Elements of Art and Principles of Design Study Notes

This course, NGEC 6 Art Appreciation, is offered under the Social Sciences section of the General Education Department at the School of Heritage Education (SHE) for the 1st Trimester of Academic Year 2023-2024.
Course Outcome (CO) 2: Equip oneself with expressive tools in art to heighten aesthetic and artistic renditions of ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
Learning Outcome (LO) 2.1: Discuss elements of art and how artists use these in expressions.

Vertical Lines: These lines represent height or power.
Horizontal Lines: These lines represent calmness and stillness.
Diagonal Lines: These lines represent action or the direction of movement.
Curve Lines: These lines represent softness.
Activity Assignment: Students are instructed to take a photo or find an image of a building and identify the lines present, specifically looking for vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved, and organic lines.

Shape:
- Geometric: Any shape that consists only of vectoral lines.
- Organic: Any shape that may or may be composed of vectoral lines.
Form:
- 2D: Existing on the $x$ and $y$ axis.
- 3D: Existing on the $x$ , $y$ , and $z$ axis.

Space | Volume: Defined as the distances around, between, and within the various components of an artwork.
- Examples of works demonstrating space include Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth and The Sources of Country Music by Thomas Hart Benton.
Color Components:
- Hue: The dimension of color referred to a scale ranging through red, yellow, green, and blue.
- Saturation: The purity of a color in the sense of the amount of apparent color in contrast with an achromatic area of equal brightness.
- Brightness: The dimension of color reflecting a scale running from dim to bright.
- Activity Assignment: Students are tasked with taking two photos of the same object—one in color and the other in black and white.
Texture:
- Simulated Texture: Emphasizes what an object feels like, but is not the actual physical texture the object has.
- Actual Texture: When the texture an object seems to have is the physical texture it possesses.

Balance: The distribution of the visual weight of objects, color, texture, and space within a work.
- Symmetrical Balance: Each side of the work looks exactly or nearly exactly the same.
- Asymmetrical Balance: Features different visual ‘weights’ on each side of the composition; this is often referred to as ‘dynamic’ balance.
- Examples: Ghent Altarpiece by Jan Van Eyck and Composition II in Red Blue Yellow by Piet Mondrian.
Emphasis: The specific part of a design that captures the viewer’s attention.
- Examples: The Coronation of the Virgin Mary by Dieric Bouts (The Elder), John Brown Remained a Full Winter in Canada, Drilling Negroes for His Coming Raid on Harpers Ferry (no. 17) by Jacob Lawrence, and Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Patterns: The repeating of an object or symbol throughout the entire work of art.
- Natural Pattern: Inspiration for these patterns is based on observations of patterns occurring in nature.
- Man-made Pattern: Used for both structural and decorative purposes.
- Examples: Dream City by Paul Klee and Kensington Gardens 1 by Rory McEwen.
Proportion: The feeling of unity created when all parts relate well with each other.
- Golden Section | Golden Ratio: A proportional ratio of $1:1.618$ . This ratio occurs in many natural objects and, when applied to art, produces results that appear naturalistic.
- Example: The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt.

Rhythm: Created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly.
- Simple Repetitive: Repetition achieved by using the same shape, color, size, value, line, or texture over and over again.
- Progressive Rhythm: This rhythm increases or decreases in frequency as the viewer's eyes move across the surface.
- Alternating: The intertwining of multiple rhythms.
- Examples: Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel, the Great Mosque of Cordoba, Artichoke Halved by Edward Weston, and Bai-ra-Irrai.
Variety: The use of several distinct elements of design to hold the viewer’s attention.
- Examples: Monogram by Robert Rauschenberg, Opulent October, Winter by Tom Thomson, and Visiting by Abram Arkhipov.
Unity: The feeling of harmony between all parts of the work, creating a sense of completeness.
- Compositional Unity: Organizing all visual aspects of a work.
- Conceptual Unity: The cohesive expression of ideas within a work of art.
- Gestalt Unity: Occurs when the whole seems greater than the sum of its parts; it is the result of compositional and conceptual unity working together.
- Examples: The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai, Vishnu Dreaming the Universe, Untitled (The Hotel Eden) by Joseph Cornell, and The Dove by Romare Bearden.

Responsiveness to the Topic (40%):
- Below 1 (10%): Student shows no clear involvement/participation.
- Approaching 2 (20%): Student lacks involvement/participation.
- Meeting 3 (30%): Student contributes ideas and points based on the provided prompt.
- Attained 4 (40%): Student carries out an engaging discussion with the instructor and co-learners.
Communication of Ideas (40%):
- Below 1 (10%): No relation to the required topic or prompt.
- Approaching 2 (20%): Unable to comprehend the prompt; provides unrelated and unclear ideas.
- Meeting 3 (30%): Understands the prompt and provides sufficient, adequate input.
- Attained 4 (40%): Provides clear, logical, and creative ideas or responses.
Grammar & Usage (20%):
- Below 1 (5%): Confusing grammar and word usage not at a college level.
- Approaching 2 (10%): Minimal command and knowledge of grammar rules, making ideas difficult to read.
- Meeting 3 (15%): Sufficient command allowing ideas and speech to be comprehensible.
- Attained 4 (20%): Excellent command and knowledge of rules; augments ideas with a distinct manner.

Ariola, M. M. (2018). Art appreciation: New general education curriculum compliant. Manila: Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing.
Caslib, B. N., Garing, D. C., & R., C. J. A. (2018). Art appreciation. Rex Book Store, Inc.
DeWitte, D. Larmann, R., Shields, M. K. (2015). Gateways to Art. Thames & Hudson.