SAN JOSE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

San Jose Malilipot Albay

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
2nd SEM 2021-2022

MODULE 5
ART APPRECIATION

Prepared by:

Ms. Jonalyn B. Peña, LPT

College Instructor

CP No. 09510127320

Email Address: penajonalyn23@gmail.com

FB Account: Jonalyn Blanco-Peña
 ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF
ART
• LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to;

1. enumerate the different elements of visual and auditory art;
2. differentiate the principles of art;
3. provide examples of the interrelatedness of some of the elements and principles of art;
4. explain the relevance of the elements and principles of art in the study of art and its products
(artworks); and
5. illustrate examples of hybrid art and dissect what art forms are combined therein.

Let’s Get Down to Business

Elements of Art : Visual

These elements of art are generally produced when something is done to the medium after the
technique is carried out. It must be underscored, however, that all works of art require all elements to be
present. Some art forms also necessitate some of the elements as they are inherent in the very nature of them.
For example, sculptures automatically have the following elements with or without the decision of the artist to
include them: shape, form, and space. Without these elements, there is no sculpture to begin with. Elements are
the necessary preconditions for the creation of art.

To enumerate, the elements of art and design are the following: line, shape and form, space, color, and
texture.

1. Line
A line refers to a point moving at an identifiable path—it has length and direction. It also has
width. It is one-dimensional, however, it has the capacity to either define the perimeters of the artwork (edges)
and/or become a substantial component of the composition. Although a line is “simple”, it has variations in view
of its orientation/direction, shape, and thickness. These variations import not only the visual elements into the
artwork, but suggest meaning or message being conveyed by the artist.
Known for using lines to provide the outline or contour of the figures he portrays in his work,
Keith Haring first executed the public mural “Todos juntos podemos parar el sida” (Together We Can Stop AIDS)
in Barcelona in 1989. In 2014, it was created at the foyer of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona
(Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art) to commemorate it. Haring battled with HIV/AIDS to which he
succumbed to in 1990.

Figure 51. Keith Haring, “Todos juntos podemos parar el sida” (We Can All Together Stop AIDS). Plastic paint on wall. MACBA Collection,
Barcelona City Council long-term.

A quality that is ascribed to lines is its ability to direct the eyes to follow movement or provide hints as
to a work’s focal point. The orientation in which we are most accustomed to such as the assertive force of
gravity grounding objects, or the sideways or up and down vibration that informs us of an earthquake, the
gustiness of wind from the window, or the direction of the rainfall conjures different images of lines.

a. Horizontal and Vertical lines- refers to the orientation of the line. Horizontal lines are normally
associated with rest or calm. Landscapes often contain these elements as works like these often connote a visual
sense of being parallel to the ground. It also alludes to position of the reclined body at rest. Vertical lines, on the
other hand, connote elevation or height, which is usually taken to mean exaltation or aspiration for action.
Together, these lines communicate stability and firmness.
 b. Diagonal and crooked lines- diagonal lines convey movement and instability, although the
progression can be seen. Crooked or jagged lines, on the other hand, are reminiscent of violence, conflict or
struggle.
c. Curved lines- these are lines that bend or coil. They allude to softness, grace, flexibility, or even
sensuality.

figure 52. Francisco de Goya “Porque esconderlos?” (Why Hide Them?)(1797-99) Etching and Aquatint. This print is work No. 30 of the
Caprichos series (First edition, Madrid, 1799). Museo del Prado Collection.

One of the most important Spanish artists is Francisco de Goya. Known for his prints, he is a master of
etched works and use of aquatint. He made use of this medium to articulate his political views about the ills of
society, war scenes, and even the dreamlike and grotesque while still engaging with what was happening around
him. As with most etchings and other types of prints, lines are dominant visual components.

Figure 53. Theodore Gericault, “The Raft of Medusa” (1818-19) Oil on Canvas. Musee du Louvre, Paris.

Lines may not necessarily be explicit or literally shown. As what many examples will portray, implied
lines may be just as powerful, if not more. In “The Raft of Medusa”, the position and orientation of the bodies
that are aboard the raft are predominantly diagonal in direction. This creates not only movement but also
tension in the scene. Based on an actual event, the painting depicts the 1816 wreckage of the french
government ship called Medusa.

2-3. Shape and Form

These two are related to each other in the sense that they define the space occupied by the
object of art. Shape refers to two dimensions: height and width, while form refers to three dimensions: height,
width and depth. Even if shapes are part of a bigger picture, each can be identified by breaking the visual
components apart and making distinctions based on what we know and what we have seen. Two categories can
be used as a broad distinction.
a. Geometric- three shapes find origin in mathematical propositions. As such, its translation and
use are often man-made. These include shapes such as squares, triangles, cubes, circles, spheres, and cones,
among others.
 Figure 54. Piet Mondrian, “Composition with Color Planes and Gray Lines 1” (1918) Oil on Canvas. Private Collecion

b. Organic- Organic shapes are those readily occuring in nature, often irregular and asymmetrical. The
design of the vase in Figure 55 is foliage, a sample from a series that made use of morning glories.

Figure 55. Louis Comfort Tiffany (designer), Tiffany Furnaces(Maker), Vase made of favrile glass. (c.a. 1913), Gift of Louis Comfort Tifanny
Foundation, 1951. The Meteropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Shapes may also be implied. For instance, Raphael’s famous painting “The Madonna of the Meadows”
depicts three figures: Mary, the young Jesus (right), and the young John the Baptist (left). The positions in which
the group takes allude to a triangular shape reinforced by the garb of Mary.

Figure 56. Raphael, “The Madonna of the Meadows” (1505). Oil on Panel.Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

4. Space
Related to shape and form is space. It is usually inferred from a sense of depth, whether it is real
or simulated. Real space is three-dimensional. Like what has been previously mentioned, sculptures are a
perfect example of artworks that bear this element. However, this can only be manifested in two-dimensional
artworks through the use of different techniques, or the use (or non-use) of area around a drawing or picture.
 Figure 57. Anish Kapoot, “Cloud Gate” (2004), located in Chicago, Illinois.
In the middle of the AT & T Plaza at the Millenium Park in the Loop Community area in Chicago, the
iconic “Cloud Gate” occupies a considerable space. Shaped like a bean, hence its other referent, the public
sculpture was unveiled in 2004. The dent in the middle offers a gap in which people can pass through and gaze
at the sculpture in a different perspective.
However not all works are sculptures. In two- dimensional artworks, they may be implied.

a. Positive and negative space- usually identified with the white space is the negative space. The
positive space, on the other hand, is the space where shadow is heavily used.
b. Three- dimensional space- can be simulated through a variety of techniques such as shading. An
illusion of three-dimensionality can be achieved in a two-dimensional work.

5. Color- Color is perhaps one of the elements that enhances the appeal of an artwork. Its effect has
range, allowing the viewer to make responses based on memory, emotion, and instinct among others. This
element is a property of light, as it is reflected off the object. Color is not intrinsic to an object and without light,
one cannot perceive color. A ray of sunlight passing through a prism reveals an array of colors akin to that of a
rainbow. An upshot of this color theory is the creation of a color wheel.
COLOR WHEEL

The color wheel corresponds to the first property of color, hue.

a. Hue- this dimension of color givesits name. It can be subdivided into:
• Primary colors- red, yellow and blue
• Secondary colors- green, orange and violet
•Tertiary colors- six in total, these hues are achieved when primary and secondary colors are mixed.

b. Value- this refers to the brightness or darkness of color. Often, this is used by artists to create the illusion of
depth and solidity, a particular mood, communicate a feeling, or in establishing a scene (e.g., day and night).
• Light colors- taken a sthe source of light in the composition
•Dark colors- the lack or even absence of light
•Tint- this is a lighter color than the normal value (e.g., pink for red)
•Shade- this is a darker color than the normal value (e.g., maroon for red)

c. Intensity- this is the color’s brightness or dullness. It is identified as the strength of color, whether it is vivid or
muted. To achieve a specific intensity of a color, one may add either gray or its complementary color.
• Bright or warm colors- positive energy
• Dull or cool colors- sedate/soothing, seriousness or calm

To better understand intensity of color, color harmonies are to be considered.

• Monochromatic harmonies- use the variations of a hue. An example is Claud Monet’s “Houses of
Parliament.”
• Complementary harmonies- involve two colors opposite each other in the color wheel. Since they are at
contrary positions, the reaction is most intense.

Figure 60. Cima de Conegliano (Giovanni Battista Cima), “Three Saints: Roch, Anthony Abbot, and Lucy”. Oil on canvas transferred to wood
(ca 1513) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Notice the altar piece featuring Saint Anthony Abbot and Saint Roch (Fig.60). Along with them is Saint Lucy,
patron of the blind, whose red and green garb beautifully showcases an example of complementary harmonies.
• Analogous harmonies- make use of two colors beside each other in the color wheel.

Figure 61. Edgar Degas, “Before the Race” (1882-1884) Oil on panel. Henry walters (Bequeathed, 1931) Walters Art Museum (WAM ).
Other harmonies have emerged such as triadic harmonies, which make use of three colors from
equidistant sites within the color wheel. This, however, does not mean that artists will limit themselves to these
kinds of harmonies. These are but jump-off points that artists and other creatives use.
All in all, color presents a multitude of possibilities that affects how works of art are taken in by the
viewer. Just taking a look at fiery and passionatebreds of the clouds and the sky in Edvard Munch’s “The
Scream”, would bring oneself to ask: Did Munch depict a romantic sunset or a warning of coming horrors? A clue
is not in the colors alone, but rather, in the face of the man himself that is prominent in the painting. His shriek
would point to the latter. What is illustrated is that colors and imagery work together to deliver a message,
whether the one intended by the artist, or what is facilitated by our own experiences.

Figure 62. Edvard Munch, “The Scream” (1893). Tempera and casein on cardboard. Munchmuseet, Nasjonalgalleriet, Oslo.
6. Texture
Like space, texture can be either real or implied. This element in an artwork is experienced through the
sense of touch (and sight). This element renders the art object tactile.

Figure 63. Frans Pourbus the Younger, “Margherita Gonzaga, Princess of Mantua”. Oil on canvas.
Often texture is commonly associated with textiles. In the portrait rendered by court painter Frans Pourbus the
Younger, Princess Margherita’s garb is adorned in opulenty bead and stitch work that are befitting her rank. This
was achieved using the techniques employed by the artist in creating the work.
a. Textures in the two-dimensional plane- texture can be implied using onbe technique or a combination of
other elements of art. By creating this visual quality in the artwork, one can imagine how the surface will feel if it
was to be touched. Some of the words used to describe texture are the following: rough or smooth, hard or soft,
hairy, leathery, sharp or dull etc. To be able to simulate the texture of a surface in a flat two-dimensional plane
is one important skill that an artist must be familiar with , especially if his idea or concept necessitates it.
b. Surface texture- refers to the texture of the three-dimensional art object.

Figure 64. school of ogata korin (Japanese 1658-1716)

The elements of art make it possible to engage with the visual and tactile qualities of the artwork through a
“common language” that may be widely understood. Through these elements, there is something from which
the idea, concept, message or intended mood of the artist may be inferred. It offers a starting point or a baseline
from which analysis may take place. This kind of analysis is called formal analysis of art.

Let’s Work on This

In an Oslo paper, you are going to make a visual art which shows the following elements of art.

1. For Line element of art, you can choose of the following : Horizontal and vertical line, Diagonal
and crooked line, Curved lines.

2. For Shape and Form element, make an art that shows geometric.

3.For Color element, make a Color wheel; and

4. An artwork that shows monochromatic harmonies and complementary harmonies.

Your work will be graded based on the rubric below.