Art and Design A comprehensive guide for creative artists - Aaltodoc

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CHAPTER TWO Elements and principles of design Artist Henry Matisse once said, “Creation begins with vision.” The artworks and designs that we create may comprise of design aspects like line, shape, colour as well as harmony, proportion and contrast. All this and more, is what we have named elements and principles of design. In Lidwell et al.'s (2010, 12) Universal principles of design–Introduction; they broadly referred to principles as “laws, guidelines, human biases and general design disciplines.” Hence, elements and principles of design are compared to parts from which a design can be composed. Leland (1998, 123) suggests, “... with a design based on sound guidelines and for good design, use the elements and principles of design as guidelines. Memorise them and use them consciously.” That is to say, they are specifically used as benchmarks that determine a full artwork quality. Fichner (2007) prefers a different argument on the subject of “principles of design.” They are “visual strategies” while elements of design are stipulated “for expressing purpose.” In the midst of that, principles of design are regarded as a basis of conduct, which establish success of a formed up design or plan. And elements of design are used for enhancing the artwork or a design. They include texture, line, shape, form, tone, shade, value, dots, colour and space (size), mass, solids et cetera. Among principles of design we find balance, rhythm, dominance, proportion, contrast, movement, unity, perspective and harmony. Artists vigilantly contemplate ways of using elements and principles of design for the time of executing a design or a planned artwork. Above all, the lists of elements and principles of design mentioned above do not account for the whole lot about them; “They are obviously many.” (Lidwell et al. 2010, 12) As a result, a lot more can be added on any list created after investigating about them. Michael et al. (2007, 190) state, “every good design is different from every other good design and all artists have unique ways of using the elements and principles ...” This tells us that even creative artists have special ways, which they use to embark on each design plan by using elements and principles of design. In a Guide article from About.com, Esaak (2010) writes, “elements and principles of design are sort of atoms, which serve as building blocks” for holding up the process of executing successful artworks or designs. They are compared to other academic disciplines such as chemistry where atoms combine to form other things. As an example “atoms, casually make simple molecules of hydrogen and oxygen to form water ( H O 2 ). If hydrogen and oxygen take a more aggressive career path to bring carbon as a co-worker, together they may form something more complex like a molecule of sucrose ( C H O 12 22 11 ).” For this reason, as creative artists, we cannot tell apart what we learn from the co-ordinating units of science and how it establishes a beneficial collaboration with art and designs to create useful things. Apart from that, “mathematicians” use “algorithm” as a “set of rules for solving problems in a limited number of steps.” (Esaak, 2010) Distinctly, then, in various creative ways artists especially learners should be encouraged to find solutions and procedures that operate within a particular design or artworks by using elements and principles of design. Esaak (2010) continues to enlighten us with another eventual remark: “botanists say rosa rugosa” instead of using the much longer word or statement “old-fashioned shrub rose that leaves hips in the fall-with five-petalled flowers that can be yellow, white, red or pink.” As a contrast and comparison, artists yearn for elements and principles of designs as a means of giving their entire practical understanding of a subject; by using expressive images or icons instead of explaining the absolute view of reality with logical consequences of words. In general, artists are different. Thus, they use meanings of each element and principle of design not the same as another. Even though, elements and principles of design are considered to be “the basic ingredients all artists use to create their work and they are what we notice when we look at paintings, sculptures, buildings, crafts and commercial designs” Gerald et al (1977, 54) notes. 20 21
Elements of design A closer look at elements of design provides a general view of the exact meanings for what they may represent. Elements of design are an amusement of our daily life. Michael et al (2007, 184) suggest, “Those who have attempted to isolate the elements of design for definition have reached only partial agreement.” Nevertheless, nearly all agree that the elements of design include line, shape, colour, texture and space et cetera.” Aiming at acquiring knowledge of how to use elements of design allows designers to examine art in a critical way. In other words, creative artists are able to compose, appreciate art, write and chat about art. Here is how we can discuss about them: Form is usually three-dimensional. It has height, width and thickness. Michael et al (2007, 184) say, form is “the underlying structure or composition in a work of art.” Creative designers or artists use form to represent three dimensional artworks on flat surfaces. Form can be quickly attained by using general shapes found in a cone, cylinder, sphere, pyramid and cube. “Also, some geometric forms are found in nature. For example, honey combs and sea shells.” Michael et al (2007, 186) say. Shape is an element of design, which is artistically represented as an outline or external appearance of an object. It is sometimes difficult to see shape, which is why learners confuse its make-up with form. Some shapes are geometric or regular while others are organic or irregular. Remember, shape can only be formed when two points fully connect. For instance, in geometry a square is regular and each of its four equal angles measure 90 degrees, when they are fully linked. That is how we start calling it a shape. Trevallion et al (2003, 16) add, “Smooth, unbroken lines give a longer slimming effect,” necessary for geometric shapes. In other words, if a designer makes a sketch of a line for a shape of a justified image, without the lines connecting completely or “joining.” The generated construction cannot be considered a shape, but its resemblance. Try out a sketch of a circle, but do not join the bounding lines. What will that shape be? Artists and designers use various types of shapes. They include: • Abstract shapes • Organic or irregular shapes • Geometric or regular shapes a) Abstract shapes These are shapes with round corners. They seek to achieve effect and visual structure by using forms, colours and textures. Ashwin (1982, 100) adds, “Abstraction” of shapes “is the process of 'drawing-out' ... the word 'abstraction' is derived from “the Latin word abs-tracta” (draw out). Distinctly, then, artists or designers use abstract shapes to generate conceptual simplicity of a design, which may later form a logo. And distinct innovative and creative designs. b) Organic or irregular shapes These are easy to create by drawing objects from nature. For example plants, rocks, animals, clouds, et cetera. They “tend to have curvilinear qualities that suggest growth and movement” (Fichner 2007, 53). Organic shapes are ordinarily irregular hence making it possible—to pleasantly draw them. And they are easy to transform into beautiful designs. Organic shapes control a big proportion of our ordinary design creations. c) Geometric shapes These consist of regular shapes. Geometric shapes are usually man-made. They can appear with straight lines and regular lines. Creative artists who use geometric shapes prefer simple forms obtained from basic shapes; they make attractive graphics. 22 23
Page 1 and 2: and Design Art and deign Art and de
Page 3 and 4: Preface The goals of this book 1. T
Page 5 and 6: • Decorating fabrics with more th
Page 7 and 8: CHAPTER ONE Art and design Art and
Page 9 and 10: Several examples of geometric patte
Page 11: Architecture A basic example of the
Page 15 and 16: Inset: halftone dots obtained from
Page 17 and 18: Jung (2004, 139) remarks, “Of cou
Page 19 and 20: Principles of design Principles of
Page 21 and 22: Play. A painting with proposing act
Page 23 and 24: Exercise 1. By associating each ele
Page 25 and 26: d) Charcoal is good and it is an ab
Page 27 and 28: A lakeside Background landscape sho
Page 29 and 30: Vebell et al. (2005, 202) prefer a
Page 31 and 32: A study of a cow. In the profile vi
Page 33 and 34: Scanty waters. Acrylic painting Siz
Page 35 and 36: Liquids for painting The types of l
Page 37 and 38: Although it is sometimes necessary
Page 39 and 40: Trowell (1951, 27) shares a rationa
Page 41 and 42: Well as computers have dominated a
Page 43 and 44: Phillips (2004, 9) reminds us that
Page 45 and 46: m) In conclusion, on any outstandin
Page 47 and 48: Lowercase The lowercase alphabets a
Page 49 and 50: Proportion It can be used to work o
Page 51 and 52: Illustrations can be done as painti
Page 53 and 54: Logo Trade Marks Label Notice sign
Page 55 and 56: Michaels (2010) points out some “
Page 57 and 58: The ultimate goal of designing a bo
Page 59 and 60: A raised surface b) Intaglio printi
Page 61 and 62: d. Outdoor signs are the major visu
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A collage artwork Materials: Dry le
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Apart from that, excess glue can be
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A small section of a floor surface,
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A pendant of a necklace Materials:
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f. Needle/long nose pliers uses it'
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The aggressive conduct of these war
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CHAPTER NINE Weaving Weaving is the
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Here we see that through trials and
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. Yarn is for fabrics as straw and
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Tod (1977, 172) laments, “Cloth m
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Exercise 1. By using found material
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To simplify the discussion, let us
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Here is an itemised set of methods
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B A A: An already made tie-die fabr
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Start by preparing a separate scree
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CHAPTER ELEVEN They made “clay re
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Examples of inverse relief can be f
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Sometimes plaster of Paris is used
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Maquette A maquette is a translatio
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Rich(1998, 250) offers a reasonable
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“Welding equipment is largely use
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. Porosity of clay is determined by
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• A pottery artist needs enough e
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owl, a cup. In size and shape it wi
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Along with the left hand and add so
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• Photography can be used to depi
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Explanatory photographs Descriptive
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Here is how: • Film cameras were
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Crafts other than those detailed ab
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2. In an area of 25cm by 30cm, desi
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Q quill feather 68 R raffia 148 red
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Mills, John W (1990). The encyclopa
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