GEN ED 6

LESSON 5

ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ARTS

The artist utilizes the mediums and puts together elements to create a work of art. The medium is the
physical means through which he can come up with a work of art, and the elements are its quantities or
properties.

Elements:

 LINE
 COLOR
 TEXTURE
 PERSPECTIVE
 SPACE
 FORM
 VOLUME

LINE

It is an essential element at the disposal of every artist.

Through it, as in painting or sculpture, the artist represents figures and forms.

Lines always have direction. They are always moving.

Man has learned that certain emotional states find expression in definite positions.

He associates these emotions with line.

A straight line is the basic framework of many works, but it lacks softness and flexibility.

However, it suggests efficiency, simplicity, and strength.

Straight lines depict flexibility, buoyancy, and grace.

Straight line moves in one direction only.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LINES

1. Horizontal Lines

They are lines of repose and serenity.

They express ideas of calmness and quiescence.

They are found in reclining persons, in landscapes, in calm bodies of water, and in the distant meeting of
the earth and sky in what is commonly called the horizon.

2. Vertical Lines

They are lines that denote action.

They suggest poise, balance, force, aspiration, exaltation, and dynamism.

Vertical lines also tend to express as well as arouse emotions of exaltation and inquietude; this is
evident in monumental architecture.

3. Diagonal Lines

Implies action, life, and movement.

They give animation to any composition in which they appear.

Almost every object in action assumes a diagonal line.

4. Curved Lines

Suggest subtleness, direction, instability, movement, flexibility, joyousness, and grace.

They are never harsh or stern since a gradual change in direction forms them.

They tend to impart these qualities to any work where they are used.

5. Crooked or Jagged Lines

Express energy, violence, conflict, and struggle.

Lines may also be classified into 3 groups:

Lines which follow or repeat one another,

Lines which contrast with one another, and

Transitional lines which modify or soften the effect of others.

Repetition occurs when two or more lines are drawn within a corner.
Lines that are in opposition to each other form a contrast.

When a curved line cuts across a corner from an opposition line to another, it forms a transitional line.

Transitional lines modify the sharpness of vertical and horizontal lines giving a harmonizing effect.

COLOR

Of all the elements of visual arts, color has the most aesthetic appeal.

Delight in color is a universal human characteristic.

Color is a property of light.

When light goes out, color goes with it.

The light of the sun contains all the colors of the spectrum: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange,
and red.

These colors are so blended that they yield no appearance of color.

When a beam of light passes through a prism, the different rays of color are separated so we can see
and identify them from each other.

When light strikes a surface, some of the color rays are absorbed while others are reflected.

Others pass through, especially when the object is transparent.

Most surfaces absorb all the color rays except those which yield a single color sensation and therefore
appear to be of that color.

A blue dress absorbs all the color rays except the blue-ray, which it reflects.

A red ball absorbs all the color rays except the red ray, which it reflects.

The rays determine the color of the object reflected the beholder's eyes.

Objects that appear to be black absorbed practically all the color rays and reflected none, while objects
that appear white reflect all the rays' color equally.

Gray is due to the partial reflection of the color rays.

White, gray, and black have no color quality. They are called neutral colors.
Physical Properties/ Dimensions of Color

1. Hue

It is the dimension of color that gives color its name.

Color names such as red, blue, green, violet, and yellow indicate hue.

Blue, red, and yellow are the primary hues.

The secondary hues are orange, green, and violet.

Orange is produced by mixing red and yellow, green by mixing yellow and blue; and violet by mixing blue
and red.

Colors may either be warm or cool.

Red, orange, and yellow are the warm hues.

They are conspicuous, cheerful, stimulating, vivacious, joyous, and exciting.

They are suggestive of impetuous or instinctive action.

They are called advancing colors because they have the effect of advancing or coming toward you.

The cool colors are those where blue predominant like green, blue-green, blue, and blue-violet.

They suggest distance.

They are calm, sober, restful, and inconspicuous.

Red, the color of fire and blood, is the warmest, most vigorous, and most exciting of the colors.

It stands for passion and energy.

Yellow, the color of light, is the most brilliant, cheerful, and exultant of the colors.

It suggests cheerfulness, magnificence, life, and splendor.

It serves to balance warm colors like red and orange.

Green is the color of vegetation and symbolizes life and freshness.

Violet represents shadows and mysteries; black, despair, death, and pain.

Orange suggests deliciousness and warmth.

Blue, the color of the sky and of deep and still water, is the coolest and the most tranquil of the color.

It arouses the feelings of peace and quietness.

Physical Properties/Dimensions of Color

2. Value

Sometimes called chiaroscuro, refers to the lightness or darkness of a color.

It is a quality that depends on the amount of light and dark in color.

They give the expression of depth and solidity and lend form to paintings.

Tints are values above the normal and shades are values below the normal.

Pink is a tint of red; maroon is a shade of red.

Sky blue is a tint; navy blue is a shade.

The value of a hue can be changed. We raise the hue by adding more light so that it reflects more light
and lower it by reducing the light it can reflect.
3. Intensity/Saturation

Refers to its brightness or darkness.

It gives color strength.

Differences in intensity may be described as full intensity, two-thirds intensity, and two-thirds neutral.

Two colors may be both blue but one is more intense than the other.

When it is dulled, it is said to be partly neutralized.

The more black or white is added, the weaker the intensity becomes.

PSYCHOLOGY OF COLORS

 Black is associated with death and gloom.

 White stands for purity and innocence.
 Blue is deemed the color of heaven.
 Red is associated with blood, signifies anger, provokes fear, and impels people to action.
 Orange helps a person be assertive.
 Green, the color of nature, promotes the feeling of well-being. It implies happy and restful
association and natural abundance.

Sarah J’s: The Language of Roses

Red is for ‘I love you’; pink conveys a ‘Thank you’, white says ‘you are heavenly’; coral speaks for desire.

If you are harboring a secret affection for a special girl, it would be more appropriate to send her white
roses. White roses denote secrecy and several other meanings such as innocence, purity, reverence, and
humility.

Deep pink roses convey gratitude and appreciation. It is most appropriate for those who would like to
say “thank you.”

The lighter pink, on the other hand, express sympathy. They also stand for grace and gentility.
It is the red roses that say “I love you.” They also mean courage and fortitude.

Yellow roses represent joy and freedom.

If you combine the red and yellow together, they stand for jovial and happy feelings.

Coral or orange roses speak enthusiasm and desire.

If you want to convey the message of unity, better send red and white roses together.

If you want to tell your sweetheart that you want to settle down, do not send her the usual three roses.

Send her only two because this means, in the language of roses, that you are now ready for marriage.

A single rose simply means simplicity.

TEXTURE

It is an element that deals more directly with the sense of touch.

Texture is best appreciated when an object is felt with the hands.

Texture is found in all visual arts.

Texture is due primarily to differences in medium.

In architecture, the varied feels of wood, concrete, and metal determine the texture of the building.

The sculptor can also produce differences in texture in his works.

In painting, texture is exhibited through the representation of the skin, clothes, jewelry, furniture, and
others.

Texture can add richness and vitality to paintings.

The aesthetic value of texture lies first of all in the fact that it makes gradation of color possible.

Texture gives unevenness to a surface which causes the color of the surface to be broken into gradations
of light and shade.

Texture is very real to the sculptor and architect because wood, stone, brick, concrete, and metal feel
differently.

To the painter, texture is an illusion.

PERSPECTIVE
It deals with the effect of distance on the appearance of objects, by means of which the eye judges
spatial relationships.

It enables us to perceive: linear perspective and aerial perspective.

SPACE

In painting, as in architecture, space is of great importance.

The exterior of a building is seen as it appears in space, while the interior is seen by one who is inside an
enclosure.

FORM

It describes the structure or shape of an object.

It directs the movements of the eyes.

Every kind of form has its own aesthetic effect.

Forms are classified into: regular forms, irregular forms, centralized forms, linear forms, radial forms,
clustered forms, and grid forms.

VOLUME

The amount of space occupied in 3 dimensions.

It refers to solidity or thickness.

We perceive volume in two ways: by contour lines, outlines or shapes of objects, and by surface lights
and shadows.

Volume is the primary concern of architects because a building always encloses space.

The sculptor is also concerned with volume because his figures actually occupy space and can be
observed from any direction.

In painting, volume is an illusion because the surface of the canvas is flat. The painter can only suggest
volume.
 GEN ED 6 - LESSON 6

LITERATURE AS A MEDIUM

Introduction

There are broadly two theories about art and literature. The first is called ‘art for art’s
sake’ and the second is called ‘art for social purpose’.

According to the first theory, art and literature are only meant to create beautiful or
entertaining works to please and entertain people and artists themselves, and they are not
meant to propagate social ideas.

If art and literature is used for propagating social ideas it ceases to be art and becomes
propaganda.

Proponents of this view are Keats, Tennyson, Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot in English
literature, Edgar Allan Poe in American literature, Agyeya and the ‘Reetikal’ and ‘Chayavadi’
Poets in Hindi literature, Jigar Moradabadi in Urdu literature and Tagore in Bengali literature.

The other theory is that art and literature should serve the people, and help them in
their struggle for a better life, by arousing the people’s emotions against oppression and
injustice and increasing their sensitivity regarding the people’s sufferings.

Proponents of this school are Dickens and George Bernard Shaw in English literature,
Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, Harriet Beacher Stowe, Upton Sinclair and John Steinbeck in
American literature, Balzac, Stendhal, Flaubert and Victor Hugo in French, Goethe, Schiller and
Erich Maria Remarque in German, Cervantes in Spanish, Tolstoy, Gogol, Dostoevsky and Gorki in
Russian, Premchand and Kabir in Hindi, Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyaya and Kazi Nazrul Islam
in Bengali and Nazir, Faiz, Josh and Manto in Urdu.

CLASSIFICATION OF LITERATURE
1. PROSE

Derived from the Latin language which means “straightforward.”

A form of writing which has a natural flow with speech and writing.

It follows the correct grammatical structure.

Two Genres of Prose: Fiction and non- fiction

 Fiction

The writer talks about the plot, the characters, and the settings.

 Non-Fiction

The stories are based on events that actually happened in reality and based on true people

TYPES OF FICTION

 Drama- played on stage

 Tragedy- major characters face struggles and challenges
 Comedy- conflict is handed lightly
 Melodrama- musical play or melody and drama
 Tragicomedy- starts in a serious tone and ends with a happy ending
 Myths- fairytales that tell adventures using magic and other imaginary creatures
 Short stories- stories that can be read in one sitting
 Novels- lengthy stories published as books

TYPES OF NON-FICTION

 Autobiography- life story of a person written by him/herself

 Biography- the story of a famous author’s life written by another person
 Essay- write-ups about random topics that narrates a subject
 Travel Literature- works that log a tour of a foreign journey
 Diaries- recorded events written by an author without intending to publish them
 Journal- similar to diary but this get to publish
 Newspaper- paper published daily, weekly, or monthly. This presents events based on facts
 Magazine- current affairs or opinions varying in content
 Blogs- writes ups written online

2. POETRY
Literature that expresses ideas, feelings or tells a story that uses not only words but also forms,
patterns of sounds, imagery, and figurative language to convey the message.

TYPES OF POETRY

Sonnet - 14 line lyric poem that conforms to strict patterns of rhythm and rhyme.

Ballad- A poem about love written in 4 line stanzas called quatrains

Elegy- Distinguished by a subject matter which is always about death

Ode- a lyric poem that usually show enthusiasm and strong liking to someone or an object

Allegory- has two meaning; literal and metaphorical

Epics- Long narrative poems about adventures of a superhero

Lyric- Poetry that expresses personal feelings about an incident or events

Metrical Romance- Highlights chivalry and manner upon civility

USES OF LITERATURE

 Literature in education

Our first serious encounter with literature comes at school.

Reading and writing have been drilled in all of us from an early age and this is set in motion with
the start of examinations.

Being able to empathize with a group of characters written on a page is categorical and from a
student’s perspective a necessary skill.

Additionally, the ability to sense themes and messages opens us up to another way of thinking.
Literature becomes a vessel.

The 130 million books which have been published around the world are guides for the reader
and generate a bridge for them to learn something new.

 Literature within History

History is not only a gateway to the past, it’s also suggestive of our present and the future.

Within every time period lies different people and within them, different stages in our ever-
growing culture.

Each individual before was a product of their own time. As a species we evolve every day and
without that timestamp that literature gives us, we would know nothing about the past.

Literature allows a person to step back in time and learn about life on Earth from the ones who
walked before us.

We can gather a better understanding of culture and have a greater appreciation of them.

We learn through the ways history is recorded, in the forms of manuscripts and through the
speech itself.

This is the power that words have. They have the ability to spark meaning, reform a nation, and
create movements while being completely eternal. Inevitably, they will outlive their speaker.

DRAMA AS A FORM OF LITERATURE

In literature, a drama is the portrayal of fictional or non-fictional events through the

performance of written dialog (either prose or poetry).

Dramas can be performed on stage, on film, or on the radio.

Dramas are typically called plays, and their creators are known as “playwrights” or
“dramatists.”

WHAT MAKES DRAMA SO DRAMATIC?

To make their plays dramatic, playwrights strive to progressively build the audience’s feelings of
tension and anticipation as the story develops.

Dramatic tension builds as the audience keeps wondering “What happens next?” and
anticipating the outcomes of those events.

In a mystery, for example, dramatic tension builds throughout the plot until an exciting or
unanticipated climax is revealed.
Dramatic tension is all about keeping the audience guessing.

In the ancient Greek tragedy Oedipus the King, will Oedipus ever figure out that by killing his
father and sleeping with his mother he had caused the plague that destroyed his city, and what
will he do about it if he does?

Dramas depend heavily on spoken dialogue to keep the audience informed about the
characters’ feelings, personalities, motivations, and plans.

Since the audience sees characters in a drama living out their experiences without any
explanatory comments from the author, playwrights often create dramatic tension by having
their characters deliver soliloquies and asides.

TYPES OF DRAMA

 COMEDY

Lighter in tone, comedies are intended to make the audience laugh and usually come to a
happy ending.

Comedies place offbeat characters in unusual situations causing them to do and say funny
things.

Comedy can also be sarcastic in nature, poking fun at serious topics.

There are also several sub-genres of comedy, including romantic comedy, sentimental comedy,
a comedy of manners, and tragic comedy—plays in which the characters take on tragedy with
humor in bringing serious situations to happy endings.

 TRAGEDY

Based on darker themes, tragedies portray serious subjects like death, disaster, and human
suffering in a dignified and thought- provoking way.

Rarely enjoying happy endings, characters in tragedies, like Shakespeare's Hamlet, are often
burdened by tragic character flaws that ultimately lead to their demise.

 FARCE
Featuring exaggerated or absurd forms of comedy, a farce is a nonsensical genre of drama in
which characters intentionally overact and engage in slapstick or physical humor.

Examples of farce include the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and the hit 1980 movie
Airplane!, written by Jim Abrahams.

 MELODRAMA

An exaggerated form of drama, melodramas depict classic one-dimensional characters such as

heroes, heroines, and villains dealing with sensational, romantic, and often perilous situations.

Sometimes called “tearjerkers,” examples of melodramas include the play The Glass Menagerie
by Tennessee Williams and the classic movie of love during the Civil War, Gone With the Wind,
based on Margaret Mitchell’s novel.

 OPERA

This versatile genre of drama combines theater, dialogue, music, and dance to tell grand stories
of tragedy or comedy.

Since characters express their feelings and intentions through song rather than dialogue,
performers must be both skilled actors and singers.

The decidedly tragic La Bohème, by Giacomo Puccini, and the bawdy comedy Falstaff, by
Giuseppe Verdi are classic examples of opera.

 DOCUDRAMA

A relatively new genre, docudramas are dramatic portrayals of historic events or non- fictional
situations.

More often presented in movies and television than in live theater, popular examples of
docudramas include the movies Apollo 13 and 12 Years a Slave, based on the autobiography
written by Solomon Northup.
CINEMA AS A FORM OF LITERATURE

CINEMA AND LITERATURE

Cinema and Literature are two distinct but equally extraordinary works of art

Where literature was a popular form of expression during the 18th and 19 th century, cinema has
taken its place by the 20th century onwards.

Though both these arts have certain connections and differences, both have a similarity of
taking readers/audience to a different world.

Literature has been a way of artistic expression for centuries now.

Writers have told tales about gods and goddesses, heroes and their valiant victories, historical
epics, romantic tragedies, comic incidents, legendary episodes, and much more.

Cinema is by far doing the same thing for quite a few years now.

One major strong point in cinema, which is absent in the literature, is the advantage of visually
showing the whole picture on the screen that helps the audience connect with the moment
more closely.

Literature takes its readers on a journey of imagination that is away from the real world while
cinema shows such an imaginative world before the audience and they do not have to put
much pressure on their minds to delve into their imaginations.

They basically view the film through the imagination of the filmmakers.

Literature is an art that is developed through writing while cinema brings to life those writings
to life through sound, music, visuals, and actors.

Literature has all the meanings hidden in itself that are used to develop a film.

Though both are somehow interdependent, both need to be studied in order to completely
understand a movie based on a piece of literature.
 Gen Ed 6 – Lesson 8

PRINCIPLES OF ART

Principle of Design

The “principles of design” are mechanisms of arrangement and organization for the various
elements of design in artwork

Seven Principles

1. Harmony

2. Balance

3. Proportion

4. Dominance/Emphasis

5. Variety

6. Movement

7. Rhythm

HARMONY
Harmony in art and design is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar, related
elements.

For instance: adjacent colors on the color wheel, similar shapes etc.

BALANCE

A feeling of equality in weight, attention, or attraction of the various visual elements within the
pictorial field as a means of accomplishing organic unity.

Types of Balance:

1. Symmetry

Is a form of balance is achieved by using identical balance compositional units on either side of
a vertical axis within the picture plane.

2. Approximate Symmetry

Is a form of balance achieved by the use of similarly balanced compositional units on either side
of a vertical axis within the picture plane.

3. Radial Symmetry

Is a form of balance that is even, radiating out from a central point to all four quadrants of the
shape’s constraining plane.

4. Asymmetry

Is a form of balance attained when the visual units on balance on either side of a vertical axis
are not identical but are placed in positions within the picture plane so as to create a “felt”
equilibrium of the total form concept.

PROPORTION

Proportion is the comparison of dimensions or distribution of forms. It is the relationship in

scale between one element and another, or between a whole object and one of its parts.
Differing proportions within a composition can relate to different kinds of balance or symmetry
and can help establish visual weight and depth.
DOMINANCE / EMPHASIS

The principle of visual organization that suggests that certain elements should assume more
importance than others in the same composition. It contributes to organic unity by emphasizing
the fact that there is one main feature and that other elements are subordinate to it.

In the below examples, notice how the smaller elements seem to recede into the background
while the larger elements come to the front. Pay attention to both scale and value of the
objects that recede and advance.

VARIETY

Variety is the complement to unity and harmony, and is needed to create visual interest.
Without unity and harmony, an image is chaotic and “unreadable; ” without variety it is dull
and uninteresting. Good design is achieved through the balance of unity and variety; the
elements need to be alike enough so we perceive them as belonging together and different
enough to be interesting.

MOVEMENT

Movement is the path our eyes follow when we look at a work of art, and it is generally very
important to keep a viewer’s eyes engaged in the work. Without movement, artwork becomes
stagnant. A few good strategies to evoke a sense of movement (among many others) are using
diagonal lines, placing shapes so that the beyond the boundaries of the picture plane, and using
changing values.

RHYTHM

A continuance, a flow, or a feeling of movement achieved by the repetition of regulated visual

information.