Thursday 12 April 2012

rhythm


Rhythm in art is quite difficult to explain, it is created through repetition of brush stroke, line, shape colour or pattern and is used as a means to guide the viewers eye through the work.

Rhythm is created here through repetition of  the men walking, the manikins and the lines  of the stairs being mimicked by the lines of the swimming costume ?


 
Gorenstien, A.[2005]. Walking.[online image]. Grant Gallery. Available from: http://grantgallery.com/new/artists_menu.php?artist=alexander [Accessed 2 April 2012]


Hyder uses repetition of shape, colour and theme to create rhythm.


 
Hyder, F. [unknown]. The Rhythmn Series.[online image]. Manson Murer. Available from: http://masonmurer.info/frank-hyder [Accessed 10 April 2012]

size & proportion

Proportion deals with the relationship between objects /elements on the bases of scale. A balanced and in proportion landscape would have the mountains bigger than the trees if these elements were in close proximity to each other. In essence it makes the work believable and allows the viewer to make sense of what’s in front of them.  One of the most famous studies of proportion in art is da Vinci vitruvian man in which he details the proportions of the human body.

 da Vinci, L. 1490. Vitruvian Man. [online image]. Stanford University. Available from : http://leonardodavinci.stanford.edu/submissions/clabaugh/history/leonardo.html [Accessed 19 March 2012]



Bierstadt, A.1867.  Emigrants Crossing The Plains.[online image]. National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Available from: http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/education/lesson-plans/Emigrants/Emigrants.aspx [Accessed 16 April 2012]


The above painting gives a great view of proportion at work, the cattle and person in foreground are in proportion to each other which then gives us the scale of the trees. The wagon and horse riders are not only in proportion to the trees but also the mountain range in the distance; this also allows us to judge the mass and volume of the elements within the painting.

There are occasions when the artist will deliberately have an element out of proportion to add emphasis and draw attention to it. The Scream by Gerald Scarfe uses this principle to great effect by having the mouth much larger than it would normally be. 

 Scarfe, G. [unknown]. The Scream.[online image]. Gerald Scarfe Official Website. Available from: http://www.geraldscarfe.com/shop/pink-floyd-prints/pink-floyd-the-wall-the-scream/ [Accessed 19 March 2012]

unity & harmony


Unity and Harmony
Harmony can best be described as the painting being in tune and is often achieved through the correct use of colour.
A quote attributed to Cezanne states “When paintings are done right, harmony appears by itself. The more numerous and varied they are, the more the effect is obtained and agreeable to the eye”
To me that statement is saying that harmony is achieved through the artist’s skill and knowledge, to achieve the desired effect there also has to be variety – not only in colour but also in differing elements – to prevent the painting becoming monotonous, but as a whole it must make sense.
The line between Harmony and Unity is quite blurred; unity can be achieved through repetition of brush stroke, colour value, I think it is about ensuring there is no conflict in the work as a whole. This would also extend to poster design, web design and, advertising campaigns where fonts, colours and graphics would have to relate not only to be visually pleasing but also to ensure the correct message is being given. I would also say that use of conflicting elements could be used to create a powerful visual impact, depicting a lion in the Serengeti would be the norm, putting the same lion on a swing in Hyde Park would draw more attention.
A great example of unity and harmony can be seen in the painting Starry Night by Vincent van Gough, created through colour, brush stroke and shape.



Van Gough, V. 1889. Starry Night. [online image]. Van Gough Gallery. Available from: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/508/Starry-Night.html [Accessed 2 April 2012]


Balance



Balance is the principal of arranging the elements in a manner that brings a feeling of stability to the work. A composition can contain portions whereby they are looked upon as having measurable weight or dominance and can be arranged in such a manner as to appear in or out of balance.
There are three main types of balance in art:

Symmetrical - Formal: regarded as the most visually stable and recognizable by a mirrored – or near mirrored - compositional design, which can relate to either sides of the horizontal or vertical axis of the picture plane or indeed both. 

 A stunning example of symmetrical balance is Raphael Sanzio The School of Athens
Fresco, 1509-1510.



Raphael, S. 1509. The School of Athens.[online image]. Available from: http://allart.biz/photos/image/Raphael_41_The_School_of_Athens.html [Accessed 28 March 2012]



On a more personal note and from a country I would dearly love to visit, beautiful examples of symmetrical balance can be seen in Tibetan Scrolls. It is difficult to reference because the artist and dates of both examples are unknown.


[unkown].[700BC ?]. Thangka Tibetan Scrolls. [online image]. Available from: http://www.china-cts.net/web/tibettravel/Html/2006329114651-1-1.html [Accessed 28 March 2012]

Asymmetrical – Informal: in simple terms this is the exact opposite of symmetrical; the sides of the composition do not mirror each other. Care has to be taken with this style of design to prevent the differing sides from destroying the overall harmony of the work. Asymmetrical balance is often referred to as being more dynamic due to the variety of elements used.

Kandinsky, W. 1923. Black and Violet.[online image]. Available from: http://www.wassilykandinsky.net/work-234.php [Accessed 28 March 2012]







Kandinsky, W. 1925. Yellow-Red-Blue. [online image]. Available from: http://www.wassilykandinsky.net/work-52.php [Accessed 28 March 2012]

Composition


Composition.
The formula for composition could read ‘composition = ancient Greek maths’ as when researching the subject the “Golden” formula of phi is ever present; the golden ratio, the golden rectangle, the golden triangle, the golden mean, all based on phi.



 Creative Automation. 2011. The Golden Ratio (section). [online image]. Available from: http://www.creativeautomaton.com/designforbusiness/the-golden-ratio-a-brief-on-design/  [Accessed 28 March 2012]


Leonardo da Vinci introduced the divine proportions/golden ratio to art although Luca Pacioli wrote the book De Divina Proportione which was illustrated by da Vinci. As da Vinci is credited with introducing the golden ratio into art examples of his work are often used to demonstrate the principle; the Mona Lisa being a favourite.

example image used is from ThinkQuest.[unknown].The Beauty of the Golden Ratio.[online image]. Available from: http://library.thinkquest.org/trio/TTQ05063/phibeauty3.htm [Accessed 28 March 2012]




The golden rectangle is used extensively throughout the painting, with her face fitting perfectly into one, indeed the dimensions of the painting are exact as well which makes me ask the question “ how true to life is Mona Lisa”. One thing that is without question is that the golden ratio has been used in paintings down the centauries. The French artist George Seurat of Pointillism fame was said to have "attacked every canvas by the golden section."

modified image showing golden sections.



Seurat, G. 1884. Bathing at Asnieres. [online image]. Available from: http://www.georgesseurat.org/Bathing-At-Asnieres-1884.html  [Accessed 28 March 2012]







When researching composition or indeed any other subject the brain can become overloaded, two sites I found which give a clear insight to composition are Dominique Amendola’s site in which she gives good examples of good and bad composition and a helpful check list of questions to ask ourselves.
Is there one dominant object?
Is the eye lead through the picture to the centre of interest?
Is the eye kept in the picture and not lead right out of it?
Is the centre of interest in a good position?
Does the greatest tonal range appear at the centre of interest?
Are travelling objects actually moving in the picture and not blocked by the side of the picture?
Is the whole of the composition in balance?



Amendola, D. 2009. About Good Composition in Painting. [online]. Available from: http://dominiqueamendola.com/blogs/about-good-composition-painting-dominique-amendola  [Accessed 28 March 2012]





The other is an article written by Philip Straub for CG Society which once again is very clear and concise and gives good examples.
 Straub, P. 2005. Composition. [online]. Available from: http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/CGSFeatures/CGSFeatureSpecial/phil_straub_composition_tutorial 
[Accessed 28 March 2012]

As well as covering the golden ratio and the more modern day rule of thirds, he also moves onto other forms of composition such as implied forms which are implied lines that help hold a painting together.
Examples of this are:
Circular

The ‘L’


The Iconic


As for why we seem to find the golden rectangle the most visually pleasing, inan article for the Gaurdian news paper Karen McVeigh tells how, Adrian Bejan, professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina believes it is because the eye can process this ratio faster than any other. McVeigh (2009).

 McVeigh, K.2009. Why Golden Ratio Pleases the Eye. [online]. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/dec/28/golden-ratio-us-academic    [Accessed 24 March 2012]



So does sticking to the golden rectangle or rule of thirds guarantee we can direct the viewer in the order we plan? 

Artist James Gurney decided to test if this was true or not, he did this by setting up a computer screen with three of his paintings being displayed; the screen was fitted with specialist eye tracking software and invited test subjects to view the works. As there were only sixteen test subjects involved the findings cannot be seen as conclusive, but the results of this small experiment make for very interesting reading.


Gurney, J. 2009. Market Place of Ideas.[online image]. Available from: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/eye-tracking-and-composition-part-1.html  [Accessed 24 March 2012]


Gurneyjourney. 2009. Eye Tracking Animation.[online].YouTube. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x5GCC3vfQ8 [Accessed 28 March 2012]


 Two of the preliminary conclusions were:
1. Placing an element on a golden section grid line doesn’t automatically attract attention. If an attention-getting element such as a face is placed in the scene, it will gather attention wherever you place it.

2. Two people don’t scan the same picture along the same route. But they do behave according to an overall strategy that alternates between establishing context and studying detail.
I cannot find out if he expanded this experiment, perhaps details are in his book, but I think it would be a fascinating project to pursue.

Colour


An exploration of Colour, composition, unity & harmony, balance, size & proportion, rhythm, contrast, perspective, light.

Colour

Where to begin with such a vast subject? What is colour might be a good place to start.
Colour occurs when an object reflects light back to our eyes at certain wave lengths, so lighting has a direct bearing on how we perceive a colour. If for example we painted a landscape scene in which we wanted to give the appearance of a cloudy, over cast day we would use less saturated colours than if we wanted to portray the same scene as being a bright sunny day.

 
As with any subject building a solid foundation in the basics allows for future development and experimentation. At the heart of colour basics lies the colour wheel, first introduced by Sir Isaac Newton in a series of experiments published in 1672. Newton’s colour wheel not only showed colour but he also linked it to music and the Zodiac.
Colour Affects. 2008. History of Colour. [online image]. Newton Colour Wheel. Available from: http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/history-of-colour   [Accessed 3 April 2012]


It was not until 1810 and the publication of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe treatise on colour that any challenge to Newtons theory of colour was published. Whilst Newton concentrated on the physics of colour, Goethe explored how we perceive colour, the emotional effects and colour harmony.  

 Facweb.[unknown]. Goethe Colour Wheel.[online image]. Available from: http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/color_wheel.htm  [Accessed 3 April 2012]

 
In modern day terms Johannes Itten 1888 – 1967 has had a great impact on colour theory, in his book The Art of Colour: The Subjective Experience and Objective Rationale of Colour Itten includes colour wheels, stars and spheres to support his theories on hue, saturation and contrast. Ittens colour wheel was incorporated into computer operating systems. I also think his quote from the book introduction is of great value “if you are un-knowingly able to create master pieces in colour, then un-knowledge is your way. But if you are unable to create masterpieces of colour out of your un-knowledge, then you ought to look for knowledge”.

  Froebel.1998.Johannes Itten.[online].Available from: http://froebelweb.tripod.com/web2018.html      [Accessed 3 April 2012]


Colour schemes
Colour theory states that to achieve colour harmony use any two colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, any three colours that are equally spaced around the colour wheel forming a triangle, or any four colours forming a rectangle.
Classic colour schemes are:

1.      Monochromatic: based on variations in lightness and saturation of a single colour.



    Picasso, P. 1902. Blue Nude.[online image]. Available from: http://www.pablopicasso.org/blue-nude.jsp [Accessed 3 April 2012]


 Analogous: colours that are adjacent to each other.

  Monet,C. 1914.Water Lillies. [online image]. Available from: http://www.artofmonet.com/Home_Page.htm  [Accessed 3 April 2012]

 

 Complementary: two colours that are opposite each other.


Matisse, H.1905. Woman with a Hat.[online image]. Available from: http://www.henri-matisse.net/paintingssectionone.html  [Accessed 3 April 2012]

Split Complementary: variation of complimentary where by the two adjacent colours of the opposite colour are used.






Tetradic (Double Complementary): two pairs of complimentary colours.


Monet, C. 1904. Houses of Parliament, Sunset. [online image]. Available from: http://www.artofmonet.com/Home_Page.htm  [Accessed 3 April 2012]
  

 Triadic: three colours equally spaced around the colour wheel.



A great way to see how some of the more famous artists use colour is at colourlovers.com; members take a famous painting and attempt to reproduce the artist’s palette.

Magritte, R. 1928. The Lovers. [online image]. Available from: http://en.wahooart.com/a55a04/w.nsf/Opra/BRUE-5ZKELV  [Accessed 3 April 2012]

colourlovers. 2008. The Lovers.[online image]. Available from: http://www.colourlovers.com/palette/323178/the_lovers  [Accessed 3 April 2012]




 

From a design point of view an awareness of colour symbolism and target audience is essential as different cultures, age groups and social groups react differently to certain colours.This guide was adapted from Jennifer Kyrnin's.

Kyrnin, J. [unknown]. Colour Symbolism by Culture.[online]. Available from: http://webdesign.about.com/od/color/a/bl_colorculture.htm  [Accessed 3 April 2012] 


Red

  • China: Good luck, celebration, summoning
  • Cherokees: Success, triumph
  • India: Purity
  • South Africa: Colour of mourning
  • Russia: Bolsheviks and Communism
  • Eastern: Worn by brides
  • Western: Excitement, danger, love, passion, stop, Christmas (with green)

Orange

  • Ireland: Religious (Protestants)
  • Western: Halloween (with black), creativity, autumn

Yellow

  • China: Nourishing
  • Egypt: Colour of mourning
  • Japan: Courage
  • India: Merchants
  • Western: Hope, hazards, coward

Green

  • China: Green hats indicate a man's wife is cheating on him, exorcism
  • India: Islam
  • Ireland: Symbol of the entire country
  • Western: Spring, new birth, go, Saint Patrick's Day, Christmas (with red)

Blue

  • Cherokees: Defeat, trouble
  • Iran: Colour of heaven and spirituality
  • Western: Depression, sadness, conservative, corporate, "something blue" bridal tradition

Purple

  • Thailand: Colour of mourning (widows)
  • Western: Royalty

White

  • Japan: White carnation symbolizes death
  • Eastern: Funerals
  • Western: Brides, angels, good guys, hospitals, doctors, peace (white dove)

Black

  • China: Colour for young boys
  • Western: Funerals, death, Halloween (with orange), bad guys, rebellion