Artistic Visuals

Artistic Visuals

English 2201

Focal Point

The main area of interest in a visual.

In this image our eye is drawn to the woman holding the parasol. She stands out from the background (sky) and foreground (grass) in size and position.

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Foreground/ Background

The part of the visual that is furthest away from the viewer.

​Background

The part of a visual that is nearest to the viewer.

Foreground

Here the German Sheppard is in the foreground of the visual, while the garden (shrubs and flowers) are the background.

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​Foreground/
Background

Multiple Choice

What is the foreground of this image?

• Sky

• Sand

Multiple Choice

What is the background of this image?

• Sky

• Sunflowers

Open Ended

What is the foreground of this visual?

&

What is the background of this visual?

LINE

Sharp curves usually bring a feeling of unease or chaos.

The character in the painting is screaming with hands to the face which alerts the audience to the fact the character is unhappy - maybe even stressed.

When we see the lines used in the painting we can connect the character's expression to the chaos around him. The audience's overall feeling of this painting, because of these elements, is unease (apprehension).

Line

Straight lines generally bring order and a sense of harmony to a painting.

This painting is of a casual and airy seaside scene. This peacefulness can be recognized throughout the straight lines used by the artist - the shoreline, buildings, boardwalk, masses of sailboats, trees.

Line

Jagged lines usually create a sense of fear or doom. They represent chaos or tension.

In this painting we have a ship kneeling over in huge fierce waves. Nearly every part of this picture has sharp jagged lines - this proves the lack of calm in the picture. The artist uses the sharp lines to create fear.

Line

Gradually curved (or bending) lines help to create movement in a piece of artwork.

Here you see a tree bending in the wind. Here the curve of the tree helps the audience identify the movement in the painting.

Line

Multiple Choice

Which type of lines?

• Sharp curves

• Straight lines

• Jagged Lines

• Gradually Curved

Multiple Choice

Which type of lines?

• Sharp curves

• Straight lines

• Jagged Lines

• Gradually Curved

Multiple Choice

Which type of lines?

• Sharp curves

• Straight lines

• Jagged Lines

• Gradually Curved

Multiple Choice

Which type of lines?

• Sharp curves

• Straight lines

• Jagged Lines

• Gradually Curved

Multiple Choice

Which type of lines?

• Sharp curves

• Straight lines

• Jagged Lines

• Gradually Curved

Multiple Choice

Which type of lines?

• Sharp curves

• Straight lines

• Jagged Lines

• Gradually Curved

Multiple Choice

Which type of lines?

• Sharp curves

• Straight lines

• Jagged Lines

• Gradually Curved

​Symmetry is the ultimate form of balance and creates a true sense of harmony.

A piece of artwork is symmetrical when both sides of the piece are the same on either side of an imaginary central divide (the mirror point).

Symmetry can be created vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

Here in this picture if you drew a line down the centre of the moth, it would be symmetrical.

​Symmetry

Asymmetry is the lack of balance, equality, or harmony.

Asymmetry is when something is not "matched" across an imaginary central divide.

In this painting, if you fold it in half vertically, diagonally, or horizontally neither of the halves will match.

​Asymmetry

Multiple Choice

Symmetry or asymmetry?

• Symmetry

• Asymmetry

Multiple Choice

Symmetry or asymmetry?

• Symmetry

• Asymmetry

Multiple Choice

Symmetry or asymmetry?

• Symmetry

• Asymmetry

Multiple Choice

Symmetry or asymmetry?

• Symmetry

• Asymmetry

Multiple Choice

Symmetry or asymmetry?

• Symmetry

• Asymmetry

Balance is the arrangement of shapes and colours within a piece of art.

Here there are two similar flowers positioned vertically, balancing the photo. They balance the top and bottom of the photo in size and colour, so the picture does not seem lacking harmony or unbalanced.

​Balance

Multiple Choice

Balanced or unbalanced?

• Balanced

• Unbalanced

Multiple Choice

Balanced or unbalanced?

• Balanced

• Unbalanced

Multiple Choice

Balanced or unbalanced?

• Balanced

• Unbalanced

Multiple Choice

Balanced or unbalanced?

• Balanced

• Unbalanced

Multiple Choice

Balanced or unbalanced?

• Balanced

• Unbalanced

A piece of artwork CAN be balanced without symmetry, but CANNOT be Symmetrical without Balance.

In the visual to the right we have a merged drawing of a younger woman and an older woman.  While their features are balanced (they both have eyes, nose, mouth, chin, neck) and in proportion with each other, we can tell that over the “imaginary center divide” they are not the same/identical.

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​Balance vs. Symmetry

Colour

Primary colours = red, yellow, blue

Secondary colours = are composed of two primary colours; orange, green, purple

Warm colours = red, orange, yellow

Cold colours = blue, green, purple

Neutral colours = white, brown, beige, black, grey, tan

Red                         
Red is optimistic, a vital colour of activity, heat, movement, struggle, and passionate. It is the most expressive colour associated with fullness of life, courage, sacrifice, love, strong emotions and acts of passion. 

Orange

Orange is a bright, shiny, warm colour of fire and sun. It is associated with sunrise or sunset, delicious fruits such as apricots, mandarins, oranges. It can symbolizes courage and sacrifice. It is an emotional stimulant, orange reflects warmth, generosity, it is light and playful. 

Yellow

Yellow is the colour of sun, light, and optimism, which stimulates, activates and frees from fear. It retains the alertness and promotes concentration, symbolizes the creativity and wisdom. 

Green

Green has two sides.  It can symbolize nature and the natural aspects of life resulting in a calming effect, but it can also represent jealousy and greed.

Blue

In nature, blue is widespread like in the sky, which is reflected in the water. The symbolism of blue: wisdom, intelligence, immortality, infinity. It represents a fresh atmosphere, transparency, distance, and quiet.  They say it is the colour of peace and rest.

Purple
Purple is the colour of royalty; it represents the high life, riches and jewels, and nobility. 

White
White is the colour of clarity.  It symbolizes innocence and purity, as well as a new beginning or rebirth. It is also a symbol of divinity, perfection, pride, kindness and the eternal.

Black
Black is the colour of doom and death.  It symbolizes fear and destruction, as well as “the end”.  It may also represent evil forces, greed, sadness, and depression.

Scale = is the relative size of objects within a visual, in comparison to the world around them. 

Things to consider:
- Are the elements proportional?
- Out of proportion?
- All large?
- All small?
- “Regular” size?
- Over-exaggerated? 

Proportion  = is the relationship of sizes between different parts of a work.

Scale & Proportion

The relative size of artworks are almost always compared to the size of the human body. You will hear words like life-like or life-sized, miniature, gigantic or enormous. All these qualifiers of size use the human body as reference. 

Here we see a Pringles tube that is appropriate in scale (compared to the real world) and two people who do not seem to be appropriately scaled due to their distance from the camera.

The artist (photographer) has used distance to alter the elements proportions in this picture.  The people appear smaller than the Pringles tube.  

Scale & Proportion

Caricatures usually play around with scale and proportion.

Open Ended

What is appropriate to scale here?

What is similarly proportioned?

​Texture is the effective use of lines and dots in visual images which can be “felt” with the eyes; rough or smoothness. Texture is achieved by the use of line, shading, and colour.

In Van Gough's Starry Night, there is actual texture in the sky created by excess paint which adds depth to the painting.

Texture

What about texture in this painting?

There is visual texture created with colour and shading (the canvas would be smooth unlike the previous one) and it adds royalty to the painting - a true sense of riches.

Texture

Open Ended

What type of texture can be identified in this painting?

&

What does the texture create in this painting?

Open Ended

What type of texture can be identified in this painting?

&

What does the texture create in this painting?

Form/ Genre

Form/ Genre is the category that a piece of artwork falls into.

There are 100s of categories, but for the purpose of right now, you will need to know the following.....

Collage

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​Form/ Genre

Drawing/ Sketch

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​Form/ Genre

Graffiti

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​Form/ Genre

Cartoon

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​Form/ Genre

Caricature

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​Form/ Genre

Word/ Text

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​Form/ Genre

Painting

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​Form/ Genre

Mosaic

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​Form/ Genre

Photography

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​Form/ Genre

Sculpture

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​Form/ Genre