SHAPES IN PAPER

Zayra Favares
Vocabulary
UNITY
The arrangement of one or more of the elements used to create
a feeling of completeness. Everything in the work seems to
belong and contribute to the overall picture.
 RHYTHM
Principal of design that repeats elements to create the illusion of movement. Visual rhythm is perceived through
the eyes, and is created by repeating positive spaces separated by negative spaces.
(Do NOT need to write this bottom bit)
Alternating rhythm is when the visual rhythm set up by repeating motifs but changing position or content of motifs
or spaces between them. Flowing rhythm is created by repetition of wavy lines. Progressive rhythm is a visual
rhythm that changes a motif each time it is repeated. Random rhythm is a repetition in no apparent order with no
regular spaces. Regular rhythm is achieved through repeating identical motifs using the same intervals of space
between them.
Pattern
decorative visual repetition. Pattern is the
repeating of an object or symbol all over
the work of art. The repetition of
elements of design creates unity within
the work of art.
 Movement
is the path the viewer's eye takes through the work of art, often to focal areas. Such movement can
be directed along lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art.
Balance
• A principle of art and design concerned with the
arrangement of one or more elements in a work of art so
that they appear symmetrical (identical compositional
units on either side of an axis) or asymmetrical (not
identical) in design and proportion.
•
 !WARNING!
NEXT SLIDE IS PRETTY
POWERFUL STUFF
 -Damien Hirst

Conceptual • is art for which the idea (or concept) behind the work is more
important than the finished art object. ... When an artist uses
a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and
art decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory
affair.
 • one of the first artists to step away from traditional
painting altogether was French artist Henri Matisse, who led
the Fauvism movement in the 1900s.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O
d5JYdsvBgk
HENRI MATISSE
Lets look at and
Analyze some of his
work.
What do you see?
Symbols/symbolism
Where does it come
from?
Symbolism has a rich history starting
as far back as 30,000 years ago!
in the paleolithic ice age of Europe!
There are cave paintings that include
a collection of geometric symbols
such as dots, handprints, and other
interesting shapes.
We don’t know what any of these
symbols really meant 30,000 years
ago
but it gives us a window into the
people that traveled the continent
and scratched these symbols out in
dark caves.
• Fast forward to 5,000 years ago and Egypt was a thriving country with pharaohs, grand
promenades and hieroglyphics.
Symbols

• Have been used for many things, for

functional purposes such as stop signs to
work by artists! This gave birth to SYMBOLISM
• Though it began as a literary concept,
Symbolism was soon identified with the
artwork of a younger generation of painters
who were similarly rejecting the conventions
of Naturalism. Symbolist painters believed
that art should reflect an emotion or idea
rather than represent the natural world in the
objective, quasi-scientific manner embodied
by Realism and Impressionism.
NOTAN
the combination of lights and
darks especially as used in
Japanese art
 Interaction with light and dark,
What is a Notan?? interation with positive and
negative space.
• We will be creating 4 NOTAN
works. These works will be
imbued with our
understanding of symbolism.
Use symbolism to represent
you in this assignment!
Produce your own symbols and
designs you feel describe YOU
best.
HERE ARE SOME • You CAN use color, you can draw patterns to fill the empty spaces too!
THIS is where the creative part comes in! Get authentic with it , YOU can
SAMPLES also look online for INSPIRATION
BEFORE BEGINNING
HERE IS A STEP-BY-STEP DEMO OF WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING!
 First, produce 4 concept
sketches! Be sure you feel that
they represent you. You will be
writing about the symbols and
meaning behind them as HW

Next get it approved and then elect a

group leader to gather materials! You will
need 2 different colored paper (can be
black and white, you will be cutting the
notan a smaller size and pasting it on
another paper when you are done. SO
MAKE SURE U LIKE THE COLORS.) glue,
Xacto knife(and cutting MAT), scissors,
ruler, pencil, eraser
 1. Measure a 5X5 square and
cut it out!

2. With a PENCIL draw in your sketch. Make

sure you remember that areas in the paper
that you draw in and don’t reach the border
will like like holes in your paper, THAT’S
OKAY, but next step is important.
 3. Begin cutting out the notan
and FLIPPING the image
over.(DO NOT GLUE YET)
( Areas that you cut out in the
middle of the paper, like the
flowers leaves in mine, you still
must flip over and place as a
MIRRORED image. )

4. Keep track of ALL your little pieces, if

you loos them you’ll have to start over 
Make sure your placement is correct
BEFORE you start gluing. (glue the center
piece down first, and then the rest)
5. Glue Notan down! My notan is
pretty simple, it is a small example for
you. YOURS must be more elaborate
and DETAILED. Be sure to come up
with some good sketches!
I added some line work to mine, I like the
rhythm and pattern work it has in it. I feel it
represents me well. If you finish yours early,
you will revisit the first Notan you created
and add some patters, line work, or designs
into the empty space inside.

Here is another quick

example! Again, yours will
be much more elaborate
and DETAILED.