Making Art: Introduction 8/19/2015 7:00:00 AM

 Processes and Purposes

 Process can be affected by demand
 People begin to wonder what is art, and started focusing on
different aspects of art
 Art becomes an event, and the canvas is the arena
 Subject Matter and Meaning
 Nonrepresentational art—does not represent anything
 Representational art—art that depicts something
 Illusionistic—

Point, Line, Shape, Mass, Volume, and Color 8/19/2015 7:00:00 AM

What are design elements?

What is composition/design principles?
Point—dot or small, circular shape
Line
 Can be actual or implied
 Geometrical or gestural
 Hatching and crosshatching
 Lines can be used to create texture
 Lines can give the appearance of weight

Lines can move our eyes and through the intentionally chaotic
constructed space of a sculpture
Shape—can be actual or implied
 Shapes are two-dimensional areas with defined or implied
boundaries that can be measured by height and width
 Boundary of a shape defined by a line or implied by a difference in
texture or color
 Positive and negative shape—when one shape is dominant, it may
be called positive shape and the surrounding shape is called
negative shape
 Amorphous shapes lack clarity or precise distinction and are of
uncertain dimension with edges that are difficult to determine
Mass
 The illusion of mass may be present in a two-dimensional image
Color
 The haystack isn’t important so much as the different color schemes that
represent the changing seasons
 Additive Color Processes
 Adding colored lights together
 Subtractive Color Processes—the mixing of pigments and dies, paints
and material colorants
 Polychromatic—a color image that employs a wide range of colors in a
variety of values
 Simultaneous Contrast
 Two colors, side by side, interact with one another
 When complements are placed next to one another, they appear more
intense

Space 8/19/2015 7:00:00 AM

Space is a design element. Places, structures and objects with height,

width, and depth and for creating the illusion of three dimensions on 2-D
surfaces
 Actual Space—an expanse with depth, height, and width that surrounds
an object or that an object or that an object occupies
 Reliefs often create positive and negative space
 2-D Space—bound by height and width; however, spatial illusion is
possible
 architectural Space, public sculpture—enhance the quality of life for those
who use it
 “The Crown Fountain”—the faces depicted in videos on the glass block
towers are Chicagoans, over a reflecting pool of water
 Positive and Negative Space
 Virtual Space
 Technology allows artists to work with virtual space
 A computer constructed environment that appears three
dimensional, allows viewers experiences that seem real
 Illusional Space
 Indicators of Illusional Space
 Foreground, middle ground, background
 Size
 Overlap
 Transparency
 Placement
 Shakes and shadows
 Detail, texture, and pattern
 Perspective
 Size—nearer is larger

Composition 8/19/2015 7:00:00 AM

How are design elements arranged?

Rococo—time of transition
Content—refers to the themes, values, or ideas in a work of art, so distinct
from its form
Comparison and Interpretation 8/19/2015 7:00:00 AM
8/19/2015 7:00:00 AM