Unit 4: How Art Works – The Principles of Visual Language
In this unit, we study the terms used to describe and analyze any work of art. We will explore the principles of design – how the artist arranges and orchestrates the elements they use. Just as spoken language is based on phonemes, syntax, and semantics, visual art is based on elements and principles that, when used together, create works that communicate ideas and meaning to the viewer. We can think of them as the building blocks of an artwork's composition – the organized layout of an image or object according to the principles of design.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- define and describe artistic elements and principles of design; and
- compare and contrast artworks from different cultures using the language of art.
4.1: The Basic Elements
When we consider art's formal aspect (materials, the methods used to work them, and their perceptual effects), we can distinguish the basic units (called elements) from the various principles used to combine elements. Elements proceed from the simple to the complex: from a point to a line, to a planar shape, to mass, to a figure or ground distinctions, and so on. In a given work of art, these fundamental formal units relate to one another on a second, higher level. Artists arrange them according to principles of design, such as balance, repetition, emphasis, unity, variety, and so on. The key point to understand here is that there is a fundamental conceptual distinction between simpler formal elements and the general rules or patterns for how they are combined, which we call the principles of design.
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When you put two or more points together, you create a line between them. Put more lyrically, a line is a point in motion. Read this text on the many different types of lines and their functions in art.
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Read this discussion of shape and how artists use shapes to articulate figure-ground relationships in artworks.
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Read this discussion of mass and its significance for two- and three-dimensional works of art.
4.2: Space, Value, Color, and Texture
In this section, we introduce the various kinds of space that artists represent in their works and the different techniques of perspective they use to create the illusion of space on a two-dimensional (2D) surface. Space is an intuitive concept in many ways – after all, we experience everything in some kind of space. In art, however, space is a construction built according to specific techniques and intentions. Space is also a cultural variable. Some cultural contexts are less interested in the accurate modeling of real space and more interested in psychological rendering.
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As you read this text, pay attention to the many ways we can articulate space in visual art.
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Read this discussion of value or the relative lightness or darkness of shape when you compare it with other elements in the work.
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In this article, we discover color theory, which artists use to guide the composition and combination of colors in art.
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Read this discussion of texture or the tactile sense we get from the surface of a shape or volume, such as smooth, rough, velvety, or prickly.
4.3: The Principles of Design
Now let's explore the artistic principles or how an artist arranges and orchestrates the elements in a work of art. These elements include visual balance, repetition, scale and proportion, emphasis, time and motion, unity, and variety.
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There are many aspects of the formal dimensions of art, what we often consider the rules of composition or the perceptual laws grounded in gestalt psychology. These general principles provide an analytical language and lens which we use to analyze art from any cultural origin. They are grounded in our perception and the materials of the chosen medium. Read this introduction.
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Read this article to get a sense of the three kinds of visual balance artists incorporate in their artworks: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial.
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Read this text which discusses the dual role repetition plays in art: artists use it to organize and plan the artistic elements and to create interest or command attention.
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Like repetition, the element of scale and proportion is a planning tool artists use to add an attractiveness that commands the attention of the viewer. Read this discussion.
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Read this text to see how artists use the element of emphasis to express the main idea of their artwork.
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One problem artists face when creating static (singular, fixed images) is how to imbue them with a sense of time and motion. Some traditional solutions to this problem employ the use of spatial relationships, especially perspective, and atmospheric perspective. Artists also use scale and proportion to show the passage of time or the illusion of depth and movement.
For example, as something recedes into the background, it becomes smaller in scale and lighter in value. Also, the same figure (or another form) repeated in different places within the same image gives the effect of movement and the passage of time. Read this explanation of time and motion. - View
An artwork is strongest when it expresses an overall unity in composition and form – a visual sense that all the parts fit together; that the whole is greater than its parts. Read this section to learn more.
- Make forum posts: 1
Search for two works of art from an online gallery. The first work should be two-dimensional, and the second should be three-dimensional. For each one, write four sentences that describe the elements present in the work using the Formalist Method. This method describes what you see in a totally objective way. Do not refer to any subject matter. Remember, be objective in your descriptions. An example might be "the work uses a majority of organic shapes" or "it uses the complementary colors yellow and violet for contrast".
Then, write one sentence describing your subjective reaction to each work. An example might be "the artwork has a chaotic feeling to it" or "looking at the work made me feel happy or lonely".
Click on Discussion Topic 5 to post your thoughts. After posting your response, you can leave a reply to the posts of your classmates as well.
Unit 4 Assessment
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.