Principles of Art

Visual Arts

AVI10

Mrs. Amor

Principles of Design•Balance

•Contrast

•Emphasis

•Movement

•Rhythm

•Pattern•Proportion

•Unity•Variety

All artwork is by Escher

BALANCEThe visual weighting of objects within a composition

Artists think about how to make their works visually balanced by using elements such as line, shape and colour. There are several ways to balance an artwork:

Symmetrical BalanceAsymmetrical BalanceRadial Balance

The Chinese symbol of Yin and Yang is the example of perfect balance and harmony. It is also an example of the ambiguity between figure and ground, positive and negative. For East Asians this is a meaningful symbol of the correct way of life. This symbol portrays the perfect balance of life forces, the balance of opposites. The balance of light and dark, man and woman, fire and ice. Clearly, we have a deep need for balance in our lives. That balance can be seen in nature and in man-made structures.

Symmetrical: -The weight is evenly distributed on both side of the artwork.

Both sides of an imaginary line are visually equal. This type of balance creates a feeling of structure and stateliness

Escher- hands

Asymmetrical: the weight is unevenly distributed on both side of the artwork.

Each side of an imaginary line are balanced but visually uneven. For example, two small shapes can appear to balance one large space

Vermeer –Young woman with a water picture

Difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical design

Symmetrical Asymmetrical

Both are balanced

Radial: the weight appears to be circling or moving towards the center of the work.

Lines or shapes grow from a centre point

balance website

What types of symmetry are these art objects?

TileSyria or Egypt, fifteenth centuryFritware, underglaze paintedThe Madina Collection of Islamic Art

The Ardabil carpetIran, dated 1539–40 (A.H. 946)Wool and silk

  Doors, Pair, ca. 1325–1330; Mamluk period (1250-1517)Attributed to Cairo, EgyptWood inlaid with carved ivory panels;

God is beautiful and loves beauty. (Inn Allaha jameel wa-yuhibbu l-jamaal) (A hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (s)in Sahih Muslim 1.93:91

Perfect Symmetry

Taj Mahal, India

Al Hambra-Cordova Radial symmetry from the air

Symmetrical Balance- Alhambra Court of the Lions

The House of Bijapur, ca. 1680; 'Adil Shahi period (1490-1686)Kamal Muhammad; Chand MuhammadAttributed to Deccan, Bijapur, India

Iskander (Alexander the Great), Persian miniature from Herat, 1400's AD

Symmetry in Nature

Differences in an artwork.

CONTRAST

•Contrast is one of the principles of art, which creates excitement and interest in artworks. Contrast is a large difference between two things; for example, hot and cold, green and red. Two things that are very different have a lot of contrast.

•White and black have the greatest contrast in artworks.

•Complementary colors (opposite on the color wheel) have the highest contrast.

Low contrast

High contrast

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. It can also be used to create an area of emphasis.

Area that eye is drawn to in an artwork

EMPHASIS

•The focal point of a picture.

•Something that draws attention to itself in the artwork.

•Something singled out in the artwork or “stressed”.

•For the most part, emphasis is used to draw people’s attention to (what is considered to be) the most important part of the artwork.

In this painting, "The Letter," Mary Cassatt empasized the envelope by painting it white against the dark patterns of the woman's dress. She also placed the envelope in the center of the painting to draw your eye to it.

Emphasis-dynamic thirds

The rule-of-thirds guideline for subject placement has been the traditional way to create a well-balanced image – and has been taught to fine art painters for centuries as the way to create a dynamic composition.

The direction the eye travels through a work of art.

MOVEMENT

•Lots of time it leads the viewer to the emphasis.

This work has a lot of emotion and history packed into it. The naked slave is being cut free from political tyranny and physical enslavement by the liberating soldiers. The movement leads to where the knife is cutting the ropes that bind him . Notice the direction the men are looking- toward the emphasis. The horses look at us, which helps draw us into

the picture.

A variety of shapes lead you to the focal area. Some shapes are elongated and help you move. Other shapes use similar values to help with the connections.

Edges of shapes create lines that lead to the cutting of the rope (emphasis). Notice: emphasis isn't in the middle and isn't on the liberating men but on the act of cutting the

ropes.

Where is your eye being lead? What is being emphasized?

The repetition of an element of design to create movement.

RHYTHM

Visual rhythm makes you think of the rhythms you hear in music or dance. Artists create visual rhythm by repeating art elements and creating patterns.

Rhythm website

Rhythm created in works of art with the Repetition of similar elements of art.  Rhythm and movement work

together to create the visual equivalent of a musical beat.

Cordoba mosque

Escher

Parthenon

The repetition of an element of design.

PATTERN

Patterns occur in nature and in art. Pattern increases visual interest by enriching surface appeal.

Pattern website

Size of objects/images in relation to one another in an artwork

PROPORTION

Proportion refers to the relative size and scale of the various elements in a design. The issue is the relationship between objects, or parts, of a whole. This means that it is necessary to discuss proportion in terms of the context or standard used to

determine proportions.

Our most universal standard of measurement is the human body; that is, our experience of living in our own bodies. We judge the appropriateness of size of objects by that measure. Architectural spaces intended to impress are usually scaled to a size that dwarfs the human viewer. This is a device often used in public spaces, such as churches or centers of government.

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?

Similarities in an artwork UNITY

•Visual sense of oneness.

•Each element of art is arranged to contribute to the composition.

•No one part of the composition sticks out like a sore thumb.

Vincent Van Gogh was an Impressionist modern painter. Butt he still was concerned with unity in this painting. The swirling brush strokes and dominance of cool colors (blues, purples and greens) tend to unify the work.

VARIETY• Variety keeps life

interesting. Imagine if everything in your life was the same, day in and day out. Imagine the monotony!

• Variety in art refers to the use of contrasting or different types of Elements in a work of art. An artist knows that adding contrast to a work of art adds interest.

Principles of Design•Balance

•Contrast

•Emphasis

•Movement

•Rhythm

•Pattern•Proportion

•Unity•Variety