Visual examples

 

SURFACE

PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION based on cohesion

 

Positive & Negative space

 bike  animal

 

Positive area: recognizable objects / active

Negative area: unoccupied space / passive

 

Repetition

 same shape  with variations

 

Rhythm

 fractal  nature  art

 

 

Pattern

 folk  nature (arrangement of units)

 

 

Motif (unit of arrangement)

 

 nature  crystal

 

 

Variety (counterweight of harmony)

food   objects

 

Balance (gravity)

 horizontal vertical radial

 

Symmetry

 

  mirror  ³occult²

 

 

harmony of contrasts (balance of disbalance)

 

PROPORTION

 

Golden section ration 1: 1.61

 

     spiral 

 

 

Dominance (crescendo, spotlight, culmination)

 

 diagonal  vertical

 

 

Movement (no dead spots on picture frame)

 

 dance   speed 

 

 

Economy (essentials, relating the particular to the whole)

 

 sculpture  shape

 

Atmosphere

 

 artificial   natural

 

 

LINE

 

emotion        

 

 

edge                 

 

 

outline      

 

contour     blind

 

 

calligraphic         

 

 

photo based line     

 

PHYSICAL CHARACTER OF LINE

 

Measure  (length & width) heavy & thin

 

Heavy   light

 

Straight   curved 

 

Direction:

 

Horizontal  vertical + diagonal

 

 

Location  (location of line in composition)

 

Character (media) 

 

pencil  ink 

 

Expressive        abstract

 

 

Continuous still-life  landscape 

 

 

LINE AND OTHER ELEMENTS

 

Volume  shape    texture

 

Advancing & receding   in color + line

 

Gesture             

 

 

Deleted line   

 

Spatial line            negative space

 

 

 

SHAPE

Gestalt = Form (to connect the dots)  

 

            ³unfinished²  lines 

 

 

basic shapes    abstract shapes

 

2D shapes (flat)    3D shapes (solids) 

 

Geometric, amorphous, representational shapes

 

 

DIMENSIONS 

 

2D

 

planar  varied decorative 

 

3D

Positive (up) negative (down)

 

Volume         

 

 

Direction         

 

Attention    Rorschach (inkblot) test

 

 

PERSPECTIVE SYSTEMS

 

Static

 

One point  

Two points         

 

Three points     

 

Converging, receding   

 

 

 

Inverse                                   Forced or ³4D²

 

 

VALUE

Light         shadow

Chromatic or Achromatic

 

Descriptive use of value:

 

Psychological:  ACD Systems Digital Imaging expressive  dramatic

 

Plastic value: to describe volume & space   Created with The GIMP

 

Expressive value:

 

Gloom  mystery  contrast   

 

 

CHIAROSCURO is forceful use of contrasting light and dark

Violent chiaroscuro is named ³Tenebrism² (Caravaggio, Rembrandt)

 

         

 

 

Decorative value: ignores conventional light sources

 

Illumination   Oriental art  Van Gogh Adobe ImageReady

 

Compositional functions:

 

2 dimensional patterns   spatial unity (Matisse)

 

Open & closed compositions:

CLOSED: values are limited by edge (art deco- light is limited by shape)

 

 

OPEN: values can cross over the shape (fog, haze- Impressionists)

 

 

 

 

TEXTURE

 

Surface character that can experienced through touch or illusion of touch

 

 

Tactile experiences: 2D & 3D, smooth, rough, soft, hard

 

          

Types of texture:

 

Actual ³real thing² build or assembled (cubists)

 

Simulated trompe Œl oeil (painted)

 

 

 

Invented simulated, without reference (print dots)

 

 

Texture and pattern 

 

Texture is interpreted by light & dark, same as pattern.

 

Pattern suggests a repetition (random or controlled) aerial photo

 

 

Texture and composition: is used to rest or attract the eye, stimulate emotion, atmospheric perspective

 

 

In various media: Architecture (materials), ceramic (glazes), Jewellery (techniques), sculpture (natural & artificial materials