Introduction to the Visual Arts-Study Guide, Chapter 2: Spring 2006: Ralph Larmann

Chapter 2: Visual Elements of Art

Line

CHARACTERISTICS OF LINE

measure is the length and width of a line

expressive qualities of line is the individual character of a line
"Drawing is putting a line (a)round an idea." -Henri Matisse
- Lavender Mist by Jackson Pollock, enamels, 1954, detail.
types of line
- contour lines describe the surface and edge of a subject
- actual line is a non-interrupted line
- implied line is the creation of the illusion of a line
  Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci, c.1485,
FUNCTIONS OF LINE
- to outline and shape: this helps to simplify for a viewer
- to create depth and texture: a good example of this is in the process of modeling. This work by Vincent Van Gogh shows a great deal of detail because the line describes the surface so well.
- to suggest direction and movement: horizontal lines tend to communicate suggest stability and calm, vertical lines suggest strength and authority (architecture), and diagonal lines tend to represent movement. These characteristics can ll be seen in Botticelli's Birth of Venus.

Shape, Volume and Mass

SHAPE
- biomorphic shape: a shape that is naturalistic or organic
- geometric: a shape that is regular and predictable
  like this painting by Mondrian
- amorphous: not easily defined as organic or geometric
- form: refers to three-dimensional shapes
  This work by David Smith is a good example of a geometric form.
  The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain, built in 1997 is a great example of organic form.
- volume: is related to amount of space a form uses
- positive and negative shapes: positive indicates filled space and negative indicates empty space. These work together to form figure-ground relationships.
- figure-ground reversals: create optical illusions that contradict our perceptions of positive-negative
MASS
- actual mass: has measurable volume and weight
- implied mass: the illusion of volume and weight

Light and Value

VALUE is the relative lightness or darkness of an art element
CHIAROSCURO is a formula and pattern used to approximate light projected on a three-dimensional surface.
DESCRIPTIVE AND EXPRESSIVE PROPERTIES OF VALUE is the use of value to create an emotional message in a work of art.
Guernica * Cubism * oil on canvas * 1937 * by Pablo Picasso

Guernica, 1937, oil on canvas, 11'6"x 25'6"
-painting memorializing first saturation bombing of a civilian area

Color

PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF COLOR: HUE, VALUE, AND SATURATION
- hue refers to the general colors of the spectrum
- saturation is the pure intensity of a color
- shades are dark values of a color
- tints are light values of a color
COMPLEMENTARY VERSUS ANALOGOUS COLORS
- complementary colors are colors which are opposite each other on the color wheel and dramatically different in wavelength
  A good example of the use of color complements is in the 15th Century painting "The Arnolfini Wedding" by Jan Van Eyck
- primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) are those that cannot be produced by mixing two other colors together
- secondary colors (violet, orange, and green) are those that are produced when two primaries are mixed
- analogous colors are those that are next to each other on the color wheel and share similar wavelenghts
LOCAL VERSUS OPTICAL COLOR
- local color is the color that an object has in normal light
- optical color is color produced through our visual perception
  Haystack at Sunset Near Giverny by Clause Monet is a great example of optical color

Texture

ACTUAL TEXTURE is tactile it is more than visual information
VISUAL TEXTURE is the illusion of texture
- trompe l'oeil is a method of art that is intended to create a realistic illusion of texture and depth in a work of art. The term means "fool the eye" in French.
SUBVERSIVE TEXTURE contradicts our past visual experience by using texture in ways that are unexpected. Both Birth of Venus, by Ralph Larmann and Object, by Meret Oppenheim are good examples of this.

Space

OVERLAPPING
RELATIVE SIZE AND LINEAR PERSPECTIVE
- linear perspective is a mathematical system for organizing space in a convincing way. It is used in Piranesi's Drawbridge drawing
ATMOSPHERIC (AERIAL) PERSPECTIVE is a convention of art that was invented by Leonardo da Vinci for creating an illusion of depth by incorporating the natural effects of atmosphere.

Time and Motion

ACTUAL MOTION is live movement. A work of kinetic art like Alexander Calder's Untitled mobile in the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. displays actual motion when we see it in person.
IMPLIED MOTION AND TIME is a non-moving image that shows movement through the attributes present in the image. Good examples of this are found in Bernini's Apollo and Daphne
THE ILLUSION OF MOTION is what we experience when we see a movie or series of shapes that note a passage of time. A movie is a series of still frames that do not contain actual motion, but when shown in a time sequence, create an illusion of motion.