Art is a language. It is a tool people use to communicate feelings and ideas. When we make art we need to know what the ingredients are. We need to know what to put in an artwork that will make it pleasing to the eye. Once we know what the ingredients are we can talk about how they work together. The elements are the ingredients... Line, Shape, Color, Texture, Space, Form and Value.
Lines are descriptive, directional and expressive.
Shapes are lines that are closed up. They can be geometric (math shapes) or organic (from nature or made up shapes). Shapes are 2D and flat. They have no depth.
Color is made up of families. The primary colors make the other colors. Color is a clue to what emotion the artist wants you to feel.
Texture is the way something feels when you touch it. The artist can put "actual" texture in the work or they can imply what the object might feel like by drawing it. Texture adds detail to any work of art. Space is the area that contains all the ingredients. Positve space (objects) and negative space (empty) are equally important in a work of art. Filling up the space or leaving empty space gives a sense of depth.
Forms take up space and look 3D. They are fat.
Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. If you add white it's called a tint. If you add black it's called a shade.
The principles of art are balance, pattern, emphasis, unity, variety, harmony, and rhythm. These principles describe how the elements are used in a work of art. An example would be "Is your art balanced symmetrically or asymmetrically?" (Now we're getting into some MATH!) And "How do you emphasize an object in a painting?" (Make it bigger, more colorful, add contrast, give it an important place). Believe it or not our brains take care of how we use the principles - we just look to see if we need to add to the picture - and somehow it all turns out great! Talking about the principles takes us right into those higher order thinking skills that we use when we make art and then analyize it or talk about it.
I am looking forward to this year. It is full of promise. These students inspire me to think about my own art learning every day. Take a look in the galleries to see what we are up to!