Principals of Art

Lesson 3

Bell RingerDefine Mass and

Volume.Which form of art

are those 2 terms most used in?

What are the primary hues?

Principals of Art When trying to combine

different art elements into a whole artists use certain principles, or guidelines

Principals of art are balance, emphasis, harmony, variety, gradation, movement, rhythm, and proportion

A unified design a skillful blend of elements and principles results when all the parts hold together to produce the best possible effect.

In order to understand works of art you need to know how the principals of art are used

BALANCE Balance refers to a way

of combining elements to add a feeling of equilibrium or stability to a work of art◦ 3 TYPES

SYMMETRICAL ASYMMETRICAL RADIAL

Symmetrical Balance means a formal balance in which two halves of a work are identical; one half mirrors exactly the other half

BalanceAsymmetrical

balance is more informal and takes into account such qualities as hue, intensity, and value in addition to size and shape

Radial Balance

Radial Balance occurs when objects are positioned around a central point

Emphasis

Emphasis is the way of developing the main theme in a work of art

Answering the question of “what is the artist trying to say” the emphasis can be obvious

JAN VERMEER OFFICER AND LAUGHING GIRL

WILLIAM JOHNSON LI’L SIS

CONTRASTTo avoid a painting being monotonous and the viewer would lose interest the artist adds contrastLook at Tiepolo’s

paint of the wise men visiting Mary and the Christ child. What contrast do you see?

Contrast of light and dark valuesContrast in color between warms and coolsSoft and hard fabricTexture areas with smooth areasEarthly elements vs. heavenly elementsVertical movement and horizontal movement

HARMONY OR UNITYHarmony refers

to a way of combining similar elements in an artwork to accent their similarities

It is accomplished through the use of repetitions and subtle, gradual changes.

Liubov Popova Painterly Architectonics

Joseph Turner Burning of the House of Parliament

MOVEMENTMovement is the

Principle of art used to create the look and feeling of action and to guide the viewers eye throughout the work of art

Movement is also used to direct the viewers attention to a center of interest, or to make certain that the main parts of the work are noted

Marcel Duchamp Nude Descending a staircase

Dell’Arca – The Lamentation

Rhythm• Rhythm or

Pattern is established in a work when elements of the composition, such as curves, angles, or vertical or horizontal lines, are repeated

• Pattern can be produced by the repetition of motifs, colors, shapes or lines

David Siqueiros Portrait of a Woman

Proportion• Proportion is the principle of art

concerned with the relationship of certain elements to the whole and to each other

• The large size of one shape compared with the smaller sizes of other shapes creates visual emphasis

• In the past and in other cultures artists often relied on the principle of proportion to point out the most important figures or objects in their works

Dr. Johann Gottfried Schadow The Sculptor and Art Student's Guide to the Proportions of the Human Form. (Book illustration.)

Proportion

Gradation

• Gradation refers to a way of combining elements by using a series of gradual changes in those elements

• Ex. Gradual change from small shapes to large shapes or from a dark hue to a light hue

• It is a step by step change

Antonio M . Ruiz. School Children on Parade. 1936. Oil on Canvas

Ticket out the DoorThursday 1. List at least 3 of

the principals of art.

2. Compare and contrast symmetrical and radial Balance.