Visual Arts Studies - Essay Example

Visual Arts Studies Photo 8 The painting portrays rhythm. Rhythm is the repetition of visual elements created by color, lines and shapes to create the visual effect of dynamicity such as the musical beat (Natomas High School, 2002). The image portrays a careful use of rhythm to prevent monotony. Lines and colors have been employed to ensure unity is achieved (Loupton and Philips, 28). Moreover, this figure portrays good use of balance. Balance is described as the distribution of visual elements within an art work, and is mostly caused by visual equilibrium that causes the entire image to appear balanced (Loupton and Philips, 28). There is asymmetrical balance in the figure since the artist used lighter colors at the front with dull shads at the background to illustrate the use of depth. Forms have been used to illustrate the volume and mass of the portrayed 3-diemensional object that occupies a larger positive space making the entire painting asymmetrical. The artist has well used patterns, which involves random repetition of shapes and other elements. Patterns will mostly occur in nature with artists using similar repeated motifs to create the required shape (Loupton and Philips, 28). Therefore, pattern is used to enhance visual excitement by enriching the surface interests. In the artwork in question, there is deliberate repetition of forms to create rhythm through reflection of the main artwork. Visual movement in the art work is used by the artist in directing the viewer through their intended work to a focal point, which functions as the point of interest. Movement is achieved by use of lines edges, shapes and colors in creating different values (Natomas High School, 2002). In the artwork in question contrast, shapes, and color are used to create this movement where the viewer is taken to the main figure, and its continuous reflection, with color value and contrast used to a mirage that resembles a pool of water. The artwork thus enriched through contrast. Contrast is the difference in values, texture, color, shapes and other elements that result into visual excitement, and adds to interest towards the artwork. This prevents having the same color value that would result to monotony and boredom of the artwork (Natomas High School, 2002). Image 7 The painting uses lines and contrast resulting into the effects of multiplicity and unity of figures that interact to bring about a single interactive artwork. Color has been extensively used in the painting to create dominance and contrast. The red color on the foreground creates an effect of danger, with red signifying blood. The use of shapes and forms such the human head at the front with color red from its nose signifies death where the head and the body separate. The entire unity of picture thus brings about the feeling of conflict, chaos and disharmony, with items in the artwork scattered all over to indicate disharmony. The contrast caused by the red coloring at the foreground and the background results into a good balance. There is a good balance of visual effects using value contrast; the light intensity is uniform in the painting leading to the background images that have the same message as the activities on the foreground reflecting conflict. The conflict and disharmony is further amplified using color and lines. This leads to flow, where the painting seems to flow away from its frame area to reflect dynamism, and blood flowing reflecting conflict. The color value and temperature contrast used creates a 3-D artistic work. Pattern is evident in the artwork. Forms have been repeated over and over both planned and random repetitions enhanced by variation of lines and color to create richness in the art work as can be observed from the forms of clothes spread all over. The high contrast used creates clarity to amplify conflict and disorder in the artwork. Visual movement is achieved using forms at the background; where two men are walking past a woman at the center, and the overflowing blood all that integrates to create the theme of flowing. The woman seems to be praying, which is also significant in visual movement, with the clothes on the line still swinging, resulting into dynamism in the painting. Image 6 The painting presents a high value contrast between light and dark shades, creating depth in the painting. Color has been used to amplify contrast that brings about the effects of water streaming down a mountainous forest, with the background having more warm colors to indicate effects of light. The painting also brings out contrast where both warm and cool colors have been used at the foreground, and cool colors at the background of the painting. The painting has soft edge contrast, with defined boundaries and a high degree of symmetry that has been created by a good balance of forms, colors, and uniformity resulting in a very symmetrical painting. There is use of pattern in which forms of trees and white color have been repeated in a uniform pattern creating the effects of dynamism in the painting. Balance in this case results in a good distribution of visual weight, with the visual equilibrium and depth resulting into what is resembles a mountain. These interact resulting into the effect of water streaming down a mountainous forest, where the effect of depth has been used to create the aspect of low and high grounds in what seems to be a mountain. The artwork brings about a high level of the aspect of unity. Visual unity indicates high degree spacing in utilizing the positive space, and a good balance as discussed above. The use of unity in the painting makes it to appear complete and finished with everything in the painting seeming to belong together. The pattern created brings about the aspect of a forest and the flowing water leads to a feeling of unity and completeness enhanced by the high level of balance used. Image 5 This image uses lines, shapes and colors to create the effects of patterns. The repeated use of a pattern creates multiplicity of images through variation of size. Intensity has been extensively used to create deferent shades resulting into contrast, depth and value. A space that appears to be a three dimensional space painting brings about the feeling of depth, which is further enhanced using colors and shapes. Texture has also been extensively applied in the painting. Texture refers to the surface quality, both simulated and the actual artwork; the heavy color pigments at the foreground of the painting creates textural surface making the image to appear rough. The image utilizes emphasis to a large extent in creating dominance and focus. This is achieved through using the high intensity colors, lines and other elements, all of which have been integrated to bring about dominance. For example, the use of red and blue color in high intensity and use of natural shades create the effects of dominance, resulting to images of bouncing balloons with the textural work at the foreground appearing like a glass that protect the balloons. The figure utilizes hard edges where the forms used in the painting seem to be flowing out of the frame. This reflects a dynamism theme, with everything flowing past the frame, leading some edges to be cut for the painting to fit in the flame as it fries away. These balloons therefore seem to be flowing away creating a dynamic scene. The image has poor unity where each and every form seems different from the rest, all flowing towards one direction though they have been brought together through the use of patterns to create harmony in the painting. Image 4 The figure presents the careful balance between color, contrast and use of color to create depth that results in the art work. The artist utilized soft edges contrast in carefully placing the image relative to its edges, resulting in a well-defined form. The painting also utilized value contrast in that the form utilizes temperature contrast with warm colors that are very light. These colors fade away gradually to the middle, and to a high contrast at the background. The high contrast between the foreground and the background creates the impression of a night. The color intensity is heavily used creating a sharp contrast between the front and background. The painting has a very smooth texture with well-crafted geometrical shapes, and the sizes varying in creating the depth effect in the painting. The painting utilizes a high level visual unity creating the effects of a well-planned artistic work that makes the painting appear complete and finished. All aspects in the painting seem to belong together in a high sense of unity. In addition, the painting has a high degree of symmetry, with the visual balance well created. The visual equilibrium in any printing or drawing makes the work to appear well balanced. There is great emphasis of color, intensity, and shapes used in the painting. The geometrical shapes create the effect of a house, while the high intensity and emphasis of light and contrast creates the effect of lighting in the house, all which combine to create the effect of a day break. This is perceived from the color intensity at the background that creates a high contrast between the foreground and background resulting in an effect of daybreak. Image 3 The painting utilizes color intensity to create depth and contrast. The painting has a rough texture created from the use of muted colors, resulting in intensity contrast. The colors used result in a temperature contrast between the light and the dark shades. The painting also utilizes value contrasts in that the color shades consist of light, middle, and dark shades. Contrast is indicative of the differences in texture, shapes, values, and colors that result into visual excitement, making the work interesting. The painting has a good level of rhythm in that there is repetition of visual movement created by colors, shapes, and lines. The variety of colors used result in an exciting and captivating dynamism that avoids monotony. The rhythm and movement integrate to result into an equivalent of musical beat. The theme of movement is extensively applied in the painting to direct viewers to a focal point. Movement is directed along lines, shapes colors, edges, and moves the eyes along a path creating a flowing visual effect, making the painting dynamic. The color contrast in the painting also result into depth from the background, where dark colors indicate more depth while at the front, the light colors indicate less depth , resulting in an effect of flow from the top to the bottom. The painting also employs the theme of visual movement as the image tends to flow away from its frame. However, the painting lacks unity and defined form due to the multiplicity of elements created by the tonal variation and the contrast created using colors. Image 2 The image has extensively used pattern where line and shapes have been planned and randomly repeated to make the painting. The repeated pattern creates the visual excitement in the image and enriches the surface interest. The image has a high degree of unity. Unity in this case presents a cohesive quality, creating into a feeling of completeness and a finished painting. All elements in the painting seem to belong together tightly tied in the painting. The painting has a good degree of emphasis that result into dominance and focus in the painting. The use of color, shapes value contrast and other elements in the painting achieves a good degree of dominance. The use of light colors to create intensity results into dominance, where the color intensity leads the eye to the focal point where the spiraling color patterns seem to converge. The pattern involves multiplicity of shapes in addition to the use of warm colors to create contrast at the foreground, with the entire image representing a spiraling galaxy. The background emits light rays to the people at the foreground, indicating the unity of the universe. The aspect of visual movement is further enhanced by the flowing effect created by color contrast at the background in what appears to be spiraling galaxy that flows outside the painting frame to reflect dynamicity of the entire painting unity. The image achieved a good degree of balance as placed in the visual equilibrium, making the entire painting to appear balanced and symmetrical. Color contrast in using warm color is mainly responsible for balance achieved, with the image creating a symmetrical painting that achieved a good degree of unity. Image 1. The theme of a pattern is extensively used in this painting. This involves random or planned repetitions of elements to enhance the surface of a painting. Such pattern has to elicit more surface interests and result into a well-defined form. Moreover, the painting has good degree of emphasis applied. This is utilized to create dominance. The use of shape and color emphasis in this case results into creation of interest, which is the intended form created by the artists. In the painting, different shapes have been used, with heavy use of value contrasts, temperature contrast, and edge contrast resulting into the required painting. The use of warm and cool colors in creating the value contest impacts the shape which appears as a human head wearing a mask. The painting is asymmetrical. Compared to the frame, the painting takes a larger section leaving a small background, making the entire painting asymmetrical. Color contrast has also been sued to vary depth, where the cool color at the background and the warm colors at the lower background all result to the aspect of depth in the painting. In addition, the painting has the theme of movement where the image flows out of the frame, which papers as a moving human head which has been cut to fit the frame. In addition, the use of line element, contour, and outlines in what defines the edges of shapes and forms. The use of straight lines, carved lines, as well as other line form is predominantly responsible for the resulting into the required image. This signifies the importance of line as the principle element in design. Lines in addition to precise in shapes intersect to form both geometrical and organic shapes as used to create form. The negative space in this painting is also crafted using color shades. Work Cited Loupton Ellen and Cole Phillips Jenifer, Graphic Design: The New Basics, NY: Princeton, 2008 Natomas High School, Graphic Design: Elements & Principles of Visual Design, NHS Designs, 2002 http://nhsdesigns.com/graphic/principles/movement.php (accessed 24th Aprial, 2013) Read More