objective: define composition and the elements of design
TRANSCRIPT
Objective: Objective:
Define Define CompositionComposition
andandThe Elements of The Elements of
DesignDesign
In order to talk about an art composition, In order to talk about an art composition, ah hem, , intelligently, we need to learn a little art vocabulary. intelligently, we need to learn a little art vocabulary. Of course, most of these words you already know…Of course, most of these words you already know…but be but be absolutelyabsolutely sure you can use them correctly sure you can use them correctly
when you talk about art. when you talk about art.
What is a composition?What is a composition?
The Elements of design…The Elements of design… The The INGREDIENTSINGREDIENTS that make your art…well…art! that make your art…well…art!
First, let’s talk about COMPOSITION. A composition is the artwork!
When we talk about the composition, we generally talk about what makes up the work of art.
But how do you begin to talk about it?…Break it down into parts!
In a composition is divided into three parts….the foreground, middleground, and background.
foreground -appears closest to the viewerbackground- is perceived furthest from the viewer. middleground -located between both the foreground and background.
In this sketch, the tree or bush on the right side of the composition is in the foreground.
The potted plant is located in the middle ground of the composition and the house
structure is in the background.
-The Elements of DesignThe Elements of Design – – The basic ingredients used by the artist
when producing works of art. Those elements are shape, form, value,
line, color, texture, and space.
The “real” definition of ….
Ingredients? Like the things used to make your Ingredients? Like the things used to make your dinner?dinner?
Yes, kind of!!!!
Let’s say you will make a burger (or a beautiful piece of art) for dinner.
I will need certain parts ingredients (or the Elements of Design) on hand to make it.
What are the burger’s ingredients?……
The Burger(The Composition)
The Ingredients(The Elements of Design)
Line
Shape
Value
Form
Space
Color
The Ingredients(The Elements of Design)
The Burger(The Composition)
The Elements of DesignYou will learn the ingredients of a work of art.You will learn how to describe the Elements of Design in an artwork
Line A mark made by a moving point that has length and direction. Often is defines a space, and may create an outline or contour, define a silhouette; create patterns, or movement, and the illusion of mass or volume. It may be two-dimensional (as with pencil and paper), three-dimensional (as with wire) or implied (the edge of a shape or form)
Words that DESCRIBE Line include; vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight or ruled, curved, bent, points, angular, thin, thick, or wide, interrupted (dotted, dashed, broken) blurred or fuzzy, controlled, freehand, parallel, hatching, cross-hatching, meandering, and spiraling.
Element of Design– white bold Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
SHAPE
Shape
.
Geometric Shapes that are created through use of mathematics. These shapes include Circle, Oval, Triangle, Square, Rectangle, Hexagon, Octagon and Pentagon.
Organic An irregular shape, or one that might be found in nature, rather than a regular mechanical shape.
An enclosed space defined and determined by other art elements such as line, color, value, and texture. Shapes can be categorized into two different types, Geometric, and Organic
Element of Design– white bold Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
This painting by Frank Stella contains interlocking geometric
shapes.
This painting by James Roper shows an explosion of organic and cloudlike shapes.
Video explaining Shape
form
FormAn element of art that is three dimensional (height, width, and depth) and encloses volume. For example a triangle, which is two dimensional, is a shape, and a pyramid, which is three dimensional is a form.
Examples of forms include; Cubes, Spheres, Ovoids, Pyramids, Cones, and Cylinders.
Element of Design– white bold Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
V A L U E
ValueAn element of art that refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. Value is an especially important element in works of art when color is absent. This is particularly likely with drawings, lithographs, photographs, and sculpture.
Value Scale A gray scale, a series of spaces filled with the tints and shades of one color starting with white or the lightest tint on one end, and gradually changing into the darkest shade or black on the other.
When you describe value in a critique,
talk about the shades (darks, shades of color) and tints
(lightness, highlights).
Element of Design– white bold Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
ColorProduced by light of various wavelengths, and when light strikes an object and reflects back to the eyes.
Primary Colors, Secondary Colors, Complementary Colors, Warm/Cool Colors
Element of Design– white bold Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
Video explaining Color
Texture An element of art, texture is the surface quality or "feel" of an object,, its smoothness, roughness, softness, etc. Textures may be Actual or Implied.
While simulated textures are suggested by* an artist in the painting of different areas of a picture — often in representing* drapery, metals, rocks, hair, etc.
Actual textures can be felt* with the fingers
Element of Design– white bold Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
S P A C ES P A C E
Space An element of art that refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things.
It can be described as two-dimensional or three-dimensional; as flat, shallow, or deep; as positive or negative; and as actual, or illusory.
Element of Design– white bold Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
Video explaining Space
The artwork
The Elements
The Principles of Design
LETS REVIEW THE ELEMENTS!
If we use the Burger example…We have the ingredients to make our burger… how do we prepare the ingredients???
…Grill the hamburger, sauté the onions, shred the lettuce, melt the cheese…etc.
These are words we use to ANALYLZE a work of These are words we use to ANALYLZE a work of art.art.
Specifically, how the artist uses line, shape, form, color, value, space, texture (or the Elements of Design).
Final Exam Tip: When analyzing a work you are studying how the artists used the Element of Design…so try to include that word.
On each slide I included a model and additional describing words. The ELEMENT will be in black, the PRINCIPLE will be in in red and
the additional describing words will be in green.
B a l a n c e Arranging the parts of
Arranging the parts of the artwork equally or
the artwork equally or near equally in terms of
near equally in terms of ““visual weight" on each
visual weight" on each side.side.
Words you need to know! Words you need to know!
Symmetrical balance:Symmetrical balance: where the art where the art elements in a composition are balanced elements in a composition are balanced in a mirror-like fashion (it does not have in a mirror-like fashion (it does not have to be exact but close).to be exact but close).
Asymmetrical balance:Asymmetrical balance: the the opposite of symmetrical opposite of symmetrical
Element of Design– WHITE Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother (commonly known as Whistler’s Mother), by James Whistler
Oriental Poppies, by Georgia O’Keefe
Rose Window
The artist, Frangelico, balanced the small group of people in the foreground with the larger, simpler building and wall shapes in the background. Symmetrical balance is achieved because of the way the subjects are arranged on either side.
Here is how we would ANALYZE this work of art using the word, BALANCE
Element of Design– white Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
RHYTHM and PATTERN
Repeating the Elements of Design (line, color, shape, form, texture,
space) to create movement or texture
This work by Pablo Picasso uses diagonal lines, patches of colors, and varying spaces between shapes, a “dynamic” rhythm is set by the artist, creating a sense of activity.
Here is how we would ANALYZE this work of art using the word, RHYTHM
Element of Design– white Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
Here is an example of a cut paper tessellation design. What is used to create the appearance of
rhythm in this work?
Unity and Harmony - Unity and Harmony occurs when all the elements you put in your artwork work well together and look like they belong there. All parts of the design must agree in a feeling or mood.
What do you think Cezanne used to keep this painting, Mt. Victoria, unified or working together?
Cézanne used blues, yellows and greens. By using related colors (remember blue and
yellow make green), the piece appears to be unified.
Here is how we would ANALYZE this work of art using the word UNITY:
Element of Design– white Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
MM OO VV EE MM EE NN TTMovement is the art
principle that uses some of the elements of art to
produce the look of action or to cause the viewer’s eye to sweep over the art work
in a certain manner.
In Starry Night, famed artist Vincent Van Gogh creates movement in his sky. How does he show us this?
Element of Design– white Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
Look at the painting and Look at the painting and concentrate on how your concentrate on how your
eyes bounce from one star to eyes bounce from one star to another. This is an example another. This is an example of how an artist can create of how an artist can create
movementmovement in a work of art. in a work of art.
Here is how we would ANALYZE this work of art using the word MOVEMENT:
The swirling lines created by brushstrokes of colors in the sky shows the movement of wind.
Element of Design– white Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
Contrast and Variety using different types and sizes of lines,
shapes, spaces, textures values and colors to bring interest to your design.
Colors – warm vs. cool, complementary, intense vs. dullTextures – smooth vs. roughLine Direction – horizontal vs. vertical/diagonal/curved
Some of the most common ways of creating Contrast are by creating differences in:
Sizes – large vs. smallShapes – geometric vs. organic/free Form- real vs. abstractValues – light vs. dark
and
Element of Design– white Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
Kandinsky used a Kandinsky used a varietyvariety of of overlappingoverlapping lineslines, , shapesshapes and and colorscolors to give this painting interest. to give this painting interest.
Here is how we would ANALYZE this work of art using the word VARIETY:
Element of Design– white Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
The contrast in the illustration to the left is quite obvious. Notice the contrast of the light background (wall) with dark foreground (table cloth) and the contrast of the dark shadows on the tea pot and cup against the wall and with the lights of the same objects against a dark window.
Element of Design– white Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
Emphasis creates a disruption to the eye’s movement in an artwork and develops a center of interest, or focal point.
Where is the Where is the focal pointfocal point in Wassily in Wassily Kandinsky’s, Kandinsky’s, Composition VII Composition VII ??
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Kandinsky Kandinsky emphasizedemphasized the large black the large black circle circle (which is a shape) in the upper left (which is a shape) in the upper left corner of his work. The object is corner of his work. The object is different different from everything else in the painting and from everything else in the painting and
therefore it "stands out". therefore it "stands out".
Element of Design– white Principle of Design – red Describing Words – green
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