Basic elements of Basic elements of visual languagevisual language

Dots, lines and shapes

We are going to...We are going to...

Talk about the main elements of the images: dots, lines and shapes.

Discover and practise an art style: The Pointillism.

Work with linesWork with shapes

1. The dot1. The dot

The dot is the smallest graphic element that can be used.

There are two types of dots:◦Geometric dots◦Graphic dots

1. The dot1. The dot

Geometric dot: in technical drawing, two lines cross themselves in a geometric point.

Graphic dot: is the simplest element we can use to draw. It’s always small and nearly round.

1. The dot1. The dot

Dots build images:◦Our brain groups the dots to see figures and

shapes.

1. The dot1. The dot

We can use dots to draw objects, delimit shapes and give them volume and shadows. The dot can also give us important information about colours and textures.

PointillismPointillism

At the end of the XIXth century, some French artists began to paint using small coloured dots.

Those dots create an optic effect in our eyes that mixes the colours.

This style is called Pointillism, and some of the most important painters were Paul Signac (1863-1935) and Georges Seurat (1859-1891).

PointillismPointillism

Georges Seurat Le cirque

Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte

PointillismPointillism

Paul Signac Dimanche

Other artistsOther artists

In the XXth century, other artists have used coloured dots in their paintings.

Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)

ActivitiesActivities

1. Look at the image and try to draw it in pointillistic style. To do this: first, draw it in a schematic way using the soft lead pencil. After, use the black pen to draw the dots. They must always have the same shape. Put a lot of dots in the darkest parts, and only a few in the brightest.

ActivitiesActivities

2. Create a painting in pointillistic style. You can draw and paint what you want (a portrait, a landscape, a still life...). Use felt tip pens in an A4 cardboard.

2. The line2. The line

2. The line2. The line

Lines, dots, shapes, textures and colours are the basic elements of visual language.

The dot is the most simple element, and it’s very important in graphic expression, arts and digital image.

If we observe a picture in detail, we’ll be able to see the grid of pixels. Pixels define the quality of a digital picture. We call them “map of bits”.

2. The line2. The line

A line is the track made by a point moving in space.

There are two types of lines: geometric and graphic.

The geometric line is the intersection between two planes.

Geometric line

2. The line2. The line

The graphic line can have a great assortment of shapes, colours and textures, and its trace can be done using a lot of different tools.

Line’s characteristicsLine’s characteristics

Intensity: depends on the pression we are doing with the drawing tool (pencil, brush, crayon...). If we press, the line is stronger: it has a higher intensity.

Line’s characteristicsLine’s characteristics

Thickness: as bigger is the line’s intensity, as thicker is the line: when we press, the line is more instense and thick.

Line’s characteristicsLine’s characteristics

Colour and uniformity

Types of lines and expressivityTypes of lines and expressivity

◦Using different tools and materials for drawing, we can get different types of lines.

◦Lines can express ideas, emotions and feelings.

◦Lines show the personality of the artist, as a signature does.

Types of lines: horizontal linesTypes of lines: horizontal lines

The lines can be horizontal, vertical, oblique or curved.◦Horinzontal lines express sensation of peace,

quietness and coldness.

Types of lines: vertical linesTypes of lines: vertical lines

oVertical lines express strength, elegance,

spirituality.

Types of lines: oblique linesTypes of lines: oblique lines

Oblique lines transmit sensation of inestability. If they begin at the same point, they give us sensation of depth.

Types of lines: curved linesTypes of lines: curved lines

Curved lines give us sensation of movement.

Lines in art creationLines in art creation

◦In drawing and painting, lines are used to represent shapes.

◦They also can be used as guides in a composition: they are called master lines or strength lines.

Lines in art creationLines in art creation

◦ In Art History there have been art styles that have used lines as very important elements.

◦Modernism: begins at the end of XIXth century, and lines are everywhere. Modernists like wavy and sinuous lines.

“The life tree” by Gustav Klimt

Lines in art creationLines in art creation

Modernists also build buildings full of wavy lines.

“Parc Güell”, by Antoni Gaudí.

Lines in art creationLines in art creation

Neoplasticism: A Dutch painter called Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) was the first who painted using only vertical and horizontal lines, and only a few colours (white, black, red, blue and yellow).

CuriositiesCuriosities

Look at this cartoon about types of line. It reproduces a painting of Franz Marc (1880-1916), an expressionist german painter.

Tiger, by Franz Marc

ActivitiesActivities

Activities from “The Artist’s Toolkit”Choose a picture of a magazine and draw

it using lines. Use felt-tip pens.