Art Vocabulary: The Visual Elements - Book Report/Review Example

ART VOCABULARY The Visual Elements The visual elements include line, shape and mass, light, color, texture, space, and time and motion. The arrangement of these elements gives form to the composition and overall visual appearance (Patin & McLerran 56). 1. Line is the path traced by a moving point (Getlein 75). a. A contour line is the outline or two-dimensional drawing of a form or object, defining edges and surface ridges. b. Directional line guides the viewer’s eyes around an image, and suggests movement. c. Implied line is that which, in addition to actual lines and linear forms, compels the viewer’s eyes to pick up lines formed by the elements in the composition (Getlein 80). 2. Shape and Mass: A shape is a two-dimensional form, occupying an area with identifiable boundaries. A mass is a three-dimensional form that occupies a volume of space (Getlein 81). a. Geometric shapes and masses relate to the regular, named shapes and volumes of geometry such as square, triangle, circle, cube, pyramid and sphere. b. Organic shape is an irregular shape with none of the angularity associated with geometric shapes, such as that found in objects in nature. c. Positive/ negative shape: A positive shape is referred to as a figure distinct from the background. A negative shape is the shape of the background (Getlein 83). d. Figure/ ground: A figure is that which the viewer detaches from the background and focuses on; while the ground is the background or the surrounding visual elements that the figure stands out from. e. Implied shape: Similar to implied lines, artists use parts of a shape to imply the harmonious whole, creating a sense of order and unity to the image (Getlein 84). 3. Light is a form of radiant energy (Getlein 84). a. Model is the three-dimensional effect given by the play of light and shadow. b. Value is a shade of light or dark color. c. Chiaroscuro is the modeling of mass in two dimensions through value. d. Hatching refers to areas of closely spaced parallel lines as on the front of the forehead. e. Cross hatching is the achieving of darker values through additional sets of parallel lines laid across the first. f. Stippling is the process by which areas of dots average out in value through an optical mixing of colors (Getlein 87). 4. Color is reflected light rays. It is a function of light, without light there can be no color (Getlein 88). a. Refracted colours refers to the breaking up of a ray of sunlight into different colors, arranged in the order of the colors of the rainbow (Getlein 88). b. Color wheel: To the colors separated out by Newton’s prism: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet is added the transitional color red-violet not found in the rainbow, and these colors are arranged in a circle, the Color Wheel is formed. c. Primary colors cannot be made by any mixture of other colors. They are red, yellow, and blue. They are labeled with the numeral 1 on the color wheel. d. Secondary colors. Each secondary color is made by combining two primary colors. They are orange, green, and violet, and are labeled with the numeral 2. e. Tertiary colors are also known as intermediate colors. Labeled as numeral 3 on the color wheel, each tertiary color is the product of a primary color and an adjacent secondary color. For example, mixing yellow with green yields yellow-green. f. Warm/ cool: Warm colors are those on the red-orange side of the wheel, due to their association with sunlight and firelight. Cool colors are those on the blue-green side of the color wheel, because of their association with sky, water, etc (Getlein 89). g. Hue is the name of the color according to the categories of the color wheel, green, red, blue-violet, etc. Value refers to the relative lightness or darkness of the color. h. Tint is a color lighter than a hue’s normal value. i. Shade is a color darker than a hue’s normal value. j. Chroma, saturation or intensity refers to the relative purity of a color (Getlein 90). k. Monochromatic is a type of harmony composed of variations of the same hue, often with differences of value and intensity. l. Analogous harmonies combine colors adjacent to one another on the color wheel. m. Complementary harmonies involve colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel (Getlein 91). n. Optical color mixture is the blending by the viewer’s eyes of small patches of different colors placed close together, thus perceiving a new color. o. Pointillism is the placing of thousands of small dots of pure color close to each other, so that the viewer perceives a rich texture of subtly varied tones (Getlein 93). 5. Texture “refers to surface quality – a perception of smooth or rough, flat or bumpy, fine or coarse” (Getlein 97). a. Actual texture is the literal tactile quality, which can be felt by touch. b. Visual texture is the visual component, by which a viewer forms an idea about the texture by observing the way it reflects light, and by associating the visual with a sense memory of touch. c. Pattern is any decorative, repetitive design or motif (Getlein 99). 6. Space is a “dynamic visual element that interacts with the lines and shapes and colors and textures of a work of art to give them definition” (Getlein 99). a. Picture plane is the flat surface of a two-dimensional art form such as a drawing or painting. b. Linear perspective is the optically convincing depiction of space in which two concepts are used: forms appear to diminish in size as they recede away from the viewer; and “parallel lines receding into the distance seem to converge until they meet at a point on the horizon line where they disappear” (Getlein 103); this point is known as the vanishing point. c. Foreshortening is the effect created using linear perspective for every form that recedes into the distance, including objects, humans and animal forms, to render consistency to pictorial space. d. Atmospheric perspective is the optical effect caused by the atmosphere that interposes itself between the viewer and the objects perceived. Particles of moisture and dust suspended in the atmosphere scatter light. Of all the colors of the spectrum, blue scatters the most, with the result that the sky itself appears to be blue, and things take on a bluish tinge as their distance from us increases. For example hills receding into the distance appear “paler, bluer, and less distinct” (Getlein 107). e. Isometric perspective is the system by which Chinese and Muslim painters use diagonal lines but without allowing parallels to converge, to suggest regular forms such as a building receding from the picture plane (Getlein 108). 7. Time and Motion (Getlein 109) a. Kinetic art is art that moves such as video, cinema and digital animated images (Getlein 110). b. Illusion of movement is created in compositions such as installations with the help of forms and structures which have a dynamic quality about them. Principles of Design and Composition The principles of design include unity and variety, balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical, emphasis and subordination, scale and proportion, and rhythm (Getlein 113). 1. Unity and Variety: Unity is a sense of oneness, of the elements in a composition belonging together and forming a coherent whole. Variety provides difference and interest to the art work (Getlein 114). a. Contrast is the effect brought about by the use of opposing elements in a composition. 2. Balance is the equal distribution of visual forms around a central axis (Getlein 116). a. Symmetrical balance is where the elements match equally on both sides of the implied centre of gravity the vertical axis, an imaginary line drawn down the centre of the composition. b. Asymmetrical balance is when both sides of a central vertical axis do not match (Getlein 120). 3. Emphasis and Subordination are complementary concepts. Emphasis causes the viewer’s attention to be drawn more to certain points of the composition than to others. Subordination denotes that certain areas of the composition are intentionally made less visually interesting, so that the areas of emphasis stand out (Getlein 125). 4. Scale and Proportion both relate to size. Scale means size in relation to a standard or “normal” size. Proportion “refers to size relationships between parts of a whole, or between two or more items perceived as a unit” (Getlein 128). a. Hierarchical Scale is the use of scale to indicate relative importance. 5. Rhythm is the repetition of visual elements and patterns in a composition. a. Repetition is the rhythmic recurrence of elements in a composition (Getlein 132). Works Cited Getlein, Mark. Living with art. 9th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. (2010). Patin, Thomas & McLerran, Jennifer. Artwords: A glossary of contemporary art theory. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood. (1997). Read More