PAINTING

WORKSHOP
 ART - a creative human skill
- language of the soul
- communication about the self and the world using:
* sight - visual art
* sound - music
* words - literary
* actions - dance and drama or combination of all of
these
* themes - explore messages, subjects and objects
and issues

 ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ART

1. Color
2. Form
3. Line
4. Shape
5. Space
6. Texture
7. Value
 LINE - is an element of art which refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by
a moving point. It is the most important element. Every concept and every work of
art is all started with lines.

 SHAPE - enclosed space defined by other element of art. Shapes may take on the
appearance of two or three dimensional objects.

 FORM - is an element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume e.g. cubes,
spheres, and cylinders are examples of various forms

 SPACE - refers to the distance or area between, around, above or within things

 TEXTURE - refers to the surface quality or “feel” of an object such as roughness,

smoothness or softness.
Actual texture can be felt while simulated textures are implied by the way
the artist enders area of the picture.
 VALUE - describes the lightness or darkness of color. Value is needed to express volume.

 COLOR - is an element of art with three properties

1. Hue - the name of the color , e.g. red, yellow, blue, etc.
2. Intensity - the purity and strength of the color such as brightness or dullness
3. Value - lightness or darkness of the color
 VISUAL ART PRINCIPLES

 HARMONY - is achieved when all of the art elements within a

work of art interact well.
- accomplish by using similar types of shapes, lines or colors within a
work of art.

 VARIETY - is accomplished by using different lines, shapes and

colors within an artwork to make the key areas
standout, e.g. a red dot is placed within an artwork
that uses primarily cool colors, the eye will be pulled to the
red dot… artist can use this idea to direct a viewer’s eye to a place
within the art that he or she wants to emphasize.

 BALANCE - artist must pay attention to how a work of art is balanced.

The art principle of balance refers to the way in which visual
weight is distributed throughout a composition…Composition
can be displayed either symmetrical or asymmetrical balance.
 SYMMETRICAL BALANCE - refers to a composition I which the visual weight is
perfectly and evenly distributed each side of the artwork. Composition can be divided
down the center and each side will be closed to a mirror of the other.

 ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE - refers to the compositions in which the visual weight is

not evenly distributed to both sides of the artwork. Asymmetrical artworks will have a
dominant side in which the majority of the visual weight is placed.

 MOVEMENT - refers to the way that an eye move throughout a work of art. Does not
refer to depiction of movement within an artwork.
 An artist create visual improvement to drive the eye to the focal point of the artwork.
Artist might try to use lines and shapes that point toward the focal point to move the
eye to that area. Many artists also try to create a visual loop in which the eye moves in
a circle throughout the artwork. This visual loop keeps the viewer engaged in the
work of art and keeps the eye from straying outside of the picture plane.

 RHYTHM - refers to the use of visual repetition within a work of art. Repeating visual
element can create a visual energy and interest. - also refers to as pattern
 Patterns within an artwork are created by repeating certain colors, lines or shapes in
specific areas, and can also use to create texture and variety within the artwork.
 EMPHASIS - refers to the need of an artist to create a focal point
within a composition. Focal point is the most important part of a work
of art and the viewer’s eye should be drawn to that area.
 The point that is emphasized is the part of the painting, drawing or
sculpture that the artist feels is most important.
 In a portrait, the focal point will almost always be the eyes of the
subject.
 In more narrative or expressive works of art, the focal point could be
anything that the artist wants to emphasize.
 PROPORTION - refers to the way that items work together within an
artwork. Artists must make sure that the relative size of items within a
composition make logical sense. And artists strive to depict the human
form within the proper proportion.
 Artists can also play with the idea of proportion to emphasize certain
ideas, e.g. Michaelangelo’s sculpture “La Pieta” features the virgin
Mary holding Jesus after He was crucified and Mary significantly larger
than Jesus this. This shift in scale is used to show the fragility of Jesus
and to emphasize Mary’s maternal relationship to Jesus.
 ASSESSING THE ARTWORK AS A WHOLE
 Developing a complete understanding of the art principles
of harmony, variety, balance, movement, emphasis,
proportion and rhythm helps viewers to better understand
how a work of art is composed. By identifying and
evaluating the effectiveness of principles within artwork,
viewers can understand what makes one work of art more
successful than another. Those who examine the visual
principles will continually strengthen their visual literacy
and develop a deeper understanding of visual art.
Prepared by:
Chester M. Mato
NCCA-NCVA Representative
Western Mindanao