MODULE 1 INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION OF ART

Introduction
This module deals with the definition, categories, and functions of art. These details about art will help the students to
understand and appreciate art.

ART came from the word “ars” which means skill; it is synonymous with skill, cunning, artifice and craft, which all mean the faculty of
what is devised.

How would you define ‘art’? For many people art is a specific thing; a painting, sculpture or photograph, a dance, a poem or a play. It is
all of these things, and more. They are mediums of artistic expression. Webster’s New Collegiate dictionary defines art as “The
conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” Yet art is much more than a medium,
or words on a page. It is the expression of our experience.
Art is uniquely human and tied directly to culture. It takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. It asks questions about who we are,
what we value, the meaning of beauty and the human condition. As an expressive medium it allows us to experience sublime joy, deep
sorrow, confusion and clarity. It tests our strengths, vulnerabilities and resolve. It gives voice to ideas and feelings, connects us to the
past, reflects the present and anticipates the future. Along these lines, art history, combined with anthropology and literature, are three
main sources in observing, recording and interpreting our human past. Visual art is a rich and complex subject whose definition is in
flux as the culture around it changes. Because of this, how we define art is in essence a question of agreement. In this respect, we can
look again to the dictionary’s definition for an understanding of exactly what to look for when we proclaim something as ‘art’.
Art is a highly diverse range of human activities engaged in creating visual, auditory, or performed artifacts— artworks—that express the
author’s imaginative or technical skill, and are intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
The oldest documented forms of art are visual arts, which include images or objects in fields like painting, sculpture, printmaking,
photography, and other visual media. Architecture is often included as one of the visual arts; however, like the decorative arts, it involves
the creation of objects where the practical considerations of use are essential, in a way that they usually are not in another visual art, like
a painting.
Art may be characterized in terms of mimesis (its representation of reality), expression, communication of emotion, or other qualities.
Though the definition of what constitutes art is disputed and has changed over time, general descriptions center on the idea of imaginative
or technical skill stemming from human agency and creation. When it comes to visually identifying a work of art, there is no single set of
values or aesthetic traits. A Baroque painting will not necessarily share much with a contemporary performance piece, but they are both
considered art.
Art is often examined through the interaction of the principles and elements of art. The principles of art include movement, unity, harmony,
variety, balance, contrast, proportion and pattern. The elements include texture, form, space, shape, color, value and line. The various
interactions between the elements and principles of art help artists to organize sensorially pleasing works of art while also giving viewers
a framework within which to analyze and discuss aesthetic ideas.
The meaning of art is often culturally specific, shared among the members of a given society and dependent upon cultural context. The
purpose of works of art may be to communicate political, spiritual or philosophical ideas, to create a sense of beauty (see aesthetics), to
explore the nature of perception, for pleasure, or to generate strong emotions. Its purpose may also be seemingly nonexistent.
The nature of art has been described by philosopher Richard Wollheim as “one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of
human culture.” It has been defined as a vehicle for the expression or communication of emotions and ideas, a means for exploring
and appreciating formal elements for their own sake, and as mimesis or representation. More recently, thinkers influenced by Martin
Heidegger have interpreted art as the means by which a community develops for itself a medium for self-expression and interpretation.
AESTHETICS
Aesthetics is the philosophical argument about the nature of beauty. It’s an idea central to any exploration of art. Aesthetics deals with
notions of taste, cultural conventions – ideas of art being ‘good’ and ‘bad’ based on specific cultural information and beliefs and the
judgments we make based on our perceptions.
As deep as visual art is embedded in the fabric of our lives, it still is the source of controversy and irony. It thrives on common experience
yet contradicts ideas of ourselves. Art is part of the culture it’s created in, but can reflect many cultures at once. From where you and I
stand today art has become probably more complex than ever in its use of imagery, mediums and meanings. We need a way to access
the visual information of our society, of past cultures, and cultures not known to us to have a way to understand what we are looking at.

SUBJECTIVE & OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVES

The first level in approaching art is learning to LOOK at it. In future discussions we will spend more time in pure observation than you
probably have done before. Generally, we tend to look at art in terms of "liking" it FIRST, and "looking" at it later. From this perspective,
the subjective (knowledge residing in the emotions and thoughts of the viewer) almost completely dominates our way of looking at art. In
the arts, it’s especially important to begin to develop an informed or objective opinion rather than just an instinctual reaction. An objective
view is one that focuses on the object’s physical characteristics as the main source of information. This does not mean that you will
remove or invalidate your subjective feelings about a work, in fact you will find that the more informed you become, the more artwork will
affect you emotionally and intellectually. It does mean that you will learn alternative ways to approach art, ways that allow you to find
clues to meaning and to understand how art reflects and affects our lives.

It’s complex, but the satisfaction of looking at art comes from exploring the work to find meaning, not shying away from it simply because
we may not understand it.
ARTISTIC CATEGORIES

Visual arts are generally divided into categories that make distinctions based on the context of the work. For example, Leonardo da
Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ would not fall into the same category as, say, a graphic poster for a rock concert. Some artworks can be placed in
more than one category. Here are the main categories:
Fine Art
This category includes drawings, paintings, sculptures, photographs and, in the last decade, new media that are in museum collections
and sold through commercial art galleries. Fine art has a distinction of being some of the finest examples of our human artistic heritage.
Here is where you will find Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (below), also ancient sculpture, such as the Gandhara figure from India
(also below), and stunning ceramics from different cultures and time periods.

Popular Culture
This category contains the many products and images we are exposed to every day. In the industrialized world, this includes posters,
graffiti, advertising, popular music, television and digital imagery, magazines, books and movies (as distinguished from film, which we’ll
examine in a different context later in the course). Also included are cars, celebrity status and all the ideas and attitudes that help
define the contemporary period of a particular culture.
Handbills posted on telephone poles or the sides of buildings are graphic, colorful and informative, but they also provide a street level
texture to the urban environment most of us live in. Public murals serve this same function. They put an aesthetic stamp on an
otherwise bland and industrialized landscape.
Craft
Craft is a category of art that shows a high degree of skilled workmanship in its production. Craft works are normally associated with
utilitarian purposes, but can be aesthetic works in themselves, often highly decorated. The Mexican ceramic vessel below is an
example. Handmade furniture and glassware, fine metalworking and leather goods are other examples of craft.

FUNCTIONS OF ART
1. Beauty
Why do you think some people hang artworks on their wall? What is the most common answer? The connotation of beauty is a debatable
topic, but let us talk about prettiness and the aesthetic value of art. One of the innate qualities that “pretty art" can give is that it makes
our dull, lifeless walls come to life. The contrast of having something “alive" and dynamic to look at on something ordinary and common,
let us say a pristine white wall, evokes in us an affinity towards its beauty. Though we have different notions of beauty, still it is a common
denominator when we are talking about appreciating forms of art. Beauty makes sense to most of us.

2. Happiness and Hope

There is something about art that mirrors the soul of those willing to confront it. In a societal tone, artworks tend to echo the hopes and
anxieties of an age. There is a wide range of properties of art why it gives a sense of joy and hope to its audience. These are examples:
a. when paintings are placed in a daunting environment such as hospitals;
b. the experience and process of creating art itself;
c. the bliss of looking at a piece of imagery evoking a happy memory: e.g., the painting of a do;
d. direct words from typography and graphic messages that are so relatable as if the author has read your mind and feelings; and
e. identifying oneself with the properties of an artwork: a homage to something; works addressing diaspora, displacement, and other
social issues.
3. Identity and understanding the self

Today's generation, being the "me" generation, is also sometimes tagged as the "anxious generation". A lot of social issues evidently
reflect this struggle for identity: gender issues, disconnectedness brought on by social media, regionalism, and even mental health issues.
How do you think art can be a tool to address such challenges? Do you agree that we need something outside of us and tangible enough
to define what we are feeling and struggling against? Sometimes we see ourselves in an artwork. Sometimes we see ourselves in the
process. Art can serve as a powerful tool to help us communicate and relay our confusion. Even psychological interventions use art as
therapy to aid in processing some sensitive experiences.

4. Grief and healing

Many of the most poignant and humanistic products of art were made after the Word War II. Twentieth-century art mostly expressed
human suffering and darkness in its themes. Throughout the years, artists have interpreted these shared human experiences in different
ways, which also help us process our grief. Some may use art as a tool to express pain and process it in therapy. Nonetheless, it plays
an important role in making grieving somehow dignified.

5. Remembering and mark-making

How do you think has art helped us remember? How have artists shaped our landscape? The monument of Rizal in Luneta Park is one
example of a type of art that helps us remember. Without the tangible characteristic of art, we will not be able to sustain our nationalistic
values well enough. We have pictures, films, and paintings that depict heroism and nationalism.

6. Raising awareness

Have you seen large sculptural effigies (those papier-mache-made-to-be-burned protest art) during rallies in Manila? Some art can be
categorized as activist art. But not all are as loud and garish. Some are subtle paintings which might use satire. In the Philippines, many
socially-concerned artists have emerged in the age of modernism portraying politicians and the governments system in their most hateful
actions. A more subtle type of inducing awareness can be observed in architecture such as the stained-glass windows of Gothic churches
and even their illuminated manuscripts. Such is-also the case of our local churches with large domes at the altar part and huge stained-
glass windows.

7. Culture and togetherness

Lastly, forms of art are often localized so that they bring identity also to certain regions. This is very evident here in the Philippines, which
is geographically separated by thousands of islands-we are very regionalized. In a way, there is a sense of redemption for the past
weakness of Philippines when the Spaniards strategized the divide and conquer method.

MODULE 2 THE ARTISTIC PROCESS

II. Lecture
THE ARTISTIC PROCESS
Unlike the common notions that artists are too spontaneous, laid back, and unsystematic, individual art practitioners do need to have
sets of procedures and disciplines. Even the most spontaneous one’s work with a process, however simple and succinct. Artists are also
thinkers and even great inventors and scientists. The creative process is also a problem-solving approach involving a lot of
systems of knowledge. Art can cover a lot of subject matters from science, philosophy, and even practical living. It can also be
applied to such areas of knowledge. As Einstein said, “After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved science and art
tend to coalesce in aesthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are artists as well.”
This diagram does not necessarily precede artistic creation, but it comprises the elements that tie-up together in the conception of a
tangible art form:
ART
How: the techniques and materials involved; the process involved

What: the subject matter. The content of the work

Why: the narrative behind the subject matter; the concept and underlying significance

How many times have you looked at a work of art and wondered “how did they do that”? Some think of the artist as a solitary being,
misunderstood by society, toiling away in the studio to create a masterpiece, and yes, there is something fantastic about a singular
creative act becoming a work of art. The reality is that artists rely on a support network that includes family, friends, peers, industries,
business and, in essence, the whole society they live in. For example, an artist may need only a piece of paper and pencil to create an
extraordinary drawing, but depends on a supplier in order to acquire those two simple tools. Whole industries surround art making, and
artists rely on many different materials in order to realize their work, from the pencil and paper mentioned above to the painter’s
canvas, paints and brushes, the sculptor’s wood, stone and tools and the photographer’s film, digital camera and software or chemicals
used to manipulate an image
After the artwork is finished there are other support networks in place to help exhibit, market, move, store and comment on it. Commercial
art galleries are a relatively recent innovation, springing up in Europe and America during the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth
century. As these societies concentrated their populations in cities and formed a middle class, there was a need for businesses to provide
works of art for sale to a population that began to have more spare time and some discretionary income. As art became more affordable,
the gallery became a place to focus solely on buying and selling, and, in the process, making art a commodity.
Museums have a different role in the world of visual art. Their primary function is in the form of a cultural repository – a place for viewing,
researching and conserving the very best examples of artistic cultural heritage. Museums contain collections that can reflect a particular
culture or that of many, giving all of us the chance to see some of the great art humanity has to offer.
The role of the critic commenting on art is another function in the process. Critics offer insight into art’s meaning and make judgments
determining ‘good’ or ‘bad’ art based on the intellectual, aesthetic and cultural standards they reflect.
In this way, museums, galleries and critics have become gatekeepers in helping to determine what is considered art within a culture like
our own.
THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST
In as much as we have seen art as a community or collaborative effort, many artists work alone in studios, dedicated to the singular idea
of creating art through their own expressive means and vision. In the creative process itself there are usually many steps between an
initial idea and the finished work of art.
Artists will use sketches and preliminary drawings to get a more accurate image of what they want the finished work to look like. Even
then they’ll create more complex trial pieces before they ultimately decide on how it will look. Artists many times will make different
versions of an artwork, each time giving it a slightly different look.
Some artists employ assistants or staff to run the everyday administration of the studio; maintaining supplies, helping with set up and
lighting, managing the calendar and all the things that can keep an artist away from the creative time they need in order to work.
ARTISTIC TRAINING METHODS & CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
For centuries craftsmen have formed associations that preserve and teach the ‘secrets’ of their trade to apprentices in order to perpetuate
the knowledge and skill of their craft. In general, the training of artists has historically meant working as an apprentice with an established
artist.
• The Middle Ages in Europe saw the formation of guilds that included goldsmiths, glassmakers, stonemasons, medical
practitioners and artists, and were generally supported by a king or the state, with local representatives overseeing the quality
of their production.
• In many traditional cultures, apprenticeship is still how the artist learns their craft, skills and expressions specific to that culture.
Some nations actually choose which artists have learned their skill to such a degree that they are allowed and encouraged to
teach others. An example would be artists considered National Treasures in Japan.
• Like most skilled professions and trades, artists spend many years learning and applying their knowledge, techniques and
creativity. Art schools are found in most colleges and universities, with degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate
levels. There are independent art schools offering two- and four-year programs in traditional studio arts, graphic arts and design.
The degree earned by students usually ends with a culminating exhibition and directs them towards becoming exhibiting artists,
graphic designers or teachers. Such degrees also consider the marketing and sales practices of art in contemporary culture.
What is required to become an artist?
• Skill is one of the hallmarks that we often value in a work of art. Becoming skilled means a continual repetition of a craft or
procedure until it becomes second nature.
 • Talent is certainly another consideration, but talent alone does not necessarily produce good art. Like any endeavor, becoming
an artist takes determination, patience, skill, a strong mental attitude and years of practice.
• Creativity is another element necessary to become an artist. What exactly is creativity? It’s linked to imagination and the ability
to transcend traditional ways of thinking, with an exaggerated use of alternatives, ideas and techniques to invent new forms and
avenues of expression. Creativity is used in traditional art forms as well as more innovative ones. It’s what an artist uses to take
something ordinary and make it extraordinary. Creativity can be a double-edged sword in that it’s one thing that artists are most
criticized for, especially in the arena of buying and selling art. In general, the buying public tends to want things they recognize,
rather than artwork that challenges or requires thinking.

MODULE 3 VISUAL ELEMENTS OF ART

II. Lecture
Elements of art are the formal or tangible aspects of art. These are termed as elements because they are the “medium of language” of
visual arts. The following are art elements:

a. Line- A line is defined as a mark that connects the space between two points, taking any form along the way. These lines can be
expressive and have a quality of its own like: scribbles, whimsical or naive lines, implied lines, blurred lines (lines that are smudged,
shaded. or erased), aggressive lines, and calligraphic lines.

Lines are used most often to define shape in two-dimensional works and could be called the most ancient, as well as the most universal,
forms of mark making. There are many different types of lines, all characterized by their lengths being greater than their width, as well as
by the paths that they take. Depending on how they are used, lines help to determine the motion, direction, and energy of a work of art.
The quality of a line refers to the character that is presented by a line in order to animate a surface to varying degrees.

1. Actual lines are lines that are physically present, existing as solid connections between one or more points, while implied lines
refer to the path that the viewer’s eye takes as it follows shape, color, and form within an art work. Implied lines give works of
art a sense of motion and keep the viewer engaged in a composition.
2. Straight or classic lines add stability and structure to a composition and can be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal on the surface
of the work.
3. Expressive lines refer to curved marks that increase the sense of dynamism of a work of art. These types of lines often follow
an undetermined path of sinuous curves.
4. The outline or contour lines create a border or path around the edge of a shape, thereby outlining and defining it. Cross
contour lines delineate differences in the features of a surface and can give the illusion of three dimensions or a sense of form
or shading.
5. Hatch lines are a series of short lines repeated in intervals, typically in a single direction, and are used to add shading and
texture to surfaces.
6. Cross-hatch lines provide additional texture and tone to the image surface and can be oriented in any direction. Layers of
cross-hatching can add rich texture and volume to image surfaces.

b. Shape and Volume

Shape refers to an area in a two-dimensional space that is defined by edges; volume is three-dimensional, exhibiting height, width, and
depth.
It refers to an area in two-dimensional space that is defined by edges. Shapes are, by definition, always flat in nature and can be geometric
(e.g., a circle, square, or pyramid) or organic (e.g., a leaf or a chair). Shapes can be created by placing two different textures, or shape-
groups, next to each other, thereby creating an enclosed area, such as a painting of an object floating in water.

A “plane” refers to any surface area within space. In two-dimensional art, the picture plane” is the flat surface that the image is created
upon, such as paper, canvas, or wood. Three-dimensional figures may be depicted on the flat picture plane through the use of the artistic
elements to imply depth and volume,
While three-dimensional forms, such as sculpture, have volume inherently, volume can also be simulated, or implied, in a two-dimensional
work such as a painting. Shape, volume, and space—whether actual or implied—are the basis of the perception of reality.

c. Form-Three-dimensional shape. It can refer to the quality or likeness of an entire mass, let us say, the form of a woman. It employs
several techniques like shading, perspective, and lighting. It is a concept that is related to shape. Combining two or more shapes can
create a three-dimensional shape. Form is always considered three-dimensional as it exhibits volume—or height, width, and depth. Art
makes use of both actual and implied volume.

d. Value-the lightness and darkness of a hue or a color. Often represented in a tonal value scale, it has two parts: the tints (lighter
tones) and the shades (darker tones). A tone is a general term for a certain value. In painting, which uses subtractive color, value
changes are achieved by adding black or white to a color. Artists may also employ shading, which refers to a more subtle manipulation
of value. The value scale is used to show the standard variations in tones. Values near the lighter end of the spectrum are termed high-
keyed, while those on the darker end are low-keyed.
High contrast refers to the placing of lighter areas directly against much darker ones, so their difference is showcased, creating a
dramatic effect. High contrast also refers to the presence of more blacks than white or grey. Low-contrast images result from placing
mid-range values together so there is not much visible difference between them, creating a more subtle mood.

e. Color-also known as hue. Scientifically, it is the light that bounces off a surface. In art we use subtractive colors, i.e., colors that are
from pigments. Additive colors refer to a property of light. Color is the element of art that is produced when light, striking an object, is
reflected back to the eye.

Three properties to color:

1. Hue - the name we give to a color (red, yellow, blue, green, etc.).
2. Intensity - refers to the vividness of the color. A color's intensity is sometimes referred to as its “colorfulness,” its “saturation,”
its “purity,” or its “strength.”
3. Value - or how light or dark it is. The terms shade and tint refer to value changes in colors. In painting, shades are created by
adding black to a color while tints are created by adding white to a color.

Additive and Subtractive Color

Additive color is color created by mixing red, green, and blue lights. Television screens, for example, use additive color as they are
made up of the primary colors of red, blue and green (RGB). Subtractive color, or “process color,” works as the reverse of additive
color and the primary colors become cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK). Common applications of subtractive color can be found
in printing and photography.

Complementary Color
Complementary colors can be found directly opposite each other on the color wheel (purple and yellow, green and red, orange and blue).
When placed next to each other, these pairs create the strongest contrast for those particular two colors.

Warm and Cool Color

.
Warm colors are the hues from red through yellow, browns and tans included. Cool colors, on the other hand, are the hues from blue
green through blue violet, with most grays included. Color theory has described perceptual and psychological effects to this contrast.
Warm colors are said to advance or appear more active in a painting, while cool colors tend to recede. Used in interior design or fashion,
warm colors are said to arouse or stimulate the viewer, while cool colors calm and relax.

f. Texture - can be used in paintings like impasto, stamping, and scratching in pottery, embossing when making prints, and many others.
Contemporary artists have also used the element of texture to convey a certain emotion.
Two types of texture:
1. Visual texture refers to an implied sense of texture that the artist creates through the use of various artistic elements such as line,
shading and color.
2. Actual texture refers to the physical rendering or the real surface qualities we can notice by touching an object, such as paint
application or three-dimensional art.

g. Light-Without light, all the previous elements will not be possible. Light creates the illusion that color, form, and texture exist. Light can
be implied, natural, or artificial (as with a digital rendition). The lighting of an artwork has a very strong effect on its overall impact. An
example of strong and theatrical lighting is called chiaroscuro.

h. Space-an area where the other elements can interact. Two types: positive and negative space. Double negative space refers to a
blank space used as negative space by, let us say, a field of color or pigment. Space includes the background, foreground and middle
ground, and refers to the distances or area(s) around, between, and within things.

Two kinds of space:

1. Negative space is the area in between, around, though, or within an object. It refers to the space that exists around and between one
or more shapes.
2. Positive space is the area occupied by an object and/or form. It refers to the space of the defined shape, or figure. Typically, the
positive space is the subject of an artwork. “

MODULE 4 PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION

II. Lecture

Art As Visual Input

Visual art manifests itself through media, ideas, themes and sheer creative imagination. Yet all of these rely on basic structural principles
that, like the elements we’ve been studying, combine to give voice to artistic expression. Incorporating the principles into your artistic
vocabulary not only allows you to objectively describe artworks you may not understand, but contributes in the search for their meaning.

The first way to think about a principle is that it is something that can be repeatedly and dependably done with elements to produce some
sort of visual effect in a composition.

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

It represents how the artist uses the elements of art to create an effect and to help convey the artist’s intent.

Principles of Design are long held composition techniques which have been proven and use by both fine and graphic artists to
communicate ideas and concepts effectively.

The principles are based on sensory responses to visual input: elements APPEAR to have visual weight, movement, etc. The principles
help govern what might occur when particular elements are arranged in a particular way.

The principles of design help you to carefully plan and organize the elements of art so that you will hold interest and command
attention. This is sometimes referred to as visual impact.

In any work of art there is a thought process for the arrangement and use of the elements of design. The artist who works with the
principles of good composition will create a more interesting piece; it will be arranged to show a pleasing rhythm and movement. The
center of interest will be strong and the viewer will not look away, instead, they will be drawn into the work.

Here are the following principles of design:

Contrast Design principle which uses the element of value to create depth and dimension. Light also plays an important role
in creating good contrast. It is the difference between elements of art in a composition, such that element is made
stronger in relation to the other

Balance Aesthetic quality of a work marked by a sensible balance between two areas: right and left; top and bottom. All
works of art possess some form of visual balance – a sense of weighted clarity created in a composition. The artist
arranges balance to set the dynamics of a composition.

There are three basic forms of visual balance:

Symmetrical balance is the most visually stable, and characterized by an exact – or nearly exact - compositional design on either (or
both) sides of the horizontal or vertical axis of the picture plane. Symmetrical compositions are usually dominated by a central
anchoring element. There are many examples of symmetry in the natural world that reflect an aesthetic dimension

Asymmetrical balance is present when the left and the right sides of the thing, though not identical in appearance, still display an
even distribution of weight. It is also known as asymmetrical or occult balance.

Radial balance suggests movement from the center of a composition towards the outer edge - or vice versa. Many times, radial
balance is another form of symmetry, offering stability and a point of focus at the center of the composition.

Rhythm Creating a sense of direction through repetition of element.

Repetition is the use of two or more like elements or forms within a composition. The systematic arrangement of a
repeated shapes or forms creates pattern.

Patterns create rhythm, the lyric or syncopated visual effect that helps carry the viewer, and the artist’s idea,
throughout the work.

Movement Movement directs the viewer’s eye toward something. It is the result of using the elements of art such that they move
the viewer’s eye around and within the image

A sense of movement can be created by diagonal or curvy lines, either real or implied, by edges, by the illusion of
space, by repetition, by energetic mark-making.

Unity and Elements should be seen as a whole in unity; variety still gives a sense of wholeness but the elements differ in some
Variety aspects and provide more interest to the work

Ultimately, a work of art is the strongest when it expresses an overall unity in composition and form, a visual sense
that all the parts fit together; that the whole is greater than its parts. This same sense of unity is projected to
encompass the idea and meaning of the work too. This visual and conceptual unity is sublimated by the variety of
elements and principles used to create it.

Emphasis An area or a specific subject is given focus; the area of primary visual importance—can be attained in a number of
ways. We’ve just seen how it can be a function of differences in scale.

Emphasis can also be obtained by isolating an area or specific subject matter through its location or color, value and
texture. Main emphasis in a composition is usually supported by areas of lesser importance, a hierarchy within an
artwork that’s activated and sustained at different levels.

Proportion This can be either an appropriate use of scale and proportion or it can also be an effective way of changing the scale
and Scale to achieve a certain visual goal. It also shows the relationship between the object and the space.

These principles show the relative size of one form in relation to another. Scalar relationships are often used to create
illusions of depth on a two-dimensional surface, the larger form being in front of the smaller one. The scale of an
object can provide a focal point or emphasis in an image.
 MODULE 5 SUBJECT MATTER AND VISUAL ART FORMS

SUBJECT MATTER OF VISUAL ARTS

Painting and sculpture can be divided into the categories of figurative (or representational) and abstract (which includes
nonrepresentational art). Figurative art describes artworks—particularly paintings and sculptures–that are clearly derived from real
object sources, and therefore are by definition representational. Since the arrival of abstract art in the early twentieth century, the term
figurative has been used to refer to any form of modern art that retains strong references to the real world.

This figurative or representational work from the seventeenth century depicts easily recognizable objects–ships, people, and buildings.
Artistic independence was advanced during the nineteenth century, resulting in the emergence of abstract art. Three movements that
contributed heavily to the development of these were Romanticism, Impressionism, and Expressionism.

Abstraction indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in art. Abstraction exists along a continuum; abstract art can
formally refer to compositions that are derived (or abstracted) from a figurative or other natural source. It can also refer to
nonrepresentational art and non-objective art that has no derivation from figures or objects.

Nonrepresentational art refers to compositions which do not rely on representation or mimesis to any extent. Abstract art, nonfigurative
art, nonobjective art, and nonrepresentational art are related terms that indicate a departure from reality in the depiction of imagery in art.
Meaning in nonrepresentational art is highly subjective and can be difficult to define. We can focus on the elements of the artwork (form,
shape, line, color, space, and texture) in terms of the aesthetic value of the work, but the meaning will always be personal to the viewer
unless the artist has made a statement about his or her intentions.

Generally, we can look at nonrepresentational art as the personal expression of an artist’s subjective experience. Certain movements
have described their intentions as an aim to evoke moods or emotions in the viewer. A good example are the expressionists of the early
20th century, who aimed to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect.

Nonrepresentational art has often been explored by artists as a means to spiritual expression. Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian painter,
printmaker, and art theorist, is one of the most famous 20th century artists and is generally considered the first important painter of
modern abstract art. As an early modernist in search of new modes of visual expression and spiritual expression, he theorized (as did
contemporary occultists and theosophists) that pure visual abstraction had corollary vibrations with sound and music. He posited that
pure abstraction could express pure spirituality.

VISUAL ART FORMS

Visual arts are forms of art that you can see, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and filmmaking. Design
and working with textiles are also often referred to as visual art. Visual arts have changed over the centuries. During the Middle Ages
artists created paintings, sculptures or prints and became famous. Today visual arts apply to many different forms.

Drawing
Drawing is creating a picture with a variety of tools, in most cases pencils, crayons, pens or markers. Artists draw on different types of
surfaces, like paper or canvas. The first drawings were discovered in caves, that date back about 30,000 years.

Ancient Egyptians drew on papyrus, Greeks and Romans made drawings on other objects, like vases. In the Middle Ages drawings were
sketches that were made on parchment. When paper became common in the Renaissance, drawing became an art perfected by
Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and others.

Painting
Painting is often called the most important form of visual art. It is about putting colors on a canvas or a wall. Painters express their ideas
through a mixture of colors and different brush strokes.
Painting is also one of the oldest forms of visual art. In old caves prehistoric people painted hunting scenes onto walls. Paintings became
important in ancient Egypt, where tombs of pharaohs were covered with scenes of everyday Egyptian life.
During the Renaissance, painting a became very important art. Italy became the center of Renaissance painting. The era produced
masters like Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian. Italian influence spread to the north of Europe, mostly to Belgium and Holland. The most
famous artists of the 17th century famous painters during the Dutch Golden Age were, Rembrandt and Vermeer.
During the last 200 years painters discovered new styles. Impressionism began in France during the end of the 19th century; Picasso
created Cubism at the beginning of the 20th century.

Printmaking
Printmaking is art that is made by covering a plate with ink and pressing it on the surface of another object. Today prints are mostly
produced on paper today but originally, they were pressed onto cloth or other objects. Plates are often made out of wood or metal.
The first prints were probably made in ancient Mesopotamia. Later on, they became popular in ancient Egypt and China. Printmaking
spread to Europe towards the end of the Middle Ages.

Photography
Photography is making pictures by letting light through the lenses of a camera onto a film. In analogue photography light was recorded
onto a film, which had to be chemically developed. Images could then be printed onto special paper.
Today most photography is digital. Cameras have no film; the images are recorded onto silicon chips.

Filmmaking
Filmmakers make moving images that they turn into films. It is a very expensive and complicated form of art, involving many tasks, for
example scriptwriting, casting, and editing film sequences before they can be shown to an audience. A full-length feature film often takes
many weeks or months to produce.

Computer art
Today, art is no longer limited to brushes, paint and pencils. In the last few decades artists have been working with computers to capture
images and change them. Computer art consists of a wide variety of different forms, from capturing and changing sound to creating video
games.

Sculpture
Sculptures are three-dimensional pieces of art that are created by shaping various kinds of material. Among the most popular are stone,
steel, plastic, ceramics and wood. Sculpture is often referred to as plastic arts.
Sculpture goes back to ancient Greece. It has been important in various religions of the world over many centuries. In the Renaissance
Michelangelo was one of the masters of the art. His most famous piece of work was David, a marble statue of a naked man.

Architecture
It is the art and science of buildings and structures. It is derived from the Greek word arkhitekton (ἀρχιτέκτων) which means “master
builder, director of works,” which is also derived from the two Greek words arkhi (αρχι) which means “chief”, and tekton (τεκτων), which
means “builder, carpenter”.
Architecture is also the art and discipline of creating a complex object or system.