middle grade art - wcs digital...

Middle School

LEARNING ABOUT ART

C Y N T H I A N E L S O N

• CHAPTER 1 •

THE LANGUAGE OF ART

The artist's job is to be a witness to his time in history.

- Robert Rauschenberg

Leonardo da Vinci,Italian, 1452 - 1519,Ginevra de' Benci [obverse],c. 1474/1478, Paintingoil on panel

What is art?

According to Dictionary.com, art is “the quality,

production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance”. (Christine)

In other words, art is something that is created by an artist to convey a message, invoke an emotion, or to create a work that is visually appealing to the eye. Artworks have been instrumental in documenting history, and early drawings, paintings, sculpture, and other artifacts have provided us with visual description of the past.

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• What is art?•

What is Art?Paul Cézanne, Landscape near Paris, c. 1876, oil on canvas

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/expression

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/expression

Because art is created by an artist to invoke a visual experience, saying that an artwork is pretty or interesting can often be an inadequate description. The world of visual art has its own language, and you need knowledge of and understanding of art terms, art processes, and styles in order to describe it in a concise manner.

The Elements and Principles of art

A work of art contains at least one or more elements of art. There are seven elements of art, and they are:

Line: Line is the most basic

element of art. Early cave drawings used a lot of line, and the first thing that we learn to draw is a line. There are different types of line, and here are some examples:

A Contour line is a line a line that

surrounds a shape. There are two

types of shapes:

Organic

Geometric

The area inside or outside of a line or shape is

space. Positive space is the area on the inside

of the line or shape, and negative space is the area surrounding the line or shape.

Some works of art are three dimensional, in other words, it is an actual object. This is

an example of form, and is

used to describe sculpture.

Another element of art is texture, which

describes how something feels. This term can apply to a surface of a form or sculpture, or to two dimensional works, such as drawings and paintings.

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Color is the light that reflects from an

object. The hue of a color is the intensity of

that color.

Value is the lightness or darkness of a

color.

The Principles of Design

The Elements of Art are used to create the Principles of Art. One principle

of art is pattern, which involves repeating one or more elements of art

such as line, color, shapes, etc., either systematically or randomly.

Repetition, which is repeating an element to make a statement or to

create a pattern, is another principle of art.

Movement involves using one or more elements to create motion in

an artwork. Rhythm is similar to movement because you use the

elements to create flow in an artwork, and sometimes rhythm and movement are listed as being the same.

Proportion is the size of an object in relation to other objects or

shapes in a work of art. Artists will sometimes use proportion to create

emphasis, which is what stands out in an artwork or where your

attention goes first.

Harmony occurs when an artist uses the same element or something

similar to it so that the artwork comes together. For example, an artist may use different values of the same color, or similar shapes to so that

everything blends together. It is somewhat the opposite of variety,

when an artist uses contrasting elements to create an artwork, such as using different colors or different types of lines or shapes.

Balance in art is the weight the overall artwork has. For instance, if

you draw an invisible line through the middle of the work, is there just as much detail on the left as there is on the right? If so, the artwork has symmetrical balance. If the artwork has more detail on one side than the other, it has asymmetrical balance, and if the work is in the shape of a

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circle and has equal balance throughout that circle, it has radial balance, because the inside of a circle is called the radius.

Finally, unity is two or more principles of art used to create a cohesive

whole.

Take a look at the artwork to see examples of the Principles of Design.

Use the note section to write down all of the principles of design and elements of art found in this painting.

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George Catlin, American,Portage Around the Falls of Niagara at Table Rock,1847/1848,oil on canvas,37.8 x 56.2 cm (14 7/8 x 22 1/8 in.)

• CHAPTER 2 •

All my efforts go into creating an art that can be understood

by everyone. - Henri Matisse

ART PROCESSES & TYPES OF ART

Sanford Robinson Gifford,American,Siout, Egypt1874,oil on canvas,53.3 x 101.6 cm (21 x 40 in.)

Artists have always used different processes to create art. For this reason, art has been categorized into groups based on the process used to create the artwork.

Here is a list of some the most common processes:

Drawing: Created by using a flat surface and some sort of marking

tool such as a pencil, graphite, charcoal, crayon, marker, etc.

Painting: Created by using a pigment on a surface. The paint is

usually applied by a brush or painting tool, such as a painting knife.

Printmaking: A process in which the artist uses a printing plate or

stamp that has ink applied to create more than one of the same drawings.

Sculpture: Created by using materials to create a three dimensional

object. Examples of materials used: glass, clay, wood, cardboard,

recycled materials, cloth. etc.

Photography: Photos that are taken using special lenses and or

special developing techniques.

Digital Art: Art created using a computer and design software.

Mixed Media: an artwork that uses a combination of two or more art

processes.

In addition, artists may use different types of materials or surfaces to create art. The materials that artist use to create an artwork is called a

medium. For instance, a traditional medium for a painting is a canvas,

but is not uncommon for an artist to use wood, paper, fabric or any other surface for their piece.

Art is always changing, and artists are coming up with innovative ways to create it.

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• Section 1 •

Art Processes and Types of Art

• CHAPTER 3 •

Practice what you know, and it will help to make clear what now you

do not know. - Rembrandt

CAREERS IN ART

Jean-Baptiste-Camille,French, c. 1868, oil on wood, Dimensions overall: 61.8 x 40 cm (24 5/16 x 15 3/4 in.)

CAREERS IN ART

Not only does art play an important role in history, it also plays an important part of life today. There are many different types of art careers, and art influences many different career fields. Practicing artists usually focus on one or two types of mediums, so an artist can be a photographer, sculptor, painter, or printmaker.

Graphic designers, also called graphic artists, have a background in art. They use computer Graphic software to create designs. Graphic design is a broad field, and it includes web design, package design, and game design. Because it is computer based, it is related to the computer technology field. Also, With the emergence of technology, digital artists are becoming more prevalent. Digital artists use design or drawing programs to create artwork.

Some artists become art teachers. Art teachers teach traditional (K-12) or secondary (college or university) school. Traditional school art teachers have a background in art and take education courses as well. University or college professors have a master’s degree in art.

Textile design is also a related field, and there are textile artists as well as fashion designers. Related careers include museum curators and gallery owners, as well as art restorers. Architecture is also a related field.

Here is a link with a list of all of the careers that are art related:

http://www.rd99.com/197artcareers/

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• CHAPTER 4 •

A beautiful thing never gives so much pain as does failing to hear

and see it. - Michelangelo

ANAYLYZING AN ARTWORK

Analyzing An Artwork

You can analyze or “read” a work of art in the same way you would a story or book. Look at the artwork pictured below and we will analyze it. There are four steps to take so that you can critique a work of art.

Give a description of the artwork

What is the title of the work, and who created it? What date was it completed? What do you see? When you are writing about the artwork,

include the artist, the title of the work if any, what medium was used,

size, and any information about the artist. What elements of art did the artist use?

This piece was created by Jean-Louis Ernest Meissonier, who was French and lived from 1815-1891. The title is Horseman in a Storm, and it was made or cast in 1878. The artist used bronze as a medium, and it is a sculpture, and its size is 47.2 × 59.3 × 23.9 cm or 18 9⁄16 × 23 3/8 × 9 7/16 inches including the base. It in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, and the image is courtesy of the National Gallery of Art. The artist used shapes, lines, texture, and form in this piece.

Based on the your description, analyze the artwork

Based on your description, what message do you think the artist is trying to convey? He uses shapes, lines, texture, and form to create movement and proportion.

Give your interpretation of the work

Based on your analysis, what do you think of the artwork?

The artist is trying to show the viewer what it looks and feels like to ride during a storm. He uses texture to show a muddy ground, and the rider’s body is almost covered completely by his cloak, which is spread out. The horse’s mane is matted as if it is wet.

Give your judgment of the artwork

Is the artist successful? Why or why not?

The artist successfully shows the viewer what it is like to be out in a storm by showing the horse and rider leaning forward as if they are bracing themselves against the wind and the rain.

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Using this example, try to evaluate a work of art on your own.

Click on link below.

http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/Collection/highlights/highlight106384.html

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• Bibliography •

"art." The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Houghton Mifflin Company. 06 Aug. 2013. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/art>.

All artwork is courtesy of the National Gallery of Art Open Imageshttps://images.nga.gov/en/page/show_home_page.html

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/art

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/art

https://images.nga.gov/en/page/show_home_page.html

https://images.nga.gov/en/page/show_home_page.html

Art

noun

1 the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power: the art of the Renaissance | great art is concerned with moral imperfections | she studied art in Paris.

• works produced by such skill and imagination: his collection of modern art | an exhibition of Mexican art | [ as modifier ] : an art critic.

• creative activity resulting in the production of paintings, drawings, or sculpture: she's good at art.

2 (the arts) the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance: the visual arts | [ in sing. ] : the art of photography.

3 (arts) subjects of study primarily concerned with the processes and products of human creativity and social life, such as languages, literature, and history (as contrasted with scientific or technical subjects): the belief that the arts and sciences were incompatible | the Faculty of Arts.

4 a skill at doing a specified thing, typically one acquired through practice: the art of conversation.

Related Glossary Terms

Index

Chapter 1 - What is Art?Chapter 4 - Anaylyzing An Artwork

Balance, Digital Art, Drawing, Medium, Mixed Media, Painting, Pattern, Photography, Printmaking, Repetition, Sculpture, Texturenoun

Find Term

Balance

a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions


Index

Chapter 1 - What is Art?

Art, Color, Harmony, Unitynoun

Find Term

Color

the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way the object reflects or emits light: the lights flickered and changed color.


Index


Balance, Hue, Painting, Valuenoun

Find Term

Contour line

noun

a line on a map joining points of equal height above or below sea level.


Index

Line, Shape, Spacenoun

Find Term

Digital Art

Art created using a computer and design software.


Index

Chapter 2 - Art Processes and Types of Art

Art, Medium, Painting, Photography

Find Term

Drawing

Created by using a flat surface and some sort of marking tool such as a pencil, graphite, charcoal, crayon, marker, etc.


Index


Art, Line

Find Term

Emphasis

noun ( pl. emphases |-ˌsēz| )

special importance, value, or prominence given to something: they placed great emphasis on the individual's freedom | different emphases and viewpoints.

• stress laid on a word or words to indicate special meaning or particular importance.

• vigor or intensity of expression: he spoke with emphasis and with complete conviction.


Index


Proportionnoun, Unitynoun

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Form

noun

1 the visible shape or configuration of something: the form, color, and texture of the tree.


Index


Sculpture, Shape

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Harmony

• the quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole.


Index


Balance, Pattern, Unitynoun

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Horizontal line

noun

1 parallel to the plane of the horizon; at right angles to the vertical.


Index

Line, Vertical linenoun

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Hue

noun

a color or shade: her face lost its golden hue | verdigris is greenish-yellow in hue.

• the attribute of a color by virtue of which it is discernible as red, green, etc., and which is dependent on its dominant wavelength, and independent of intensity or lightness.


Index


Color

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Line

noun

1 a long, narrow mark or band.


Index


Contour line, Drawing, Horizontal line, Movementnoun, Printmaking, Repetition, Vertical linenoun

Find Term

Medium

the material or form used by an artist


Index


Art, Digital Art, Mixed Media, Photography

Find Term

Mixed Media

an artwork that uses a combination of two or more art processes.


Index


Art, Medium, Photography, Sculpture

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Movementnoun

Using the an arrangement of objects in artwork to create the idea of motion.


Index


Line, Rhythmnoun, Unitynoun

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Painting

Created by using a pigment on a surface. The paint is usually applied by a brush or painting tool, such as a painting knife.


Index


Art, Color, Digital Art, Printmaking

Find Term

Pattern

noun

1 a repeated decorative design; an arrangement or sequence regularly found in comparable.


Index


Art, Harmony, Repetition, Unitynoun, Varietynoun

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Photography

Photos that are taken using special lenses and or special developing techniques.


Index


Art, Digital Art, Medium, Mixed Media, Printmaking

Find Term

Printmaking

A process in which the artist uses a printing plate or stamp that has ink applied to create more than one of the same drawings.


Index


Art, Line, Painting, Photography

Find Term

Proportionnoun

the correct, attractive, or ideal relationship in size or shape between one thing and another or between the parts of a whole: ex. perceptions of color, form, harmony, and proportion.


Index


Emphasis, Shape

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Repetition

a element or object repeated in artwork.


Index


Art, Line, Pattern, Shape

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Rhythmnoun

a harmonious sequence or correlation of colors or elements


Index


Movementnoun, Unitynoun

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Sculpture

Created by using materials to create a three dimensional object. Examples of materials used: glass, clay, wood, cardboard, recycled materials, cloth.


Index


Art, Form, Mixed Media

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Shape

noun

the external form or appearance characteristic of someone or something; the outline of an area or figure


Index


Contour line, Form, Proportionnoun, Repetition, Spacenoun

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Spacenoun

the dimensions of height, depth, and width within a shape or an area.


Index


Contour line, Shape

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Texturenoun

Art the tactile quality of the surface of a work of art.


Index


Art

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Unitynoun

the state of forming a complete and pleasing whole, esp. in an artistic context


Index


Balance, Emphasis, Harmony, Movementnoun, Pattern, Rhythmnoun, Valuenoun, Varietynoun

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Valuenoun

the relative degree of lightness or darkness of a particular color


Index


Color, Unitynoun

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Varietynoun

a number or range of elements used in artwork that are different or distinct in character or quality.


Index


Pattern, Unitynoun

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Vertical linenoun

at right angles to a horizontal plane; in a direction, or having an alignment, such that the top is directly above the bottom


Index

Horizontal line, Line

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