AESTHETIC ARTS

AND CRAFTS
Chapter 2
OBJECTIVES :
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. explain the difference between aesthetic arts and crafts;
2. identify the types of arts and crafts;
3. discuss the principles in understanding artistic composition; and
4. enumerate the motivated functions of art.
 The Difference between Aesthetic Arts and Crafts
esthetics is from the Greek word eisthesis which means "perception." It is a branch of philosophy devoted to the study of art and beauty used during the 18 century by Alexander Baumgarten, a German philosopher. This term also refers to the principles governing the nature and appreciation of beauty,

Aesthetics is from the Greek word eisthesis which means "perception." It is a branch of
philosophy devoted to the study of art and beauty used during the 18 century by
Alexander Baumgarten, a German philosopher. This term also refers to the principles
governing the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in visual art (Rader,
1979).
On the other hand, the term "craft" comes from a German
word Kraft which means "power" or "ability." It usually
employed in branches of the decorative arts or associated
artistic practice. It also implies the application of human skills
through the use of a hand. It tends to produce things for
various human purposes, and tend to exhibit their prettiness
around a goal external to the object itself (Dutton, 1990).
Arts and Crafts started during the 19th century in Europe as a
design reform and as a social movement motivated by the William
Morris. It involves activities related to making things which require a
combination of skill, speed, and patience.

William Morris who was born on March 24, 1834, in Walthamstow,

England was known for his pattern designs, particularly on fabrics,
and wallpapers. As a proponent of socialist ideals, Morris believed
that a designer should have the skill of any media in producing
designs that intricate intertwining fruit, flower, and foliage pattern.
He died on October 3, 1896, at the age of 62 years old in London,
England.
 Types of Arts and Crafts
Artists may have unique skills and perceptive abilities, but they are also people with needs and
the motivation to meet those needs. Creating different works of art that are accepted by one's
audience can lead to an artist's social acceptance and recognitnion. Their works of art have been
used to create pleasing environments. Arts and crafts have different types, namely: textile wood,
metal, paper or canvass, and plant crafts.

Textile Crafts. The word textile is from a Latin phrase texere which means "to braid" or "to
construct." These also refer to any craft where you work with fabric, yarn or surface design. It
uses plant or any synthetic fibers in creating practical or decorative objects. These include the
following:

1. Cross-stitch- Stitching can also be a form of natural pain relief. It is a popular form of counted-thread embroidery
in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a picture.
2. Crocket- It is a process of creating fabric from yarn, thread, or other material strands using a crochet hook.
3. Sewing- It is the crafts of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a
Cross-Stitch Crocket Sewing
4. Weaving- It is a fabric production method in which yarns are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.
5. Tatting- It is a technique for handcrafting particularly in making durable lace which is constructed by a series of
knots and loops.
6. Shoemaking- It is the process of making footwear.
7. Lace- It is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand.
8. Macramé- It is a form of textile-making which requires very few tools and just some pure knowledge of basic
knotting.
9. Millinery- It is the designing and manufacture of hats.
10. String art- It is an arrangement of colored thread strung between points to form an abstract geometric design.

Weaving Tatting Shoe making

Lace Macrame Millinery String art
 Wood Crafts.
These refer to a skill that pertains to the woods, especially making one's way through the woods or in hunting,
trapping, etc. It also relates to subsistence lifestyles with implications of hunting-gathering 1906). (Horace, These
include the following:

1. Carpentry-It is a skilled trade in the cutting, shaping, and installation of building materials during the
construction of buildings.
2. Marquetry- It is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer (thin slices of wood) to a structure to form
decorative designs.
3. Woodturning- It is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects.
4. Wood carving- It is a form of woodworking to form a wooden figure or objects by using a knife or a chisel.
5. Cabinetry- It is a skill in making a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and drawers for keeping various
objects.
6. Upholstery- It is the work of building cushion and cover furniture.
 Carpentry Marquetry Woodturning
Millinery Millinery

Wood carving Cabinetry Upholstery

 Metal Crafts
These refer to the art of executing artistic designs in metal for both practical and aesthetic purposes. These arts are
designed for decorative items or functional objects that are beneficial and useful 10 Us all. These works are of bronze,
silver, gold, tin, copper, lead. brass, and iron. These include the following:

1. Jewelry- It is a form of personal adornments, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
2. Metal Casting- It is a process by which a liquid material (bronze, copper, glass, aluminum, and iron) is poured into
mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify.
3.Welded sculpture- It is an art form in which statue is made using welding techniques.

Jewelry Metal casting Welded sculpture

 Paper or canvas crafts
It refers to an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making backpacks, tents, marquees, and other sustainable
items. These include the following:

1.Bookbinding- It is the process of physically assembling a book from some folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other
material.
2. Card making- It is a hand-made technique for producing greeting cards.
3.Collage- It is a technique where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole.

Bookbiding Card making Collage

4. Origami- It is a Japanese cultural art of paper folding.
5. Paper-Mache- It is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound
with an adhesive.
6. Scrapbooking- It refers to a method of arranging, preserving, and presenting personal and family history in a book
form.
7. Rubber Stamping- It is a craft in which some type of ink made of dye or pigment applied to an image or pattern that
carved, molded, laser engraved or vulcanized, onto a sheet of rubber.

Origami Paper mache Scrapbooking Rubber Stamping

 Plant Crafts
These refer to skills using plant parts as the medium. These include the following:

1. Corn dolly making- It relates to the making of shapes and figures (known as 'dollies') from straw (such as barley,
oats, and wheat).
2. Floral Design- It is the art of using plant materials and flowers to create a pleasing and balanced composition.
3. Pressed flower craft- consists of drying flower petals and leaves in a flower press to flatten and exclude light and
moisture.

Corn dolly making Floeal design Pressed flower craft

 Principles of Understanding Artistic Design and Composition
Art principles are created by combining art elements. Artists utilize organizing principles to develop forms that inform. Among
the fundamental principle of art are harmony, variety, balance, movement, emphasis, proportion, and rhythm. Whether
analysing or composing artwork, one must have a complete understanding of how art principles are created (Elsen, 1981).

The Principle of Harmony. When all of the elements of art interact well in
an artwork, visual harmony is attained. This is accomplished by using similar
types of geometric shapes, lines or colors within a work of art to create a
unified composition. Likewise, using various cool or warm colors would help
to produce a harmonious work of art.

The Principle of Variety. A stable composition will also demonstrate the

principle of variety. It is accomplished by using differing colors, lines, and
shapes within an artwork to make key areas stand out. Artists can use
this idea to direct a viewer's eye to a place within the art that he or she
wants to emphasize.
The Principle of Balance. It refers to the symmetry of opposing visual forces. It is created
in a work of art when colors, forms, shapes or textures are combined harmoniously.

The Principle of Movement. It is the way that an eye moves throughout a work of
art. In this work of art, our eye moves up through the pattern in the rippling surface
of the water to the two paddlers. An artist creates a visual movement to drive the
eye to the focal point of the artwork

Principle of Emphasis. It refers to the need for an artist to create a focal point within
an artwork. This artistic point is an essential part of a work of art, and the viewer's eye
should drawn to that area.
 Principles of Proportion. This principle is created when the sizes of elements in an
artwork art are combined harmoniously.The artist usually tries to make all of the
parts in composition relate logically to each other to depict the human form within the
proper proportion.

Principle of Rhythm. It refers to the use of visual pattern within a work of art.
Models within an artwork are created by repeating certain colors, line or shapes in
specific areas.
It can also be used to form a variety of texture within a work of art.
 Motivated functions of art
The motivated purposes of art are intentional and conscious actions on the part of the artist. Art may bring political change or
comment on the life in a society. It may also convey specific propaganda, or just as a form of communication (Holly, 2002).
Primary motivated functions of arts are as follows:

1. Art for Acting. Art may pursue to bring about a certain emotion, to relax or to entertain the viewer.

2. Art for healing. Art is utilized by art therapists, psychotherapists, and clinical psychologists as art therapy. The end product
is a method of curing, through creative acts.

3. Art for political change. One of the essential functions of the art of the early twentieth century has been to use visual
images to bring about legislative modification

4. Art for propaganda (Commercialism). Art is utilized to influence popular ideas or moods delicately.

5. Art for communication. Art has a goal, directed toward another individual. For example, graphic is a form of art for
communication in which the artist expresses his/her emotions, feelings, and moods.