VISUAL

PERCEPTION 2

EMPHASIS
KRISTINE NICOLE LIBOT
PRESENTERS
VIANCA MARIZ FUEGO
 EMPHASIS
Emphasis is the principle of art that helps the audience put the story of an artwork together in
their own minds.
Emphasis is used in art to attract the viewer's attention to a particular area or object.
 EMPHASIS
EMPHASIS
FOCAL POINT
Any object or area of emphasis is
called a focal point. The focal point is
meant to be the part of an artwork to
which the viewer’s eyes are first
attracted. Artworks can have multiple
focal points. The degree to which the
focal points stand out determines the
order in which the viewer notices them.
SUBORDINATION
Subordination is used to describe the
secondary or accent elements of the
artwork. While artists emphasize the
focal point, they can also de-
emphasize the other elements to
ensure the main subject stands out.
 WAYS TO CREATE
EMPHASIS
CONTRAST ISOLATION LOCATION

CONVERGENCE THE UNUSUAL LEVEL OF RENDERING

 CONTRAST
THREE ELEMENTS OF ART: COLOR, VALUE AND TEXTURE ARE
USEFUL IN CREATING EMPHASIS THROUGH CONTRAST.

COMPLEMENTARY ISOLATED COLOR ABSENT COLOR

COLORS
a color found in only one spot in
attract the viewer’s eyes to a a composition; makes the color a single-color note in a colorless
focal point when placed stands out because it does not artwork draws our eyes to it
alongside one other harmonize with the rest of the
color palette
 CONTRAST
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS ISOLATED COLOR ABSENT COLOR
Impression
Claude Monet
1872
Oil on canvas

The Poppy Field

Claude Monet
1873
Oil on canvas
EMPHASIS

ISOLATION

A straight-forward way to ensure the focal point is

noticed. Place an object of emphasis outside of a
grouping and it will force the audience to take
notice of it.

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Christina's World
Andrew Wyeth
1948
Egg tempera on gessoed panel
EMPHASIS

LOCATION
Contributes to our feelings about emphasis. All
things being equal, a viewer will look at the center
of a composition first. Placing important objects or
people near the center of a canvas will add to their
emphasis.

Iphigenia in Tauris
Valentin Serov
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1893
oil on canvas
EMPHASIS

CONVERGENCE

Lines and edges can work like arrows to indicate a

focal point. Not only obvious lines work but implied
lines (invisible lines) as well.
 The Adoration of the Shepherds
Self-portrait in Medallion Guido Reni
Frida Kahlo 1640
1948 oil on canvass
oil on masonite
EMPHASIS

THE UNUSUAL

A fun way to create emphasis in a composition is to have one

element stand-out because it is so different
The Ambassadors Villa R
Han Holbein the Younger Paul Klee
1533 1919
oil on panel oil on panel

Maman
Louise Bourgeois
1999
steel and marble
EMPHASIS

LEVEL OF RENDERING
The artist decides the degree to which various
pictorial elements are rendered. Think of it as
finished vs. unfinished or tight vs. loose. Like a
sharp/clear area in an otherwise loose
composition acts as a focal point.

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CONCLUSION Emphasis combined with the various
applications of art elements, we can see how
artworks can hold many meanings. Not only is
it a visual emphasis but also an emotional and
psychological emphasis.

Without emphasis, a composition would be

meaningless. Strategically applying principles,
elements and mediums, we can enhance and
create meaningful artwork.

By using those different ways to create

emphasis, artists can control how they want
their art to be perceived and how they want
their viewers to interact with it.
 THANK YOU

BY CLAUDIA ALVES Thesis Defense Presentation Template