Art in FocusChapter 2: Developing a Visual VocabularyLesson Summaries-EnglishArtists combine and organize the elements of art in countless ways in order to communicate their ideas to viewers. To fully understand an artwork, you need to understand a visual vocabulary and recognize how it is used. Lesson 1 Art has a language of its own: words that refer to the visual elements, or basic parts, and the principles, the various ways of putting these parts together. The elements and principles of art should work together to create unity in an artwork and make it visually appealing. An artist’s style is the unique way that he or she organizes the elements of art according to the principles of art. The elements of art are color, value, line, texture, shape, form, and space. Color has three qualities: hue, intensity, and value. Hue refers to the name of the color. Intensity refers to the color’s brightness and purity. Value describes its lightness or darkness. Colors can also be divided into warm and cool colors. Value is also an art element by itself. It can be used to create planes and angles in a work. Line is a continuous mark made on a surface by a moving point. Lines can be used to show the edges of objects and define them. Lines can suggest movement in all directions and thus show certain feelings. Texture relates to how things feel or look as if they would feel. Texture may refer to the actual texture of the artwork or to a suggested texture. Shape and form are two related art elements. Shape refers to a two-dimensional area set off by another art element, such as color or line. Form refers to a three-dimensional object defined by the same elements. Form is used to refer to mass, the outside size and bulk of a form. Volume refers to the space within a form. The last art element is space, the distance or area around things. Space can be three-dimensional, as in a sculpture or building. Space can also be used to create an illusion in a two-dimensional painting or drawing. When you are familiar with the way artists use the principles of art to organize the elements in an artwork, you will be able to better understand and appreciate art. Lesson 2 Artists use the elements of art according to certain principles, or guidelines. These principles help them create unified designs and thus clear, organized works of art. Learning the principles of art will help you understand how artworks are put together. These principles are balance, emphasis, harmony, variety, gradation, movement, rhythm, and proportion. Balance refers to a way of combining art elements to add a feeling of equilibrium or stability. Emphasis is a way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements and to focus the viewer’s attention on an important part of the design. Harmony refers to the way of combining similar elements to accent their similarities. Variety is a way of combining elements in ways that increase the visual interest in an artwork. Gradation refers to a way of joining elements by using a series of gradual changes. Movement is used to create the look and feeling of action and to guide the viewer’s eye through an artwork. Rhythm is a principle that is related to movement. Rhythm is created by the placement of repeated elements that cause a visual tempo or beat. Proportion is the relationship of certain elements to the whole and to each other. Artists who successfully follow the principles of art achieve unity in their works. Using the Design Chart will help you to identify relationships between the elements and principles in works of art. |  |
