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Fine Arts Notes 2021 Updated
Fine Arts Notes 2021 Updated
What is Art?
• It permits to perform activities and not analyzing the learning of the concept of the art.
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Types of Art
Art is of three types such as
Visual Art
The visual arts include mediums such as drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, photography,
film, and printmaking. Many of these pieces of art are created to stimulate us through a visual
experience. When we look at them, they often provoke a feeling of some sort. Within the visual arts
is a category known as the decorative arts, or craft.
Performing Art
Performing arts may include dance, music, opera, theatre and musical theatre, magic, illusion, mime,
spoken word, puppetry, circus arts, performance art. There is also a specialized form of fine art, in
which the artists perform their work live to an audience.
Literary Art
Literary Arts refer to the written word. This includes writing, editing, teaching, and proof-reading
and all other activities and work that is related to written communications. It is creative writing and
literature.
What does it mean to be a literary artist? As a writer, the literary artist must choose to be chosen as
the communicator of pure life - the bridge between the youthful innocence and the adult world of
responsibility. In the end, then, it all means that being a literary artist is to lead with the heaviest
responsibility of them all: to maintain stability of the bridge in order to keep the parts of society
together.
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Commercial Art
Commercial art is the art of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes,
primarily advertising. Commercial art uses a variety of platforms (magazines, websites, apps,
television, etc.) for viewers with the intent of promoting sale and interest of products, services, and
ideas.
Fine Art
Is a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic and intellectual purposes and
judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically, painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor,
graphics, and architecture. “Fine art is the sublime manifestation of the human mind. A man sees the
nature around. He lives in a world of reality. This interaction constitutes the life of a man of the
earth. These interactions create in man a certain kind of feeling which he wants to express. When one
sees the sunrise he feels happy.
Creativity
Often the first skill people think of when they hear the word “art” is creativity. It is an incredibly important
thing to foster and hone, as people apply creativity to just about every aspect of life— problem-solving,
everyday writing, projects (business or otherwise), etc.
Diligence
Painters will tell you that practice makes perfect. So will musicians, writers, actors, and just about any type of
artist out there. To get better, one must be persistent in their craft. Students in band will practice just about
every day—oftentimes before school, during, and after on their own. Learning to have this diligence early on
will leave a lasting impression on the student, who can take their hard-earned diligence and apply it to other
parts of their life.
Patience
Photographers must have a perfect sense of timing and might have to wait quite a while for the perfect shot. A
flute player trying to master a difficult section of a piece will have to have patience with themselves if they
make mistakes. In order to get better at any skill—artistic or otherwise—a lot of time and effort will have to
be put into it. Nobody becomes a Michelangelo overnight.
Expression
There’s no doubt that the teenage years can be difficult and tumultuous. Instead of rebelling in potentially
harmful ways, teens introduced to various arts express themselves in a positive way through a creative outlet.
Teamwork
Many different forms of fine arts require more than one participant. Band/Orchestra, choir, drama, and film
are team efforts, and so students can learn the value of working with others and understanding their
contribution to the bigger whole. Marching band, for example, requires students to master their placements—
if one person is off, the entire picture is jeopardized. This emphasizes the importance of the individual within
the larger organization. It’s a skill and mindset that will be vital down the road.
Experience Culture(s)
Study different forms of art from around the world
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Many choirs perform pieces of music from different time periods and different countries, breeding an interest
and appreciation for other cultures. The same goes for visual art; students in art class will study famous
artwork from painters around the world—like Pablo Picasso or Frida Kahlo. This will give them a new
perspective and make them more worldly.
Art is a product of humanity, and thus it is used and celebrated in a variety of ways. It can create movements
or styles that inspire fellow artists in every medium—music, visual art, architecture, etc—such as the Baroque
period. However, art is also a reflection of the current world. It can be used to make a statement on social
commentary—like modern performance art pieces. It can be a snapshot of a different time, a window into
what life was like back then in that place. Once again, these can lead to having a different perspective. It also
teaches critical thinking skills.
Scientifically-Proven Benefits
There is no shortage of scientific studies that highlight the importance of the arts in education. Number of
different scientific teams looking at various aspects of the impact of art
Students learn to become engaged and self-educating. Instead of just regurgitating facts, they actively seek
new information.
There are, of course, many other benefits to a fine arts education—far too many to list here! It is a vital part of
the school system and must be appreciated, not set aside. If you’re signing up for classes, try to include band
or choir or visual arts. If you don’t have time in your busy schedule, try joining an art club at your school
How you arrange and position the elements within an artwork will affect how a viewer experiences and
interacts with it. If the elements to be used are haphazardly planned, the final work can end up being too
chaotic. The goal is for all of them to exist together in harmony. For each work, one or two elements may
dominate and become the focal point(s), and the other elements take supporting roles. A successful
composition in art ensures that there aren’t too many elements competing for attention. This way, the viewer’s
eye will know where to focus and can better appreciate the work in its entirety.
Don’t limit yourself, try to explore them all, and you might just stumble on the one that inspires you the most.
It’s important that you are genuinely interested in your subject, this passion will sustain you and will show in
your finished work. Keep in mind that your aim early on is to develop your skills, and to quote Vincent Van
Gogh, “As practice makes perfect, I cannot but make progress; each drawing one makes, each study one
paints, is a step forward.” As you can see, Van Gogh’s interest with the sunflowers was so great that he
created so many paintings of them as the subject matter.
The Triangle
The triangle in art is a time-tested favourite among artists when aspiring to create a perfectly balanced
composition. It’s a very stable and strong shape and translates well when used as a compositional guide.
The lines guide the eye of the viewer to move from one point of the triangle to the next in a continuous flow,
eliminating distractions and allowing the eye to focus on the main subjects with great ease. The invisible
triangle visually holds all of the painting’s elements and their relationship to each other together.
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When you use more triangles, the chances of achieving a more dynamic composition in your work increases
as well. Below is an example of an artwork containing more than one triangle, creating a very interesting
visual conversation.
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Edgar Degas’ “Dance Class at the Opera.” The form of the ballerina on the left follows the
diagonal line towards the other ballerina stretching her leg following the same line. On the right
side, the ballerina’s body mimics the corner of the triangle, with her stretched foot pointing towards
the solo ballerina on the left. She and the other ballerinas’ positions follow the diagonal line, leaving
the Ballet Master framed in the triangle, he in turn is looking at the solo ballerina on the left as she
looks back at him as well. The empty chair is left alone and centre at another triangle. The story this
painting creates is just astounding. It makes you wonder, who is the chair for?
J.M.W. Turner’s famous landscape painting, “The Fighting Temeraire,” is a classic example of the
Rule of Thirds. The ships intersect the left vertical line while the horizon starts at the lower
horizontal line. The off centre placement of the ships gives it a more dynamic flow and contrast
against the vast backdrop of the sea and sky.
This is how it works: Imagine your picture plane, then divide it by thirds of both horizontal and
vertical lines. Now, you have grid-like divisions across the whole surface. The four points where the
horizontal and vertical lines intersect each other will be the best placements for your focal points.
It’s time to decide which of the four to use for your main focal point, then use the remaining three
points for the supporting elements. Placing your important subjects on or very near these points
ensures an even distribution and creates an aesthetically appealing composition. This gives the eye of
the viewers a balanced space to move around in and better appreciate each key element of the
painting.
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I made a watercolour study for an oil painting using the magic circle. At the top left, you can see that I
sketched the Koi fishes in motion, swimming together in a circular formation. As noted above, symbolic of the
cycle of giving and receiving, to soak up nature’s healing energy.
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Nicolas Poussin’s “A Dance to the Music of Time”, is a great example of the use of the magic circle. The
dancers are formed in a circle with their hands clasped together and are evidently in motion – dancing
around in a circle. This painting also used “The Triangle”, making the overall composition even more
dynamic.
When choosing your colours, make sure that they are in balance with each other. Study the difference between
warm and cool colours and take advantage of the Colour Mixing Guide to help you plan out your colour
palette.
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Scale
The term scale refers to the size of an object in relation to the other objects in your artwork. We often relate
scale to the size of the human body, if the object is smaller or bigger in relation to us. It also refers to the
whole structure of your work’s composition in art.
Artists from various periods have explored the use of scale to create visual impacts. When used with ideal
proportions, it can give your painting a sense of realism. But when altered to a larger or smaller than life size,
allows the artist the opportunity to make a statement or bring an element of whim or fantasy to the work.
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Rene Magritte’s “The Portrait of Stephy Langui” tells a very surreal story through the use of larger
than life objects. Stephy is peering in the cavern while the two men seem to be oblivious to her and the
enormous rock beside them. How your compositions are seen can be quite subjective, a different story may
unfold for each viewer’s eye.
Throughout history, art has been intrinsically linked to human life, serving as a mean of expression and as a
universal language in which beauty and aesthetics prevail. It was in Ancient Greece where the division
emerged between the high arts, created to be appreciated with the eyes and ears, and lesser forms of art which
were more tactile. Of the higher arts 6 are known today as fine arts, plus one that has been added during the
twentieth century.
The ancient Greeks were the ones who created the base
Contents
Architecture
Sculpture
Painting
Music
Literature
Dance
Theatre
Cinema
Architecture
Architecture is the first of the fine arts, due to the ingenuity and great use of aesthetics required to
create buildings which are harmonic with space and which endure in time. For the ancient Greeks,
with monumental buildings like the Parthenon and architects like Parmenio who was tasked to erect
Alexandria, architecture was one of the most fundamental aspects of its civilization and art in the
making.
Architecture (Latin architectura, from the Greek ἀρχιτέκτων arkhitekton "architecture", is both the
process and the product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings and other physical
structures. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural
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symbols and as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving
architectural achievements.
Architecture has to do with planning and designing form, space and ambience to reflect functional, technical,
social, environmental and aesthetic considerations. It requires the creative manipulation and coordination of
materials and technology, and of light and shadow. Often, conflicting requirements must be resolved. The
practice of Architecture also encompasses the pragmatic aspects of realizing buildings and structures,
including scheduling, cost estimation and construction administration. Documentation produced by architects,
typically drawings, plans and technical specifications, defines the structure and/or behavior of a building or
other kind of system that is to be or has been constructed.
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Sculpture
Sculpture is another of the 7 forms of fine art. The capacity to use this ability to create 3D shapes and forms
has been recognized since ancient times, and today is still considered one of the primary forms of art.
Sculptures can be made out of any material, and can be created by carving, assembling, molding, casting...
Painting
Amongst the 7 forms of fine art, painting is perhaps one of the most recognised disciplines. Since antiquity,
people have used it as a form of expression and a mechanism to capture reality. Throughout history there have
been hundreds of famous artists, so it is no wonder that today it remains one of the most popular and
appreciated fine arts.
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Music
The ability to use instruments to create beautiful sounds makes music unequivocally one of the seven fine arts.
This form of creation has accompanied humanity from its existence, being a form of communication but also
an art that above all generates pleasure. This is one of the most down to earth approaches to fine art.
Literature
Literature is an art form that draws upon the use of words for creation. Although we say that it is only
literature that is a fine art, poetry is also included in this form. Both have offered invaluable contributions to
humanity, with pieces and authors which are undoubtedly a work of art in themselves.
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Ornament, in architecture, any element added to an otherwise merely structural form, usually for purposes of
decoration or embellishment.
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Design elements
Design elements are the basic units of a painting, drawing, design or other visual piece and include:
Shape
A shape is defined as a two or more dimensional area that stands out from the space next to or
around it due to a defined or implied boundary, or because of differences of value, color, or texture. ]
All objects are composed of shapes and all other 'Elements of Design' are shapes in some way .
Categories
Mechanical Shapes or Geometric Shapes are the shapes that can be drawn using a ruler or compass.
Mechanical shapes, whether simple or complex, produce a feeling of control or order.
Organic Shapes are freehand drawn shapes that are complex and normally found in nature. Organic shapes
produce a natural feel.
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Texture
Types of texture
Tactile texture is the actual three-dimension feel of a surface that can be touched. Painter can use
impasto to build peaks and create texture.
Visual texture is the illusion of the surfaces peaks and valleys, like the tree pictured. Any texture
shown in a photo is a visual texture, meaning the paper is smooth no matter how rough the image
perceives it to be.
Most textures have a natural touch but still seem to repeat a motif in some way. Regularly repeating
a motif will result in a texture appearing as a pattern.
Space
In design, space is concerned with the area deep within the moment of designated design, the design will take
place on. For a two-dimensional design, space concerns creating the illusion of a third dimension on a flat
surface:
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Overlap is the effect where objects appear to be on top of each other. This illusion makes the top
element look closer to the observer. There is no way to determine the depth of the space, only the
order of closeness.
Shading adds gradation marks to make an object of a two-dimensional surface seem three-
dimensional.
Highlight, Transitional Light, Core of the Shadow, Reflected Light, and Cast Shadow give an object
a three-dimensional look.
Linear Perspective is the concept relating to how an object seems smaller the farther away it gets.
Atmospheric Perspective is based on how air acts as a filter to change the appearance of distance
objects.
Form
Form may be described as any three-dimensional object. Form can be measured, from top to bottom
(height), side to side (width), and from back to front (depth). Form is also defined by light and dark.
It can be defined by the presence of shadows on surfaces or faces of an object. There are two types of
form, geometric (man-made) and natural (organic form). Form may be created by the combining of
two or more shapes. It may be enhanced by tone, texture and color. It can be illustrated or
constructed.
Principles of design
Principles applied to the elements of design that bring them together into one design. How one applies these
principles determines how successful a design may be
Unity/harmony
According to Alex White, author of The Elements of Graphic Design, to achieve visual unity is a main goal of
graphic design. When all elements are in agreement, a design is considered unified. No individual part is
viewed as more important than the whole design. A good balance between unity and variety must be
established to avoid a chaotic or a lifeless design.
Methods
Perspective: sense of distance between elements.
Rhythm: is achieved when recurring position, size, color, and use of a graphic element has a focal point
interruption.
Altering the basic theme achieves unity and helps keep interest.
Balance
It is a state of equalized tension and equilibrium, which may not always be calm.
Types
The top image has symmetrical balance and the bottom image has asymmetrical balance
Symmetry
Asymmetrical balance produces an informal balance that is attention attracting and dynamic.
Radial balance is arranged around a central element. The elements placed in a radial balance seem to 'radiate'
out from a central point in a circular fashion.
Overall is a mosaic form of balance which normally arises from too many elements being put on a page. Due
to the lack of hierarchy and contrast, this form of balance can look noisy but sometimes quiet.
Hierarchy
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A good design contains elements that lead the reader through each element in order of its significance. The
type and images should be expressed starting from most important to the least important.
Scale/proportion
Using the relative size of elements against each other can attract attention to a focal point. When elements are
designed larger than life, scale is being used to show drama.
Dominance/emphasis
Dominance is created by contrasting size, positioning, color, style, or shape. The focal point should dominate
the design with scale and contrast without sacrificing the unity of the whole.
Similar environment
There are several ways to develop a similar environment:
Express continuity from page to page in publications. Items to watch include headers, themes, borders, and
spaces.
➢ Contrasts
➢ Space
➢ Filled / Empty
➢ Near / Far
➢ 2-D / 3-D
➢ Position
➢ Left / Right
➢ Isolated / Grouped
➢ Centered / Off-Center
➢ Top / Bottom
➢ Form
➢ Simple / Complex
➢ Beauty / Ugly
➢ Whole / Broken
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➢ Direction
➢ Stability / Movement
➢ Structure
➢ Organized / Chaotic
➢ Mechanical / Hand-Drawn
➢ Size
➢ Large / Small
➢ Deep / Shallow
➢ Fat / Thin
➢ Color
➢ Grey scale / Color
➢ Black & White / Color
➢ Light / Dark
➢ Texture
➢ Fine / Coarse
➢ Smooth / Rough
➢ Sharp / Dull
➢ Density
➢ Transparent / Opaque
➢ Thick / Thin
➢ Liquid / Solid
➢ Gravity
➢ Light / Heavy
➢ Stable / Unstable
Movement
Is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the artwork, often to focal areas. Such movement can be directed
along lines edges, shape and color within the artwork.
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PERSPECTIVE
DEFINATION
What is perspective sketch?
Perspective Sketch. A form of pictorial sketch in which vanishing points are used to provide the
depth and distortion that is seen with the human eye. Perspective drawings can be drawn using one,
two, and three vanishing points
Perspective is an intriguing subject, full of surprising secrets, and is essential for interior designers. It
is this knowledge that will let you work wonders on paper, allowing you to create impressive views
of interiors and to reflect your ideas in the most effective way. Perspective is the basic and most
fundamental knowledge for sketching.
Perspective is used to represent the ways objects appear smaller as they move farther into the
distance. It adds depth and dimension to flat images.
In art, there are three types of perspective: one-point, two-point, and three-point.
Mathematical perspective in art was developed during the Italian Renaissance during the 1400s.
Linear Perspective
Linear perspective is achieved by using lines and vanishing points. As the object draws nearer to the
vanishing point, the smaller and less detailed it will be. A single artwork can contain a one-point
perspective, two-point perspective, or a multiple-point perspective
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Imagine yourself walking along a straight road with telephone poles lining the sidewalk. The poles
nearest you are tall and the details are clear; but as you look ahead, the poles gradually become
smaller and the details become hazier and hazier the farther they are from you. Eventually, the last
ones visible to your eye look so small that it seems like you could pick them up with your thumb and
forefinger. Having a thorough understanding of perspective is quite important when creating art
compositions of landscapes and cityscapes.
Atmospheric perspective
Another way to show depth and distance in your painting is through the use of atmospheric
perspective. As the name suggests, this is a technique that shows the effect of the atmosphere in your
composition. For example – objects in the foreground like the grass, nearby trees, and flowers are in
sharper focus and details and have deeper or brighter colours and values. As the landscape recedes,
the atmosphere will cause objects to appear paler, blurry, and have a bluer tone. If the sky is overcast
with little to no sun, the atmosphere will cause distant objects to look even paler and less sharp,
having an even more greyish than blue tone.
Normally, the farther the background goes, the paler the bluish tone will be. But remember, there are
always exceptions especially in nature. Autumn colors, a cloud casting a shadow on a faraway hill,
areas that are suddenly more densely covered with trees – all these can cause some areas in the
background to be darker or of a different colour. Just be sure to observe your surroundings with
thoughtfulness and try to capture the beautiful colour changes you see.
Contrasting colours helps give an illusion of depth and space in your painting. With the use of warm,
earthy colours for the foreground and cool colours for the horizon, thereby creating the optical
perception of even greater depth.
Practicing the use of scaling and perspective can be easy! Start out by studying photos showing
fundamentally correct scales and perspectives, copying their layout, and paying close attention to
how the details differ or change. Once you have a better grasp of how these two work together, you
can slowly explore and experiment on the different ways you can use them for your own
compositions in art.
I hope that this has given you all the tools you need to explore and experiment in creating your own
compositions. Take your time and tackle each rule or technique one at a time. Remember to keep
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your sketch journal handy and practice sketching on it as often as you can, bring it along as you
never know when or where inspiration might strike!
So, now that you have gone through the Golden Rules of Composition, it’s time to put them into
practice.
Imagine driving along a very straight open road on a grassy plain. The road, the fences, and the
power-poles all diminish toward a single point far ahead of you. That's single-point perspective.
Single- or one-point perspective is the simplest method of making objects look three-dimensional. It
is often used for interior views; Objects must be placed so that the front sides are parallel to the
picture plane, with the side edges receding toward a single point.
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Two Point Perspective is a type of linear perspective. Two Point Perspective is a systematic way of
drawing box-like objects or anything that can be logically arranged into a geometric, grid-like
structure. This 2pt drawing
Make the Horizon Line and Vanishing Points. Draw a simple box using two-point perspective. First,
draw a horizon line about one-third of the way down your page.
Defining the Drawing. Now draw the front corner edge of your box, just a simple short line like this,
leaving a space below the horizon line. Don't put it too close, or you'll end up with corners that are
tricky to draw.
Add the First Vanishing Lines. Now draw a line from each end of the short vertical line to both
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3 Point Perspective
Definition of three-point perspective : linear perspective in which parallel lines along the width of an object
meet at two separate points on the horizon and vertical lines on the object meet at a point on the perpendicular
bisector of the horizon line
Art of Weaving
Weaving is the process of crossing one group of threads, the weft, with a second group of threads,
the warp, to make cloth or a decorative artwork. The warp are attached to the loom, the framework.
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are
interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.
Weaving is an amazing craft which utilizes beautiful wooden tools: looms, shuttles, frames and
more. These tools are works of art in and of themselves, and even more incredible is the fact that
they have been around since the same time our ancestors were developing stone tools- around 10,200
BC.
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Weaving is the interlacing of two or more threads or pieces of material in order to create a
joined structure. While it is most often used to make cloth, the technique is also common in
other crafts such as basket-making.
Colors
Colors are divided into categories as primary and secondary.
1- Primary colors.
Because all other colors are made by mixing these colors in varying preparations.
2- Secondary Colour:
While black and grey are called national colors because they have no colors. Colors can change the
appearance of an object. It can help to make an object looks smaller or larger. For example, a small
room can be made to appear large if printed with light color. A large can be made look smaller if it
printed with dark colors.
Color can play a large role in the elements of design with the color wheel being used as a tool, and
color theory providing a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual impacts of specific
color combination.
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Uses
➢ Color can aid organization to develop a color strategy and stay consistent with those colors.
➢ It can give emphasis to create a hierarchy to the piece of art.
➢ It is also important to note that color choices in design change meaning within cultural
contexts. For example, white is associated with purity in some cultures while it is associated
with death in others.
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Attributes
Hue
➢ Values, tints and shades of colours that are created by adding black to a color for a shade and
white for a tint.
➢ Creating a tint or shade of color reduces the saturation.
➢ Saturation gives a color brightness or dullness, and by doing this it makes the color more
vibrant than before.