picture of him/her self. The thick application of the paint and the use of many colors to accent the paint strokes gives this painting a Textured quality.
Value Value - is the degree of light and dark in a design. It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between. Value can be used with color as well as black and white. Contrast is the extreme changes between values.
Drawing If you look carefully at this drawing, you will begin to see recognizable objects. This is a still life, a group of inanimate objects arranged together. What items do you recognize? The wide range of white, gray and black values of shading, give this work a realistic sense of form. Using values in drawings is a good way of showing light reflection and shadows. Adding these will make two-dimensional objects "look" like they are three-dimensional.
Self- Portrait Look at this student selfportrait. Can you see what makes this unique? The values were created by stamping fingerprints. The closer the fingerprints, the darker the color appears. Darker fingerprints were added to give this picture shadows. The shadows make the face appear more realistic and three-dimensional. Objects that are dark appear to recede into the picture. Objects that are lighter in color or value appear to come to the front of the picture
Principles (Rap Battles Can Make People Uncontrollably Evil.) Repetition (or Rhythm) Balance Contrast Movement Pattern Unity Emphasis(Focal Point)
Repetition/Rhythm Rhythm - is a movement in which some elements recurs regularly. Like a dance it will have a flow of objects that will seem to be like the beat of music. The use of repetition within a composition. Can be used to create movement and action.
Balance Balance - is a feeling of visual equality in shape, form, value, color, etc. Balance can be symmetrical or evenly balanced or asymmetrical and un-evenly balanced. Objects, values, colors, textures, shapes, forms, etc., can be used in creating a balance in a composition. Arranging a composition so that no one part overpowers or feels heavier than another part. Also, symmetry vs. asymmetry.
Oriental Poppies Georgia O Keefe Here is an example of a painting demonstrating Formal Balance. Note that you could visually divide the paper in half. There would be a poppy on both sides. No one side dominates the pictures. Neither poppy appears to be more important than the other. Formal Balance pictures will have an imaginary "line of symmetry". Be aware that in evaluating works of art, the symmetry does NOT have to illustrate an exact mirror image.
" "Whistler's Mother" James Whistler Look at this painting commonly called "Whistler's Mother". Is this an example of Formal Balance? No, it is not. Note that the woman is placed far to the right. The black curtain and large painting on the wall were placed to the left to balance the woman on the right. This is an example of Informal Balance. The large form of the woman is "visually equal" to the black curtain and white painting on the wall. This makes the painting appear balanced, though the composition is more relaxed and less stiff than if the woman had been placed in the exact center of the canvas
Loan, 7th Grade, pencil Drawing Here, Loan's drawing is an example of a symmetrical work of art. Symmetrical works can be divided in half with an imaginary "Line Of Symmetry". Both sides are mirror images of the other. What you see on one half, you see on the other in a reversed order, like a "mirror image".
Contrast Contrast - Refers to the differences in value within a composition. Low contrast would include a shallow range of values while High contrast ranges from black to white.
Contrast
Movement This refers to the way your eye moves through the composition. You can create dynamic or static movement depending on your intent. Directional Movement - is a visual flow through the composition. It can be the suggestion of motion in a design as you move from object to object by way of placement and position. Directional movement can be created with a value pattern. It is with the placement of dark and light areas that you can move your attention through the format.
Starry Night Vincent Van Gogh In Starry Night, famed artist Vincent Van Gogh creates Movement in his sky. How does he show us this? Possible answers could be: a) the swirling motion of the colors in the sky showing the artist's interpretation of wind b) the repetition of the brushstrokes and paint dabs
Van Gogh 2 Can you find anything else that appears to give this painting a sense of Movement?Look at the stars. They are all yellow and round, vary in size and placement, and they have "halos" of light encircling them. Look at the painting and concentrate on how your eyes bounce from one star to another. This is an example of how an artist can create Movement in a work of art.
Proportion The word "Proportion" means one part in relation to another. All people have a sense of proportion concerning themselves as compared to others. "My nose is too long for my face". "She has long legs". "His eyes are wide set." All of these comments reinforce the idea that we see and have opinions about the relationships between one thing compared to another. Artists use their sense of Proportion to make statements or express a particular feeling about a subject in a work of art. Let's see some examples The size and space relationships of all elements within a composition. Can be used to create the illusion of largeness or smallness in an artwork.
Faheem, 6th grade, felt pen, Computer generated image One area often associated with Proportion is Scale. Scale is a bit different as it refers to a comparison of one entire object in relation to other like objects. Look at this illustration by Faheem. Note the two figures. One figure is extremely large or you could say that one figure is extremely small. By altering the scale, what does the artist intend for you to see or think about his figures? The larger figure implies that it is more important, or more dominant. You could even say that the larger figure is stronger, fiercer or more powerful. The little figure is weak and powerless. This is one way artists use the Principle of Proportion to give you clues about what the work of art is about.
Fernando Botero, (1932-), Columbian, A Family Sometimes an artist deliberately changes the Proportion for unique reasons. Look at this family portrait painted by Columbian artist Fernando Botero. Why do you think the family members are painted with such large volume and size? He introduced inflated forms. These "puffed up forms" exaggerate the size of people. This larger than life size celebrates the life within, and sometimes mocks their role in the world. Not without humor, the symbols of power and authority everywhere - presidents, soldiers and churchmen - are targeted in his attacks on a society still unable to deal intelligently with social issues..
Family - Continued When you look at this family portrait, what strikes you as unusual about the placement of the family members? Why is the children's nurse painted so much smaller than the other adult figures in the painting?
Harmony and Unity The quality of wholeness or oneness created by a composition. "Harmony" in music results in pleasing tones to the ears. "Harmony" in art results from a combination of related Elements of Art creating a pleasing work for the eye. "Unity" infers that the work of art is presented as a " whole". When a work of art has "Unity", the viewer sees the work as a whole, not in separate sections. Let's go on to see just how this works!
Variety & Emphasis Creating a point of interest within a composition that attracts the viewers eye. Variety keeps life interesting. Imagine if everything in your life was the same, day in and day out. Imagine the monotony! Artists also understand the importance of Emphasis in their work. Usually one part or area is given more detail to enhance that section. Click here to see how artists use Variety and Emphasis in their work.
Goya Goya uses which Elements Of Art to draw your eyes to the man raising his arms? Why does he emphasize the area he wants you to look at? Goya "lights" up the painting in much the same way a spotlight lights up the actors on a stage. Goya creates a very light value around the area he wants you to see. The man in the white shirt is the Focal Point of the painting. He uses value contrast to emphasize this area.
Ways to establish CONTRAST 1. Large vs. small 2. Warm vs. cool 3. Textured vs. smooth 4. Geometric vs. organic 5. Hard edges vs. soft edges 6. Pattern vs. no pattern 7. Complementary colors 8. Dark vs. light
Ways to establish UNITY 1. Proximity cluster objects closer together. 2. Overlapping 3. Repetition of an element style (any of the elements or brush stroke style) 4. Line up with an edge or contour 5. Developing and using a consistent style (same as # 3) 6. Feeling of space receding
6 ways to establish Unity 1. Proximity 1. Cluster objects closer together 2. Overlapping 3. Repetition of an element / style 1. Color, shape, line, texture, form 2. Brushstrokes (What makes your work special) 4. Line up with an edge or contour 5. Developing and using a consistent style 6. Feeling of space receding UNITY
8 ways to establish Contrast 1. Large vs. small 2. Warm Vs. cool colors 3. Textured vs non textured 4. Geometric vs. organic 5. Hard edges vs. soft edges 6. Pattern vs. non pattern 7. Complementary colors 8. Dark vs. light value CONTRAST
The 5 Basic Rules of Space Creating Depth 1. Overlapping 2. Position Objects rise on the picture plane 3. Size Objects gets smaller as they rise on the picture plane 4. Converging Lines (Linear Perspective) Converging lines meet at the vanishing point on the horizon line 5. Aerial Perspective Atmospheric effects on color, value and detail