UNIT 2_ELEMENTS TO CREATE PICTURES

2.1. POINT (DOT)

The dot is the smallest and most simple element in art
expression. Its first target is to indicate a position since
it doesn’t follow any direction. It may have different
qualities such as size, shape and colour.

Since the point has a limited capacity to represent images and

express ideas and emotions, we can use other visual effects:
❖ Dots gathering (concentration): When several dots are
put together too close to each other they are perceived as colour
spots.

❖ Dots dispersion (spreading): When several dots are

dispersed from each other it’s possible to see the background and
transmit lightness.

❖ Optical mix: When points with different

colours are combined, they are mixed with help of distance. The optical mix
was used first by the pointillists at the beginning of the 20th century. They used
a huge number of points of different pure colours which are mixed on the
observer’s brain.

Eiffel Tower
Georges Seurat
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blue+yellow=green blue+red=purple red+yellow=orange

FROM ANCIENT MOSAICS TO COMPUTER BITMAPS AND PIXELS

Mosaic is an artistic technique consisting in creating

images assembling small pieces of coloured glass,
stone or other materials. We can consider mosaics as
dotted images. Most mosaics are made of small, flat
and square pieces of different colours, known as
tesserae. Mosaics are also made by modern artists.

Roman mosaic and detail

Bitmaps are computer images composed by little tiny square

dots, which are called pixels. Depending on the size of the pixels
images have higher or lower resolution (smaller pixels, higher
resolution). Resolution is usually measured in “Pixels per inch”
(ppi). A good quality or resolution for regular computer screens
is 72 ppi, while a good resolution for printing is 300 ppi.

1 Bitmap image and detail

 2.2. LINE
Line can be defined as a dot in movement. It has position and
direction in the space and one of its principal function consists on
marking the shapes’ outlines.

The expressive capacity of a line is appropriate to describe any

A line is a succession of points, as you
can see on this picture.
form with precision and to transmit ideas and emotions. They are
also used to create visual textures.
The form, thickness, colour and texture of a line depend on the
materials and the way they are used.

Lines can be drawn in different directions: vertical,

horizontal and inclined. They all have a different
expressive value:
➢ Horizontal lines: horizontal direction produces a
visual sensation of stability, calmness and peace, but
an excessive use of these lines can be monotonous.

Wheatfiel Under Thunderclouds, Vincent Van Gogh

The predominance of horizontality gives the sensation
of stability and calmness

➢ Vertical lines: vertical direction shows an upward or downward

movement. It produces a visual sensation of growth elevation and equilibrium.

Flat Iron Building Anastasia Mak

En esta pintura predomina la línea vertical dirigiendo nuestra
mirada hacia la parte superior del cuadro

➢ Oblique or inclined lines: inclined direction transmits the

biggest grade of instability and movement. These two
aspects give inclined lines a visual sensation of dynamism

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The Revolt, Luigi Russolo
Oblique lines give the sensation of
instability and movement

There are different kinds of lines:

• Sensitive line: It is possible to modulate lines, to change their
characteristics depending on the importance and purpose of the line. An
intense line will look closer than a diffused line.

• Simple lines: they are made up of only one stroke, straight or

curved. They are perceived directly by only one look.

• Crooked: made up of fragments of straight lines.

• Wavy: made up of fragments of curved lines.

• Mixed or compound: made up of fragments of straight and

curved lines.

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 2.3. PLANE / STAIN / SHAPE

Plane, shape or stain is a two-dimensional surface with

colour or texture different to what surrounds it. Plane has
height and width but not depth. It has position and
direction on the space.
One of the main goals of the plane consists on creating
volume when several flat shapes get together in different
directions.
Boats In Valencia, Joaquín Sorolla
On this painting, elements as the sea, beach, boats and sails,
sky and clouds…, are made up combining different stains.

There are flat organic shapes, which

follow natural principles and can take
countless appearances.

There are flat geometric shapes, which

follow mathematical principles. They show
regularity and order. In visual arts there are
three main basic geometric shapes: circle,
Flat organic shapes and flat geometric shapes square and triangle.

The contour is the outline of a figure or body; the edge or line that
defines or bounds a shape or object.

The contained space is inner part of an object or shape in an image.

The silhouette is a drawing consisting of the outline of something,

especially a human profile, filled in with a solid colour, usually black.
Contour, contained space and silhouette

There are different ways to describe the limits of a plane:

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Using a contour Using different textures Using different colours

2.4. TEXTURE
Texture is the visual and tactile quality of the surfaces due to the material.
Depending on their origin, textures can be:
➢ Natural: Those that can be found in nature, created without the influence
of the human being.

➢ Artificial: Those which are created by the human being manually or

mechanically, and often can imitate natural textures or use natural materials.
They are used to decorate or give a particular appearance to objects.

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 Depending on the sense by which we perceive them, textures can be:
• Tactile: Those that can be
perceived through the sense of touch.
They can also be perceived by the sight,
but they have a relief because of the
material, so these textures have three
dimensions.

Epigraphic decoration with relief Embroidered fabric with relief

on the Alhambra walls.

• Visual: Those which can only be perceived

through the sense of sight, because don’t have a
relieve, but they can imitate it, so these textures have
two dimensions, they are also called graphic textures.

Young Hare, Albrecht Dürer

Paintings usually have visual or graphic textures
that imitates the tactile textures from the reality. Fabric on this printed
shirt has a visual texture.

TO DO ON YOUR SKETCHBOOK

1. Landscape with points and lines: Use a pencil to draw a landscape on a paper from your
sketchbook (do not press the pencil). Then, use coloured markers to do different kinds of points
and lines to colour the picture. Do not highlight the contours of the shapes.

2. Frottage and collage: You are going to transform tactile textures to visual textures. To do it, you
need 4 sheets of white paper and put everyone on different surfaces with tactile texture (relief)
then, rub a coloured pencil on every texture. You can obtain just one texture on every paper (filling
the complete surface) or get different textures in one paper, but always filling 4 complete papers
(this technique is called “frottage”). Bring your textures to class and there, you will work in a group

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to do a big collage using everyone’s textures, so you will also need scissors and glue stick.

VOCABULARY