Elements and principles of art

Elements of Design

Line is a mark on a surface that describes a shape or outline. Types of line can include actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and contour lines, dotted line, wavy line,freehand line, thick, thin line and etc.

                                                         Figure 1.0: Lines

Color –

Primary colours: These colors are red, blue and yellow.

Secondary colours:  These colors are created by mixing two of the primary colors together. 

red+ blue = purple
red+yellow =orange

blue+yellow=green

                                                          Figure 1.1: Colour

Tertiary colours: mix primary colour with one secondary colour.  

• Hue: is another name for colour.  
• Shade: A colour shade is created by adding black colour
• Tint: A colour tint is created by adding white colour to it
• Tone: A colour tone is created by adding grey to it.
• Intensity: Brightness or purity of a colour. A dull colour has a low intensity.

Shape - is a 2-dimensional line with no form or thickness. Shapes are flat and grouped into two categories, geometric and organic.

-Square and rectangle -strength and stability
-Circle and ellipses- continuous movement
-Triangles-lead the eye in upward movement
-Inverted triangle-   sense of imbalance



Texture - is about surface quality either tactile or visual. It is the degree of roughness or smoothness in objects.

• Optical Texture:using of skillful painting technique to create the illusion of texture. For example, a cactus painted on a paper looks thorny and sharp.

• Physical Texture: expressive brushstrokes which the texture conveys the physical and emotional energy of both the artist and his/her subject. Example using oil paint, sand, cloth to create an artwork.

•  Ephemeral Texture: This is a third category of textures whose fleeting forms are subject to change like clouds, smoke, flames, bubbles and liquids.

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.

Space - refers to variations in the perspective, and proportions of objects, lines or shapes. There is a variation of sizes in space of objects either real or imagined.


Value/tone - is the degree of light and dark of a colour. It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between.It can be used to:

•  to create the illusion of form
• to create a rhythm or pattern within a composition. 

Principles of Design

Center of interest - is an area that first attracts attention in a composition. This area is more important when compared to the other objects or elements in a composition.  This can be by contrast of values, more colors, and placement in the format.

Balance - is a feeling of visual equality in shape, form, value, color, etc.  Balance can be symmetrical or evenly balanced or asymmetrical.  Objects, values, colors, textures, shapes, forms, etc., can be used in creating a balance in a composition. A large shape close to the center can be balanced by a small shape close to the edge. A large light toned shape will be balanced by a small dark toned shape (the darker the shape the heavier it appears to be)

Figure 1.3: balance

Harmony - brings together a composition with similar units.

Contrast - offers some change in value creating a visual discord in a composition. Contrast shows the difference between shapes and can be used as a background to bring objects out and forward in a design.

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.

Pattern-  made by repeating or echoing the elements of an artwork to communicate a sense of balance, harmony, contrast, rhythm or movement.

•  Natural Pattern: Pattern in art is often based on observing the natural patterns that occur in nature. We can see these in the shape of a leaf.

•  Man-Made Pattern: Pattern in art is used in structure and decoration

 
Rhythm - is a movement in which some elements recurs regularly and the flow of objects that will seem to be like the beat of music.

Unity - Unity is the relationship among the elements of a visual that helps all the elements function together.  Unity gives a sense of oneness to a visual image. Unity in a painting also refers to the visual linking of various elements of the work. Unity can be achieve through use  of:

•     similar shapes.
•     common pattern.
•      space
•      common background.

                                           Figure 1.4: Visual linking

References:

Weebly.com, Elements of design, weebly.com, accessed on 19 September 2016, url: http://elements-of-design.weebly.com/line.html

Fussel,M, 2011, The elements-form, thevirtualinstrutor.com, accessed on 19 September 2016, url: http://thevirtualinstructor.com/form.html

Fussel,M, 2011, The elements-value, thevirtualinstrutor.com, accessed on 19 September 2016, url: http://thevirtualinstructor.com/Value.html

Incredible art department, 2014, Elements and principle of design, incredibleart.org, accessed on 17 September 2016, url: http://www.incredibleart.org/files/elements2.htm#idc-cover

Visual literacy means ability to understand and interpret the meaning of an image, sign or symbol.

  

                                     Figure 2.0: the scream or the cry (Edvard Munch)

  The man in the picture is either screaming, or got shocked seeing at something over the sea. Maybe the man is in pain. The orange colour shows it is dusk time and there are 2 people walking pass by the man on the bridge.

                               Figure 2.1: The sign shows we should not talk while in library

                          Figure 2.2:The sign shows female and male toilets to the right side.

                                         Figure 2.3: The dead mother (Edvard Munch)

 The picture shows a dying mother, and the child is depressed or sad, putting his hands on head because he can’t take the pain anymore.

                                           Figure 2.4: the dance of life (Edvard Munch)

   

The picture shows, the painter is dancing with a woman, happily and whole event seem to be happened at a garden since there is a flower shown, and a fountain. There are 2 women, one with white and another with black dress, watching the couple dancing, shows jealousy Other than that perhaps the painter is looking at these women, even though he is already has a partner, thus shows lust.

                               Figure 2.5: Between the clock and bed (Edvard Munch)

There is grandfather clock on the left of the old man, and a bed on the right. This shows the old man is waiting for his time and eternal sleep on the bed which is death. There are also many paintings on the walls shows he is an artist.

                                 Figure 2.6: Christina’s world (Andrew Wyeth)

The painter is describing his neighbour, Christina, which is physically disable and she is crawling towards her house. There are 2 houses, one belongs to Christina, and another is to the painter. These whole picture takes place in a  grassland, and  a rural area, since there is no town or shops  seen in this picture.

                                    Figure 2.7:Persistent of memory (Salvador Dali)

The clocks are melting and this can signifies as fading of the memories as time passes by.

                                       Figure 2.8:  Creation of Adam  (Michelengalo)

                                    Figure 2.9: Starry night (Vincent van Gogh)

The painter is painting the view from his house of his beautiful town or village, giving emphasis on a tree trunk and moon and stars. The lines on sky is wavy shows the movement of wind and clouds.

Other example that allow one to have visual literacy are:

• Advertisement – like Nestle
• Road signs- like traffic light, zebra crossing
• Apps –like Whatsapp, Facebook, Skype
• Icons in mobile – like setting button, call button, battery icon

Reflection:

 From this task, I learnt about element and principles of design. I also learn about visual literacy is an important to understand and interpret a visual or image, so that we can apply that in our everyday life.

References:

Italian Renaissance.org, 2015, Michelangalo's creation of adam, Italianrenaissance.org, accessed on 22 September 2016, url :http://www.italianrenaissance.org/michelangelo-creation-of-adam/

Lovette,J, 1999, design and colour, johnlovett.com, accessed on 26 September 2016,

url: http://www.johnlovett.com/test.htm

MoMA, 2007, The colection, moma.org, accessed on 22 September 2016, url: http://www.moma.org/collection/works/78455

MoMA, 2015, The collection, moma.org, accessed on 22 September 2016, url: http://www.moma.org/collection/works/79018

Pioch, N,  2002, Webmusem Paris, ibiblio.org, accessed on 17 September 2016, url: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/munch/

Van Gogh Gallery, Vincent Van Gogh:Starry night, vangoghgallery.com, accessed on 22 September 2016, url: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html