Key Concepts in Representational Art and Design Principles

Qualities of Line

the orientation of line can express narrative, or be emotive

Geometric Lines

straight lines with hard edges, often arranged in perpendicular orientation that evoke feelings of rationality and logic, and have in the past been associated with masculinity

Organic Lines

curving, continuous lines without acute angles or obvious pattern that evoke feelings of irrationality, spontaneity and passion, and have in the past been associated with femininity

Space

Shape and Form

Shape

a two-dimensional figure

Representational Art

art that references the real world

Naturalism

style that strives to accurately represent the real world

Abstraction

style that references the real world but allows for changes according to the artist to make the work personal

Realism

style that relentlessly strives to present the world as it is, even if this means incorporating difficult or unflattering details

Idealism

style that attempts to alter reality in favor of what the artist or culture perceives as perfection

Non-representational Art

art that makes no reference to the real world

Subject

what art is about, what it represents, it is the message

Content

this is what is actually present on the canvas, what is actually on screen or carved of stone. It is the vehicle; the plot

Cultural Context

Keep in mind that not every culture has the same resources, motivations, or preferences when it comes to making art

Iconography

Symbols or gestures that a culture agrees has a certain meaning. These meanings often change over time

Line

a moving point through space

Outline

the imagined edge of a figure

Contour

lines that describe the interior volume of a figure

Implied line

elements of a composition that create Direction and Movement

Varieties of Line

lines, Implied Line, Geometric, Organic

Form

a three-dimensional figure, or the representation of

Positive space

the content of a work

Negative space

the context or space surrounding the content

Representing space

the following techniques are used to create the illusion of space in a two-dimensional context

Perceived Scale

objects closer to viewer appear larger than those further away

Linear Perspective

the optical phenomenon of parallel lines converging to a vanishing point on the horizon

Oblique perspective

spacing objects up to imply distance (non-optical)

Foreshortening

objects in space overlap, sometimes causing distortion or visual confusion

Virtual space

consider the paradox of limitless cyberspace versus the illusion of proximity/intimacy

Light and Color

these elements are both tools for defining figures, mass, space and relationship between objects as well as themselves the subject of non-representational art

Atmospheric Perspective

the optical phenomenon of lines and colors close to the viewer appearing bolder and crisper than details further away, where they grow hazier and bluish

Value

the range of tones from dark to light

Modeling/Chiaroscuro

the manipulation of value to produce the illusion of form

Tinting

adding light to a color or composition

Shading

adding darkness to a color or composition

Tenebrism

the fierce shift from deep shadow to hot highlight. In the past used to dramatic effect and demonstrating good and evil. In modern cinema and television it is often used to illustrate moral ambiguities in characters

The Color Wheel

a table devised by artists to illustrate the relationship of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colors

Intensity

saturation, that is, how pure a color is

Color Temperature

traditionally, warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) tend to evoke passion, intimacy, and comfort. Cool colors (greens, blues, violets) tend to evoke solemnity, artificiality and melancholy

Complementary colors

colors opposite each other on the color wheel

Monochromatic

compositions that feature one color prominently

Complimentary

juxtaposing, colors opposite colors creates an innate optical reaction called Simultaneous Contrast

Analogous

colors close to each other on the wheel produce a harmonious effect on a composition

Local color

the unmodified color the eye perceived without the intervention of special lighting circumstances

Perceptual color

the color we perceive in special lighting circumstances

Arbitrary color

when an artist ignores both local and perceptual expectations in favor of an abstract color choice

Symbolic color

when an artist uses color as a means of expressing identity or narrative

Texture

what a work feels like to the touch (or what we perceive it to feel like)

Actual texture

is the true qualities of materials of a three-dimensional work or even the surface of two-dimensional work

Perceived texture

what the viewer imagines a work feels like to the touch

Counterfeiting nature

a poetic way to describe the ultimate goal of pre-modern painters - the painterly recreation on reality

Time and Motion

the elements of a work that physically move or compel the viewer to move either their eyes or bodies when experiencing art

Principles of Design

the means of organizing a composition

Balance

the distribution of content throughout a composition

Absolute symmetry

a composition in which the content of one side is exactly replicated on each side

Bilateral symmetry

a composition in which the content of one side is similarly distributed on each side

Radial symmetry

a composition in which the content of one side is distributed in 360 degrees

Asymmetrical composition

a work in which the content is not distributed equally on each side

Focal Point

the point of emphasis in a work

Scale

the size of a work of art in relation to the viewer, or the relationship of content within a composition

Hieratic scale

the convention of assigning relative importance of a figure according to size within a composition

Proportion

the size relationship between parts of a whole

Repetition

the imposition of pattern, and thus order (vs. chaos). Repetition can thus evoke stability, inevitability, unity and continuity

Variety

the violation or subversion of pattern