Unit. 2Elements of Visual Language

Joan Miró, "La poetesa"

Watch this video carefully. It talks about the basic elements of Visual Language. Can you understand it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nBem1EeO88w#!

1. Dot• Is the smallest and simplest element in art language. Its first mission is to

indicate position. It has a very strong power to catch visual attention.

• Usually the dot's shape is round. However, it can be represented in different ways; for example typographical dots are square (in order not to disturb our visual attention while reading), painting drops are irregular...

Joan Miró, "Blau" E.Signac, "Port de Saint Tropez"

2. Line • The line is a dot in movement. It is also a mark made on some surface. It can

express many things whith its different positions.

Simple lines Horizontal: it is related with calm and rest. It is used to express peacefulnessVertical: it can go up or down. It is related to the movement of growing up or elevation.Diagonal: it can express strong movement and inestability

Composed lines Zig-zag: it expresses a deep constrast or movement. Wavy: it expresses movement but it is softer than the zig-zag line.

Calm

Going up!!

Going down!!

Strong movement

Rhythm

When we put together some lines they made SHAPES!!!

• There are some exemples in paintings about the use of lines, look at them!

V. Van Gogh, "Selfportrait with hat"

V. Van Gogh, "Starry night", Don McLean music

This song talks about Vicent van Gogh life's, his personality and some of the events he was involved in.

3. Shape• A. They can be geometric (circle, square or triangle) or natural (like a leaf

from a tree or a seashell)

• B. The Shapes can also be Flat (2D, bidimensional) like a pencil mark on a paper or Tridimensionals (3D) like a sculpture.

Objects with form take up SPACE or at least they seem to take up space

4. Space• Space is the area between, around, above and within things. When we

work on a bidimensional surface to represent it we use perspective.

5. Colour• Colour can often show the space. Colour is the most expressive element of

Art. There are Primary colours (yellow, magenta and cyan) and Secondary colours (red, purple and green).

Primary colour

Primary colour

Secondarycolour

Yellow + Magenta= Red

Magenta + Cyan = Purple

Yellow + Cyan = Green

6. Value• Value is the Lightness or Darkness of a colour. When a dark value is close

to a light colour it creates Contrast.

• Colours can create Textures.

7.Texture• Texture is how a surface feels or looks. Textures can be tactile or visual,

rough/smooth, wet/dry, sof/hard....