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Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

Elements of Art
Line
A mark between two or more points, a path from one point to another
Two-dimensional and goes in any direction, straight or curved. It can be
horizontal, vertical or diagonal
Can express emotion

Perspective
Creates illusion of space on flat surface
Represents 3D object on a 2D surface making it realistic and natural
Vanishing point – imaginary convergence of lines
e.g. UP University Gateway by National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva (Dean of the
UP College of Fine Arts, 1977-1985)

Color
Result when light hits an object, the perceived visual and physical properties
seen by the human eye; how the brain interprets the light waves reflected
Generate human reactions and evoke sensations

Systems of Color
1. Additive (RGB) – used in TV, web, and for viewing
2. Subtractive (CMYK) – used in printing

Classification of Color
1. Primary – cannot be created out of the other colors; red, yellow, blue
2. Secondary – combination of two primary colors
3. Tertiary – product of a primary and a secondary color

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Meanings of Colors
▪ Red – power, violence, passion, aggression; excitement, youthful, bold
▪ Orange – health, energy, warmth, fire, excitement; friendly, cheerful,
confidence
▪ Yellow – cowardice, caution, happiness, sunshine, optimism
▪ Green – greed, affluence, nature, soothing; peaceful, growth, health
▪ Blue – trust, peace, cleanliness, loyalty, tranquility; trust, dependable,
strength
▪ Purple – magic, supernatural, creativity, royalty; creative, wise,
imaginative
▪ Pink – tranquilizing, feminine, floral, love
▪ Gray – balance neutral, calm

Major Color Attributes

1. Hue – exact name of a color; actual color of something; any name we give a
pigment or combination of pigments
2. Saturation – intensity of the color; state of being pure and perfect

Color Schemes
1. Achromatic – colorless scheme (white, grey, black) have lightness
or darkness but no hue or saturation

2. Monochromatic – colors have single base hue, in value and in

intensity, extended using its shades, tones and tints

3. Complementary – uses at least two hues directly the opposite of one

another in the color wheel; e.g. ‘Café Terrance on the Place du
Forum’ by Vincent Van Gogh
4. Analogous – result of at two to three colors that are adjacent in
the color wheel; e.g. ‘Road in Maine’ by Edward Hopper

5. Triadic – result of using three evenly-spaced out colors; produces

vibrant feeling; e.g. Henri Matisse (French artist)

6. Split Complementary – variation of complementary scheme; uses two

colors adjacent to its complement

7. Tetradic – forms a rectangle

8. Square – uses four evenly spaced out colors

Value
Lightness and darkness of an object; middle value is gray
Gradient – change in values
Tints – light values
Shades – dark values
Highlights – areas on an object where light is

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Space
Area between two elements used to separate or group anything
Gives eye rest, importance to subject
Positive space – main focus of a picture
Negative space – background

Texture
Perceived surface of an object; the look and the feel
Perceived visual and physical properties
Gives different feelings and emotions; adds depth and visual interest

Shape
Enclosed line, limited into two dimensions (length and width)
Geometric – clear edges
Organic – natural, smooth edges

Principles of Art
Composition
Combining parts or elements to form a whole
Placement or arrangement of visual elements in a work of art

Principles of Composition
Balance
Concept of visual equilibrium, and relates to physical sense of stability
Symmetrical – equal weights on both sides
Asymmetrical – placement of varying weight
Radial – arranged around a central axis

Emphasis
Center of interest; focal point of composition
e.g. ‘The Brown Madonna’ by National Artist Galo Ocampo

Movement
Visual sense and flow through the artwork
Path where the viewer’s eye takes through the artwork
Shows action
e.g. ‘The Transfiguration’ by National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva; Don Quixote
Performance; Wing Chun (linear movements move along one straight line);
Pangalay dance (curvilinear movement)

Unity
When all elements are synchronized within the composition that gives meaning;
the attractive whole; visual orderliness
e.g. ‘Gadgets II’ by National Artist Cesar Legaspi

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Contrast
Arrangement of two opposite elements in a piece so as to create visual
interest, excitement, and drama
Chiaroscuro – strong contrasting light and shadow (Italian word for light-
dark)
Tenebrism – dark tones over light for dramatic effect (Italian word –
“tenobroso” meaning dark, gloomy, mysterious); darkness is the dominating
feature of the image

Harmony
Visually satisfying effect of combining similar related elements
Repetition – repeated use of an element
Rhythm – continuity, recurrence, and sequence in time and space
Pattern – combination of elements or shapes repeated in a recurring and regular
arrangement

Subject Matter and Themes

Component of Art
1. Form – visual organization; to the work’s style, techniques and media used,
and how elements of design are implemented; refers to the total arrangement
of elements of an artwork
2. Subject – depicted objects; Person, Object, Place, Event
a. Representational/Figurative Art – representation of image; reality
b. Non-representational/Non-objective Art – abstract; distortions
3. Theme – impact or meaning of the work; statement, expression, or mood developed
by the artist and interpreted by the observer

Subject Matter
It is the literal topic depicted in the work
Is what something is about
Content - a work's subject matter, or what is being depicted; themes and
messages contained within a work of art, and conveyed through the subject
matter, as well as symbolic and iconographic references

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Ways of Representing the Subject Matter

1. History – illustrate a part of history or a significant event
2. Religion – illustrates worship of any God; artistic imagery using religious
inspiration and motif and is often used to uplift the mind of the spiritual
3. Mythological – characters are gods, creation myth, supernatural heroes
4. Nature
a. Landscape – depiction of outdoor scene
b. Seascape - depicts the sea as its primary subject
c. Cityscape - urban environment is the focus
d. Flora – group of plants/flowers
e. Fauna – emphasis on animal imagery, animals of a certain region, time period
or environment
5. Genre – representation of subject from everyday life
6. Portrait – representation of a person; the intent is to display the likeness,
personality and even the mood of the person
7. Nude – used to express ideal male and female beauty and other qualities;
primary subject is the unclothed body
8. Still Life – inanimate objects or any object that don’t move
9. Surrealistic – beyond realism; strange juxtapositions or absurd combinations
10. Abstract Art – changing, simplifying, or exaggerating what they see

Medium
The material/s used or substance/s used by the artist to produce his/her
masterpiece

❖ Sculptor – uses metal, wood, stone, clay, glass, marble, etc.

❖ Architect – uses, wood, bamboo, bricks, stone, concrete and various building
materials
❖ Painter – uses pigments (e.g. watercolor, oil, textile, paint, acrylic, ink,
etc.)
❖ Musician – uses sound instruments
❖ Dancer – uses the body and its movements
❖ Theater artist – integrates all the arts and uses the stage, production design,
performance elements, and script to enable the visual, musical, dance and
other aspects to come together as a whole work
❖ Photographer – uses the camera to record the outside world
❖ Filmmaker – uses the cinematographic camera to record and put together design,
sound engineering, performance and screenplay
❖ Writer – uses words

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Classification of Art (according to medium)

1. Practical – works that primarily meant to be functional in everyday life
2. Environmental – widely describe a range of works or practices that involve
the use of space, or are analyzed in the way that they interact with their
surroundings
3. Pictorial – artwork that is predominantly visual and spatial
4. Auditory – creative works that engage the sense of hearing, while not being
necessarily musical in nature
5. Narrative – creative works that follow a sequential/story structure, such as
events unfolding across time, foremost applied in the literary sense, but also
encompasses other media that follows this sequential logic
6. Dramatic – a term tied up with theater, and is used to describe works done by
or for performance-based representation, such as by actors
7. Musical – creative works that harness a logical arrange of sound, one of the
most common is rhythm, and is observable in music, poetry, and dance (with
musical accompaniment)

Technique
The manner in which artist use and manipulate materials to achieve the desired
formal effect, and communicate the desired concept, or meaning, according to
his/her personal style (modern, Neoclassic, etc.)

Shading Techniques
Pointillism Stippling Cross-Hatching

Hatching Scribbling Blending/Mass Shading

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How art is consumed?

Artifact – directly experienced and perceived
Spatial and Static
Time-based and Moving
Recorded – documented artworks
Virtual – artificial space, asynchronous

Cinematography
Art of making motion pictures

Shot – smallest unit of visual narrative; continuous view filmed without

interruption
Shortest Shot – less than a single frame
TRT – total running time
Longest Shot – trt of available film reel/video tape
Scene – place or setting where the action takes place; may consist of one shot or
series of shots depicting continuous event; shot + shot
Static Shot – camera does not move or change aim, but camera may move from shot to
shot
Dynamic Shot – camera moves or changes aim within the shot
Visual Narrative = scene + scene
Whole Visual Narrative = sequence + sequence
Fluid Take or Long Take – the shot lasts much longer than conventional editing
pace; significant camera movement and elaborate blocking are often elements in long
takes
Shot Zones

Elements of Framing
1. Angle – point to a certain degree; affect how we perceive character
a. Bird’s Eye View – an elevated view of the subject way above; view as if
audience is a bird flying, aerial, commercial, landscape
b. High Angle – looks upon a subject few meters from above
c. Low Angle – shot positioned low on vertical axis, anywhere below eyeline,
also looking up
d. Eye Level – most commonly used angle
e. Worm’s Eye View or Low Angle – from below, or a low inferior position
f. Dutch Angle – camera slanted to one side, can show heightened emotion
g. Point-of-View (POV) – first person shot as if the viewer looks at the eye
of the character

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2. Shot Sizes – how big things are in picture; relation of subject to framing
a. Extreme Long Shot – orients audience to setting; superimposed or placement
of image or video on top of an already existing image or video, usually to
add to the overall image effect
b. Establishing Shot – orients audience to setting, shown before a scene or
action about to take place
c. Close Up Shot – subject takes up most of frame, creates heightened emotion
or atmosphere
d. Extreme Close Up Shot – super zoom in to a specific subject; shows deeper
emotion, pacing and scene getting quicker; always used by Quentin Tarantino
3. Camera Movements – mounted on fixture or device
a. Apparent Movement – an optical illusion in which stationary objects viewed
in quick succession or in relation to moving objects appear to be in motion
i. Zoom – change in magnification of image by means of a zoom lens
b. Physical Movement – mounted on a physical device or hand-held
i. Pan – x-axis
ii. Tilt – y-axis
c. Crane – shot taken by camera simulating a sense of flight; Jib – a mechanical
device that works like a see-saw holding the camera
d. Dolly
i. Dolly In – moves forward from stationary subject or rails
ii. Dolly Out – moves backward from stationary subject or rails
e. Tracking – follows a moving subject
f. Evangelion Shot – starts with extreme close up and zooms out abruptly,
emphasizing speed and size of the object
4. Composition Styles – framing of image; mise-en-scene (placing on stage) –
arrangement of everything that appears in framing (actors, lighting, décor,
props, costume)
a. 180 Degrees Rule – all action must take place within an imaginary 180-
degree arc
b. Rule of Thirds – frame is divided into nine imaginary sections
c. Counterpoint – placing of three subjects or objects anywhere in the screen
d. Deep Focus – camera lens and lighting set up to keep all layers in frame
in sharp focus
e. Frame within a Frame – a scene within a frame, adding depth and context and
drawing attention to point
f. Leading Lines – viewer is drawn to lines that lead to the main subject of
image
g. Depth of Field – distance between nearest and farthest objects in scene
that appear acceptably sharp
h. Headroom – relative vertical position of subject within the frame of image
i. Lead Room - relative horizontal position of subject within the frame of
image
j. Montage – single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or super-
imposing many pictures or designs
k. Juxtaposition – two or more things seen or placed together with contrasting
or contradicting effect
l. One-Point Perspective – image has a single vanishing point on the horizon;
all shapes get smaller in all directions with increasing distance from the
eye

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