Art

An Introduction

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The Elements of Art
how the artist has created the forms we see
two-dimensional arts
color, line, shape, texture, and shading
three-dimensional arts
mass, solids and voids, balance, and scale
composition
the arrangement of elements in a work of art
All works of art have an order of some sort
determined by the artist.
We can describe some compositions by referring
to a geometric figure.
The Elements of Art
illusionism
the illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional
surface
techniques
overlapping shapes, use of light-to-dark shading that models
or rounds out a shape, use of full linear perspective
perspective: a system by which three-dimensional space
can be convincingly portrayed on a two-dimensional surface
creates the illusion of three-dimensionality
through lines that seem to extend back in space
and meet at a single point known as the vanishing
point
based on elementary laws of optics
The Elements of Art
realism, naturalism, and idealism
realism and naturalism
describe how closely objects seen in a work of art resemble
those we experience in everyday life
realism: suggests a precise copying of the actual appearance
of objects, warts and all
naturalism: a way of depicting objects as they might exist
implies a certain amount of improvement of the actual
appearance
idealism
refers to a perfected, or idealized, view of
nature
shows the subjects in flattering ways
The Elements of Art
abstraction
Abstract art usually begins with a recognizable object, that the
artist then simplifies to show some purer underlying form.
Nonobjective art goes a step further and removes any
references to recognizable objects.
expression
Clashing colors or rough brushstrokes often convey violent
emotions.
Gentle curves and subdued colors can elicit
quieter emotions.
The artist chooses an expressive style
appropriate for the subject matter, genre, or
setting of the piece.
The Elements of Art
style
the artists personal style
The works produced by an individual artist usually have in
common distinctive and identifiable visual qualities.
the style of a period
subject matter
Even when we recognize a works subject matter, further
interpretation by experts often reveals additional messages
about the work or the artists time.
The Artists Medium
medium: comes from the Latin word medium
(the means by which an artist communicates his
idea)
the materials used by an artist to interpret his
feelings or thoughts
classifications of arts
visual arts: mediums can be seen and which
occupy space
two-dimensional arts: painting, drawing,
printmaking, and photography
three-dimensional arts: sculpture, architecture,
landscape, community planning, industrial
designs, and crafts like ceramics and furniture
The Artists Medium
auditory arts: mediums can be heard and
which are expressed in time
music and literature
combined arts: mediums can be both seen
and heard and which exist in both space and
time
dance, opera, drama, and film
technique: the manner in which the artist
controls his medium to achieve the desired effect
the ability with which the artist fulfills the
technical requirements of his work of art
the way the artist manipulates his medium to express
his ideas in the artwork
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
painting the art of creating meaningful
effects on a flat surface by the
use of pigments
watercolor: provides
simple and clear
spontaneity; uses the
painting technique
gouache
fresco: a painting
method done on a moist
plaster surface with
colors ground in water or
a limewater mixture
tempera: a method of
painting in which the
pigment is carried in an
egg, casein, gum, or
glycerine solution in
water; has luminous
tone
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
painting pastel: a stick of dried
paste made of pigment
ground with chalk and
compounded with gum
water
encaustic: done by
having pigments mixed
with wax applied to a
surface by heat
oil: the heaviest of
painting mediums;
pigments are mixed with
linseed oil and applied to
the canvas; one good
quality is its flexibility;
applies paint in glazes,
washes, blobs, trickles,
spray, or impasto
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
painting
mosaic work of art of surface
decorations; most frequently
found on floors and wall and
ceiling surfaces; may also be
applied to sculptures, panels,
and other objects; an
acrylic: synthetic paint
mixed with acrylic
emulsion as binder for
coating the surface of
the artwork; mostly
soluble in water, dry
quicker than oil paint,
are waterproof when
dry, and remain slightly
flexible, but lack the
translucency of natural
substances
colored small pieces of
glass, stone, ceramics, or
other materials; uses
tesserae to create an
image
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
mosaic important feature of Byzantine
churches
stained glass windows composed of small small pieces of colored
panels of dyed and painted glass
glass, held in strips of cast lead
and mounted in a metal
framework; achieved its zenith
in Gothic building
tapestry a handwoven textile or cloth colored threads upon a
weave, typically decorated warp
with figures, and used as a wall
hanging, curtain, carpet, or
furniture covering
drawing delineation of form upon a pencil: the most
surface, usually a plane, by common medium for
means of lines and tints or drawing; leads (graphite)
shading; the most fundamental are graded in different
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
drawing of all skills necessary in arts; degrees of hardness or
considered a very good training softness
for artists ink: colored liquid
charcoal: a black or dark
gray form of carbon,
produced by heating
wood or another organic
substance in an enclosed
space without air; used
in representing broad
masses of light and
shadow; soft charcoal
produces the darkest
value while the hardest
charcoal produces the
lightest tone
bistre: a brown pigment
extracted from the soot
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
drawing
printmaking print: anything printed on a
surface that is a direct result
of wood and often used
in pen and wash
drawings
crayons: pigments
bound by wax and
compressed into painted
sticks; adhere better on
paper surface; the trois
crayons technique
silverpoint: a drawing
instrument, consisting of
silver wire encased in a
holder, used on paper
that is prepared with
opaque white
reproduced through
printing
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
printmaking from the duplication process;
multiple copies of the original
drawing can be produced
lithography a printing process using a plate
on which only the image to be
printed takes up ink --- the area
that is not to be printed is
treated to repel ink
sculpture the creation of a three-
dimensional work of art,
especially by carving,
modeling, or casting
drawing of design using
a greasy crayon or pencil
on a slab of special
limestone or a zinc plate
fixed with an acid
solution
stone: the hard and
brittle substance formed
from mineral and earth
material; the finished
product is granular and
dull in appearance;
includes sandstone,
granite, basalt, marble,
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
sculpture and limestone
jade: a fine stone,
usually colored green,
and used widely in
ancient China; an
ornamental stone for
carving and fashion
jewelry
ivory: a hard cream-
colored substance
dentine that forms the
tusks of animals such as
the elephant, walrus,
and sperm whale and
was formerly used to
carve small decorative
objects
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
sculpture metal: a chemical
element that is
malleable and ductile,
usually solid, has a
characteristic luster, and
is a good conductor of
heat and electricity; can
be shaped or deformed
under great pressure
without breaking;
includes gold, silver,
copper, bronze, brass,
lead, and aluminum
plaster: a mixture of
lime, sand, and water
that is applied as a liquid
paste to the ceilings and
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
sculpture internal walls of a
building and dries to a
hard surface; used in
making manikins,
models, molds,
architectural
decorations, and other
indoor sculpture
clay: a fine-grained
material consisting
mainly of hydrated
aluminum silicates that
occurs naturally in soil
and sedimentary rock;
used for making bricks
and ceramics; the terra-
cotta is fired
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
sculpture earthenware of a gray,
buff, or reddish color
glass: hard, brittle, non-
crystalline, more or less
transparent substances
produced by fusion,
usually consisting of
mutually dissolved silica
and silicates and
contains soda and lime;
used to make beautiful
but fragile figurines
wood: a hard fibrous
substance that chiefly
composes trees and
bushes and is found
beneath their bark;
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
sculpture
architecture the art of designing a building
and supervising its
construction; the procedure
assisted with the conception of
an idea and its realization in
terms of building materials
includes dapdap, white
lauan, oak, walnut,
mahogany, narra, and
dao; selected for
aesthetic purposes and
permanence
materials in nature
stone: one of the oldest
and perhaps the most
permanent building
material; includes
limestone, granite,
marble, and sandstone
wood: popular for its
abundance, relative
durability, and high
tensile and compression
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
architecture strength
materials manufactured
by man
ceramics: bricks, tiles,
terra-cotta, and glass
metals: bronze, wrought
iron, copper, chrome-
nickel steel, aluminum,
monel metal, and nickel
silvers
concrete materials:
smooth, hard,
permanent, light, and
durable
plastics: may be sowed,
cut, bent, drilled,
treaded, molded, cast,
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
architecture extruded, and laminated
indigenous materials
sawali: from the outer
covering of bamboo
poles, woven into mats
and ideal for cement
backing
coco coir: a by-product
of coconut used to
minimize the use of
cement and as sandwich
panels for insulation
bagasse: a sugarcane
waste used for insulation
or cement backing
abaca: a fiber material
from the leafstalk of a
 Mediums of the Visual Arts
architecture banana plant
bamboo: has low degree
of elasticity, low
concrete adhesion, and
wide variable moisture
content; used as
reinforcement to
concrete
palm frond stems: used
for non-structural
panels, walls, screens,
and bases of houses
mud bricks: brittle, have
less strength, cannot
stand up well to tension,
and have low thermal
conductivity
 Mediums of the Performing Arts
music sounds, usually vocal music: the oldest
produced by and most natural form
instruments or voices, of music
that are arranged or correct posture
played in order to correct breathing
create an effect correct placement of
the voice
correct diction
correct interpretation
instrumental music
string instruments or
chordophones: musical
instruments in which
bowing or plucking
causes the vibration of a
string or strings tightly
 Mediums of the Performing Arts
music stretched across a
soundboard; guitar,
violin, viola, cello, string
bass
wind instruments:
musical instruments
that are sounded by an
airflow (the performer's
breath) to make a
column of air vibrate
within a vented tube
that resonates
(intensifies and
prolongs sound);
brasses: trumpet,
French horn, trombone,
 Mediums of the Performing Arts
music tuba; woodwinds:
piccolo, flute, clarinet,
saxophone, oboe,
English horn, bass
clarinet, bassoon,
contrabassoon
percussion
instruments: musical
instruments that are hit
to produce sound; snare
drum, bass drum,
cymbals, triangle
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
realism
an attempt to describe human behavior and surroundings or to
represent figures and objects exactly as they act or appear in life
concerned directly with what is absorbed by the senses
ugly objects or figures are represented
frequently used to describe scenes of humble life
implies a criticism of social conditions
goal: the faithful rendering of the objective reality
of human life
 Methods of Art Production
and Presentation

realism began in the mid-19th Gustave Courbet

century Honor Daumier
Jean Franois Millet
Gustave Flaubert
Guy de Maupassant
Anton Chekhov
George Eliot
Mark Twain
William Dean Howells
Henry James
The Gleaners
(1857)
by Jean Franois
Millet
a member of the
Barbizon School
of landscape
artists
captured the
poverty and
dignity of rural
French life
The human side
of art is what
touches me
most.
The Gross Clinic
(1875)
by Thomas Eakins
represented the
experience of
American life
Dr. Samuel D.
Gross
from Jefferson
Medical College
The Emperor of
American
Surgery
with Dr. James
M. Barton, Dr.
Charles S.
Briggs, Dr.
Daniel M. Appel,
Dr. W. Joseph
Hearn, and Dr.
Franklin West
Mark Twain
(1835-1910)
Samuel Langhorne
Clemens
The Adventures of
Tom Sawyer and
The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn
known for realism
of place and
language,
memorable
characters, and
hatred of hypocrisy
and oppression
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
abstraction
uses forms having no direct reference to external or perceived
reality; usually synonymous with various types of 20th century
avant-garde art
nonrepresentational: not aiming to depict an object but
composed with the focus on internal structure and form
abstract: refers to images that have been abstracted or derived
from nature, but which in the process have been considerably
altered or have been simplified to their basic geometric or
biomorphic forms
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
abstraction
Abstract subjects can be presented through:
distortion: the subject is in misshapen condition or the
regular shape is twisted
elongation: the lengthening of a subject (protraction or
extension)
mangling: subjects or objects are cut, lacerated, mutilated, or
hacked with repeated blows
cubism: creates an ambiguous sense of space
through geometric shapes that flatten and
simplify form, spatial planes that are broken
into fragments, and forms that overlap and
penetrate one another
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
cubism: through the use of a cone, cylinder, or sphere at the
expense of other pictorial elements; shows forms in their basic
geometrical shapes
abstract expressionism: primarily concerned with the
spontaneous assertion of the individual through the act of
painting
contains a variety of styles and is characterized more by the
concepts behind the art than by a specific look
without recognizable images and does not adhere to the
limits of conventional form
characterized by great verve, the use of
large canvases, and a deliberate lack of
refinement in the application of the paint
 Methods of Art Production
and Presentation

abstraction 20th century Pablo Picasso

Georges Braque
Wassily Kandinsky
Max Ernst
Marcel Duchamp
Marc Chagall
Yves Tanguy
Arshile Gorky
Hans Hofmann
Jackson Pollock
Black and White
(1948)
by Jackson Pollock
developed a
technique for
applying paint by
pouring or
dripping it onto
canvases laid on
the floor
as abstract
expressionist:
emphasized the
spontaneous
gestures of the
artist
Les Demoiselles
d'Avignon
(1907)
by Pablo Picasso
the greatest artist
of the 20th century
pioneered the
modern art
movement called
cubism
invented collage
as an artistic
technique
developed
assemblage in
sculpture
a composition of
fragmented planes
and jagged forms
The Three Musicians
(1921)

by Pablo Picasso
used figures from
the circus and the
theater
features two
characters from
Italian Commedia
Dellarte theater
Harlequin in the
diamond-
patterned
costume and
Pierrot in white
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
symbolism
an international ideological trend that served as a catalyst in the
development away from representation in art and toward
abstraction
encourages artists to express their ideas, feelings, and values by
means of symbols or suggestions rather than by direct
statements
imagination: the true interpreter of reality
the use of certain pictorial conventions (pose,
gesture, or a repertoire of attributes) to express a
latent allegorical meaning in a work of art
 Methods of Art Production
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symbolism late 19th century in Edgar Allan Poe

France Grard de Nerval
Charles Baudelaire
Stphane Mallarm
Paul Verlaine
Arthur Rimbaud
Vincent van Gogh
Les fleurs du mal
(1857)

by Charles
Baudelaire
a master of the
sonnet form and
a brilliant literary
critic
a collection of erotic
and decadent
poems
The Torture of
Prometheus
(1868)
by Gustave Moreau
painted many
literary and
mythological
subjects in a
highly imaginative
manner
used rich
Oriental color
harmonies
the Greek god
Prometheus
chained to a rock
while a vulture
preys on him
 The Raven
(1845)

by Edgar Allan Poe

the first master of
the short story
form
the originator of
the modern
detective story
a pioneer in the
field of mystery
writing
poetry: captured
the imagination
with their dark
imagery and
fascination with
the macabre
the raven as a
symbol of death
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
fauvism
a relatively short-lived movement in French painting (from about
1898 to about 1908) that revolutionized the concept of color in
modern art
rejected the impressionist palette of soft, shimmering tones in
favor of the violent colors used by the postimpressionists for
expressive emphasis
achieved a poetic energy through vigorous line, simplified yet
dramatic surface pattern, and intense color
fauves: known for their use of distorted
perspectives, vivid colors, and unrestrained
brushwork
 Methods of Art Production
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fauvism from about 1898 to Paul Gauguin

about 1908 in France Vincent van Gogh
Andr Derain
Maurice de Vlaminck
Raoul Dufy
Georges Braque
Henri Manguin
Albert Marquet
Jean Puy
Emile Othon Friesz
Henri Matisse
 Red Room
(Harmony in Red)
(1908-1909)

by Henri Matisse
one of the great
formative figures
in 20th century art
a master of the
use of color and
form to convey
emotional
expression
process of
creation: constantly
checking his own
reactions to the
piece unfolding
before him as he
worked
London Bridge
(1906)

by Andr Derain
created simplified
yet dramatic
designs using
unnaturally
brilliant colors to
convey a sense
of emotion
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
dadaism
early 20th century art movement whose members sought to ridicule
the culture of their time through deliberately absurd performances,
poetry, and visual art
embraced the extraordinary, the irrational, and the contradictory
largely in reaction to the unprecedented and incomprehensible
brutality of World War I (1914-1918)
driven in part by a belief that deep-seated European values were
implicated in the horrors of the war
political motivation: to ridicule culture, reason,
technology, even art
often described as nihilistic
considered an affirmation of life in the face of death
 Methods of Art Production
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dadaism early 20th century Marcel Duchamp

Francis Picabia
Tristan Tzara
Man Ray
Parade Amoureuse
(1917)

by Francis Picabia
best works: witty
portraits
resembling
drawings of
machinery
displays Picabias
fascination with
mechanical
objects
suggests a
somewhat
mysterious coupling
of two machines
Bicycle Wheel
(1913)
by Marcel Duchamp
changed the
course of
modern art
a bicycle wheel
turned upside down
and mounted on a
kitchen stool
ready-mades:
ordinary objects
that are turned
into objects of art
by changing their
context and
exhibiting them
as sculpture
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
futurism
early 20th century movement in art that pointedly rejected all
traditions and attempted instead to glorify contemporary life,
mainly by emphasizing its two dominant themes, the machine
and motion
captured the speed and force of modern industrial society
futurist worship of the machine: survived as a fundamental part
of Fascist doctrine
subjects: automobiles, motorcycles, and
railroad trains --- express the explosive vitality
of a modern city
 Methods of Art Production
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futurism early 20th century Filippo Tommaso Marinetti

Giacomo Balla
Umberto Boccioni
Carlo Carr
Luigi Russolo
Gino Severini
 Unique Forms of
Continuity in Space
(1913)

by Umberto
Boccioni
wrote the
Technical
Manifesto of
Futuristic
Painting (1910)
sculpture:
illustrated the
interaction of a
moving object
with the space
that surrounded it
shows how a
human body
interacts with its
environment as it
moves
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
surrealism
artistic and literary movement that explored and celebrated the
realm of dreams and the unconscious mind through the creation of
visual art, poetry, and motion pictures
the invention of new artistic techniques that tapped into the
artists unconscious mind
art: weapon against evil and restrictions that surrealists see in
society
influenced by the Freudian psychology that
emphasizes the activities of the subconscious state
of mind
subjects: show what is inside mans mind and the
appearance of his outside world
 Methods of Art Production
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surrealism launched in Paris, Andr Breton

France in 1924 Louis Aragon
Paul luard
Salvador Dal
The Persistence
of Memory
(1931)
by Salvador Dal
his enormous
talent for self-
publicity made
him an
international
celebrity
imagery: often
came directly
from his own
dreams
hand-painted
dream
photographs
based on an image
from Hieronymus
Boschs The Garden
of Earthly Delights
The Uncertainty
of the Poet
(1913)

by Giorgio de
Chirico
founder of the
metaphysical
school
filled with
dreamlike imagery
Methods of Art Production
and Presentation
expressionism
a movement or tendency that strives to express subjective feelings
and emotions rather than to depict reality or nature objectively
a reaction against the academic standards that had prevailed in
Europe since the Renaissance (1300-1600)
artist: tries to present an emotional experience in its most
compelling form
not concerned with reality as it appears but with its inner nature
and with the emotions aroused by the subject
subject: frequently caricatured, exaggerated,
distorted, or otherwise altered in order to stress
the emotional experience in its most intense and
concentrated form
 Methods of Art Production
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expressionism late 19th and early 20th Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

centuries Erich Heckel
Karl Schmidt-Rottluff
Emil Nolde
Max Pechstein
Otto Mller
Mark Rothko
Willem de Kooning
Franz Kline
Jackson Pollock
Auguste Rodin
Berlin Street Scene
(1913)

by Ernst Ludwig
Kirchner
a founding
member of the
expressionist
group Die
Brcke
one of a series of
street scenes done
by Kirchner (1912-
1913)
with vivid colors and
emotional content
with distinctive
brushwork and
flattened space
The Scream
(1893)

by Edvard Munch
known for
brooding,
anguished
paintings and
graphic works
portrayed the
inner turmoil of
his subjects
with sinuous forms,
violent colors, and
screaming subject
Still Life, Tulips
(1930)

by Emil Nolde
a member of Die
Brcke
known for his
brilliant colors
both in oil
paintings and in
watercolors
 Sources:
Ariola, Mariano M. Introduction to Art Appreciation:
A Textbook in Humanities. 2nd ed. Quezon City: C &
E Publishing, Inc., 2014. Print.
Lewis, Richard, and Susan I. Lewis. The Power of
Art. 3rd ed. United States of America: Wadsworth
CENGAGE Learning, 2014. Print.
Microsoft Encarta 2006. 1993-2005 Microsoft
Corporation.