Visual ARTS

Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture.
The humanities. It also entails the study of the human world and society from a critical
perspective, including literature, art, and the past, as well as human morality, culture, and
values
Representational and Non-Representational -The primary distinction between representational art
and nonrepresentational art is that the former depicts recognizable objects from the real world, while
the latter does not represent anything from the real world. Nonrepresentational art is also known as
abstract art, which can be aesthetically pleasing and can express feelings and emotions.

Four Essentials of Art

-Art must be man-made.
- Art must be creative.
- Art must benefit and satisfy man - man makes use of art in practical life through artistic
principles, taste, and skills.
- Art is expressed through a certain medium or material by which the artist communicates
himself to his fellows.
There are different functions of Art form, below are just the four:
1. Aesthetic function - Through art, man becomes conscious of the beauty of nature. He
benefits from his own work and those done by his fellowmen. He learns to use, love, and
preserve them for his enjoyment and appreciation.
2. Utilitarian function - With the creation of the various forms of art, man now lives in comfort
and happiness. Through art, man is provided with shelter, clothing, food, light, medicine,
beautiful surroundings, personal ornamentals, entertainment, language, transportation, and
other necessities and conveniences of life. Art does not only enrich man's life, It also improves
nature through landscape gardening, the creation of superhighways, and through propagation
and conservation of natural resources.
3. Cultural function - Through printed matter, art transmits and preserves skills and knowledge
from one generation to another. It makes man aware of his cultural background, making him
more knowledgeable, and making his life more enduring and satisfying.
4. Social function - Through civic and graphic arts, man learns to love and help each other.
International understanding and cooperation are fostered and nations become more unified,
friendly, cooperative, helpful, and sympathetic.
Art forms that create works that are primarily visual in nature.
Examples:
1. Drawing
2. Painting
3. Photography
4. Videography
5. Sculpture
6. Architecture

Elements of Visual Arts

Line, Color, Shape, Form, Value, Space, Texture

LINE
- defined by a point moving in space. Line may be two- or three-dimensional, descriptive,
implied, or abstract. The line is the most basic visual element. Lines can be used to define
shapes and figures, but also to indicate motion, emotion, and other elements.
HORIZONTAL
Lines that suggest width, distance, calmness, and stability.
VERTICAL
Lines that suggest height and strength.
DIAGONAL
Lines that suggest movement or lack of stability.
CURVED
Lines that convey the feelings of comfort and ease, as well as sensual quality as they remind us
of the human body.
ZIGZAG
Lines that convey action and excitement, as well as restlessness and anxiety.
SPIRAL
Lines that create a sense of infinity or a never-ending movement.
COLOR
Color is an element of art that involves light. It is produced when light waves (wavelength) strike
an object and are reflected into our eyes. It adds interest and mood to the work of art.
Complementary Colors
-- Any two opposite colors on the color wheel.
Achromatic Colors - The achromatic color scheme uses black, white, grey, and other neutral
colors in combination.
Monochromatic Colors- Monochromatic colors are all the colors (tones, tints, and shades) of a
single hue. Monochromatic color schemes are derived from a single base hue and extended
using its shades, tones, and tints.

Warm Colors
This consist of orange, red, yellow, and combinations of these and similar colors. As the name
indicates, they tend to make you think of warm things, such as sunlight and heat. Visually, warm
colors look as though they come closer.

Cool Colors
Cool colors are typified by blue, green, and light purple. They can calm and soothe. Where
warm colors remind you of heat and sunshine, cool colors remind you of water and sky, even ice
and snow. Unlike warm colors, cool colors look as though they recede.

Complementary Colors
- Any two opposite colors on the color wheel.

Split Complementary Colors

- Involves the use of three colors. Start with one color, find its complement, and then use the
two colors on both sides of it.
Triadic Colors
A triadic color scheme is comprised of three colors evenly spaced on the color wheel.
Tetradic Colors

-A square color scheme consists of four colors spaced evenly around the color wheel.
Achromatic Colors
-The achromatic color scheme uses black, white, grey, and other neutral colors in combinate
Monochromatic Colors
-Monochromatic colors are all the colors (tones, tints, and shades) of a single hue.
Monochromatic color schemes are derived from a single base hue and extended using its
shades, tones and tints.

SHAPE - An element of art that is two-dimensional in form, usually defined by a line around it or
by a change in color. It builds on line and color, as it has to be made of one or both of these.
GEOMETRIC SHAPES - Shapes that are made out of points and lines including the triangle,
square, and circle. Other shapes are so complex that it takes math in order to create them.
FREE FORM/ORGANIC SHAPES - Shapes that are irregular, imperfect and free. These shapes are
the opposite of geometric shapes. While geometric shapes are more precise, organic shapes are
natural.
FORM-An element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume; includes height, width
and depth (as in a cube, a sphere, a pyramid, or a cylinder). Like shape, form can be geometric
or organic/free flowing.
VALUE- Value is a basic element of art that refers to the gradual change of lightness or darkness
of colors. White is the lightest value; black is the darkest. The value halfway between these
extremes is called middle gray.
SPACE - An element of art by which positive and negative areas are defined or a sense of depth
is achieved in a work of art. It is the element of art that refers to the emptiness of an area
around or within objects.
TEXTURE - An element of art that refers to the way things feel, or look as if they might feel if
touched.
Principles of Design
Rhythm, Balance, Emphasis, Proportion, Harmony, Variety
RHYTHM - The principle indicates movement created by the careful placement of repeated
elements in a work of art to cause a visual tempo or beat.
Regular – repetition of a single motif
Alternating – use of two different motifs alternately
Flowing – a smooth and graceful type of rhythm
Progressing – motifs may be presented in a gradual shift in characteristics , like size (from small
to large)
BALANCE - The distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and space.
KINDS:
1. Symmetrical
2. Asymmetrical
EMPHASIS - The principle of creating a centered interest in artwork, often achieved by color
contrast and by lines that direct the eye to it.
PROPORTION - Refehrs to the dimensions of composition and relationships between height,
width and depth.
HARMONY - Harmony is the principle of art that creates cohesiveness by stressing the
similarities of separate but related parts. Specifically, harmony uses the elements of art (color,
line, shape, form, value, space, texture) as a vehicle to create a sense of togetherness amongst
otherwise separate parts.
VARIETY - A principle of design concerned with diversity or contrast. Variety is achieved by using
different shapes, sizes, and/or colors in a work of art.
Medium refers to what material a visual work is made of: the vehicle for an idea. This could
refer to a general form, like sculpture or drawing, or a specific material, like marble or charcoal
on paper.
PAINTING - Painting is the art of creating meaningful effects on a flat surface by the use of
pigments. Pigments when mixed with a particular liquid solution become different kinds of
mediums which are used in painting such as paint and watercolor. Paints are used for artworks
such as painting and murals.
￮ FRESCO - pigment mixed with water and applied to thin layers or either dry plaster or
wet plaster.
￮ TEMPERA - a fast-drying medium which is pigment mixed with a glutinous material
(usually egg yolk)
￮ INK - a medium containing pigments or dyes which may be in liquid or paste form and is
used for pen and brush drawing, or printing.
￮ OIL PAINT - consists of pigment mixed with oil (linseed oil) as its binder. It dries slowly,
but lasts long.
￮ WATERCOLOR - consists of pigment combined with water and gum arabic. Colors are less
luminous, and transparent.
￮ ACRYLIC - a quick-drying synthetic medium with emulsion as its binder. It is favored by a
lot of artists because of its ease of use and its versatility.

Sculpture - the art of making two- or three-dimensional representative or abstract forms,

especially by carving stone or wood or by casting metal or plaster.
Sculpture Mediums
Wood, metal, stone, granite, marble, wood, jade, ivory, brass, gold, lead, aluminum, glass, clay,
plastic, bronze and others.
Modeling
– process of creating a form through altering the figure of a medium, such as clay.
Molding and Casting
– a complex process of creating a negative and positive replica from a model. It is ideal for mass
production.
Assemblage
– putting together found objects.
Welding
– process of joining metals
Pottery
– the process of shaping a material to produce earthenware, stoneware, or porcelain.
Carving
– cutting away pieces of material until the desired form is reached.
Styles/Movements in Arts
An art movement is a term that describes a group of artists who share a common style,
philosophy, or goal in their artworks. Art movements usually emerge in response to the social,
cultural, or political changes of their time, and they often challenge the established norms and
conventions of art. Art movements can last for a few months, years, or decades, and they can
have a significant impact on the history and development of art
ABSTRACT - An art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality
but uses shapes, colors, forms, and gestural marks to achieve its effect.
IMPRESSIONISM - Impressionism describes a style of painting developed in France during the
mid-to-late 19th century; characterizations of the style include small, visible brushstrokes that
offer the bare impression of form, unblended color and an emphasis on the accurate depiction
of natural light. Main impressionist subjects were landscapes and scenes of everyday life.
EXPRESSIONISM - Expressionism refers to art in which the image of reality is distorted in order
to make it expressive of the artist’s inner feelings or ideas. Expressionism uses vivid colors to
focus on conveying emotions and meaning rather than reality.
CUBISM - Cubism was a revolutionary new approach to representing reality invented in around
1907–1908. They brought different views of subjects (usually objects or figures) together in the
same picture, resulting in paintings that appear fragmented and abstracted.
REALISM - Realism refers to a mid-nineteenth century artistic movement characterized by
subjects painted from everyday life in a naturalistic manner, however, the term is also generally
used to describe artworks painted in a realistic almost photographic way.
Fauvism is characterized by the use of pure, saturated, and expressive colors that are often
applied straight from the tube without mixing or blending. Fauvist artists also used loose and
spontaneous brushstrokes, simplified forms, and distorted perspectives to create a sense of
energy and emotion in their paintings. Fauvism was mainly focused on the visual effects of color
rather than the realistic representation of the subject matter.
SURREALISM - Surrealism seeks to explore the unconscious mind as a way of creating art,
resulting in dreamlike, sometimes bizarre imagery across endless mediums. The core of
Surrealism is a focus on illustrating the mind’s deepest thoughts automatically when they
surface.
POP ART - an art movement that is centered on, or inspired by familiar images of popular
culture, such as advertisements, comics, and commercial products.
RENAISSANCE ART
- Renaissance Art is defined as the painting, sculpture, architecture and other
decorative arts created in Europe between the 15th and 16th centuries, just after
the Middle Ages.
- The Renaissance period provided a rebirth of classicism and an appreciation of
the classical learning of ancient Greece and Rome, influencing fine art, literature
and philosophy based on Idealism, Humanism and Rationalism. Its goal is to
highlight calmness and rationality.
MODERN ART - Not to be confused with contemporary art, the “modern art” label refers to late
19th and early-to-mid 20th-century art. Works produced during this time showcase artists'
interest in re-imagining, reinterpreting, and even rejecting traditional aesthetic values of
preceding styles.
Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s
to the 1970s and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era.
CONTEMPORARY ART
Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the
21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and
technologically advancing world.
This art is a dynamic combination of materials methods, concepts, and subjects that continue
the challenging of boundaries that was already well underway in the 20th century. Diverse and
eclectic, contemporary art as a whole is distinguished by the very lack of a uniform, organizing
principle, ideology, or “ism". Contemporary art is part of a cultural dialogue that concerns larger
contextual frameworks such as personal and cultural identity, family, community, and
nationality.

Reading visual Arts using various planes - These planes refer to different levels of meaning
within a work of art. There are three planes in art: the semiotic plane, the iconic plane, and the
thematic plane. The semiotic plane includes the elements and general, technical, and physical
aspects of the work. The iconic plane or the image itself includes the choice of the subject
which may bear socio-political implications. The thematic plane encompasses the historical or
cultural influence of every art.

In the study semiotic plane the words “signifier” and “signified” are used. 123. The signifier refers
to the physical form or representation of a subject, while the signified refers to the emotional
or intellectual response that the artwork elicits 123.

For example, in a painting of a tree, the signifier would be the visual representation of the tree,
while the signified would be the emotions or ideas that the painting evokes in the viewer. The
relationship between the signifier and signified is called signification, which is a fundamental
aspect of language and communication.

Prehistoric Period

 Paleolithic (or Old Stone Age): the earliest and longest period, from about 2.6 million
years ago to the end of the last Ice Age, marked by the first use of stone tools and
the emergence of human ancestors.
 Mesolithic (or Middle Stone Age): the transitional period, from the end of the last Ice
Age to the start of agriculture, marked by the development of more complex tools
and the adaptation to changing environments.
 Neolithic (or New Stone Age): the final period, from the start of agriculture to the
beginning of the Bronze Age, marked by the domestication of animals, the cultivation
of crops, and the formation of settlements.

 Cave art: These are images or sketches on cave walls or roofs, usually showing animals,
people, or abstract forms. Cave art is one of the earliest forms of art, going back to the
Paleolithic era. Some of the most well-known cave art is in Lascaux, Chauvet, and
Altamira caves.
 Statues: These are solid shapes made of stone, bone, ivory, clay, or other materials,
usually depicting animals, people, or gods. Statues are also very old forms of art, going
back to the Paleolithic era. Some of the most famous statues are the Venus figures, such
as the Venus of Willendorf and the Venus of Hohle Fels, and the Lion-man figure.
 Carvings: These are patterns or designs made by cutting or scraping on a hard surface,
such as stone, bone, ivory, or antler. Carvings are often found on tools, weapons,
 ornaments, or jewelry. Carvings go back to the Paleolithic era and continue into the
Mesolithic and Neolithic eras. Some examples of carvings are the carved shells of Homo
erectus, the geometric shapes on bone tools, and the animal symbols on metalwork.
 Megaliths: These are big stones or rocks arranged in a certain way, such as circles, rows,
tombs, or monuments. Megaliths are mostly found in the Neolithic era and reflect the
development of complex societies and rituals. Some examples of megaliths are
Stonehenge, Carnac stones, and Newgrange.

MEDIEVAL PERIOD

-was mainly about religion, especially Christianity. It was inspired by the art of the Romans and
the early Christians, and also by the different cultures and events in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Medieval art had many styles and periods, like Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic,
and more. They all had their own features and influences, but they all wanted to show the
Christian stories, teachings, and symbols in different ways, like painting, sculpture, architecture,
and more. Medieval art also showed what was happening in its time, like the changes of
empires, the spread of religions, the wars, the society, the cities, the languages, and the plague.
Medieval art was not just for religion, but also for sharing information, beliefs, emotions, and
aesthetics with different people.

Medieval art was mainly about religion, especially Christianity

 Medieval art had different types, styles, and periods, such as:
o Paintings: fresco, panel, illuminated manuscript, iconography
 Famous examples: The Last Judgment, The Book of Kells, The Ghent
Altarpiece
o Sculptures: stone, wood, metal, ivory
 Famous examples: The Bamberg Horseman, The Pieta, The David
o Architecture: stone, brick, wood
 Famous examples: Hagia Sophia, Notre Dame de Paris, The Leaning
Tower of Pisa
 Medieval art was influenced by the art of the Romans and the early Christians, and also
by the different cultures and events in Europe, Asia, and Africa
 Medieval art showed what was happening in its time, like the changes of empires, the
spread of religions, the wars, the society, the cities, the languages, and the plague
 Medieval art was not just for religion, but also for sharing information, beliefs,
emotions, and aesthetics with different people

ANCIENT PERIOD

Art in ancient period is the art of the advanced cultures with writing, such as China,
India, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome

 Art in ancient period has different styles, techniques, and media, such as:
 o Painting: fresco, panel, illuminated manuscript, iconography
o Sculpture: stone, wood, metal, ivory
o Architecture: stone, brick, wood
o Pottery, metalwork, jewelry, and more
 Art in ancient period reflects the influence of the previous civilizations, the cultural and
political developments of the regions and periods, and the religious and philosophical
beliefs of the people
 Art in ancient period serves various purposes, such as expressing information, beliefs,
emotions, or aesthetics; decorating objects or buildings; demonstrating status or power;
or honoring gods or ancestors
 Art in ancient period shows how humans expressed themselves creatively and
communicated with each other before modern technology
 Art in ancient period is a valuable source of information and inspiration for modern
artists and scholars.

Cuneiform, hieroglyphics, and calligraphy are three ancient forms of writing

 Cuneiform:
o Oldest form of writing, invented in Sumer around 3200 BC
o Origin of our alphabet, used in the Near East
o Written on clay tablets with a wedge-shaped stylus
o Used for records, literature, and science
 Hieroglyphics:
o Writing system of ancient Egypt, developed around 3000 BC
o Influenced by cuneiform, used pictorial symbols
o Written on papyrus, stone, or wood with a reed pen and ink
o Used for religious and funerary texts, and royal inscriptions and art
 Calligraphy:
o Art of beautiful handwriting, originated in China around 200 BC
o Influenced by Chinese characters, used brush strokes
o Written on paper, silk, or bamboo with a brush and ink
o Used for artistic and cultural expression, and communication and education
 All three forms of writing show how humans expressed themselves creatively and
communicated with each other before modern technology

POST MODERN PERIOD

- In 20th century postmodernism become well- known.

- characterized by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or relativism; a general

suspicion of reason; and an acute sensitivity to the role of ideology in asserting

and maintaining political and economic power.

- Its philosophical view is there is no objective reality, there is no scientific or

historical truth, science and technology are not vehicles of human progress but

suspect instrument of established power and reason and logic.

INSTALLATION ART

Definition of Installation Art

● Installation art is a term mostly used to describe artworks that are made “insitu”. This means
that the work is created or installed within the specific space where it is meant to be viewed.

● Installations often occupy an entire room or gallery space and require the viewer to engage
with the works of art by interacting with the different media and navigating their relationships
with space.

Major Characteristics of Installation Art

● Installation Art Is Often Designed to Be Immersive- Installation art varies widely but generally,
it is focused on the viewer’s experience of the work. Installation artworks often aim to
transform the viewer’s perception of space, making them deeply immersive.

● It Is an Art Genre Popular with Postmodern Artists- Installation art was incredibly popular
among postmodern artists but it is not necessarily only postmodern artists who create
installation artworks, nor do all postmodern artists focus solely on installation art. Installation
art developed alongside conceptual art and are both recognized as the two most important art
genres of postmodern art.

● The Longevity of Installation Art Varies- Installation art can be made either to be temporary
or permanent. This often depends on the space used, for whom the installation was created,
and the kind of materials and objects used to make the installation.

● Installation Art Utilizes Many Different Materials- With its goal of immersion, installation in
art can take on many different forms and use a myriad of different materials. Installation art can
thus utilize a wide range of materials, including the more traditional ones like painting,
sculpture, or photography, but it can also use unusual mediums such as light, electronics or
projections, dance, and sound, or even tea leaves, grass, and dirt.