Tuesday, November 6, 2012

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way-things I had no words for."
             -Georgia O'keeffe
           

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Homework #4


Homework #4
Chapter 9:
1.          Describe three ways to define a pattern in art or theory?
-surface activation accomplished through repeated marks or shapes
-dynamic way of capturing visual interest
-reduction of a grid of some sort
2.          How can a grid help to define a pattern?
It results in a sense of balance and order within a pattern, making it unified.
3.          Describe the similarities and differences in pattern and texture?
They are similar in the sense that both of them provide appealing designs to the eye, but are different in the sense that texture adds a false sense of touch to determine what the design might feel like.
4.          How can texture be used to create visual interest?
It can activate our sense of touch, instead of only our sense of vision in an image.
5.          What is the difference between actual and implied texture?
Actual texture can be truly felt and is actually present, while implied texture only gives the illusion of a sense of feeling.
6.          How do you define collage? Give an example
A form of art using a variety of different materials, usually paper, magazine clippings, and photographs, to create a whole composition. An example would be scrapbooking.
7.          What is tromp L’oile? (French term: fool to the eye)
When a two-dimensional image creates the illusion that it is three-dimensional.

Chapter 10:
1.          Define Value and a value scale
Value- A measure of relative lightness to darkness.
Value scale- A scale that shows the gradual change from light to dark colors.
2.          What is achromatic gray?
Black, gray, or white with no distinctive hues.
3.          What is a Value contrast?
Value contrast- The relationship between areas of dark and light.
4.          How do you create balance in a composition with value?
Equal values on opposite sides throughout a piece can create a  sense of equality and balance in the piece as a whole.
5.          How do you create emphasis with value, give an example?
An example would be adding more prominent darks (or lights) to an area of a piece to show the intended emphasis in that area.
6.          What is chiaroscuro? What period in art history was the word originally used?
The use of light and dark values to imply depth and volume in a two-dimensional work of art. It was a term that developed during the Renaissance.
7.          What is aerial, or atmospheric perspective? Give an example.
The perception of less-distinct contours and value contrasts as forms recede into the background. Colors appear to take the color of the atmosphere. It gives the illusion that a piece is fading into its background.


    This piece of design successfully demonstrates the use of value in art. Its value scale creates more realistic shadows and unifies the piece better without the use of strict black and whites. These are three-dimensional candle holders, but their designs cause them to stand out far more than any average candle holder would. Achromatic colors are noticeable. Blacks, whites, and grays stand out, but because the piece looks like pointillism, there are no actual hues used.
         Areas of darks and light in this piece are made even bolder by its value contrast. There is a strong emphasis around the facial features and hair, because these areas are much darker compared to the skin color of the girl who is depicted on the candle holder. I feel that chiaroscuro is also used, due to the fact that the girl has a generally realistic appearance while the image itself is only two-dimensional.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Met Museum Homework


      The two paintings I am comparing are Study Head of a Young Woman by Anthony van Dyck, and The Lute Player by Caravaggio. Both pieces are oil paintings of young women. In The Lute Player, there is an emphasis  on the instruments. The bright colors of them stand out boldly against the black background. Gesture  is used within the folds of the woman’s clothes, guiding your eye around the fabric. Naturalism is also noted, because while the painting is two-dimensional, it is so realistic that it gives the impression that it is three-dimensional. All of the shapes of the instruments are positive shapes because they are clearly distinguished from the black background.
      In Study Head of a Young Woman, the figure is unbalanced in the center. Instead, the woman is facing towards the right of the canvas, her head not in the center. The dark background of this piece is somewhat blotted and distorted.  The shape of the woman’s face is defined by the color and value changes to define the edges. Both of these pieces are oil paintings, one on wood, the other on canvas. They both depict portraits of young women, created in bold colors that stand against a dark, black background.

Homework 3 (part 2)



This piece is a great example of equivocal space. This is due to the inability of being able to distinguish a separate foreground, middle ground, and background. It contains positive shapes because all of the balloons are distinguished from the background, and negative shapes because the shape of all of the balloons together is what distinguishes the background. The transparency used in this piece makes it unclear about whether or not there is a spatial pattern.
        All of the balloons are composed of curvilinear lines, while the strings of the balloons are strictly composed of rectilinear lines. Although it is unclear whether or not there are separate planes, depth is still present due to the overlapping of the balloons.