PRINCIPLES OF ART

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PRINCIPLES OF ART
Joseph Stella 1913 Battle of lights / Coney
Island Oil
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PRINCIPLES OF ART
Elizabeth Murray Things to Come Oil 1988
Balance Emphasis Harmony Variety Gradation Moveme
nt Rhythm Proportion Unity
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Artists design their works by controlling
and ordering the elements of art in some way.
When trying to combine these different elements
into an organized whole, they use certain
principles or guidelines. A unified piece of art
is a skillful blend of elements and principles to
produce the best possible effect. The
principles or art then describe the different
ways artists can use each element. Learning the
principles will help you understand the art work
and the way, or style an artist chooses to work,
and most importantly, how the art work is put
together.
Julio Larraz Papiamento 1987 Oil
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Balance
Balance refers to a way of combining elements to
add a feeling of equilibrium, or stability to a
work of art. Of course, sometimes an artist will
use a lack of balance on purpose to create a
feeling of uneasiness. There are four types of
balance, also known as composition. These four
are Classical or Renaissance, Symmetrical
Asymmetrical, and Radial. Balance is the
principle of art concerned with equalizing visual
forces or elements in a work of art.
Radial Balance occurs when objects are positioned
around a central point.
Stained Glass Rose Window, Chartes Cathedral 1153
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Symmetrical balance means a formal balance in
which two halves of a work are perfectly balanced.
Georgia OKeefe Late George Window 1929 Oil
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Asymmetrical balance is more informal and takes
into account such qualities such as hue,
intensity, and value in addition to shape and
size. All these qualities have an effect on the
apparent weight of objects shown in a work of art
.
Mary Cassat The Tea 1880 Oil
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Classical or Renaissance
During the Renaissancemost compositions were
based on a triangular design, or a combination of
triangles.
Leonardo Da Vinci Virgin of the Rocks.
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Emphasis
Emphasis, or contrast is a way of combining
elements to stress the differences between those
elements .Contrasting elements are often used to
direct and focus the viewers attention on the
most important part of a design. Artists try to
avoid making art in which the same colors,
values, lines shapes, forms, textures, and space
relationships are used over and over again, They
know that such art works are monotonous and
boring. To avoid this artists introduce
contrasts that create interest in their work.
Emphasis is the principle of are that makes one
part dominant over the other parts
Cecila Beuax. Ethel Page. 1884 Oil
Notice how the artist has used color and value to
create emphasis.
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Harmony
Harmony is the principle of art that creates
unity by stressing the similarities of separate,
but related parts. In musical harmony, related
tones are combined into blended sounds. Harmony
is pleasing because the tones compliment each
other. In visual harmony, related art elements
are combined. The result is pleasing because the
elements compliment each other. Used in certain
ways, color can produce harmony in a work of art.
Wassily Kandinsky Improvisation 28 1912 oil
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Variety
Variety is a way of combining elements to create
interesting relationships. Artists use this
principle when they want to increase the visual
interests of their works. Variety is the
principle of art concerned with difference or
contrast. Note the different contrast of
patterns, and textures in the painting by Max
Weber.
Max Weber Chinese Restaurant 1915 oil
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Gradation
Gradation refers to a way of combining elements
by using a series of gradual changes in those
elementsfor example a gradual change from a
large to a small shape, or a gradual change of a
light to a dark color.
Antonio Ruiz School Children 1936 oil
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Movement
Movement is the principle or art used to create
the look and feel of action, and to guide the
viewers eye throughout the work of art. Of
course, in a two dimensional artwork, any look of
motion is only an illusion. A horse shown
galloping gives only the impression of movement.
There are some three dimensional artworks, or
sculptures that actually do move.
Marcel Duchamp Nude descending a Staircase. 1912
Oil
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Rhythm
Artists use rhythm in a work of art to convey
feelings and ideas. Rhythm, which can be
comforting and predictable, can be monotonous,
symbolic, or graceful, depending on how the
artist chose to use rhythm . Rhythm can also
create visual movement, As in Marcel Duchamps
Nude Descending the Staircase.
In this print, Escher creates a progressive
rhythm of reptiles climbing out of a flat drawing
and evolving into fully formed creatures, the
reptiles the re-enter the two dimensional drawing.
M.C. Escher Reptiles 1943 Lithograph
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Proportion
Proportion is the principle of art concerned
with the size relationships of one part to
another. Proportion can direct the viewers eye to
a specific area or object in an artwork. For
example, proportion is used to show the
importance of a king.
Nigeria King with Servants 16th century Bronze
Diego Rivera Building of a City 1931Fresco
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Unity
In art, unity is the quality of wholeness or
oneness that is achieved through the effective
use of the elements and principles of art .
Unity is like an invisible glue, it joins all the
separate parts so that they look as if they
belong together.
Jasper Johns map of the United States could be
pulled apart, but it is unified by the harmonious
limited color palette, or color choice.
Jasper Johns, Map, 1961