PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG PASIG

Alcalde Jose Street, Barangay Kapasigan, Pasig City

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

EDAR 201: Teaching Arts in the Elementary Grades

Module 6 and Activity Sheets

Module 6: What Are the Principles of Art (or the Principles of Design)?

This module is taken from Draw Paint Academy (2018). The principles of art (or the
principles of design) are essentially a set of criteria which are used to explain how the visual
elements are arranged in a work of art. These principles are possibly the closest thing we have
to a set of objective criteria for analyzing and judging art.

Art is a notoriously gray area when it comes objectively defining what is great and what is
not. An artist of one era may be mocked during his lifetime, yet revered after his passing (such
as Vincent van Gogh). The principles of art help combat this gray area to some extent. They
allow us to communicate what makes a great painting great with an element of objectivity and
consistency.

The following is an explanation of what the principles of art are and how you can use
them to benefit your own artworks.

Pattern

Pattern is a very important design concept which refers to the visual arrangement of
elements with a repetitive form or intelligible sequence.

Pattern is not always obvious. It could be a simple underlying notan design which dances
between light and dark in some kind of sequence. Or it could be the use of similar color
patterns throughout your painting.

In the painting below, notice how the top arm of the subject almost blends into the
background, and how the legs blend into the cloth, and the cloth blends into the rest of the
foreground. This interlinking pattern drags you through the painting and creates a very
interesting design.

Balance

Balance is concerned with the visual distribution or weight of the elements in a work of
art. A painting could be balanced if one half is of the same visual weight as the other half. Or,
you could have a small area of heightened significance which is balanced against a much larger
area of less significance, like in the painting below. In the painting below, notice how the dark
areas used for the boat and foreground appear balanced against the much larger area of soft,
tinted colors.
Emphasis

Emphasis is a way of using elements to stress a certain area in an artwork. Emphasis is

really just another way to describe a focal point in your artwork. In the painting below, there is
strong emphasis on the moon through the use of color contrast.

What is Emphasis in Art?

Emphasis is a principle of art which refers to the use of visual elements to draw attention
to a certain area, usually a focal point, in an artwork.

There are many ways you could go about using emphasis in your art. Usually, it involves
contrasting different elements against each other. For example, a bright, red object will stand
out amongst a dull gray background. Or a straight line amongst curved lines. Or a round object
amongst circular objects.

Contrast

Contrast is everything in art. Without it, an artwork would be nothing but a blank surface.
Contrast can come in many forms:
Texture contrast: A contrast between smooth and textured. Many of Vincent van Gogh's
paintings are great examples of texture contrast in action.

Color contrast: A contrast between light and dark, saturated, and dull or complementary colors
(hue contrast). For example, in the painting above, the highly saturated red contrasts against
the relatively dull colors in the rest of the painting.
Detail contrast: A contrast between areas of detail and more bland areas, like in the painting
above.

Shape contrast: A contrast between different shapes (rectangles and circles). For example, in
the painting there are the curving shapes created by the winding paths, water and trees
contrast against the rectangular shapes of the buildings.
Interval contrast: A contrast between long and short intervals. In the painting below, notice the
variation in the lengths of the intervals between the trees. The interval contrast can be used to
create a sense of rhythm in your artwork.

Harmony

Harmony is a bit vague

compared to some of the other
principles. Generally speaking, it refers
to how well all the visual elements
work together in a work of art.
Elements which are in harmony should
have some kind of logical progression
or relationship. If there is an element
which is not in harmony with the rest
of an artwork, it should stick-out and
be jarring to look at. Kind of like an off
note in a song.

You will usually be able to tell

just from judgment if all the elements
are in harmony. It will just look right. However, if the painting looks off, then it can be difficult
to tell if that is because there is no harmony between the elements or if there is some other
issue. When I think of harmony, I think of the peaceful arrangements of color in Monet's series
of water lilies.

Unity

Unity refers to some kind of connection between all the visual elements in a work of art.
Like harmony, this is a bit of a vague term which is difficult to objectively use to analyze art. The
painting below demonstrates a strong sense of unity through the use of a similar hues used
throughout the painting. Even though there is a strong contrast between the light and dark
areas, there is a sense of unity created through the use of similar hues (dark yellows, oranges
and greens are used in the foreground and light yellows, oranges and greens are used in the
background).
Variety

Variety refers to the use of differing qualities or instances of the visual elements. Variety
can be used to break up monotonous or repetitive areas. Below is a painting with lots of
variation in color, shape, and texture, yet not so much that it loses any sense of harmony.

Tom Thomson, Maple Saplings, 1917

Below is a painting with comparatively less variance. The result is a much calmer painting.

Lake Keitele, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1905

Movement
Your paints cannot physically move, but you can arrange the paints in a way which gives the
illusion or suggestion of movement.

One of the most effective techniques for creating movement in your painting is to use bold and
directional brushwork. By doing this, you can suggestively push your viewer around the painting as you
please. You could also suggest movement through repetition or pattern. Below are two examples of
paintings which demonstrate a great sense of movement.

Joaquín Sorolla, Sea And Rocks - Javea, 1900

Frederick Judd Waugh, Breaking Surf

Also, I could not talk about using movement in art without some mention of Vincent van Gogh.

Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night Over The Rhone, 1888

What is Movement in Art?

Our paints cannot physically

move, but we can paint in a way
which gives the illusion or
suggestion of movement. This
typically involves arranging shapes
in a way which leads the viewer
from one point to the next in your
painting; or using certain
techniques with your brush to
mimic the movement. Perhaps the
best example of movement in art
(or at least the most famous) is
Vincent van Gogh's The Starry
Night, which takes your eyes on a
rollercoaster around all the twists
and swirls.
Proportion

Proportion concerns the relationship between the sizes of different parts in an artwork.
For example, the width compared to the length, the area of the sky compared to the land or the
area of foreground compared to the background.

Some proportions are considered to be visually pleasing, such as the rule of thirds and the
golden ratio.

In the painting below by Giovanni Boldini, notice how the proportions of the female
subject's hands, face, feet and torso are all accurate. If Boldini painted the hand too large
compared to the rest of the subject's body, there would be an issue of proportion.

Giovanni Boldini, A Guitar Player, 1873

Scale

Scale refers to the size of an object compared to the rest of the surroundings. For
example, the size of a man compared to the tree he is sitting under or the size of a mountain
compared to the clouds. Scale is different to proportion in that scale refers to the size of an
entire object whereas proportion refers to the relative size of parts of an object. For example,
the scale of a man relative to the rest of the painting may be correct, but the proportion might
be wrong because his hands are too large.

Summary of the Principles of Art

I hope this post clarifies to you what the principles of art are and how you can use them
to help understand and communicate your thoughts about art.

It is also important to understand that a great painting does not have to tick all the boxes
in terms of the principles of art. Most of the great paintings will only demonstrate a few of the
principles.

So do not think of the principles of art as a set of overarching rules which you must
comply with. They are merely a way to help us understand and communicate our thoughts
about art.
 The principles of art allow us to place some kind of objective reasoning behind why a
great painting is great. This is important as it keeps us from falling into a vague space where art
is no longer able to be defined or critiqued (much like what has happened with modern art).

References:

https://drawpaintacademy.com/principles-of-art/

Activity Sheet

1. Why do think principles of art are important?

2. Choose one principle of art and research a work that focuses on that principle.
Attach the photo together with its title and artwork date. Explain how the artwork
showcased your chosen principle.