Module 2

Art, Elements, and

the Principles of
Design

GE006
Art Appreciation

to your second module!

This module is a combination of

synchronous and face to face
learning and will last for three weeks.

Susan G. Forteza
Instructor

sgforteza.smms@gmail.com

Susan Forteza

No part of this module may be

reproduced in any form without prior
permission in writing from the
Instructor/Author.

March 13, 2023

Date Initiated
March 31, 2023
Date of Completion
 SAN MATEO MUNICIPAL COLLEGE
Gen. Luna St. Guitnang Bayan I, San Mateo, Rizal
Tel No. (02) 997-9070
www.smmc.edu.ph

Module 2
Art, Elements, and the Principles of Design
Contents
Module Duration.............................................................................................................................................. 1
Learning Objectives ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Input Information ............................................................................................................................................. 2
LESSON 1: THE ARTIST AND THE ARTISAN ............................................................................................... 2
Artist .................................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Artisan ............................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Medium and Techniques of Artist .................................................................................................................... 2
Medium .............................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Visual Arts ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Auditory Arts...................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Technique ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Techniques Related to Paintings..................................................................................................................... 3
The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Award (GAMABA .................................................................................... 5
Performance Art .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Transcreation .................................................................................................................................................. 7
LESSON 2: THE ELEMENTS OF ART AND THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN ................................................ 7
The Elements of Art ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Principles of Design ...................................................................................................................................... 10
LESSON 3: READING IMAGE AND RULE OF THE THIRD ......................................................................... 10
Reading the Image........................................................................................................................................ 10
THE RULE OF THIRD .................................................................................................................................. 11
Bird’s-eye View ............................................................................................................................................................. 12
Eye Level ........................................................................................................................................................................ 13
Worm’s-eye View .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
Learning Activities ......................................................................................................................................... 13
Assessment/Evaluation ................................................................................................................................. 13
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................... 13
Learning Resources ...................................................................................................................................... 13

Module Duration

a. Week 3-4 – March 13, 2023- March 31 - Synchronous Meeting and Face to face Learning

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College of Arts and Sciences Prepared by: Mrs. Susan G. Forteza, MEd
 b. For synchronous learning inquiries, you may reach me through the following social media accounts.
c. Messenger (direct message or group chat)
Google Mail (sgforteza.smmc@gmail.com) For consultation hours every Friday 10:00 to 12:00 pm.

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this module, you are expected to:

 differentiate the artist and artisan;

 identify the medium and techniques used by artist;
 explain and cite examples of performance arts; and
 discuss the different principles of design.
 appreciate the role of Rule of Thirds in composing visual design or images such as films,
paintings, and photographs.

Input Information

LESSON 1: THE ARTIST AND THE ARTISAN

Artist
 considered to be the person with the talent and the skills to conceptualize and make creative works.
Their art works can take many forms and fit into numerous categories such as architecture, ceramics,
digital arts, drawings, mixed media, paintings, photographs, prints, sculpture, and textiles.
 individuals who have the desire and ability to envision design, and fabricate the images, objects, and
structures we all encounter, use, occupy, and enjoy every day of our lives.
 dedicated only to the creative side, making visually pleasing work only for the enjoyment and
appreciation of the viewer but with no functional value.

Artisan
 a manual worker who makes items with his/her hands and through skill, experience, and talent can
create things of great beauty as well being functional.
 An artisan/craftsperson may produce decorative or utilitarian arts; such as quilts or baskets. Often an
artisan is a skilled worker, but not an inventor of the original idea or form. An artisan or craftsperson
can also be someone who creates his/her own designs, but does not work in art forms or with materials
traditionally associated with the so-called fine arts such as painting and sculpture.

Medium and Techniques of Artist

Medium
- a material used by an artist to express his/her feelings or thoughts.
- oftentimes, the matter of selecting the medium depends entirely on the artist himself.

Visual Arts
- are those whose mediums that can be seen and which occupy space.

Visual Arts are grouped into two classes:

 The dimensional art or two-dimensional arts (2D) which include painting, drawing, printmaking, and
photography;
 The three-dimensional arts (3D) which include sculpture, architecture, landscape, industrial designs
and crafts like furniture.

Auditory Arts
 are those whose mediums can be heard and which are expressed in time.

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Example of auditory art

MUSIC - the art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified and evocative composition,
as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. It maybe vocal or instrumental, possessing a degree of
melody, harmony, or rhythm.

Both visual and auditory are those whose mediums can be both seen and heard and which exist in
both space and time.

Technique
- is the manner in which the artist controls his medium to achieve the desired effect and the ability which
he fulfills the technical requirements of his particular work of art.
- Artists differ from one another in technique even if they use the same medium. A musician's technique
is his ability to make music sound the way he wants it. For instance, a pianist may sound different from
another pianist even as they handle the same instrument and play the same musical composition.

Techniques Related to Paintings

1. Encaustic — The medium for the powdered

color is hot wax which is painted onto a wood
surface with a brush. It is then smoothed with a
metal instrument resembling a spoon, and then
blended and set over a flame to soften and set the
colors into the wood.

2. Fresco Secco — In the dry plaster or "fresco

secco" technique, pigments are usually mixed with
water, although other substances might also be
used. The paint is then applied to a dry plaster
wall which has been wetted down with water.
Since the plaster is relatively dry, it is non-
absorbent, and the pigment adheres to the surface
of the plaster. The colors tend to flake off the
surface of the plaster. The colors have a harder
and more brilliant appearance and tend to be
lighter in value than those in true fresco.
Advantages of the technique are that the painting
can be done more slowly and carefully, and
changes can be made simply by over-painting,
since colors are opaque. Example is the Egyptian
mural.

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3. Fresco — This is also known as "Buon Fresco" or True Fresco,
which entails painting on freshly spread, moist plaster. First, layers of
plaster are applied to the surface. While the final layer is still wet, the
artist applies the colors, which are earth pigments mixed with water.
The colors penetrate the wet piaster and combine chemically with it,
producing a painted surface which does not peel when exposed to
moisture. As the paint must be painted on wet plaster, the amount•
Of plaster which may be put down at one time is limited to what
can be painted at one sitting. Often lines can be seen in frescos
around an area which was one day's work. The painting must be
done rapidly and without mistakes. It produces a mat surface with
fairly desaturated colors. This technique was perfected in
Renaissance Italy. Examples include Roman wall paintings at
Pompeii, 1st century A.D; Giotto's Arena Chapel at Padua, 14th
Century; Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel geiling, 16th Century.

4. Egg Tempera — In this method, the pigment is mixed with egg yolk or both the yolk and white of an egg. It
is thinned with water and applied to a gesso ground (plaster mixed with a binding) on a panel. It was also used
on parchment or paper to illustrate or embellish books in the era before
the 15th century development of the printing press. This type of painting
dries very quickly and produces an opaque, matte surface. The colors
tend to dry to a lighter value than they appear when wet. The colors
produced are bright and saturated. Modeling is achieved by hatching.
Egg tempera was used for panel painting until the 15th century.
Examples of artists who worked in egg tempera include Cimabue (14th
Century); Duccio (14th Century); Andrew Wyeth (20th Century). Islamic
and Medieval miniature paintings in books and manuscripts are another
important class of egg tempera paintings; the Celtic Book of Kells is a
well-known early example, as is the Book of Hours commissioned by the
Duc du Berry in the 14th century.

5. Mosaic — The design is created by small pieces of colored glass, stone, or

ceramic (called Tesserae), embedded in wet mortar which has been spread
over the surface to be decorated. Their slightly irregular placement on a surface
creates a very lively, reflective surface when viewed at a distance. This was
often used to decorate walls, floors, and ceilings. One example is The
Byzantine Mosaic.

6. Oil Paint — Prior to the 15th century oil paints were thick and hard to control,
so they were initially used only for utilitarian purposes. In the 15th century turpentine was discovered to be an
effective thinning agent. The Van Eyck brothers Were credited with perfecting the technique of Oil painting,
which they initially attempted to keep secret.

Powdered colors are mixed with a fine oil, usually; linseed oil. A solvent, traditionally turpentine, is also used to
thin the colors as desired, so that the paint can be applied thickly and opaquely, Or thinly and transparently.
The oil paint is applied to a prepared ground, usually a stretched canvas with a coating of neutral pigment.

7. Water Color — Powdered pigments are mixed with gum-arabic or a similar substance that will help them
adhere to a surface. The artist then mixes them with water and applies them to a ground, usually paper, with a
soft brush. The final effect is that of translucent washes of color. This method was the most important method
of painting in China and Japan from an early date, but did not become popular with European artists until after
the 16th century. Chinese and Japanese painting techniques have had a great deal of influence on modern
water-colourists’. Examples: Albrecht Durer, 16th century; John Marin, 20th century. Below is an example of
watercolour painting.

8. Acrylic — Acrylics are artificial compounds developed in. the twentieth century. The binder used includes
water, and the paints can be thinned with water, but once the paints
dry, they have a glossy, permanent surface that resembles the
surface created by oils. These paints can create most of the effects

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accomplished in oils, and have the advantage of not requiring the use of turpentine, which is toxic. The major
disadvantage of acrylics is that unless a retarding agent is mixed into the paint, it will dry much more quickly.
Since many artists prefer to be able to re-work the colors, many prefer oils to acrylics. However, many modern
artists do choose acrylics.

9. Collage — the word "collage" comes from the French verb "coller," meaning "to
paste." In this technique photographs, news clippings or other objects are pasted
on the painting surface and may be combined with painted areas. The cuttings and
objects may be selected for their associative or representational values, or for the
formal and textural qualities of the result. This technique was first accepted as a
legitimate medium that could augment or be substituted for painting in fine arts in
this century. One of the first examples was executed by Pablo Picasso.

10. Drawing — The materials and methods of drawing are the most
basic tools of the artist and the designer. Work that is intended to be
executed in almost any material-- paint, stone, steel, or fabric — may
first be envisioned in a drawing. However, this basic character of
drawing skills may tend to trivialize what can be a highly developed art in
its own right.

11. Printmaking — A print is anything printed on a surface that is a

direct result from the duplication process. Ordinarily, painting or
graphic image done in black ink on white appear and becomes the
artist's plate. Advantage of printmaking is the process of making
copies of the original drawing.

The Five Major Types of Prints are:

11.1 Relief — Relief prints are made by removing material from the matrix, the surface the image has
been carved into, which is often wood, linoleum, or metal. The remaining surface is covered with ink or
pigment, and then paper is pressed onto the surface, picking up the ink. Letterpress is a relief printing
process that transfers ink to paper but also indents an impression into the surface of the paper, creating
a texture to the print that is often considered a sign of high quality.
11.2 Intaglio prints — They are made when a design is scratched into a matrix, usually a metal plate.
Ink is wiped across the surface, and collects in the scratches. Excess ink is wiped off and paper is
pressed onto the plate, picking up the ink from the scratches. Intaglio prints may also include texture.
11.3 Stencil prints — They are made by passing inks through a porous fine mesh matrix.
11.4 Woodcuts — This kind of technique of printing designs from planks of wood incised parallel to the
vertical axis of the wood's grain. It is one of the oldest methods of making prints from a relief surface,
having been used in China to decorate textiles since the 5th century. In Europe, printing from wood
blocks on textiles was known from the early 14th century, but it had its little development until paper
begun to be manufactured in France and Germany at the end of the 14th century.
11.5. Engraving — In engraving, the design is cut into metal with a graver or burin. The burin is a steel
rod with a square or lozenge-shaped section and a slightly bent shank. The cutting is accomplished by
pushing the burin into the metal plate. The deeper it penetrates into the metal, the wider the line;
variations in depth create the swelling tapering character of the engraved line. After the engraving is
finished, the slight burr raised by the graver is cleaned off with a scraper.

The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Award (GAMABA)

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Awards or GAMABA is an award that acknowledges folk and indigenous artists
who, despite the modern times, remain true to their traditions. It is administered by the National Commission
for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Committee.

GAMABA began as a project of the Philippine Rotary Club Makati-Ayala. In 1992, it was adopted by the
government and institutionalized through Republic Act No. 7335. This award aims to support and motivate

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these artists to preserve their artistic heritage for the present and future generations. These artists are also
recognized as the country's National Living Treasures.

As a group, these folk and traditional artists reflect the diverse heritage and cultural traditions that transcend
their beginnings to become part of our national character. As Filipinos, they bring age-old customs, crafts and
ways of living to the attention and appreciation of Filipino life. They provide us with a vision of ourselves and of
our nation, a vision we might be able to realize someday, once we are given opportunity to be true to ourselves
as these artists have remained truthful to their art.

Hereunder are some of the GAMABA awardees and their work of art:

1. Darhata Sawabi — a Tausug weaver of Pis Syabit, the traditional cloth tapestry worn as a head cover.

2. Eduardo Mutuc — an artist from Apalit, Pampanga who has dedicated his life to creating religious and
secular art in silver, bronze, and wood.

3. Haja Amina Appi — recognized as master mat weaver among the Sama indigenous community for her
unique designs, straightness of her edging (tabig), and fineness of her sasa and kima-kima.

4. Alonzo Saclag — a Kalinga master of dance and the performing arts who mastered not only the Kalinga
musical instruments but also her dance patterns and movements associated with her peoples' ritual.

5. Federico Caballero — a Sulod Bukidnon epic chanter from Kalinog, Iloilo who ceaselessly works for the
documentation of the oral literature, particularly the epics of his people.

6. Uwang Ahadas — a Yakan musician who is a master of the kwintangan, kayu, and tuntungan instruments.

7. Lang.Dulay — a T'boli traditional weaver of T'nalak or T'boli cloth made of colorful abaca fabrics.

8. Salinta Monon — a Tagbanua Bagobo traditional weaver of distinct abaca fabrics called inabal.

9. Ginaw Bilog — is a Hanunuo Mangyan poet who is considered as a master of ambahan poetry.

10. Masino Intaray — a prolific and pre-eminent epic chanter and story-teller recognized for his outstanding
mastery of various traditional musical instruments of the Palawan people such as basal, kulilal, and bagil.

Performance Art
 is an interdisciplinary art form that brings together elements of time, space, bodies, and audiences. The
performance can be live or via media.
 the performer can be present or absent, it can be any situation that involves four basic elements: time,
space, the performer’s body, or presence in a medium, and a relationship between performer and
audience. Performance art can happen anywhere, in any type of venue or setting and for any length of
time (Carlson, 1996)
 The performing arts refer to the forms of art where an artist uses his own face, body and presence. The
major types of performing arts include music, opera, dance, drama, and spoken words.

1. Music - is a form of art whose medium is silence and sound. The word '"music" was derived from the
Greek word "mousike" which means the art of the muses. The common elements of music include rhythm,
pitch, dynamics, timbre and texture. The performance, creation, significance and definition of this art
depend on the social context and culture. Music can range from organized composition up to
improvisational music to aleatoric forms.
2. Opera - is a form of performing arts wherein musicians and singers perform a dramatic work that combines
text, which is called the libretto and musical score. This form of art is a popular part of the Western
classical music tradition. The art incorporates a lot of elements of spoken theatre, including scenery, acting
and costumes. Sometimes it also includes dance. The performance in an Opera is usually done in an
opera house. It is also accompanied by either a musical ensemble or an orchestra. Opera originated in Italy
in the 16th century and it soon spread to the rest of Europe as it gained popularity. Various musicians in
Europe developed a lot of ways in flourishing this form of art and made it even more popular.

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3. Dance - is a form of performing arts that refers to the art of moving the bodv rhythmically and usually in
accordance to music. It is used as a form of social interaction and expression, or it is commonly presented
in a performance or spiritual setting. It is also seen as a form of nonverbal communication, a type of
communication where words are not used. Definitions of what dance is really all about usually varies in
each culture, society or person.

Some people considered even the movement of the leaves as a form of dance while some even
considered martial arts, like karate, as one form of it. Dance can also be social, participatory, and
performed for an audience. it can as well be erotic, ceremonial or competitive in purpose. Nowadays,
dancing has evolved into many styles. These styles include ballet, break dancing; and krumping.
Nevertheless, each type of dance, whether what style, has something that is common. It does not only
involve the usage of the human body kinetics and flexibility but also physics.

4. Drama - refers to a mode of fiction represented in a performance. The word "drama" originated from the
Greek word "drao" which means action. Dramas are usually enacted by actors on a stage for an audience.
The structure of the text for dramas is usually influenced by collective reception and collaborative
production. Masterpieces that can be considered to be in this form include the classical Athenian tragedy,
"Oedipus the King" of Sophocles and "Hamlet" Of William Shakespeare.

Spoken word is often used as an entertainment or

musical term, referring to works that are intended to be
performed by a single person who will speak by
himself naturally. Musically, this is different from
rapping for the latter involves rhythm while spoken
words do not follow such. Spoken words is said to be
more akin to speaking or narration.

In entertainment, spoken word performances are

consisted of poetry, storytelling or speeches. Aside
from these five, other forms of performing art are circus
performances, magic, musical and other that involve
the use of an artist's face and body
Transcreation

Transcreation is a term used chiefly by advertising and marketing professionals to refer to the process of
adapting a message from one language to another, while maintaining its intent, style, tone and context. A
successfully transcreated message evokes the same emotions and carries the same implications in the target
language as it does in the source language. Increasingly, transcreation is used in global marketing and
advertising campaigns as advertisers seek to transcend the boundaries of culture and language. It also takes.
account of images which are used within a creative message, ensuring that they are suitable for the target
local market (Balemans,2010).

While, in theory, any message is a candidate for transcreation, the bulk of transcreative work performed to date
has been in the advertising industry in media such as brochures, TV and radio ads aimed at end clients, and
posters and flyers distributed to resellers. Websites are also the subject of much transcreation.

LESSON 2: THE ELEMENTS OF ART AND THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

The Elements of Art

The elements of art are the basic components of art-marking. It is impossible to create a work of art without
using at least one of the seven elements of art. In order to be successful in art creation, an artist must be able
to intelligently use the elements of art. Artwork can also be analyzed according to the use of the elements in a
work of art.

The elements of art are the building blocks of all art. Every piece of art ever created includes one or more of
these elements. Learn about line, color, shape, form, value, space, and texture.

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 1. Line — A line is an element of art. It is a mark made upon a surface. In
order to be a line, the mark's length must be longer than its width. There are
many different types of lines, including horizontal, vertical, wavy, diagonal, and
more. Line may be two or three-dimensional, descriptive, implied, or abstract.

2. Shapes — These are

areas of enclosed space
that are two-dimensional.
Shapes are flat, and can
only have height and
width. The two different
categories of shapes are
geometric and organic.
Geometric shapes are
mathematical, like circles
and squares. Organic
shapes come from nature,
like clouds and leaves.
This collage by Henri
Matisse uses a collection
of organic shapes.

3. Space — It deals with the illusion of depth on a flat surface. You might overlap shapes to make some look
closer, or make objects in the distance smaller to look like they are farther away. The element of space can be
used in three-dimensional art as well.
— is a closed line. Shapes can be geometric, like squares and circles; or organic, like free-form or
natural shapes. Shapes are flat and can express length and width.

Positive Space
Positive space is the area or part of the
composition that an object or subject
occupies. It is usually the main focus of
the painting, such as a vase of flowers,
fruit, or candle in a still life, a person’s face
in a portrait, or an animal in a wild life
painting, or a building, trees and hills in a
landscape. When used skillfully, positive
space will add interest by enhancing and
balancing the negative space in
a composition.
Negative Space
Negative space is that empty or open space that surrounds an object. It helps to define the object, gives it
some breathing room to prevent the painting from being too crowded and has a huge impact on how the art
piece is perceived.
An interesting thing about negative space is it can be used to prompt viewers to seek out subtle hidden images
within the negative space causing your design to get more attention and to be remembered while other less
interesting works aren’t.
Why is negative space so important?
1. It can add interest and is an excellent way to draw attention to your works of art. A good balance
between great negative space and intrigue will cause the viewer to desire more time looking at your
work of art.
2. It can draw the viewer in giving them a sense of inclusion because they discovered a subtle hidden
message or image in the composition. Even though it may be a simple composition, great negative
space reveals there is more to the piece than first meets the eye making it a more rewarding
experience for the viewer.
3. It gives the eye a ―place to rest,‖ thereby adding to the subtle appeal of the composition. The equal
amounts of both negative and positive is considered by many to be good design.

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4. Value — This refers to the lightness and darkness of areas in an art work. White is the lightest value, while
black is the darkest. The value halfway between these extremes is called middle gray.

5. Color — Color is the most prominent element of design and is one of the most powerful and yet subjective
elements in art. Color is an element of art made up of
three properties: hue, value, and intensity.
 Hue: name of color
 Value: hue's lightness and darkness (a colds
value changes when white or black is added)
 Intensity: quality of brightness and purity (high
intensity = color is strong and bright; low intensity = color
is faint and dull).

Through the mixing of colors infinite other hues are born,

but there are only four true colors from which more and
more other kinds of colors may be thus created. Red is
the color of fire, blue of the' air, green of the water, and grey of the earth . . . white and black are not
true colors but are alterations of other colors (Alberti, 1956).

6. Texture — an element of art that refers to the way things feel, or look as if they might feel if touched. The
term texture describes the surface quality of an artwork. Texture is an important element of design because it
engages the sense of touch as well as vision. Objects can be rough or smooth, wet or dry, sticky or slick, hard
or soft, brittle or flexible. The two main approaches to texture are actual texture and implied or simulated
texture.

Actual texture is primarily—though not exclusively— sculptural, while implied texture is primarily used in two-
dimensional works of art.
7. Form — An element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume; includes height, width and depth
(as in a cube, a sphere, a pyramid, or a cylinder). Form may also be free flowing.

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Principles of Design

Design differs from art in that it has to have a purpose. Visually, this functionality is interpreted by making sure
an image has a center of attention, a point of focus. The principles of design are the rules a designer must
follow to create an effective composition that clearly delivers a message to its audience. Hereunder are the
different principles of design:

1. Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture and space. If the design was a
scale, these elements should be balanced to make a design feel stable.

symmetrical balance - the elements used on one side of the design are similar to those on the other
side.
asymmetrical balance - the sides are different but still look balanced.
radial balance - the elements are arranged around a central point and may be similar.

2. Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewed s attention. Usually the artist will make one area
stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The area could be different in size, color, texture, shape, etc.

3. Pattern is the repeating of an object or symbol all over the work of art.

4. Repetition works with pattern to make the work of art seem active. The repetition of elements of design
creates unity within the work of art.

5. Proportion is the feeling of unity created when all parts (sizes, amounts, or number) relate well with each
other. When drawing the human figure, proportion can refer to the size of the head compared to the rest of the
body.

6. Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly
to create a feeling of organized movement. Rhythm creates a mood like music or dancing. To keep rhythm
exciting and active, variety is essential.

7. Variety is the use of several elements of design to hold the viewer’s attention and to guide the viewer's eye
through and around the work of art.

8. Unity is the feeling of harmony between all parts of the work of art, which creates a sense of completeness.

LESSON 3: READING IMAGE AND RULE OF THE THIRD

Reading the Image

In the visual arts, one has to read the image presented to the viewers. The viewer does not only stand in front
of the picture without knowing what it is. One has to begin with the basic premise that there are two interrelated
aspects in the study of art. The rest is that art has its specificity: that is, its particular language or vocabulary
has to do with the mediums, techniques, and visual elements of art that constitute it is a distinct area of human
knowledge and signifying practice. This is not just what is commonly called the formal aspect of art, but it is
what constitutes art as la particular human activity different from the others. The other aspect is that art, while it
has its specificity, is at the same time historically situated and shaped by social, economic, and political forces.
Both these aspects need to be taken into account so as to be able to fully understand and appreciate art. To
fully appreciate and understand art the following are to be taken into consideration:

1. The basic semiotic plane — According to the acclaimed art critic Alice Guillermo, the basic semiotic plane
covers "the elements and the general technical and physical aspects of the work with their semantic (meaning
conveying potential)." The term "semiotic" has something to do with signs.

In this case, the painting is the sign — a pictorial sign. Just like a body which is comprised of many parts, a
sign is composed of elements which connote meaning and significance.

A painting is governed by principles of organization. Namely, these are balance, contrast, gradation, harmony,
alternation, variation and dominance. Also, it is embodied by elements of design such as the line, shape, color,

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value, texture, direction and size, among others. When put altogether, these factors constitute the physical
appearance of the work. These elements determine the impact of the work to the one who gazes at it.

2. The Iconic Plane — According to Guillermo, while the semiotic plane deals with the material elements of
the image, the iconic plane is concerned with its particular aspects and features. In this plane, the subjects and
objects of the painting and their interrelationship with each other are scrutinized in detail. How the subjects are
chosen and the figure relates to the viewer is analyzed in the iconic plane.

3. The Contextual Plane — For Guillermo, "resituating the work in its context will bring out the meaning of the
work in terms of its human and social implications". This is where the contextual plane comes into the picture.
This plane brings to fore the socio-political implications of the work It drags out the relationship between the art
and society. Further, it makes art in touched with reality.

THE RULE OF THIRD

Let’s start with the basics by simply explaining what this famous rule of thirds is all about. The principle is very
simple. You take a picture and draw two horizontal and two vertical lines to form 9 rectangles of the same size.
By doing this you will find yourself with four points of intersection where these lines cross. They’re called
―power point, crash point, or point of interest‖.

The important compositional elements should then be placed along these lines or their intersections. It’s no
more complicated than that. It has been accepted that the human eye tends to focus on these guidelines and
famous intersections of the image when looking at a photograph, the power points of the image as they are
called in photo jargon.

But first: Composition

Before we explore the rule of thirds, let's talk

composition and understand its place in the art we
see every day. Often used interchangeably with
the word design, composition is the
arrangement of visual information; it's what
you see when you look through the viewfinder when taking a photo.

Rule of Thrids

- The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine (9) equal parts by two
equally spaced horizontal and tow equally spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional
elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.

Example: The tree sits at the intersection of two lines, sometimes called power point or crash points.

Natural framing is a popular technique in landscape photography where the photographer deliberately places the
primary subject in a position where accompanying elements surround it, highlight it or call attention to it.
Examples of Framing:

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THREE ANGLES OF VIEWS TO ACHIEVE BETTER COMPOSITION

a. Bird’s Eye View

b. Normal Eye View / Eye Level
c. Worm’s Eye View

Bird’s-eye View

When photographing a subject from above, it is known as a ―bird’s-eye view‖. This could be taken from up in the sky, such
as when flying in a plane, or could simply be taken by standing on a ladder, slightly above your subject. Photographing
from this point of view can make viewers feel as though they are superior to the subject – such as a stern father looking
down on his misbehaving child – or protective over the subject. If the subject is an inanimate object, it can sometimes
make the viewer feel as though there is a separation between them and the subject.

Photographing from a bird’s-eye view can be especially effective if shooting landscapes from a helicopter (if you get so
lucky). What seem as normal landscapes from the ground turn into beautiful, abstract works of art when seen from above.

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College of Arts and Sciences Prepared by: Mrs. Susan G. Forteza, MEd
Eye Level
This is the most common way to photograph a subject. After all, it is typically the way
we regard most subjects in our day to day lives, especially other people. While
photographing humans from eye level is fairly common, what would happen if you
photographed other subjects from eye level, such as an animal? While we interact
with people on the same level every day, we hardly get face-to-face with a fox, or a
bird, or a snake. Since we often don’t interact with these sort of subjects at eye level,
photographing them from this perspective allows viewers to feel more connected with
them – especially if the subject is making direct eye contact with the camera. It
evokes a sense of familiarity and empathy, even with animals that we would be
frightened to find ourselves face-to-face with in real life.

Worm’s-eye View

Photographing from below is sometimes referred to as ―worm’s-eye view‖, as if you were a worm looking up at the world
around you. As you can imagine, this makes all subjects look very large, even if they are very small in reality. As opposed
to images shot from above, subjects presented in this way look as though they hold power over the viewer, and can seem
very intimidating. By photographing a subject from a worm’s eye view, you automatically make the viewer feel vulnerable,
even if the subject itself isn’t frightening.

Learning Activities
Lecture/ Discussion

Assessment/Evaluation
Recitation

Assignment
Read and study module 1-2 for a long test to be announced in our GC.

Learning Resources

 Art Appreciation for College Students by Roman D. Leano, et.al

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College of Arts and Sciences Prepared by: Mrs. Susan G. Forteza, MEd