HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LEARNING MODULE 4 IN SPC- ARTS

(Teaching Arts in the Elementary Grades)

Mrs. Haidee S. Calumpang, M. Ed.

INSTRUCTOR
 DE LA SALLE JOHN BOSCO COLLEGE
Mangagoy, Bislig City

HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Module Code SPC-Art

Module Title Teaching Art in the Elementary Grades
Duration 2 hours per week
Week Number 4
Date Sept. 12-16, 2022

Topics:
PRINCIPLES OF ART
Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

1. enumerate the different elements of visual and auditory art;

2. differentiate the principles of art;
3. provide examples of the interrelatedness of some of the elements and principles of art.

DISCUSSION

PRINCIPLES OF ART

To reiterate, the appreciation and engagement of art relies substantially on being equipped with the
appropriate language that allows it to be more comprehensible. If the elements of art were like the letters (i.e.,
combining these letters will form words, phrases, and sentences), then the principles of art would perhaps be
the closest to the rules of grammar and composition.

Learning these principles will lessen the intimidation and might even open vast possibilities for the novice
looker to have a more pleasurable experience of art. These principles will provide explicit ways in which these
elements are used, how they are manipulated, how they interact, and how they inform the overall
compositions of the artwork to assist in conveying his intention. It is the principles of art that influence the effect
achieved by the elements, and the linkages of other principles. These principles are: balance, scale and
proportion, emphasis and contrast, unity and variety, harmony, movement, rhythm, and repetition and pattern.

1. Balance
This principle refers to the distribution of the visual elements in view of their placement in relation to
each other.
- There are three types of balance: symmetric, asymmetric and radial. Symmetric and radially
balanced artworks use formal balance. Asymmetric balance is quite different and is also
referred to as informal balance. Let’s take a closer look at the three types of balance and then
consider how to manage the feeling of balance in art.
There are three forms of balance:
a. Symmetrical – the elements used on one side are reflected to the other. This offers the most
stable visual sense to any artwork.

Symmetry is a type of formal balance in which two halves of an artwork mirror each other.
This type of balance is familiar and common. The human body is balanced symmetrically as
is our planet, our cars, clothes, furniture etc. Symmetry imposes a strong sense of order and
stability on both the composition and the subject.

b. Asymmetrical – the elements are not the same (or the same weight) on each side, putting
the heaviness on one side.

Asymmetry is informal and seems less organized than symmetry. The two halves of a
balanced asymmetric artwork do not look the same but have similar visual weights.
Asymmetric balance is more subjective than both symmetry and radial symmetry.
Asymmetry allows for more variety in a composition than symmetrically balanced designs. It
provides the same “comfortable” feeling as symmetry without using like elements on each
side of a central axis.

Many artists appreciate asymmetric balance because it feels less rigid and more realistic
than symmetric balance. Although symmetry makes clear the artist’s desire to present a
visually balanced image, asymmetric balance does not happen by accident, but instead
requires planning and intention.

c. Radial – there is a central point in the composition, around which elements and objects are
distributed.

Radial balance is symmetry in several directions. Visual elements are arranged around a
central point in the composition, like the spokes on a wagon wheel. Often, radially balanced
designs are circular. Other shapes lend themselves to radial balance as well – squares,
hexagons, octagons, stars, etc.

In nature, we most easily observe radial balance in the form of flowers.

Radial balance is prevalent in human design as well; car wheels, architectural domes,
clocks, man-hole covers, a compass, etc.
 2. Scale and Proportion
Scale pertains to the size in relation to what is normal for the figure or object in question.
Sculptures of exaggerate scare are common all over the world as many artists are taken by the
whimsical quality of these objects. One cannot help but smile upon seeing them in public spaces. In the
Philippines, Arturo Luz has created enormous sculptural versions of the paper clip. For a long time, it
occupied a prominent spot at the entrance of the Ayala Museum.

Proportion, on the other hand, is the size of the components, or of objects in relation to one
another when taken as a composition or a unit. This can also refer to values to one another when taken as
a composition or a unit. This can also refer to values such as amounts or number of elements or objects in
the composition.

One of the most common cannons asserted relates to the proportion of the body. This varies
from one culture or tradition to another. For the Egyptian artists, the human form follows a square grid and is
informed by the palm of the hand as a unit of measure. To complete a standing human figure, 18 units
(squares) are needed from head to foot. On the other hand, Greeks held that numerical relationships—the
golden ratio—was the key to beauty or to perfection. In the golden ratio, the figure is divided into two
unequal segments wherein the smaller is the same ratio to the larger segment, and that the longer segment
is the same ratio in relation to the whole.

The Vitruvian Man

The Golden Mean appears in nature as well. In the first century, a Roman architect named
Vitruvius studied proportion. He believed that the human body was aesthetically, the best example of
proportion. He applied human proportions to his own architectural designs.

Building on the concept of a universally aesthetic proportion, Leonard Da Vinci attempted to illustrate
the ideal human proportions laid out by Vitruvius centuries before. He called this the “Vitruvian Man”.
 ● Proportion is the principle of art that refers to relative size. The principles of art differ from the elements of
art. Most, if not all of the principles of art deal with how the elements art are arranged in a work of art.

● Proportion is largely about the relationship of the size of one element when compared to another. When
drawing or painting realistically, proportion is important. If the proportions are incorrect, then the
resulting image will look less realistic or abstracted.

● Alternatively, artists can use proportion for effect. By manipulating proportion, the artist can make
his/her subject seem strong, weak, funny, mysterious, etc. We can exaggerate proportions to emphasize
a meaning or an element within the scene. For example, a caricature artist distorts proportion in order
to create a stylized image of the subject.

● Before going forward, let’s define proportion as it deals with visual art. Proportion does not refer to
overall size, but rather the relationship of the sizes of two or more subjects or elements. In art, the size of
an element is referred to as scale. For example, a basketball and a baseball are different in scale but
share the same in proportion.

Proportions of the Human Face

Being familiar with the average proportions of the human face is beneficial for two reasons. First, knowing the
average proportions helps to prevent the artist from making major mistakes when working from imagination.
Second, the average proportions act as a baseline from which to judge individuals when capturing a likeness.
How we differ from “average” is what makes us recognizable to one another.

Here are a few generalizations when it comes to the proportions of the face…
● The human head is generally taller than it is wide.

● The face shape is approximately symmetric around a vertical axis.

● Eyes fall across an imaginary line that divides the head horizontally through the center.

● The bottom of the nose falls across a second imaginary line between the “eye line” and the bottom of the
chin.
● The mouth is closer to the nose than the bottom of the chin.
Furthermore, on an average proportioned face, the space between the eyes is as far apart as one eye is wide. The
nose is as wide or slightly wider than the space between the eyes and the mouth is as wide as the center of the eyes
are far apart. See illustration below.

In profile, on an average human, the back of the ear is as far from the outer corner of the eye as the
outer corner of the eye is from the bottom of the chin.
Conclusion

As artists, we can choose to use color or not. We can choose to use emphasis or not. There is, however, no
escaping proportion. One simply cannot “leave it out”. Proportion is an important tool for the artist. With
accurate proportions, we can create drawings and paintings that are realistic. By manipulating proportion, we
can emphasize elements and communicate ideas. Proportion is a powerful principle that should be understood
by every artist.

3. Emphasis – A Principle Of Art

Sometimes a painting or drawing is a story. All good stories have a hero or, at least, a main character. Visual art
can have a main character too. The main character does not have to be a person. An object or area within
the composition can serve as the main character in an artwork.

In a story, the main character, sometimes referred to as the protagonist, is not hard to identify. In a book, the
protagonist usually has the most dialogue while in a movie, the most screen-time. However, there is no dialogue
in a painting and every pictorial element gets the same amount of screen time, or rather, “canvas” time.

So how do we, as artists, designate the main character in a painting? How do we get our audience to look
where we want them to look?

The answer to those questions is emphasis. Emphasis is the principle of art that helps the audience put the story
of a painting together in their own minds.
Any object or area of emphasis is called a focal point. The focal point is meant to be the part of an artwork to
which the viewer’s eyes are first attracted. Artworks can have multiple focal points. The degree to which the
focal points stand out determines the order in which the viewer notices them.

1. Contrast

Take a look at the image of tomatoes below. The green tomato is mixed into the red tomatoes but does not
get lost in the group. It is clearly the focal point because of a strong contrast of color.

Three elements of art: color, value, and texture, are useful in creating emphasis through contrast. Using texture
in only one spot or placing a light object in an otherwise dark environment will attract the attention of the
viewer.
Let’s take a closer look a how color creates emphasis.

Bright color is usually attractive. Road signs and traffic lights are brightly colored for a reason – to get our
attention. Below are three specific ways you can use contrast to add emphasize in your own art.

● Complementary Colors

● Isolated Color

● Absent Color

a. Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are arranged across from one another on the color wheel. They are far apart.
Compliments are as different in hue as possible. Examples include red/green, blue/orange, and yellow/violet.

Often complementary colors are used to organize an entire composition. They can also attract the viewer’s
eyes to a focal point when place alongside one other. Complementary color relationships are visually, the
loudest color relationship. The expression, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” indicates that loudness draws
attention – even if the loud “noise” is visual in nature.
 b. Isolated Color
Isolated color is a color found in only one spot in a composition. An object with isolated color stands out
because it does not harmonize with the rest of the color palette. Since this color is only found in one location, it
draws our eyes to it.

c. Absent color
Similar to isolated color but more severe, a single-color note in an otherwise colorless artwork draws our eyes to
it. There will be no doubt in the audiences’ mind what the artist means to emphasize if only one object is in
color.

Convergence

Lines and edges can work like arrows to indicate a focal point. Not only obvious lines work but implied
lines (invisible lines) as well. For example, the direction of a person’s gaze can indicate to the audience where
to look next.
Try it yourself. The next time you are standing outside with other people, just stare intently into the sky for a
moment and others will begin to follow your gaze with their own.

In the drawing below, the architectural features point towards, or converge, at the small figure in the road.
Additionally, the figure is located near the center of the composition to help the audience find him.

Isolation

Isolation is a straight-forward way to ensure the “main character” of a picture is noticed. Place an object of
emphasis outside of a grouping and you will force your audience to take notice of it.

Look at the drawing of coins below. The large pile of coins on the left may be worth more than the single coin
on the right, but the coin on the right seems more important simply because it is isolated from the rest.

Location

Using a bulls-eye as an example, the location of a compositional element contributes to our feelings about
emphasis as well. The bulls-eye on a dart board is in the center for good reason. All things being equal, a viewer
will look at the center of a composition first. Placing important objects or people near the center of a canvas
will add to their emphasis.

A word of caution – Important objects should be placed near, but not directly in the center. If your focal point
is in the exact center of a composition you will greatly de-emphasis everything else in the composition such
that the viewer may not consider the entirety of the image.

The Unusual

A fun way to create emphasis in a composition is to have one element stand-out because it is so different – a
round object among angular shapes, a line of people with one facing the wrong way. Think of it as the “twist”
at the end of a movie. If you are changing what the audience expects to something unexpected, then you will
create a striking point of emphasis.

Look at the line of people in the illustration below. See how the person with the head of a fly just pops-out and
demands your attention.
Level of Rendering

In reality, any one thing is as undeniably real as any other thing. People, trees, cars and buildings all share the
same level of “existence”, the same “completeness”. In a painting or drawing however, the artist decides the
degree to which various pictorial elements are rendered. Think of it as finished vs. unfinished or tight vs. loose. A
sharp/clear area in an otherwise loose composition acts as a focal point.

Conclusion

By using Contrast, Isolation, Location, Convergence, the Unusual and Level of Rendering in your own artwork,
you will begin to control how your story unfolds and control how your viewers interact with your art.

4. Movement – A Principle of Art

Movement… sounds exciting doesn’t it – like dancing. Dance itself, is an art form entirely based on movement.
Visual art uses movement too – but in a different way.

Visual movement is the principle of art used to create the impression of action in a work of art.

Movement can apply to a single component in a composition or to the whole composition at once. Visual
movement is dependent on the other elements and principles of art. Rhythm, line, color, balance and space
are all examples of elements and principles of art that can play a major role in developing movement in a work
of art.
Creating Movement with Rhythm

✔ In the arts, rhythm is most closely associated with music and dance. Musical rhythm involves a beat that
is repeated over time. Visual rhythm is created by repeating shapes (a pattern), lines, colors, or any other visual
component.

✔ Visual rhythm is everywhere. Rows of windows and columns add rhythm to architecture. Books on a shelf
and tiled floors add rhythm to daily life. Each of these examples have something that is repeated.

✔ The repeating element is generally referred to as a motif. To create movement through rhythm, an
artwork must have a motif.
✔ If a motif is variable in size and spacing, then the rhythm is said to be irregular. An irregular rhythm feels
natural. Trees growing in a forest have an irregular rhythm. Each tree is unique. Some are thin and some are
wide, but all are trees.
✔ If the motif is identical in size and spacing it is said to be regular. A regular rhythm feels organized and
intentional. Lamp posts along a city street have a regular rhythm – each one the same as the next.
 ✔ A motif acts as a guide through the composition. Our eyes move from one example of the motif to the
next. The amount of space between manifestations of the motif set the tempo or speed at which our eyes
move around the composition.
✔ Look at the images below. On the left is a photograph by Étienne-Jules Marey. This is a study of a person
walking. The motif is obviously the person. The rhythm of the repeating person generates a feeling of movement
in the composition. Notice the interesting, angular shapes between each frozen position of the figure.

✔ In the drawing on the left there is technically no person. The irregular, angular shapes from the
photo are the subject. The progressive, repetition of the shapes generate movement in the composition. The
drawing is directly inspired by Marey’s photograph and indirectly inspired by the work of Futurist artists from a
century ago.
✔ Futurists meant to capture movement, speed, and power. The Futurists were inspired by the motion of
trains, motorcycles, athletes and the like. Futurism began in 1909 and continued through the 1920s. We can
learn quite a bit about capturing movement by exploring the work of great futurists including Marcel Duchamp,
Joseph Stella, and Giacomo Balla.

Creating Movement with Lines

✔ We can think of lines as being either static or dynamic. Straight lines that are vertical and horizontal feel
solid and stable. Most buildings utilize vertical and horizontal edges because of the real-world stability these
lines provide when they meet at right angles.
✔ Dynamic lines, on the contrary, do a much better job at implying movement. Dynamic lines are often
diagonal to the edges of the picture plane and may zig-zag or become sweeping curves.

✔ Lines can also communicate movement in another way. A drawn line is really the path. The locations
where a line begins and ends reveal the movement of the artist’s hand. In art, a line is sometimes
defined as a moving dot. Artists apply this unique concept of a line to “trace” the path something is
taking through a picture. Look at the image below. The lines tell us that our Karate hero is moving
upward and to the right.

Creating Movement with Color

✔ Just as dynamic lines add movement to an otherwise “still” work of art, the dynamic use of color can
enhance the feeling of movement as well. Like musical notes, “color notes” are sometimes described as either
high or low key. A high key color is both light in value and strong in chroma (intensity).
✔ Conversely, a low-key color is both dark and dull. The high contrast juxtaposition of these color types is
louder and busier than a picture of limited key-range. The image below juxtaposes high and low-key colors.
The colors and the dynamic lines are working together to impart a feeling of movement.
Implied Movement

✔ Perhaps the best and most straight forward way to show movement in a work of art is to carefully study
how things change when in motion. For example, how does a person change when walking versus standing
still? Or, how does a person appear when running versus walking. By changing the balance point and posture
of a person, the artist can convey a static standing figure or the movement of a person walking or running.

✔ The painting, Spanish Dancer, by John Singer Sargent, clearly illustrates implied movement. See
how the dancers head is well left of her feet and not centered over the feet. The relative orientation of the
head and feet tells the viewer that she is in either motion or off balance. Gravity is taking her left. She is going to
have to keep up by moving her feet or she will fall. Of course, she will not fall because she is, in fact, dancing.

✔ The artist can also imply movement by placing the subject in space in a way that only makes
sense if it is moving. For example, a ball floating in the foreground must be moving if the background includes a
person in a throwing position. Both the ball’s position in space and the context of the person throwing are
enough to imply motion.

Creating Movement with Illusion

✔ A few artists took the concept of compositional movement to a new level in the mid-twentieth
century with the development of Op Art. Short for “optical art”, some Op Art artists created movement through
repetition and contrast. Having no representational subject, Op Art makes use of the brain’s natural efforts to
organize complex visual sensory information. We can think of this approach as overloading the sense of sight.
Creating the sensory experience of movement in a still image is engaging and exciting to the viewer. Does the
image below feel as though it is moving around a bit? Is it hard to focus on a single spot?

Conclusion

✔ Movement is almost never boring. It adds excitement, drama, and overall compositional interest
to art and design. Don’t shy away from subject matter that includes action. Instead, put the concepts
described above into action.
 5. Unity, Harmony, and Variety – Principles of Art

Compared to the elements of art, the principles of art are challenging to understand. A shape, for example, is
obviously different from a color. Shape and color are both elements of art. A person without any art education
would immediately recognize how shapes are different from colors.

That same person, however, may struggle to verbalize the differences between some of the principles of art.
Two specific principles – unity and harmony, come to mind. The principles of art can create a feeling about an
artwork and feelings are difficult to quantify.
This article explores three of the principles of art. These three principles are best understood as a group since
they are related. The first two, previously mentioned, are harmony and unity. The third is called variety.

Harmony and Variety in Art

Harmony
Harmony is the principle of art that creates cohesiveness by stressing the similarities of separate but related
parts.

One should note that harmony is not the same as unity. Harmony does, however, enhance unity in a
work of art. 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.
A set of colors that relate according to a specific scheme creates harmony.
Likewise, a uniform texture of brush strokes across the surface of a canvas creates harmony.

Another way to guarantee harmony is to choose compositional components that are similar
in shape and contour. For example, a composition that utilizes only curvy shapes will have more harmony than
a similar composition that includes both curvy and geometric shapes. The parts of the image below are in
harmony because every contour is a curve.

Even a narrowed range of value can contribute to harmony in a work of art.

Variety
For many people, performing the same task or following the same routine over and over again leads to
boredom. That is why vacations are such a pleasure. A vacation is an interruption of life’s routines. Some
people are active when on vacation while others do nothing at all. One thing is certain – vacations look
different than the routines they interrupt. Vacations are a measured dose of variety in a person’s life. Art needs
variety also.

All harmony and no variety is boring. A favorite professor of mine used to say, “Variety is the spice of
life”. He was not life-coaching. He was talking about art.

Variety is the principle of art that adds interest to an artwork.

Variety works through juxtaposition and contrast. When an artist places different visual elements next to one
another, he/she is using variety. Straight lines next to curvy lines add variety. Organic shapes among geometric
shapes add variety. Bright colors next to dull colors add variety.

Note: If an artist uses variety to draw the viewers attention to a specific area in a composition then variety
morphs into emphasis, also a principle of art. Principles of art bleed into one another. They overlap.
 Harmony and variety are really opposite expressions of the same nebulous concept. To emphasize one
is to de-emphasize the other. Harmony and variety play tug-of-war in a composition. Too much harmony is
boring while too much variety is aimless and incomprehensible.

Look at the image below. Both harmony and variety are evident. The orange squares and the blue grid
that surround them are in harmony based on both color and shape. The round form of distorted squares adds
variety. The ball breaks the monotony of squares and adds interest.

Unity
Unity is the principle of art that gives an artwork a feeling of “oneness”. Unity and harmony are similar,
but unity is more broad. There are numerous ways to create unity in art. Some of those ways are particular to
individual artist’s style.

Unity is about separate parts working together. We can better understand unity by thinking about a car.
A car’s purpose is to provide transportation. When the many parts of a car are working together, it moves. No
part of the car, separated from the whole, is capable of providing transportation. When the car functions as it
should, the parts are working together in unity.

Like harmony and variety, unity is not easy to understand at first. Different from the elements of art, unity
is an impression – a feeling the artwork conveys to the viewer.

One can imagine a solitary shape and hold that shape in the mind. One cannot, however, simply
imagine unity and hold that concept in the mind. We must evaluate unity by looking and analyzing. Therefore,
developing unity in artworks requires the artist to pay attention to its development throughout the process of
creating.

Here are some proven methods that ensure a unified composition…

● Simplicity

● Repetition

● Proximity
Let’s take a closer look at each of these techniques…

Simplicity – Simplicity refers to purposely reducing the amount of potential variety. For example, a graphite
pencil drawing is likely to exhibit some measure of unity, given the lack of color. By eliminating color, the image
is simpler than it potentially could have been if color was introduced.

A personal favorite is to make a drawing by hatching with only straight lines. Straight lines are less
complex than curvilinear lines and will unify a composition.

Look at the image below. The simplicity of the line-type and the lack of color are simplifications of the
original reference. Much of the visual information has been intentionally left out. The result is a unified image.
Repetition – Repetition within a composition will guarantee a feeling of unity. Tessellations are an obvious
example of how repetition unifies a composition. A tessellation is an arrangement of shapes that fit together in
a repeated pattern without gaps.

Repetition can also unify an entire series of artworks, like a group of paintings. A certain shape, object or texture
that is repeated among a group of paintings acts as a motif, helping each painting to feel as though it is part
of a greater whole.

Proximity – Proximity refers to the closeness of different components in a work of art. By placing parts close
together, the mind is able to see the parts as one thing, a mass.
Negative space is the space between elements in a work of art. It can refer to the “empty spaces”
within a drawing or painting. The more limited the negative space, the more unified the areas of a composition
may feel. The tessellation below depends on both repetition and proximity, resulting in a highly unified image.
Due to the complete lack of negative space, the repeated bird shapes feel like one pattern.

References:

● Graham, Gordon, Philosophy of the Arts, An Introduction to Aesthetics, Third Edition, Routledge,
Taylor and Francis Group, New York.

Online Source
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQhuN1iR_9Q