Andy Warhol, Self-Portrait (1947)
Andy Warhol's self-portrait here shows lines that he felt are most characteristic in defining himself from the chest and above.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
1. Line as Shape
Andy Warhol's self-portrait here shows lines that he felt are most characteristic in defining himself from the chest and above.
2. Line Direction
The direction of lines help the viewer feel the movement or lack of movement in an image. Horizontal lines show rest, vertical lines show activity, and diagonal lines shows motion.
This graffiti image shows a man throwing a bouquet of flowers using quite a bit of force. The arch of his body as well as the diagonal lines of his right leg and left arm show the motion of his body about to throw the flowers.
3. Line as Emotion (list how characteristic conveys emotion)
Lines can be full of variety due to the adjectives that describe them such as think, thin, rough, smooth, etc. Light, thin lines seem to convey and innocence while dark, thick lines tend to convey a bold, awkward or stressful image.
This drawing is full of different lines- dark and light. The light lines are putting the left side of the image sort of in the background- it is not the first thing the viewer looks at. On the right however, the dark lines are portraying a brutal battle that is occurring, where the woman is trying to save herself and escape. The dark lines make the viewer realize there is trouble in this stressful situation.
4. Contour Line
Contour drawings are simply a type of outline of an image with lines to convey the image exactly and simply. There is no exaggeration with contour as it just follows the outlines of the picture or scene.
This drawing is created by the outlining of a shell, a sailboat, a palm tree and birds. Not on of the objects is exaggerated by extra lines. It is simply a sketch of what the artist was viewing and an outline of the objects. What you see is what you get.
5. Gesture Line
Instead of outlining an image in simple lines, gesture drawings are full of active lines going in any direction that the artists chooses to use to convey the emotion they feel in the image. Describing the shapes is less important in gesture drawing than showing the action and dynamics.
In this drawing, we can see the crazy use of curvy and zig-zagging lines going all over the place shows the stress and anxiety of the five men being portrayed. The men are scared and the jittery lines they are covered in make the viewer feel their terror.
6. Line as Value
Artists have the ability to place many lines close together to create an area of grey to shade or put emphasis on an area in the image. These lines come together to create value and sometimes a 3-dimensional look.
In this drawing by Rembrandt, his strokes are single-directional. This gives the drawing a rhythm that we can see immediately and it adds more life to the drawing than a contour drawing would. The lines that are placed close together become a darker area, or, shading.
Another Example:
Jean-Antoine Watteau, Study of a Seated Woman
7. Lost and Found Contour
Lost-and-found contour works heavily with lighting in the drawing, painting, photograph, etc. Many times, an edge will disappear into darkness, and the viewer has to use the 'clues' to fill in the rest. Our eyes act as if they know what the entire picture looks like even though it is not there.
This picture shows a face being partially covered by lines of darkness and shadows. We can see the lips, nose, and one eye. The rest of the scene must be put together by our own mind because the light does not reveal it.
8. Naturalism
Tiziano Vecelli, Self-Portrait, 1560.
Naturalism is created when an artist reproduces an image making it look extremely similar to the original. The natural proportions are realistic with an added volume and 3-dimensional look. This oil on canvas piece is a good example of naturalism through the realistic proportions of the mans body and the details creating a 3D look.
9. Distortion
Pablo Picasso, Tete de cheval ("Head of horse")
Distortion occurs when an artist takes an object and reproduces it in different proportions, shapes, sizes, colors, ect. than it is in reality. Picasso is a perfect example of an artist very focused on distortion in his paintings. This oil painting shows a horse in shades of gray, black and blue and his head and body are not in proportion of a real horse.
10. Idealism
Andy Warhol, Barbie, 1985
Idealism is a type of distortion but in the way that it improves reality. Idealism shows no flaws or accidents that are present in the real world. This painting of the classic Barbie doll is an exaggeration of what the makers of Barbie are trying to show as true beauty. Though this plastic figure's waist, breasts, and hip proportions are physically impossible for a human to match (because a real woman wouldn't be able to hold herself upright), many young girls in our society still see Barbie as someone to try and mirror due to her lack of flaws and "perfect" body structure.
Below: Katie Halchishick uses her own figure to show what it would take to have the Barbie doll’s proportions.
11. Abstraction
Franklin Beecham, "The Pond"
Abstraction is a synonym for abstract art. Abstract art is a form of art that does not care about being a literal depiction of the real world. Abstraction may reproduce an object or image from the real world in a different form usually by simplifying its form and ignoring details. This piece depicts a painted vacant piece of land with a picture of a pond surrounded by trees. The blue sky and brown horizontal land are left with no details and completely flat, unlike the real world.
12. Nonobjective Shapes
Helen Frankenthaler, "Mountains and the Sea"
Nonobjective art is similar to abstraction, but rather than only simplifying objects, it only shows shapes. These shapes are not simplified natural forms, they are shapes with no object reference and no subject matter suggestion. This painting was made by dripping paint across a canvas and letting it move around and soak on its own to form shapes. Frankenthaler was known for letting the paint move where it wanted and then naming the piece by what she thought the shapes looked like when it was complete.
13. Rectilinear Shapes
Mark Rothko, Untitled
Rectilinear designs emphasize right angles and rectangular planes by having straight edges on all the planes and giving a sharp, angular visual effect. Mark Rothko was known for his use of rectangle shapes which overlapped each other, forcing them to either take over another color, or let the color beneath show through. This piece shows many different rectangles of different colors put together, some with sharp edges.
14. Curvilinear Shapes
Alphonse Mucha, Bieres de la Mucha
Curvilinear designs are made up of almost all curves with barely any straight lines to be seen. Curvilinear shapes are natural, soft, and flowing just as almost all the shapes in Bieres de la Mucha. This print is full of curved lines on the woman, the blanket on her body, her curly hair, the vines of the trees, ect. This piece even has a curvy text going in a curvy form, reflecting the art nouveau period.
15. Value as Pattern
Value pattern refers to the arrangement and the amount of variation in light and dark in an image, not concerned with the colors used. Whether the artist uses more light or more dark will give a completely different 'feel' to the image. This painting of Jesus being raised on the cross uses light and dark contrast, making Jesus and the men surrounding him to be out in the sunlight, while the tree and ground are covered in darker shadows.
16. Value as Emphasis
Rembrandt, The Night Watch
Value as emphasis is used with the use of dark and light contrasting to create a focal point or center the attention of the viewer to what is usually the most important piece of the image. This Baroque painting by Rembrandt is very effective in its use of light and shadow by leading the viewers eye directly to the three middle figures who seem to be in a type of spotlight.
17. Tactile Texture (properly describe how your image is NOT tactile)
Sunflower Pencils
Tactile texture is used in architecture and sculpture when actual material that can be felt is used in its production. This idea came into painting when the artists use thick pigment to create a rough and three-dimensional paint surface. Tactile texture can only be shown correctly when the viewer is in the presence of the original sculpture or painting that can be touched, but this sunflower structure put together by colored pencils does a good job of helping the viewer imagine how pointy and sharp it would be to touch.
18. Visual Texture
Titian, Virgin and Child with St John the Baptist
Visual texture occurs when an artist shows texture that appears to be three-dimensional on a surface that is actually flat and smooth. This texture is completely visual, not needing to be felt or touched to understand it. In this oil on canvas piece, Titian uses color and value patterns that we recognize to show textures that do not actually exist, such as the woman's satin dress and the man's dry, curly hair.
19. Unity through Proximity
Pieter Claesz, Vanitas Still Life 1630
Proximity is used by the artist when the ultimate goal is unity. To make separate elements look as though they belong together, proximity simply puts the elements close together. This still life painting shows several objects that do not necessarily relate to one another but are put together in a fashion of unity that visually ties them together so our eyes move smoothly from item to item as if they do belong together.
20. Unity through Repetition
Denise Landis, COLORS
Repetition achieves visual unity by simply repeating a part of a design in order to relate the parts to each other. This repeating element could be a color, a texture, a shape, an angle, or a direction. This acrylic painting shows six different color canvases put together on one lighter canvas. Though each color is different and is not painted exactly alike, the repetition and placement of the colored squares brings them together to form one unified piece.
21. Unity through Continuation
Henri Riviere, Funeral Under Umbrellas
Continuation is a tool used to achieve unity that is more subtle than proximity or repetition in the way that it uses natural lines, edges, or a direction from one form or object to another. The formation of the design causes the viewer's eye to be carried smoothly from one to the next. This piece shows umbrellas of many different sizes being held by people walking in a line. The composition of the people and their umbrellas have all of the elements touching whether it is with their legs, heads, arms, or their umbrellas.
There are no floating objects, they are a set pattern being connected even more by the black lines of rain coming down on them.
22. Unity through Continuity
Architectural Digest Magazine, March 2010 Issue
Continuity is a form of unity used by many designers when it comes to putting together a number of individual designs together to make them become one unified design. Continuity is used most often in books, magazines, and pamphlets where there are pictures, captions, text, and headlines usually with the aid of a grid to create a framework of areas. This magazine spread shows a headline, three pictures, and two areas of text put together with a middle dividing line and consistency in the spacing between each piece.
23. Unity with Variety
Ellen Lefrak, Jazz Squares
Unity with variety takes ordinary checkerboard type designs where every object is the same color or same size and makes them more interesting through elements such as different values of color or different sizes of the shapes. This piece has the feeling of a checkerboard but in a casual way. Each square or rectangle is a different size and different color, but the basic planned structure is clear and unified in its framework.
24. Symmetrical Balance
Symmetrical balance is the simplest type of balance to create as it is simply like forms or objects repeated in the same layout of both sides of a vertical axis. It is a mirror- two of the same image flipped, side by side. The painting above is a good example of symmetry because it is split down the middle, and each part of the design has the same shape, size, color, and placement.
25. Asymmetrical Balance
26. Radial Balance
Radial balance focuses on the central point of an object or form, with elements dispersing out from it. The elements surrounding the central point are not always exactly equal throughout, but are close enough to keep visual balance. This photo of a cactus contains two examples of radial symmetry- the very central point disperses out into clusters of prickly points and the prickly points all radiate from their own central point.
27. Crystallographic Balance (All Over Pattern)
Crystallographic balance in a visual piece is made up of equal emphasis throughout it entirely, not just in sections. It is constant repetition everywhere so that the entire piece is the focal point. This photo of the print on a leopard is an example of crystallographic balance as the entire body of a leopard is covered in dark spots that are not all the same shape, but are everywhere throughout and create an equal emphasis.
28. Emphasis by Contrast (list type of contrast you select)
The Adoration of the Christ Child
Emphasis by contrast can be seen in many many ways such as the value in an image, the size of objects or people in an image, the irregularity of a shape in an image, or an opposite positioning of an object in an image than others in the same image. In this painting, baby Jesus is the obvious focal point not only because he is in the center of two adults, but also because of his small size compared to their large size.
29. Emphasis by Isolation
Coca Cola Advertisement
Emphasis by isolation is simply when a focal point occurs by not being a part of a group in an image. Even though the object being isolated looks exactly the same as the objects put together in a group, it is focused on more by the mind's eye simply by being alone. In this old Coca Cola ad there is a pack of cola bottles hanging off the tree and two single bottles below them on the ground. These two bottles on the ground are clearly the focal point as they are alone and show that the two happy people in the image have taken them out of the pack and are drinking them.
30. Emphasis by Placement
Chasen Igleheart, Where Are You From?
Emphasis by placement occurs when the placement of elements in a design point to one item, our attention is automatically directed there, and a focal point is created. In this painting by Chasen Igleheart, the man in the middle is the obvious focal point because of his placement being directly in between and lifted above two symmetrical bears.
32. Absence of Focal Point
Andy Warhol, The Last Supper
There is not always a focal point in an image. Instead, the artist may decide to emphasize the entire design with the Absence of a focal point. Andy Warhol has several pieces which exercise absence of a focal point such as The Last Supper where there is an off-color repetition of portraits of Jesus, making the entire design being what is emphasized.
33. Progressive Rhythm
Progressive rhythm is a type of rhythm that involves repetition, but this type involves the shape of the repetition that changes in a regular manner so that there is a feeling of sequential pattern occurring. Progressive rhythm is usually created with a change in the size of a shape while its color, texture or value is the varying element. This photo of a repetition of box-shaped houses shows a progressive rhythm as the houses are put together in a circular fashion, with layers and layers growing out from the center circle.
34. Alternating Rhythm
Rhythm is a basic characteristic of nature as things repeat themselves in patterns. In design or painting, a rhythm consisting of successive patterns where all the same elements reappear in a regular order is called alternating rhythm. Alternating rhythm has designs alternating consistently with one another to produce a regulated sequence. The above picture of a brick wall shows the anticipated pattern of the outside of a house. It is known that the pattern is full brick, half brick, full brick, half brick, and so on.
35. Scale Confusion (Inter-size relationships as contrasted to Intra-size relationships)
Ron Mueck, Big Man
Scale Confusion is the deliberate change of natural scale. Artists changing the scale of an image or object can be used to make it a focal point, or simply catch the attention of the viewer and make them realize something is 'off'. This scale confusion is very common in painting, but sculptors use it as well, such as Ron Mueck with his piece 'Big Man'. 'Big Man' sits in the corner of a gallery and is over five times the size of a normal human. It is easy to see why Mueck chose to make this man visually upset, because as if he wasn't being stared at enough, now he sits naked and strangely large, for all to see and gawk at.
36. Illusion of Space by Overlapping
Overlapping to create depth is simply one object or shape that is placed in front of another in order to hide part of that other object. This image of tree-shaped cut outs being placed on top of one another creates a sense of depth so the viewer can tell which tree is closer and which are further.
37. Illusion of Space by Vertical Location
Vertical location is a tool used by artists to creates a sense of space by an elevation on a page or format that indicates a recession into depth. Therefore, the higher an object is, the farther back it is seen by the viewer. This image of owls in a tree are an example of vertical location because the higher up each owl is placed, the further away it seems to be.
38. Illusion of Space by Aerial Perspective
Photo by Bryan Anselm
Aerial perspective (also known as atmospheric perspective) shows depth by the use of color and value (dark and light). In this photo, the value contrast in the path which the man is walking and the lighter value in the distance shows that there is a depth to where the man is headed. The light and dark shows that there is a distance between where he is standing and the hill ahead of him.
39. Illusion of Space by Linear Perspective
Linear perspective creates depth by parallel lines. As parallel lines recede, they appear to converge and to meet on the horizon line, or eye level. This charcoal drawing of a a few buildings show linear perspective as all of the buildings are different, but as they continue they all meet on the horizon line. You can also understand the depth of the building on the right as the street gets more narrow towards it.
40. Amplified Perspective
Photo by Jared Hamilton
Amplified perspective is used by artists mainly to create a dynamic and dramatic quality into their pictures and images. In doing so, a visual image is reproduced in a special view that occurs when an item is pointed directly at the viewer. In this photo, the man is pointing a can of spray paint directly at the viewer exemplifying amplified perspective.
41. Multiple Perspective
Multiple perspective occurs when a viewer sees a figure or object from more than one vantage point simultaneously and several different views are combined in one image. This image is a collage created by putting together 9 separate photos of the same building, allowing the viewer to see 9 different perspectives in the same image.
42. Spatial Puzzles (Equivocal Space)
Though all artists know the tools and rules in giving an image an illusion of depth or space, they sometimes ignore these rules purposefully in order to confuse the viewer and provide and unexpected image that does not follow the rules of value or space. The result of this technique is called a spatial puzzle. This image is an example of a spatial puzzle because the values on each tree trunk is multi-colored and different throughout making the image unexpected and not obeying the rules of depth or space.
43. Anticipated Motion
Photo by David Kasnic
Kinesthetic empathy is a process we practice in recreating unconsciously in our own bodies the actions we observe. The person in the image is shown doing an action that makes us subconsciously feel ourselves doing what they are doing and feel what they are feeling. In this photograph, UK students celebrate their team winning the national championship. Their excitement shows through this photograph so vividly that the viewer can understand exactly how the boy being held up feels and the heavy amount adrenaline pumping through him.
44. Illusion of Motion by Repeated Figure
An illusion of motion can be demonstrated in an image by a repeated figure, a figure being shown more than one time in a different position. These four separate photos of the same girl diving into a pool show her in motion from beginning to end of her dive.
45. Illusion of Motion by Blurred Outline
An illusion of motion can be created simply by an object in an image having blurred outlines. This blurriness occurs with a fast shutter speed when moving images are frozen in "stop-action" photos. This image of an airplane is blurred and shows the viewer that the airplane was in movement.
46. Illusion of Motion by Multiple Image
An illusion of motion can be shown in an image by a figure being repeated several times in the same image. The figure being repeated shows motion by the slight changing of their position in an overlapping sequence of poses. This photo of a boy cliff-diving shows him in four different positions in the same frame, suggesting him in motion and going further and further down to the water.
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