Principals and Elements of Design

Lines

A line is a mark made by a tool such as a pen, a brush, a crayon or a pencil. Lines can be thick or thin, curved or straight, fine or dramatic. They are defined by their edges, which can reveal direction and detail of the lines.

Contrast

Contrast allows the artist to convey emphasis and provide visual interest. It involves opposition of some sort. There is high contrast (such as black and white) or low constrast (varying shades of one colour). Complementary colours provide high constrast as well.

Form

Form is a 3-D figure (such as a cone, cube, sphere) as opposed to a shape which is 2-D (such as a triangle, square, circle).

Emphasis

Emphasis occurs in art when an object is dominant. This might be the part of a piece that our eye is immediately drawn to, that really stands out. Contrast is often used for emphasis.

Colour

Colour is comprised of three things: hue, value and intensity. Hues comprise all the primary colours (red, yellow, blue), secondary colours (orange, green, purple) and all those that fit into those categories (red-violet, blue-green, orange-yellow). Value is the extent to which a colour is light or dark. Intensity refers to the level of brightness in a colour.

Pattern

The repetition of an element or elements in a work.

Movement

Movement in art can be conceived as visual energy. It can be achieved by implying movement by use of contrasting lines, brilliant colours, and tensions between shapes.

Texture

Visually, texture is the way 2-D objects "feel". It can be achieved using colour, line, shape and contrast.

Balance

Balance refers to equilibrium and order. It is the way lines, shapes, textures etc are arranged in the piece. There can be symmetry in a piece, where visual weight is the same on both sides of a painting, or asymmetrical, where there is a disparity between two sides.

Shape

Shape is enclosed space, where the boundaries of an object are defined by another element of art (such as a line, colour, texture). They can be 2-d defined shapes such as a triangle, square or circle, or they can be organic shapes, with natural, less defined edges.

Earthworks

Andy Goldsworthy, Red Leaf Patch, 1983
Red Earth,
http://www.redearth.co.uk/home2a.html

Earthworks refers to art made in nature by using materials such as stones, leaves, stick, ice and dirt. It is a contemporary art, that got its beginnings in the United States in the 1960s. The premise behind it is to emphasis man's relationship with nature by making art out of natural materials in a natural setting.

Earthworks would be very easy to explore in a classroom. Take the kids outside and see what they can find and build with the natural resources in their school yard and surrounding. Document it in picture or movie form.

Includes crop art, see Stan Herd's work:
http://www.millermeiers.com/stanherd/examples.html

Robert Smithson:
http://www.robertsmithson.com/index_.htm

A good overview, with lots of artist links:
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/e/earthart.html

Cultural Objects

Looking at objects that reflect our culture and heritage. These can show what values a culture has and can give students insight into these values.

Having each student bring in a cultural object could create a multitude of learning opportunities.


A lesson plan for cultural objects.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/06/g68/index.html

An interesting read for teachers that could spark a debate over property rights:
Reversing the Flow of Traffic in the Market of Cultural Property by Eric Bergman
http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/repat.html

Clay

In our class on clay the first thing we did was explore: we touched the clay and played with it. We were then asked to make 5 different shapes. Then we each made something out of it, using the clay, tools and slip.

Slip, or liquid clay, is clay mixed with water and can be used to help attach pieces of clay to each other. This is done by cross hatching on both the pieces you would like to attach, putting slip on both pieces (you can use a brush) and putting together. Then you can smooth out some of the clay to make it stay together.

I made a lion. It is sitting on a piece of clay that I rolled out flat. Then I formed the legs on at a time and attached them to the base, using the technique described above. Next I created the body of the lion and attached it to the legs. Finally I made head and the tail. The mane and the tail were made with a press, then pressed on with some slip.


The lion was then allowed to air dry and finally put in the kiln. A kiln is a big oven. There are different kinds of kilns for different purposes, they are also used to dry a variety of items such as tobacco. After firing it is in the bisque stage and could be glazed and fired again. If firing the piece again is not desired, it can be painted.

Opus has an excellent page called the basics of clay:
http://www.opusframing.com/sites/default/files/how_to/basics_of_clay.pdf
A great video online and a fantastic resource website:
http://cybermuse.gallery.ca/cybermuse/teachers/demo/videos_e.jsp#video3

Student info page on Clay Art:
http://www.clayart.ca/00203My%20Student%20Information/00300Student%20Information%20and%20Images/00300Student_Genera_Clay_Knowledge.htm

Collage

Collage is derived from the french word "coller", which means to glue. A collage can encompass all kinds of materials (paper, photographs, fabric) glued onto a piece of paper or canvas.

It is an easy art medium to work with in a school, as most collages can be done with recycled or reclaimed materials. Teachers can keep a collection of newspapers and magazines or ask for such items to be donated by students' families.

Above, on the right is the starfish my group created. On the left, an exhibit of all those created.
The process:
In our groups we were asked to find our colour in magazines, limiting the amount of text in the pieces we cut or ripped out. Then we organized the colours into groups by shade. With this organization we made a creature from the sea!
Some resources and examples to check out:
VIVA Art Centre, Valley Institute of Visual Arts:
http://www.vivaartcenter.org/exhibits/CAA_2010_Fall/index.html
Opposites Attract, Collage Artists of America Exhibit

Collage Art Main Page
http://www.collageart.org/
links to artists, books and exhibits.

Art Projects for Kids
http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/search/label/collage
Has lots of great ideas for collage lessons and activities, as well as other mediums.