36876734-design-and-colour.pdf

8/14/2019 36876734-Design-and-Colour.pdf

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DESIGN AND COLOUR

The elements and principles of design are the building blocks used to create a work of art. The

elements of design can be thought of as the things that make up a painting, drawing, design etc.Good or bad - all paintings will contain most of if not all, the seven elements of design.

The Principles of design can be thought of as what we do to the elements of design. How we

apply the Principles of design determines how successful we are in creating a work of art.

THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

LINE

Line can be considered in two ways. The linear marks made with a pen or brush or the edge

created when two shapes meet.

SHAPE shape is a self contained defined area of geometric or organic form. positive shape in a

painting automatically creates a negative shape.

DIRECTION

ll lines have direction - Hori!ontal, "ertical or #bli$ue. Hori!ontal suggests calmness, stabilityand tran$uillity. "ertical gives a feeling of balance, formality and alertness. #bli$ue suggests

movement and action

see notes on direction

SIZE%i!e is simply the relationship of the area occupied by one shape to that of another.

TEXTURE

Te&ture is the surface $uality of a shape - rough, smooth, soft hard glossy etc. Te&ture can be

physical 'tactile( or visual.see notes on te&ture

COLOUR

lso called Huesee notes on colour

VALUE

"alue is the lightness or darkness of a colour. "alue is also called Tone

see notes on tonal contrast
http://www.johnlovett.com/directio.htmhttp://www.johnlovett.com/texture.htmhttp://www.johnlovett.com/colour.htmhttp://www.johnlovett.com/tonal.htmhttp://www.johnlovett.com/directio.htmhttp://www.johnlovett.com/texture.htmhttp://www.johnlovett.com/colour.htmhttp://www.johnlovett.com/tonal.htm


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THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

BALANCE

)alance in design is similar to balance in physics

large shape close to the center can be balancedby a small shape close to the edge. large light

toned shape will be balanced by a small dark toned

shape 'the darker the shape the heavier it appears to be(

GRADATION

Gradation of si!e and direction produce linear perspective. Gradation of of colour from warm tocool and tone from dark to light produce aerial perspective. Gradation can add interest and

movement to a shape. gradation from dark to light will cause the eye to move along a shape.

REPETITION

*epetition with variation is interesting, without variation repetition can become monotonous.

The five s$uares above are all the same. They can be taken in and understood with a single

glance.


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+hen variation is introduced, the five s$uares, although similar, are much more interesting to

look at. They can no longer be absorbed properly with a single glance. The individual character

of each s$uare needs to be considered.

f you wish to create interest, any repeating element should include a degree of variation.

CONTRAST

ontrast is the u&taposition of opposing elements eg. opposite colours on the colour wheel -

red / green, blue / orange etc. ontrast in tone or value - light / dark. ontrast in direction -hori!ontal / vertical.

The maor contrast in a painting should be located at the center of interest. Too much contrast

scattered throughout a painting can destroy unity and make a work difficult to look at. 0nless afeeling of chaos and confusion are what you are seeking, it is a good idea to carefully consider

where to place your areas of ma&imum contrast.

HARMONY

Harmony in painting is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar, related elements.eg.adacent colours on the colour wheel, similar shapes etc.

DOMINANCE

1ominance gives a painting interest, counteracting confusion and monotony. 1ominance can be

applied to one or more of the elements to give emphasis

UNITY

*elating the design elements to the the idea being e&pressed in a painting reinforces the principal

of unity.eg. a painting with an active aggressive subect would work better with a dominant


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obli$ue direction, course, rough te&ture, angular lines etc. whereas a $uiet passive subect would

benefit from hori!ontal lines, soft te&ture and less tonal contrast.

0nity in a painting also refers to the visual linking of various elements of the work.

fter studying these notes on the elements and principals of design, try this e&ercise

2 3#H4 L#"5TT 6777

Elements of des!n

1esign elements are the basic units of a visual image. These elements include8
http://www.johnlovett.com/exercise.htmhttp://www.johnlovett.com/exercise.htm


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S"#$e

%pace is the area provided for a particular purpose. t may have two dimensions 'length

and width(, such as a floor, or it may have three dimensions 'length, width, and height(.%pace includes the background, foreground and middle ground. %pace refers to the

distances or areas around, between or within components of a piece. There are two type

of space8 positive and negative space. Positive space refers to the space of a shaperepresenting the subect matter. 4egative space refers to the space around and between

the subect matter.

Lne

Line is the basic element that refers to the continuous movement of a point along a

surface, such as by a pencil or brush. The edges of shapes and forms also create lines. t

is the basic component of a shape drawn on paper. Lines and curves are the basic

building blocks of two dimensional shapes like a house9s plan. 5very line has length,thickness, and direction. There are curve, hori!ontal, vertical, diagonal, !ig!ag, wavy,

parallel, dash, and dotted lines.

)alance

)alance can be either symmetricalor asymmetrical. )alance also refers to a sense thatdominantfocal pointsdon9t give a feeling of being pulled too much to any specific part of

the artwork. )alance can be achieved by the location of obects, volume or si!es ofobects, and by color. t can also be achieved by balancing lighter colors with darker

colors, or bold colors with light neutral colors.

Colo%

olor is seen either by the way light reflects off a surface, or in colored light sources. *ed

colors seem to come forward while blue seems to recede into the distance.:citation needed;

olor and particularly contrasting color is also used to draw the attention to a particular

part of the image. There areprimary colors,secondary colors, and tertiary colors.omplementary colorsare colors that are opposite to each other on thecolor wheel.

omplementary colors are used to create contrast.nalogous colors are colors that are

found side by side on the color wheel. These can be used to create color harmony.


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fi!!y, gritty, but cannot actually be felt. This type of te&ture is used by artist when

drawing or painting.

)o%m

=orm is any three dimensionalobect. =orm can be measured, from top to bottom

'height(, side to side 'width(, and from back to front 'depth(. =orm is also defined by

light and dark. There are two types of form, geometric 'man-made( and natural 'organicform(. =orm may be created by the combining of two or more shapes. t may be enhanced

by tone, te&ture and color. t can be illustrated or constructed.

V#l(e

"alue is an element of art that refers to the relationship between light and dark on a

surface or obect and also helps with =orm. t gives obects depth and perception. "alue

is also referred to as tone.

The 1esign in Theory and Practice column is dedicated to helping the reader gain a better

understanding of +eb design. The first step in this process is getting a grasp on the

fundamentals. To achieve this, we need to reali!e that the discipline of +eb design is inherentlypart of a larger whole. The fundamental concepts underlying +eb design have been inherited

from the larger field of design, and indeed from other art forms in general. This means that we

need to momentarily step away from the medium of the +eb and adopt a broader perspective.

Int%od($ton

The elements of design discuss the components of the composition itself, and provide the

designer with a basic set of tools to begin working with.

n The Principles of 1esignwe looked at half of the basic tenets that underlie the field of design.

The principles of design represent the basic assumptions of the world that guide the designpractice, and deal with the arrangements of obects in any given composition. n this column we

investigate the other half of the tenets, the elements of design, in an effort to bring together a

solid foundation on which we can base all future investigations.

*t #%e Elements of Des!n+

The elements of design are the basic components used as part of any composition. They are the

obects to be arranged, the constituent parts used to create the composition itself. n most

situations the elements of design build upon one another, the former element helping to create

the latter, and the elements described in this column are arranged as such. +e will be focusingon the elements of point, line, form 'shape(, te&ture and color.

Pont

point is an element that has position, but no e&tension. t is a single mark in space with aprecise, but limited, location. lone it can provide a powerful relation between negative and

positive space, but when grouped with other points the Gestalt grouping principal of closure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_dimensionalhttp://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_dimensionalhttp://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/


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tends to kick in and the brain compulsively connects the points together. Line or form is a natural

result of multiple points in space.

Point Multiple points in

space

Closure

Lne

line is an element characteri!ed by length and direction. Lines create contours and form, and

are often used to convey a specific kind of feeling or point to an important feature in a design.Lines are also used to create perspective, and dominant directional lines are often adopted tocreate a sense of continuance in a composition. n addition, lines that are grouped together often

create a sense of value, density or te&ture.

Organic Rigi Di!!ering "eig#ts

)o%m ,S"e-

The simplest definition of shape is a closed contour, an element defined by its perimeter. The

three basic shapes are8 circle, rectangle 's$uare( and triangle. =orm is the shape and structure of a

dimensional element within a given composition. =orm can be both two-dimensional and three-dimensional and can be realistic, abstract or somewhere in between. The terms form and shape

are often used synonymously, which is why they are both included here. n reality, form is

derived from the combination of point, line and shape.


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Contour Di$ensional

Te't(%e

Te&ture is used to create surface appearance, and relates to the physical make-up of a given form.Te&ture often refers to the material that something is made of, and can be created using any of

the elements previously discussed. Te&ture is both a visual and a tactile phenomenon.

Roug# te%ture Organic te%ture

Colo%

olor is the response of the eye to differing wavelengths of radiation within the visible spectrum.The visible spectrum is what we perceive as light. t is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum

that we can see. The typical human eye will respond to wavelengths between >??-@??

nanometers 'nm(, with red being at one end '@?? nm(, violet at the other '>?? nm( and everyother color in between these two.

There are many different kinds of color systems, and many different theories on color. +e willget into that kind of detail in a later column. =or now we will focus on the basics, using a color

wheel for illustration purposes. There are three main components of color8

Hue& '#ere t#e color is positione on t#e color "#eel( Ter$s suc# as re)*lue+green) an $au,e all e!ine t#e #ue o! a gi,en color(

Value& T#e general lig#tness or ar-ness o! a color( In general) #o" close to*lac- or "#ite a gi,en color is(

Saturation& T#e intensit.) or le,el o! c#ro$a) o! a color( T#e $ore gra. acolor #as in it) t#e less c#ro$a it #as(


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Color harmonies

olor harmonies serve to describe the relationships certain colors have to one another, and how

they can be combined to create a palette of color.

Complementary& A co$ple$entar. relations#ip is a #ar$on. o! t"o colorson t#e opposite sie o! t#e color "#eel( '#en co$ple$entar. colors areplace sie+*.+sie t#e. ten to en#ance t#e intensit. /c#ro$a0 o! eac#ot#er) an "#en t#e. are *lene toget#er t#e. ten to ecrease t#eintensit. o! eac# ot#er(

Analogous& An analogous relations#ip is a #ar$on. o! colors "#ose #ues area1acent to one anot#er on t#e color "#eel( Analogous colors ten to *e!a$ilies o! colors suc# as *lues /*lue) *lue+,iolet) *lue+green0 an .ello"s/.ello") .ello"+orange) .ello"+green0(

Triadic& A triaic relations#ip is a #ar$on. o! t#ree colors e2uiistant !ro$one anot#er on t#e color "#eel( Pri$ar. colors an seconar. colors aree%a$ples o! color trias(

n these e&amples, a subtractive color space was used for illustrative purposes.

Co$ple$entar. Analogous Triaic


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Color spaces

olor is typically organi!ed in a hierarchal fashion, based on how colors are mi&ed. colorspace helps to define how the colors are mi&ed, based on the medium in which the colors are

used. There are two different kinds of color spaces8

Subtractive& A su*tracti,e color space is t#e traitional color space t#at$ost people re!er to "#en t#e. tal- a*out color( It is pig$ent+*ase color) asin t#e $i%ing o! paint( In a su*tracti,e color space) t#e pig$ents $anipulatet#e "a,elengt#s t#at our e.es see( T#e a*sence o! an. pig$ent prouces"#ite) an all pig$ents *lene toget#er prouces *lac-(

o Pri$ar. colors& Re) .ello") *lueo Seconar. colors& Orange) green) ,iolet

Additive& An aiti,e color space is an electronic color space( It is lig#t+*ase color) as in t#e $i%ing o! color on t#e co$puter( In an aiti,e colorspace) lig#t is ae to t#e screen in i!!ering a$ounts to prouce color( T#ea*sence o! an. lig#t is *lac-) t#e presence o! all lig#t) or lig#t at !ull intensit.)

is "#ite(o Pri$ar. colors& Re) green) *lueo Seconar. colors& 3ello") $agenta) c.an

Su*tracti,e color

space

Aiti,e color

space

Rel#ted Con$e"ts

There are many additional concepts that are related to the elements of design. These can include

specific terms and/or techni$ues that are in some way based on one or more of the above ideas.

n they end, they add to the collection of compositional tools available for use by the designer.

Typography

Typography is the art of arranging typefaces, selecting style, line spacing, layout and design as a

means of solidifying language. There are many facets to typography, and only a brief

investigation will be started here based around some common terms.

Baseline& T#e line on "#ic# all letters rest( Beardline& T#e line reac#e *. t#e esceners o! lo"ercase letters(


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Bowl& T#e roun or elliptical parts o! a letter!or$( Cap line& T#e line reac#e *. t#e top o! uppercase letters( Counter& T#e "#ite space enclose *. a letter!or$) "#et#er co$pletel. or

partiall.( Extenders& E%teners are t#e parts o! letters t#at e%ten eit#er *elo" t#e

*aseline /esceners0 or a*o,e t#e $iline /asceners0( Midline& T#e top o! lo"ercase letters suc# as a) c) e an t#e top o! t#e torso

o! lo"ercase letters suc# as *) ( Seri& A stro-e ae to eit#er t#e *eginning or en o! one o! t#e $ain

stro-es o! a letter( Stem& T#e $ain stro-e o! a letter t#at is generall. straig#t an not part o! a

*o"l( Topline& T#e line reac#e *. t#e asceners o! lo"ercase letters( !"height& T#e istance *et"een t#e *aseline an $iline o! an alp#a*et(

T#e %+#eig#t is usuall. t#e #eig#t o! t#e une%tene lo"ercase letters(

#attern

Pattern is the repetition of shape or form. t can also reflect the underlying structure of a design

by organi!ing the surfaces or obects in the composition. There are many different kinds of

patterns8

$lowing& A !lo"ing pattern is *ase on t#e repetition o! an unulating line)an re!lects a natural $eanering t#roug# a co$position(

Branching& A *ranc#ing pattern is t#e repetition o! !or-ing lines) or patternso! e,iation( T#ese -ins o! patterns can *e !oun in al$ost all plants) an in$an. ot#er places in t#e natural "orl(

Spiraling& A circular pattern) or a pattern t#at "ins in an aroun itsel!(

Movement


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co$position( D.na$ic $o,e$ent !lo"s s$oot#l. !ro$ one part o! t#eco$position to anot#er(

Con$l(son

+e have thoroughly e&plored the fundamental concepts of the field of design. The principles ofdesign give us a way of looking at the world. The overarching a&ioms of the profession affect the

designer universally, and provide guidance for any composition. The elements of design discuss

the components of the composition itself, and provide the designer with a basic set of tools to

begin working with.

n order to e&plore the fundamentals of design, we needed to step back a bit away from any one

medium. 4ow it is time to focus in on the +eb. n the ne&t column we will investigate the

constraints of designing for the +eb that can effect how we make use of the principles andelements of design. +e will look at medium-specific concepts, such as screen resolution,

graphics compression and color mi&ing in additive spaces.

line is a form with width and length, but no depth. rtists use lines to create edges, the outlinesof obects. line is created by the movement of the artist9s pen.

Lne D%e$ton

The direction of a line can convey mood.

Hori!ontal lines

are calm and$uiet,


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vertical linessuggest more of

a potential for

movement,

Conto(% #nd !est(%e

Lines used to follow the edges of forms are called contour

drawings

1rawings which seem to depict more movement than actualoutline are called gesture drawings.

Lne #s V#l(e

Lines or crosshatching can also be used to create areas of grey inside a drawing. These areas ofdarker shading inside a figure, called areas of value, can give a more three-dimensional feeling to

an obect.


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shape is an enclosed obect. %hapes can be created by line, or by color and value changeswhich define their edges.

Vol(me #nd M#ss

%hape is considered to be a two-dimensional element, while three-dimensional elements have

volume or mass. Therefore, a painting has shapes, while a sculpture has volume and mass.

Post.e/Ne!#t.e s"es

n a picture, the shapes that the artist has placed are considered the positive shapes. The spacesaround the shapes are the negative spaces. t is ust as important to consider the negative space in

a picture as the positive shapes. %ometimes artists create pieces that have no distinction between

positive and negative spaces.


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Te&ture is the surface $uality of an obect. +e e&perience te&ture when we touch obects and feeltheir roughness, smoothness or patterns. Te&ture is the artist9s way of mapping these tactile

impressions on to the two-dimensional picture. Te&ture is created by varying the pattern of light

and dark areas on an obect. 4otice how the areas of light and dark give the impression of depthto the image below.

Value Color Space
http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/color.htm#valuehttp://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/color.htm#spacehttp://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/color.htm#valuehttp://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/color.htm#space


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Color

P%o"e%tes of Colo%0

Hue Color Value &ntensity

'ptical ColorMixing

Colo% S$&emes0

Monochromatic Analogous

Complementary Triadic

Color (iscord

Value

"alue refers to the relative

lightness or darkness of a

certain area. "alue can be

used for emphasis. "ariationsin value are used to create a

focal point for the design of a

picture. light figure on adark background will be

immediately recogni!ed as

the center of attention,similarly for a dark figure on

a mostly white

background. Gradations ofvalue are also used to create

the illusion of depth. reas oflight and dark can give a

three-dimensionalimpression, such as when

shading areas of a person9s

face.

1rawing by


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P%o"e%tes of Colo%

Hue

Hue refers to the color itself. 5ach different hue is a different reflected wavelength of light.

+hite light broken in a prism has seven hues8 red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

+hite light occurs when all the wavelengths are reflected back to your eye, and black light

occurs when no light is reflected to your eye. This is the physics of light.

+hen it comes to using color in art, things get $uite messy. Looking at the color wheel above,

when using color pigments, the three primary colors used are yellow, blue and red. These three

colors are blended together to produce other colors, called secondary colors, such as green,orange and purple.


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blue together. )elieve it or not, you can get

yellow by combining these colors '9ve

never been able to figure out why, but youcanD(

convention which takes cyan 'light blue(, yellow,

magenta 'pinky red( and black inks and tries to

recreate the color that your computer created withred, green and blue light.

Color Value

olor value refers to the lightness or darkness of the hue. dding white to a hue produces a high-value color, often called a tint. dding black to a hue produces a low-value color, often called a

shade.

&ntensity

ntensity, also called chroma or saturation, refers to the brightness of a color. color is at fullintensity when not mi&ed with black or white - a pure hue. Aou can change the intensity of a

color, making it duller or more neutral by adding gray to the color. Aou can also change theintensity of a color by adding its complement 'this is the color found directly opposite on the

traditional color wheel(. +hen changing colors this way, the color produced is called a tone.

+hen you mi& complementary colors together, you produce a dull tone. However, when you put

complementary colors side by side, you increase their intensity. This effect is calledsimultaneous contrast - each color simultaneously intensifies the visual brightness of the other

color.

)elow are some e&amples of how this works, using a program called


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bove8 adding white 'tint( to the color by

moving the cursor to the top part of thetriangle

bove8 adding black 'shade( to the color by

moving the cursor toward the bottom part of thetriangle

O"t$#l Colo% M'n!

+hen small dots of color are placed adacent to each other, your eye will combine the colors into

a blended color. This is the principle used when printing color in maga!ines. 1ots of cyan,

magenta, yellow and black are distributed in a pattern on the paper, and depending on the$uantity of a certain dot, you will see a specific color on the page. Paul %ignac used a techni$ue

called pointillism that involved creating art using the combination of dots to form images. 5ie"Port St( Trope6.

Colo% #nd S"#$e

ertain colors have an advancing or receding $uality, based on how our eye has to adust to see

them. +arm colors such as red, orange or yellow seem to come forward while cool colors such

as blue and green seem to recede slightly. n the atmosphere, distant obects appear bluish andthe further away an obect appears, the less colorful and distinct it becomes. rtists use this to

give an illusion of depth, by using more neutral and grayish colors in the background.

Colo% S$&emes

Monochromatic

T#is color sc#e$e in,ol,es t#e use o! onl. one#ue( T#e #ue can ,ar. in ,alue) an *lac- or"#ite $a. *e ae to create ,arious s#aesor tints(

Analogous
http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/signac.htmhttp://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/signac.htmhttp://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/color.htm#tophttp://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/signac.htmhttp://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/signac.htm


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T#is color sc#e$e in,ol,es t#e use o! colors t#at arelocate a1acent on t#e color "#eel( T#e #ues $a.,ar. in ,alue( T#e color sc#e$e !or t#is site isanalogous) "it# t#e colors ,ar.ing onl. slig#tl. !ro$eac# ot#er(

Complementary

T#is color sc#e$e in,ol,es t#e use o! colors t#at arelocate opposite on t#e color "#eel suc# as re angreen) .ello" an purple) or orange an *lue(Co$ple$entar. colors prouce a ,er. e%citing) .na$icpattern(

Triadic

T#is color sc#e$e in,ol,es t#e use o! colors t#at are e2uall.space on t#e color "#eel( T#e pri$ar. colors o! .ello") rean green coul *e use toget#er in a color sc#e$e toprouce a li,el. result(

heck out olor Picker web software. This application will allow you to choose a color and then

display its complementary or triadic match. Hint8 read the instructions first, then click on the link

which says E#pen olor Picker FE. Color Pic-er 7.

Colo% Ds$o%d

'#ile $onoc#ro$atic) analogous) co$ple$entar. ortriaic color sc#e$es are consiere to *e #ar$onious)t#ere are so$e color sc#e$es consiere issonant(Discorant colors are ,isuall. istur*ing + "e sa. t#e.clas#( Colors t#at are "iel. separate on t#e color "#eel /*ut notco$ple$entar. or triaic0 are consiere to *e iscorant( Discorant colorscan *e e.e+catc#ing an are o!ten use !or attention+getting e,ices ina,ertising(

%ome sources for information about color8

Ill(son of S"#$e #nd De"t&
http://developer.netscape.com/openstudio/docs/index_frame.html?cp=deo09art4&content=/docs/examples/dynhtml/colorpick2/index.htmlhttp://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/color.htm#tophttp://developer.netscape.com/openstudio/docs/index_frame.html?cp=deo09art4&content=/docs/examples/dynhtml/colorpick2/index.html


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+e live in a three-dimensional world of depth. +hen we look around us, some things seem

closer, some further away. The artist can also show the illusion of depth by using the following

means8

Si6e 8 5ertical Location

O,erlapping Detail /Aerial or At$osp#eric Perspecti,e0 Linear Perspecti,e

Si)e * Vertical %ocation

%ince obects in our environment look smaller when they arefarther away, the easiest way to show depth is to vary the si!e

of obects, with closer obects being larger and more distant

obects being smaller. s well, we perceive obects that arehigher on the page and smaller as being further away than

obects which are in the forefront of a picture.

'verlapping

+hen obects are partially

obscured by other obects in

front of them, we perceive

them as further back thanthe covering obects.

+e do not see them as

incomplete forms, ustfurther back.


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(etail +Aerial or Atmospheric #erspective,

tmospheric perspective uses color and value contrasts to

show depth. #bects which are further away generally have

less distinct contrast - they may fade into the background orbecome indistinct dark areas. The foreground obects will be

clear with sharper contrast. Here is a lin- to Leonaroa 5inci9s use o! aerial perspecti,e&

In,estigating aerial perspecti,e
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InvestigatingAerialP.htmlhttp://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InvestigatingAerialP.html


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%inear #erspective +Converging %ines,

Linear perspective is based on the idea that all lines

will converge on a common point on the hori!oncalled the vanishing point. Aou have observed linear

perspective when you notice that the lines on the

highway appear to meet at a point in the distance.rtists use linear perspective to create a focal point

for a picture. ny walls, ceilings, floors or other

obects with lines will appear to come together at thehori!on line. These lines converging lead our eyes

towards that point. #ften, the most important obect

or person in the picture will be located at that point.Aou can see in the drawing above how all the lines

in the drawing seem to lead your eye toward thechurch in the center back of the drawing.

#ther types of perspective, such as two-point ormultipoint perspective are also used. Two-point

perspective, which occurs when you display a

building from a corner view, as opposed to a front

view, is often used by architects to show a morethree-dimensional view of a building.To learn the

mechanics of setting up a picture using linear or

multipoint perspective check out this site8 Art

Stuio C#al-*oar

Here is a web page which investigates linear

perspective in Leonardo da "inci9s work8
http://www.saumag.edu/art/studio/chalkboard/draw.htmlhttp://www.saumag.edu/art/studio/chalkboard/draw.htmlhttp://www.saumag.edu/art/studio/chalkboard/draw.htmlhttp://www.saumag.edu/art/studio/chalkboard/draw.html


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The Elements- %ine

line is a mark made by a moving point and having psychological impact according to its

direction, weight, and the variations in its direction and weight. t is an enormously useful andversatile graphic device that is made to function in 1ot&visual and verbal ways. t can act as as a

symbolic language, or it can communicate emotion through its characterand direction

Line is not necessarily an artificial creation of the artist or designer it e&istsin n#t(%eas a structural feature such as branches, or as surface design, such

as striping on a tiger or a seashell.

t can function nde"endentl2to suggest forms that can be

recogni!ed, even when the lines are limited in e&tent. This can be

seen in drawings such as the %aul %teinberg illustration shownhere, or in le&ander alder9s minimal wire sculptures, which

convey a great deal of information about the figure with the most

limited line.

Lines can be $om1nedwith other lines to create te&tures and patterns. This iscommon in engravings and pen and ink drawings such as the one on the right


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'click and enlarge to see linear detail(. The use of line in combination results in the development

of fo%mand .#l(e, which are other elements of design.

However, line is not always e&plicit. t can e&ist 12 m"l$#ton, as the edge

of forms. s young children we usually begin drawing landscapes by makingoutlines for earth, sky, and other obects. Gradually we learn that obects do

not have such outlines and we let color changes define the edges of shapes,

creating implicit lines. Thus we can speak of a hori!on Eline,E or the ElinesE ofa car or a fashion silhouette, even though we know there is no literal line

present. =or additional visual e&amples of

Expressive .ualities o %ineCertain arrange$ents o! line are co$$onl. unerstoo to carr. certain -ins o!

in!or$ation(

=or e&ample,$#ll!%#"&2is recogni!able as a representation of words, evenwhen we do not know the language. alligraphic imagery is often used by

modern artists simply because of the mysterious messages implied in the EcodeEof unknown language.

Line in the form of m#"sis readily recogni!ed as a

symbolic representation of a place. The place may be a

local neighborhood, or the entire world. t may be a

carefully measured representation, or a styli!ed diagram,such as a subway map. n either case, we understand it to

be a device by which we can understand the relationshipbetween places how to get from EhereE to Ethere.E


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)loo% "l#nsare a speciali!ed kind of map, a commonly understood device which describes a

building. This linear language can be understood even when the building is as unusual as this

one, which was to be constructed of a sprayed foam material in a decidedly unconventional form.

G%#"&sare another readily recogni!able linear device. Theyare widely used to communicate $uantitative information

and relationships in a visual way. =rom the time we first

meet them in basic algebra, to the last time we picked up acopy of USA Today, we encounter and interpret graphs.

Lne #lso $omm(n$#tes emoton #nd st#tes of mnd t&%o(!& ts $%#$te% #nd d%e$ton3

The variations of meaning generally relate to our bodily e&perience of line and direction.

Ho%4ont#lline suggests a feeling of rest or repose. #bects

parallel to the earth are at rest in relation to gravity.

Therefore compositions in which hori!ontal lines dominatetend to be $uiet and restful in feeling. #ne of the hallmarksof =rank Lloyd +right9s architectural style is its use of

strong hori!ontal elements which stress the relationship of the structure to the land.

Ve%t$#llines communicate a feeling of loftiness and spirituality. 5rect lines

seem to e&tend upwards beyond human reach, toward the sky. They often

dominate public architecture, from cathedrals to corporate head$uarters.5&tended perpendicular lines suggest an overpowering grandeur, beyond

ordinary human measure.

D#!on#l lnessuggest a feeling of movement or direction. %inceobects in a diagonal position are unstable in relation to gravity, being

neither vertical nor hori!ontal, they are either about to fall, or are

already in motion, as is certainly the case for this group of dancers. n


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a two dimensional composition diagonal lines are also used to indicate depth, an illusion of

perspective that pulls the viewer into the picture-creating an illusion of a space that one could

move about within. Thus if a feeling of movement or speed is desired, or a feeling of activity,diagonal lines can be used.

Ho%4ont#l #nd .e%t$#l lnes n $om1n#ton communicate stabilityand solidity. *ectilinear forms stay put in relation to gravity, and are

not likely to tip over. This stability suggests permanence, reliability

and safety. n the case of the man in this family group, the lines seemto imply stability to the point of stodginess.

Dee"5 #$(te $(%.es, on the other hand, suggest confusion, turbulence, even fren!y, as in the

violence of waves in a storm, the chaos of a tangled thread, or the turmoil of lines suggested by

the forms of a crowd. The complicated curves used to form the mother in the family groupshown above suggest a fussy, frivolous personality.

C(%.ed lnesdo vary in meaning, however. Soft5 sllo6$(%.essuggest comfort, safety, familiarity, rela&ation. They

recall the curves of the human body, and therefore have apleasing, sensual $uality.

The 7(#lt2 of t&e lne is in itself a fundamental visual

language, to an e&tent that cannot be claimed for any othersingle element. ts use is so universal that we are all profoundly

sensitive to it. 5ven without an artist9s training, we can e&tract

considerable meaning from the kind of line used in a drawing. tis possible to recogni!e the soft, irregular lines of a $uick sketch

from life, as seen in this study of a lion.

#n the other hand, the crisp, carefully placed lines of the

rhinocerous are typical of a more studied, scrupulously worked

studio drawing. The lines suggest that this was not drawn from

life, but from hearsay. This is also evident from the fact that1urer drew this rather inaccurate image in fifteenth century

5urope when he could only have known of this frican animal

from travellers9 tales.


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The $uality of line in itself contributes to the mood of the work, and for themaster artist, the $uality of line is a fundamental e&pression of his/her style. This

drawing of a nude by


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i$age inclue t#e irection o! t#e lig#t source) !ro$ a*o,e or *elo") an t#e

gentleness or a*ruptness o! t#e #al! tones( Lig#t co$ing !ro$ *e#in a su*1ect can

!or$ a sil#ouette resulting in o*1ect t#at is co$pletel. *lac- against a lig#ter

colore *ac-groun( Sil#ouettes appear as t"o+i$ensional s#apes lac-ing !or$(

T#e a*sence o! color o!ten en#ances our perception o! !or$ !or instance in *lac-

an "#ite p#otograp#s( Lig#t e$itte !ro$ a*o,e an to t#e sie "#en applie toportraits creates "#at is o!ten re!erre to as :Re$*rant lig#ting:( T#is !or$ o!

lig#ting e$p#asi6es eges an ept#( In lanscape p#otograp#. o*li2ue lig#ting

occurs earl. an late in t#e a. "#ere it en#ances t#e natural te%ture o! t#e

lanscape an is o!ten acco$panie *. "ar$ or cool color casts(

Color

T#ere #as *een a tre$enous a$ount o! researc# on #o" color a!!ects #u$an

*eings an so$e o! t#is researc# suggests t#at $en an "o$en $a. respon to

colors i!!erentl.( Color a!!ects us e$otionall.) "it# i!!erent colors e,o-ing

i!!erent e$otions( In s#ort color #as t#e capacit. to a!!ect t#e #u$an ner,ous

s.ste$(

The vocabulary o color includes-

Hue-re!ers to t#e na$es o! t#e pri$ar. colors) re) green an *lue(

Value-lig#tness an ar-ness o! t#e color + t#e a$ount o! "#ite or *lac- ae(

&ntensity-t#e purit. or saturation o! t#e color

Monochromatic color-use o! one color "#ere onl. t#e ,alue o! t#e color c#anges

Analogous colors-colors t#at are a1acent to eac# ot#er on t#e color "#eel) e(g(

.ello" an green


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Analogous colors ne%t to eac# ot#er on t#e color "#eel :get along: an are re!erre

to as *eing #ar$onious( Analogous colors are o!ten use in ,isual esign an #a,e

a soot#ing a!!ect(

Complementary colors-colors opposite to eac# ot#er on t#e color "#eel) e(g(


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In t#e p#otograp# a*o,e + green an .ello" are analogous colors t#at #ar$oni6e

"#ere as t#e ,iolet color o! t#e s#ooting stars appears $ore intense against a

co$ple$entar. colore *ac-groun(

0arm colors include-.ello"s) re an orange "e associate t#ese "it# *loo) sun

an !ire(

Sunrise *e#in a popular tree at 'riting+on+Stone #as a "ar$ !ire li-e !eel to it(


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Cool colors include-,iolet) *lue an green *ecause o! our association "it# sno"

an ice(


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Loa! Mountain + "ar$ glo" o! sunrise a,ances "#ere t#e cool *lue s#ao"s

recee(

Texture

Te%ture re!ers to t#e sur!ace 2ualit. or :!eel: o! an o*1ect + s$oot#) roug#) so!t) etc(

Te%tures $a. *e actual /!elt "it# touc# + tactile0 or i$plie /suggeste *. t#e "a.

an artist #as create t#e "or- o! art +,isual0( Te%ture is o!ten e$p#asi6e in o*li2ue

lig#ting as it stri-es t#e o*1ects !ro$ one sie(


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36876734-design-and-colour.pdf

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