What Is the Definition of Emphasis in Art?

11/24/20, 11:03 PM

Humanities › Visual Arts

What Is Meant by
"Emphasis" in Art?
An Artist Can Direct Your Eye
Anywhere
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Michael H/ Digital Vision/ Getty Images

By Shelley Esaak
Updated October 17, 2019

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What Is the Definition of Emphasis in Art? 11/24/20, 11:03 PM

Emphasis is a principle of art which

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occurs any time an element of a piece is
given dominance by the artist. In other
words, the artist makes part of the work
stand out in order to draw the viewer's
eye there first.

Why Is Emphasis Important?

Emphasis is used in art to attract the
viewer's attention to a particular area or
object. This is typically the focal point or
main subject of the artwork. For instance,
in a portrait painting, the artist usually
wants you to see the person's face first.
They will use techniques such as color,
contrast, and placement to make sure
that this area is where your eye is
attracted to first.

Any piece of art may have more than one

area of emphasis. However, one typically
dominates over all others. If two or more
are given equal importance, your eye does
not know how to interpret it. This
confusion may lead you to not enjoy an
otherwise good piece of work.

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. An artist may, for
instance, use red on the subject while
leaving the rest of the painting in very

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What Is the Definition of Emphasis in Art? 11/24/20, 11:03 PM

muted browns. The viewer's eye is

automatically drawn to this pop of color.

One might argue that all worthy works of

art employ emphasis. If a piece lacks this
principle, it may seem monotonous and
boring to the eye. However, some artists Advertisement
play with the lack of emphasis on purpose
and use it to create a visually impactful
piece.

Andy Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans"

(1961) are a perfect example of the lack of
emphasis. When the series of canvases
are hung on the wall, the entire assembly
lacks any real subject. Yet, the magnitude
of the collection's repetition leaves an
impression nonetheless.

How Artists Add Emphasis

Frequently, an emphasis is achieved by
means of contrast. Contrast can be
achieved in a variety of ways and artists
often employ more than one technique in
a single piece.

A contrast in color, value, and texture can

certainly draw you to a particular area.
Likewise, when one object is significantly
larger or in the foreground, it becomes
the focal point because the perspective or
depth draw us in.

Many artists will also strategically place

their subject in the composition in areas
that are known to attract attention. That
may be directly in the center, but more

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often than not it is off to one side or

another. It might also be isolated from
other elements through placement, tone,
or depth.

Yet another way to add emphasis is to use

repetition. If you have a series of similar
elements then interrupt that pattern in
some way, that naturally gets noticed.

Looking for Emphasis

As you study art, remain mindful of
emphasis. Look at how each piece of art
naturally directs your eye around the
piece. What techniques did the artist use
to achieve this? What did they want you
to see at first glance?

Sometimes the emphasis is very subtle

and at other times it is anything but.
These are the little surprises that artists
leave us and discovering them is what
makes creative works so interesting.

Sources and Further Reading

Ackerman, Gerald M. "Lomazzo's Treatise on
Painting." The Art Bulletin 49.4 (1967): 317–
26. Print.

Galenson, David W. "Painting Outside the

Lines: Patterns of Creativity in Modern Art."
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press,
2001.

Mayer, Ralph. "The Artist's Handbook of

Materials and Techniques." 3rd ed. New York:
Viking Press, 1991.

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Cite this Article

The Element of Space in Artistic Media

What Is Texture in Art?

What Is Balance in Art and Why Does It Matter?

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What Is Tone in Art?

How Are Patterns Used in Art?

What is the DeUnition of Contrast in Art?

What Is the DeUnition of 'Medium' in Art?

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What Is the Definition of Emphasis in Art? 11/24/20, 11:03 PM

The DeUnition of 'Form' in Art

What Is Meant by Impasto in Art?

Blue Balls and Mirror

The DeUnition of Shape in Art

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Unity

Understanding Proportion in Art

Finding Rhythm in the Visual Arts

Ways of DeUning Art

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Ways of DeUning Art

DeUning Synthetic Cubism

Overview of the Op Art Movement

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