CHAPTER 1

In this section you will learn about the differences between form and content
and be introduced to the basic elements and principles of design. You'll also
learn about types of representation in art. All of these concepts are integral to
formalism, which is a method of studying artwork by analyzing and describing
it in purely in terms of visual effects.

Art Appreciation

The term art appreciation is referred to the knowledge of the general and everlasting
qualities that classify all great art. It is seen used to refer to the exploration of visual art
forms or the introduction of basic principles of visual literacy.  It refers to analyzing the
form of an artwork to general audiences to enhance their enjoyment of such works of
art. It may be analyzed without reference to subject matter, symbolism or historical
context. Art appreciation can be subjective depending on personal preference to
aesthetics and form, or it can be based on several elements and principle of design and
also depends on social and cultural acceptance. Most of the modern art critics and art
historians draw back from this term, underrating art appreciation as demanding too little
serious thought.

For a variety of reasons, art appreciation is incredibly important. It's a good method to
learn about the piece's history and the time period in which it was created. In their work,
artists frequently reflect their own troubles as well as societal challenges. We can better
understand how society functioned then compared to now by examining and placing
ourselves in the head of the artist. On a human level, we can connect with and relate to
their concerns.

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The Feature of Arts

Art is a form of reflection of reality in artistic images in the mind of man. Reflecting the
surrounding world, art helps people to understand it and serves as a powerful
instrument of political, moral and artistic education.
The diversity of phenomena and events and also the different methods of reflecting
them in works of art have given rise to diverse kinds of art: poetry and fiction, theatre,
music, the cinema, architecture, painting, sculpture.
The cardinal feature of art is that, in contrast to science, it reflects reality not in
concepts, but in a concrete form perceivable by the senses, in the form of typical artistic
images. The artist creates an artistic image, reveals common, essential features of
reality and conveys these features through individual, often inimitable characters,
through concrete phenomena of nature and social life. The more vivid, the more
tangible the individual traits of the artistic character, the greater its attraction and
influence.

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The Experienced Derived from the Art

"Art as Experience" is a major writing on aesthetics [the science which deduces from
nature and taste the rules and principles of art by John Dewey. In his work Dewey
defines this theory: That is, art is not just a recording of human experience, but it is an
involvement of human experience. Art requires long periods of activity and reflection
and comes only to those absorbed in observing experience. An artist's work requires
reflection on past experience and a sifting of emotions and meanings from that prior
experience

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Art and Reality

Reality and art is that reality is the state of being actual or real while art is (uncountable)

the conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other
elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the
beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium.

The relationship between art and reality is one of the most widely discussed subjects in
the history of aesthetics. The thing is, that the work of art seems to have a somewhat
illusive character that makes it ontological end epistemological characteristics a bit
blurry. It is namely obvious that it does not consist in a direct copying of reality, but
rather seems to involve both the imagination of the artist and the perceiver in coming
into being. Having this spirit of fantasy, how is it then possible that art can make us gain
any kind of knowledge or meaningful experience about the world

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Art as a mirror of the times and the Milieu of the Artist
Artists are historians and their art the journal. Undeniably, art is not only an expression
of beauty and creativity; it is also a reflection of the times. This is also the main reason
why art is an ever changing medium. The evolution of art is manifested in all its forms.
Standard and cultural change is evident from the world of music, dance and stage
performances to the visual forms including sculptures and paintings.
A piece of art is a reflection of the artist. It represents his beliefs, outlook, emotion, and
passion. Religion, war, and power were very prominent themes of the medieval artists
and are reflected in most of the medieval art pieces. Impressionism gave us the
tranquility, vibrancy, and color of the world as it ushered the 20th century and long
before it faced the harsh realities of inequality and war.
Perhaps one of the most passionate and volatile eras of arts came during the dark
years leading to and during the two world wars. With the advent of film and
photography, some of the most poignant human emotions were captured. War, loss of
innocence, pain, suffering, loss of life and racism are few of the powerful subjects of the
times.
The Art of Today
What types of art do we have today? The art movement of today is not on the type or on
the subject. More than the subjects taken, it is the huge shift from the exclusivity of the
rich and learned to the popularity of the masses. Several art forms have emerged
together with the boom of the internet technology. Graphic arts are made popular with
the amalgamation of photography and technical editing. Gadgetry has also made it
possible for everyone to try their hand in creating arts. Cameras and mobiles have
applications that enable users to transform a simple snapshot into something
extraordinary. Everyone can be an artist today. All one need is an eye for a good
subject, the ability to capture it and the knack for powerful presentation. Nowadays, you
no longer must visit museums or attend recitals in order to visit art. Advertisements,
television shows, products packaging and even the wall paintings on the side of
buildings are already recognized as legitimate art.

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The Milieu of the Artist

It had all the ingredients of a “city festival” as Sanjay Tulsyan wanted it to be. The
opening show of the second season of ‘Art Chennai' had transformed the usually quiet
SPACES in Besant Nagar into a milieu of artists, art lovers, music enthusiasts and
students all enjoying some wine, good conversation and some kuzhipanyarams. Last
year, it was exclusive to galleries and hotels and never went beyond that, observed Mr.
Tulsyan, convenor of Art Chennai 2012. “This year, there has been a lot of effort put into
spreading the word and taking the art to the public.” And its certainty did seem to have
reached quite a few, as several curious weekend beachgoers sauntered in to figure out
what all the art was about. In the middle of the courtyard, stood artist Benitha Perciyal's
live installation of an incense tree, the lighting of which by eminent persons served as
the official commencement of the next eight art-filled days. “I wanted to create
something of a dead shrub and wanted the visitors to experience the aroma,” said the
artist about the castor oil tree and her art show – An Ode to a Fierce Fecundity. Known
for her work with organic materials, seeds, shells, and fossils, her art show was exactly
showcasing that. Her piece ‘I built as a toy' used cloves, cane, nails, and embroidery
thread while another titled ‘Beyond the Shadow' used banana fibers, glue, and
handmade paper.

Chief Guest of the show, Chitty Babu, chairman and CEO of Akshaya Homes, said “the
organizers of Art Chennai, who may not be artists themselves, have brought all these
artists together as a family, and have given them a space to showcase their work.”

A couple of hours later, the audience, settled down for a beautiful Dhrupad recital by the
Gundecha Brothers. “We will perform the Raag Kirwani,” they announced before
introducing their Italian students who accompanied them with wind instruments. “We
have been trying to explore the possibility of Dhrupad music using all instruments. This
is an experiment, and we hope it will be liked,” was the announcement before the
brothers and their accompanists left the audience spellbound. Day one also saw artist
M. Senathipathi’s solo exhibition open at Dakshin Chitra and artist Prokosh Karmakar's
at Amethyst. Ms. Benitha’s work will be display till March 18 at Spaces.

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THE PRINCIPLES OF ART CREATION

The principles of art represent how the artist uses the elements of art to create an effect
and to help convey the artist’s intent. The principles of art are balance, contrast,
emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, and unity/variety. The use of these principles
can help determine whether a painting is successful, and whether is not the painting is
finished. The artist decides what principles of art he or she wants to use in a painting.
While an artist might not use all the principles of design in one piece, the principles are
intertwined and the use of one will often depend on another. For example, when
creating emphasis, the artist might also be using contrast or vice versa. It is generally
agreed that a successful painting is unified, while also having some variety created by
areas of contrast and emphasis; it is visually balanced; and moves the viewer’s eye
around the composition. Thus, it is that one principle of art can influence the effect and
impact of another. 

Rhythm
This principle of art describes the movement in or of an artwork. Rhythm is created by
the variety and repetition of elements in a work of art that come together to create a
visual tempo or beat.

Harmony
This is achieved when the elements of an artwork come together in a unified way.
Certain elements are repeated yet still look and feel similar. Not monotony and not
chaos, harmony is that perfectly honed combination of both.

Balance
Artists combine elements to add a feeling of equilibrium or stability to a work of art.
Symmetry and asymmetry are manifestations of balance.

Contrast
Areas of contrast are where a viewer’s eye are usually first drawn. Artists will
combine elements to stress the differences between those elements.

Movement
Movement is used to create the look and feeling of action in an artwork. It guides the
viewer’s eye throughout a piece. A sense of movement can be varied lines, repetition of
elements, and gestural mark-making among many more.
Pattern
This is the uniform repetition of an element of art or combination of elements. Anything
can be turned into a pattern through repetition.

Proportion
Within the realm of the elements and principles of art, proportion is the relationship of
elements in an artwork to the whole and to one another.

Variety
The principle of art concerned with diversity or contrast is that of variety. Variety is
brought about by using different colors, sizes, and shapes in a work of art. It is the
partner of unity. Artists seek the balance between the two.

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THE SUBJECT OF ART

The subject of art– refers to anu person, object, scene or event described or
represented in a work of art.
Every work of art has a subject. A song may contain lyrics of devotion directed to a
certain person. A novel may talk about the results of war. A painting may show a scene
in nature. Every work of art – regardless of the period in which it belongs – has a
subject, the core of its conception. SUBJECT or TOPIC is any person, animal, thing, or
issue that is described or represented in a work. It usually generates the question, what
is it? Subject is different from theme or content. Theme is recurring idea or element in a
work of art. It refers to the ideas, thoughts, and feelings of the artist. Everything under
the sun is considered a subject in the arts. From the simplest idea (e. g., happiness) or
an object (e. g., wine bottle) to the most complicated ones, like philosophical thoughts or
dreamscapes. In visual design… Artworks with subjects that are recognizable are called
realistic, representational, or objective art. Those that are not recognizable are
nonrepresentational o nonobjective art.

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THE ELEMENTS OF ART

Every time you create an artwork there are 7 elements, or components, that your
artworks consist of. More often than not we just take these elements for granted, or
don't even give them a second thought. They are however critical to the success of your
artwork. By keeping them in mind as plan and create your artwork, you will end up with
a much better artwork. One that will be easier to look at as the person's eye will flow
through your artwork more fluently. You will have control over how their eye moves
through your painting - you will be able to lead them through the painting.

1. Line

Line is the most basic element of art. Without line the other elements couldn’t exist so
let's start here and then we will gradually go more advanced. A line can be thought of as
a moving dot. If the dots overlap, it’s a solid line, if they don’t it’s a dotted line. A line has
a beginning and an end and by its existence, creates an edge. If a line joins up it forms
an outline (also called a contour). An outline creates a shape.

Lines can be;

Thick, or thin.

A thick line gives emphasis and advances while a thin line recedes.

Straight

Straight lines on the other hand are more mechanistic and dynamic and rarely found in
nature.

Curved

Curved lines change direction gently with no sharp angles and suggest comfort and
ease to the viewer. Curved lines most often relate to the natural world.
Zigzag

Zigzag lines alter direction fast and create feelings of unrest, turmoil and movement.

Diagonal

Diagonal lines, give movement and dynamism to a composition.

Horizontal

Horizontal lines create the feeling of stability and calm.

Vertical

Vertical lines give the impression of height and strength and often have a spiritual
connotation.

Imaginary

Lines can be imaginary or implied; for example line of sight can be a very strong albeit
invisible line along which the viewer’s eye travels. Also a pointing finger can send the
viewers eye on a journey through the painting.

Three Dimensional

Lines alone can also be used to create a three dimensional effect, (depth, in a 2-
dimensional artwork. Hatching lines (straight or curved) are used to turn shape into form
using value as seen the works of the masters like Rembrandt.

In summary lines can:

 Describe 2-dimensional shapes and 3-dimensional forms

 Create feelings of movement and emotion.
 Create value and thereby show the direction of light
 Change 2-dimensional shapes into 3-dimensional forms with value
 Depict texture

2. Shape
A shape is an enclosed area of space created through lines or other elements of the
composition.
Geometric Shapes
Geometric shapes are precise areas that can be made using a ruler or compass. These
shapes can be simple or complex and generally give an artwork a sense of order.

Organic/Free-Form Shapes
Organic shapes are complex and imprecise. They give works of art a natural feeling.

Positive or Negative Shapes

The object you draw on your page is a shape enclosed in a frame. This frame may be a
box you drew to designate the edges of your drawing area or the edge of the page if
you didn’t draw a box. The object you draw is the positive shape. The rest of the space
in your box (or if you didn’t draw a box then the rest of the page) is called negative
shape.

3. Form
Form is an element of art closely related to shape. Like shape, form can be geometric or
organic. However, unlike shape, form is always three-dimensional. A form is
measurable by length, width, and height, and encloses volume. Forms can be well-
defined, such as a cube, or they can be free form, such as an animal. They can be
created by combining two or more shapes and are often defined by the presence of
shadow and how light plays against it in an artwork.

4. Space

Space is what lies between, around or within an object. To show space in a 2-

dimensional medium the artist must use techniques to create the illusion of space
between items that are in reality on a flat surface.

Overlapping
When an object is drawn or painted on top of another object the viewer’s eye interprets
this as one object being in front of another implying there must be a space between
them.

Placement
Objects higher up in the picture plane will seem to the viewer’s eye to be further away
than objects placed low down in the picture frame.

Size
Smaller objects look as if they are further away than larger objects. Notice how much
smaller the house is in relation to the flowers.

Detail
The further away an object, the less detail is visible to the viewer. By purposely reducing
the amount of detail in an object it will appear further away than an object with greater
detail.

Colour and Value

Objects in the distance usually appear cooler (bluer) and lighter in colour. Close up
objects appear warmer and darker in value.

Perspective
Can be used to create the feeling of depth on a 2-dimensional surface. The most
commonly used perspective types are linear and 2-point perspective.

Negative Space
Space can be either positive or negative in the same way as shapes can.

Negative space is all around the object, which is the (positive space) subject of the
painting. Negative space is very important and an artist must plan the negative space as
carefully as the main subject. Negative space can be cut to a minimum or eliminated
entirely for a very close up and intimate focus on the subject. It can be greater on one
side than the other, or greater at the top or bottom. All choices which will affect how the
viewer sees the overall composition.

5. Value

Value is how light or dark something is. There is a scale of light and dark from pure
white through to pitch black. The value of a color depends on how light or dark it is
compared to the value scale. Getting the values right is more important than getting the
colors right in painting. Value is what makes it possible to show 3-dimensional forms in
a 2-dimensional surface. By increasing differences in value, contrast is increased as
well. A highlight will look brighter when surrounded by a dark value. Decreasing contrast
will make objects visually recede into the picture plane and draw less attention. The
focal point of a painting is where you want to add the most contrast as this high contrast
automatically draws the viewer’s eye.

If a painting is done on the lower (darker) edge of the value scale it is called a “low key”
painting. Low key paintings give rise to a heavy, mysterious, dramatic, sometimes
brooding feeling in the viewer.

By contrast “high key” paintings take their range of values from the upper end of the
value scale and create emotions of lightness, quickness, spirituality [Link] paintings
however use the full range of values from light to dark. Value is what artists use to
portray light and form. The further from the light the darker the value.

How value changes determines the form of an object. If there’s a gradual transition in
value it conveys to the viewer that the surface is gently rounded. This is called a soft
edge. If however there is a rapid transition between values it means there is an edge.
This is called a hard edge. Value is also used to create shadows which show light
direction and anchor the object, preventing it from appearing as though it is floating.

6. Color

Color is the visual property of the pigment of an object that is detected by the eye and
produced as a result of the way the object reflects or emits light. The human eye is
capable of seeing millions of colors, making it one of the most diverse and powerful
elements of art. Each color has three properties—hue, value, and intensity. Hue is the
name of a color. Value is a color’s lightness or darkness, which is altered when black or
white is added. Intensity refers to the intensity of a color, often measured by boldness or
dullness.

Primary Colors
All colors come from the three primary colors—red, blue, and yellow. You cannot mix
any colors to create a primary color. They are the base hues for all other colors.

Complementary Colors
To find a pair of complementary colors, simply draw a line from one of the color wheel to
the other. Complementary colors are called that because, when placed side by side,
they are pleasing to the eye. They create an appealing contrast in artworks. Some of
the basic complementary color pairings are red and green, purple and yellow, and
orange and blue.

Analogous Colors
To find a pair of analogous colors, simply choose two colors that are touching on the
color wheel. Analogous colors create harmony and unity in art because they are made
of the same hues. Some of the basic analogous color pairings are blue and green, red
and orange, and yellow and green.

Warm and Cool Colors

Warm colors are reds, oranges, and yellows. They pop out towards viewer, and create
energy and excitement in an artwork. On the other hand, the cool colors of blues,
greens, and violets recede from the viewer’s eye and create a calming effect.

7. Texture
Texture refers to the tactile qualities of a surface. This element of art deals with the way
objects feel or the way it looks like they would feel.

Tactile or Actual Texture

Tactile texture is the actual feeling of a surface that can be touched. Think of the actual
texture of a sculpture or a painting created with the impasto technique.

Visual Texture
Visual texture is the illusion of texture in an artwork. Think of a photograph of a forest.
The texture of the trees and leaves is seen, but the photograph remains smooth.

Albrecht Dürer mimics creates the visual texture of thick fur in his painting of
Hieronymus Holzschuher, but the actual texture is that of oil paint.

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