Art History Synopsis
BryanAneyro
ElementsofArt.pptxLine - A path traced by a moving point
Implied vs. Actual
Horizontal lines - calm, placid, Vertical lines - assertive, bold, strong, Diagonal lines - action, change, energy
Outline - defines a two-dimensional shape
Contour - recorded boundary of 3D forms
Directional - the lines our eyes naturally follow in an artwork (often diagonal)
Shape - 2D area with identifiable boundaries
Implied vs. Actual
Geometric vs. Organic
Form - 3D representation of a shape
Mass - the physical bulk, density and/or weight of an object
Implied vs. Actual
Volume - Actual space occupied by a form
ONLY REFERS TO 3D FORMS - because it refers to REAL space
Open vs. Closed
Texture - surface quality experienced through touch - smooth/rough, flat/bumpy, fine/coarse
actual vs implied
Color - part of the visible spectrum - ROYGBIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet)
The Elements of Art
Mass & Volume
All objects have both mass and volume but our description of that mass and volume will differ greatly based on what the object is.
A sheet of paper and a single feather have volume because they take up space even though it is miniscule. Their mass may be tiny and seem insignificant compared to the weight of a semi-truck but all three have mass. You would just describe it differently.
We often think of mass as an equivalence of weight. In art it is often easier to describe it in terms of physical bulk or density of material unless we are familiar with how much that material weighs. Artwork does not sit on scales in museums and rarely can we find the weight of an object so we must rely on our past experience to describe and what we already know to talk about mass.
We are almost always given the exact measurements of three-dimensional artworks so it is easier to understand volume because it is simply the amount of space occupied by the artwork.
Color - primary, secondary, Intermediate/Tertiary
tint, tone, shade
additive vs subtractive
Hue - interchangeable for color
Intensity - lightness or darkness of a color (value of color)
Saturation/Chroma -brilliance of color
Color Schemes
Intensity - lightness or darkness of a color
Other color descriptions: Naturalistic, Achromatic, Black and White, Key Color
Make sure you discuss color smartly using this new terminology, only discussing colors used lets me know you passed kindergarten not that you want to pass this class. :)
Always to to determine the:
Monochromatic
Only blue is used in this painting
Complimentary
Red & Green
Split-Compliment
Yellow + Red Violet & Blue Violet
Double-Compliment
Red & Green, Violet & Yellow
Triad
All three primaries used. Another Triad to recognize easily is when all three secondary colors are used.
Analogous
Blues, yellows and greens
Light - reveals the world to our eyes in a way that helps us understand forms and spatial relationships
Value - the relative lightness or darkness of an object
hatching & cross-hatching
stippling
Chiaroscuro (cheer-a-scur-o) Italian for light dark
Space - distances or areas around, between, and within components of a piece
foreground, middle ground, background
actual (see volume) or implied/depth (2D) - suggesting space in two dimensions
Examples of Implied Space
linear perspective - mathematical approach to drawing realistic space in 2D
vanishing point
horizon line
atmospheric perspective - observing objects as they appear in real life, distant objects are less distinct, paler/bluer/grayer than nearby ones because of the moisture in the air that scatters light
Time and Motion - always linked in art, time is the element in which we live and motion is sign of life
anything that depicts an event in time depicts time and motion
Time based art - Video, Film, Performance, Sound, Interactive Installation
Photography - captures a ‘fleeting’ moment in time
Implied (suggested movement) vs Actual (artwork that really moves)
Kinetic art - art that moves (See video on the Time & Motion example)
Five areas of value needed to express Chiaroscuro
The next three slides are examples of artist’s using chiaroscuro in painting.
The boat and the man are Positive Space (occupied space)
The water and sky and Negative Space (unoccupied space)
Linear Perspective
Atmospheric Perspective Examples
Time & Motion examples
Click on image to
understand kinetic art
