Composition Flashcards
what is composing
arrangement of subject matter in the format
what is the composition
the final result of composing an artwork. it is vert important and can often make or break the success of an artwork
what are the three planes that composition is divided up into
the background, the foreground and the middle ground
what is composition
the combination of the art elements to form a pleasing whole. the arrangement of colours, forms, etc. must form a visually pleasing or stimulating unity.
what is the focal point
the area of interest to which the viewers eye is drawn to when viewing the artwork
what are the principles of composition/design
balanace rhythm/movement emphasis unity/harmony contrast proportion pattern
what is balance
it refers to the arrangement of the elements to create stability in an artwork. ( looks and feels right )
what is symmetrical balance
both sides are similar in visual weight and almost mirrored. it often looks stiff and formal
what is asymmetrical balance
both sides are similar is visual weight but not mirrored. usually creates more interesting compositions
what is radial balance
it is not very common in compositions. arranged like a flower (daisy/sunflower). everything is arag`nged around a centre. rose windows of cathedrals used this design
what is rhythm/ movement
it refers to the ways of combining art elements to produce a sense of flow or movement in an artwork.
what are the different types of rhythm/movement
repetition
alternation
progression
what is emphasis
developing points of interest that pull the viewer’s eye to important parts of the artwork. also refers to the focal point of the composition
how can emphasis be created
through the use of tone, colour, space,etc.
what is unity/harmony
refers to the wholeness which results from the successful combination of the elements of an artwork. everything fits well and creates a pleasing unity
what is contrast
refers to the visual differences in an artwork. very important factor in an artwork and creates interesting compositions
what differences does contrast refer to
line, shapes, tonal values, colours. etc
how can contrast also be seen
bright colours and dull colours, angular shapes with round shapes ,etc.
proportion
the size relationship of parts of a whole and to one another. sometimes they are ingnored, enlarged or changed to create a certain effect, such as an emotional impact
what is a pattern
the repetition of motifs
what is media
medium refers to the material used to make the artwork
how do artists choose their medium
first they have an idea, and then, through trial and error, they
what are the two-dimensional media
drawing painting tempera fresco oil painting water colour acrylic collage photo montage mixed media photography relief prints intaglio prints planographic
how do most artists use drawing
they usually use it as preparatory work before doing the final work in another medium.
what are some of the drawing materials
charcoal pencil a variety of pens pen and/or brush and ink crayons, conte chalk pastels- need to be sprayed with fixative to preserve it
what does the painting media consist of
pigment, a liquid called vehicle or medium in which the pigments are mixed on a pallet, and a surface ( a wall, board, canvas, paper, etc.) called a support to which the mixture is applied
what is tempera
an old painting technique known to the Egyptians, greeks and Romans. main medium for small scale paintings until the development of oil painting during the Renaissance
what did tempera use
it used colour pigment extracted from minerals, egg yolk used as an adhesive, and water to liquefy the paint. the surface that was going to be painted on was often prepared with a thin coating of plaster or gesso
what was the nature of the medium tempera
it was linear in nature- it was usually neat within the shapes and had a matt finish. it dries too quickly for brush strokes to be blended, but shapes can be modeled by a series of fine brush strokes.
what was gold leaf used as in tempera
backgrounds, haloes, and drapery detail
who developed the fresco technique
the ancient mediterranean civilizations and it was refined by italian renaissance painters
what is fresco
a painting made with pigments mixed with water and painted onto a wall when the plaster is still wet. the pigment is absorbed by the wet plaster; after several, the plaster dries and reacts with the air( a chemical reaction which fixes the pigment particles in the plaster)
what is a fresco painting on dry plaster called
fresco secco. it is less durable than true fresco
what is true fresco called
buon fresco
what was the range of colours like in fresco paintings
there was a limited range of colours. they are usually painted in light and muted colours. it had a chalky appearance
what are oil paints
they are slow drying paints that consist of particles of pigment suspended in a a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. its thickness can be changed my adding turpentine or white spirits. varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the dried film.
why are oil paints popular
because they can be used in many different ways. glazing- thin layers of paint. impasto- thick, direct painting
what characterizes oil paint
its rich luminosity. it can also create very dark tones. it blends easily into the surounding paints and allows coours to blend very subtly
what is water colour
a transparent water-soluble painting medium.
what is acrylic
it is a waterbased synthetic paint developed during the 20th century
what is a collage
a composition of images from newspapers and magazines that have been stuck down on a flat surface. it is often combined with drawing and painting media
what is a photo montage
a collage which is formed by parts of different images that have been stuck together to form an image.
what is mixed media
it is when an artist used different medua, materials and techniques in one artwork
what is photography
the process and art of recording pictures by means of capturing light-sensitive medium, such as film or electronic sensor
how does digital photography work
with light-sensitive digital pixels
what is digital art
making use of a new digital media such as computers and the internet
what is a print
it can be reproduced several times. it involves ink, paper, a plate and a surface such as a piece of wood or copper on which to make the design
how do you produce a print
a piece of paper in pressed or rolled against the inked plate
what was printmaking traditionally regarded as
as a means of reproducing paintings and drawings or illustrating books.
what is printmaking regarded as now
a fine art
what is a relief print
bits of the artwork will stick up from the surface of the plate. the artist will cut away the areas that they want to remain white. black ink is rolled across the plate
what are some of the relief prints
woodcuts
wood engravings
linocuts
what are woodcuts
the earliest form of relief print. usually have bold, forceful line. the gran of the wood can play a part
what are linocuts
they allow a freer, mor spontaneous line. work is unhampered by the grain (softer appearance)
what is reduction printing
the name used to describe the process of using one block to print several layers of color on one print
what is an intaglio print
it is the opposite of a relief print. they cut lines that are to be printed in the plate. usually a sheet of metal such as copper is used
what is engraving
a type of intaglio print. it is a direct method of cutting into the plate with a buri. it is a slow and demanding technique. the wider and deeper the cut, the darker the printed lines as the ink fills the engraved line
what is etching
another form of intaglio printing. it requires a metal plate coated with 2 hard acit-resist grounds - wax on the working surface and varnish on the back. designs are drawn by scratching the wax ground with a blunt steel neadle set in a wooden holder. an acid bath bites out the design, but only where the metal plate is exposed.
what is etching often combined with
a toning method known as aquatint
what is planographic
it is a type of printing, the images on the surface of the plate
what are the different types of planographic prints
lithography
screen-printing
monoprints
collagraphy
what is a lithograph
the artist draws on a block of limestone with a greasy crayon. the surface is dampened with water and the greasy lines resist the water. ink is then rolled onto the stone. the ink sticks to the greasy lines and repels the water
what is screen-printing
a modern printing method and it uses a stencil method. it uses a stencil made or paper of lacquered film stuck over a fine-mesh fabric stretched over a frame. the printing ink is forced through the screen with a rubber squeegee
what is a monoprint
a single impression taken from a design painted on a plat surface
what is a collagraphy
it is a printmaking technique in which textures material is stuck to the printing matrix. the texture us transferred to the paper during the printing process
what are some 3d media
sculpture carving modeling casting construction
what is a freestanding sculpture
a 3D sculpture and can be viewed from all sides
what is a relief sculpture
it is often part of architecture. high relief- forms are deeply carved and protrude. low relief- figures exist on nearly the same level as in a drawing
what media was used for carving
hard materials such as stones (marble, sandstone ), wood, ivory etc.
what tools were used for carving
hammers and chisels
why is the material carved away
to liberate the form contained int he block
what happens when the sculpture is done
the surface of the sculpture is usually polished to remove any marks made by tools
what is used for modelling
soft, malleable materials such as clay, plaster and wax
what is an armature
a simple skeleton of harder material such as wood or wire.
why would someone need to use an armature
because a certain substance may not be able to stand alone
what is modelling
plaster is typically built up over an armature by strips of fabric that have been dipped in wet plaster of paris. the final layer consists only of plaster and is finished off using hands or knives
what media is used in casting
bronze and plastic
what is casting
easily-shaped material are used to make a negative mould into which a molten material such as bronze is poured and the allowed to harden. the mould is removed and the sculpture can be finished off
what is used in construction
various materials such as steel, wood, etc.
what is construction
one or more materials are attached to form an aesthetically unified whole. some works make use of found objects such as feathers, glass, etc.
what tools are used in construction
hammers, blowtorches, nails, glue, etc.
what is kinetic art
moving sculpture. movement is generated by natural forces such as wind in a mobile or electricity, magnets
what is new media
contemporary artists use unusual materials that are not traditionally seen as art materials
what is installation
an artwork that integrates the exhibition space as part of the work
what is assemblage
a 3D form of collage. often makes use of found objects transforming them into art
what is a medium
it is what was used to create the artwork
what is technique
not the medium, but how it was used
