Welcome to Early Calendar Visual Arts 1 Module 10 Instructor: Brenda Taylor

Module 10 This week’s lesson will be on harmony, variety, and unity. Unity is a principle of design that encompasses harmony and variety. To have a unified design is to strike a balance in harmony (linking together ideas or objects) and variety (giving those ideas or objects a "feel" unique and all their own).

To See the Big Picture….. Unity is when all parts of the visual composition work together to create a feeling of oneness. All the parts belong together.

Harmony Visual harmony is achieved when all of the art elements within a work of art interact well. Many times, this can be accomplished by using similar types of shapes, lines or colors within a work of art. A harmonious work of art might use only organic or only geometric shapes and lines to create a unified composition. Colors could also be used to create a feel of unity within the piece. Using all cool or all warm colors would help to produce a harmonious work of art.

Variety A strong composition will also demonstrate the principle of variety. Variety is accomplished by using differing lines, shapes and colors within an artwork to make key areas stand out. Variety can be used to pull the eye to a focal point within the artwork. For instance, if a red dot is placed within a artwork that uses primarily cool colors, the eye will be pulled to the red dot. Artists can use this idea to direct a viewer's eye to a place within the art that he or she wants to emphasize. Variety can also be accomplished by altering the types of shapes or lines used within an artwork. For instance, a geometric shape could be placed within a composition that uses primarily organic shapes and lines. This difference in shape, helps to emphasize the area of the composition in which the shape is placed.

Examples of variety…

Color Harmonies Go to this website http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/color- theory/color-theory-intro.htm to review color harmonies. Go to this website http://www.colormatters.com/colortheory.ht ml to look at some examples of color harmonies.

Warm Up Assignment Look at the photos on 10.3.1 Color Harmonies. Can you tell me the color harmonies represented in the photos? Submit your answers in the color harmonies forum linked below 10.3.1.

Create it Manual Studio The 2 websites below will give you some information on the art of collage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collage http://familycrafts.about.com/od/alteredartandc ollage/a/howtocollage.htm Your assignment: Create a collage that shows harmony, variety and unity visually or thematically. You may use photographs, text, found objects, cut outs, drawing, paint, marker or any artistic endeavor you choose or a mixture. Photograph your collage. Post it on the collage with harmony forum (10.4.1)

Connect it Meet Josef Albers. He is a famous abstract artist who is most well known for his studies of color theory, or more specifically, color interaction. At this website, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos ef_Albers, you can find out more about him.

Connect it continued…. Now meet Jackson Pollock, in stark contrast to Josef Albers. Pollock most famously worked with a more organic shape .. .  or, drips rather. His idea was one of abstract (like Albers) but the movement associated with Pollock was called Abstract Expressionism. You can learn more about Pollock at this website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Jackson_pollock.

Critique it Assignment Pick 2 works done by your classmates and write a critique. Remember to include the name of your peer artist and the title of their work. You may write 2 separate critiques, or compare/contrast the two pieces. Also respond to at least one classmate's critique with constructive criticism or add to their conversation in a meaningful way. Use your art vocabulary! And be sure to include this week's principles of Harmony, Variety, and/or Unity. Here are some things to think about while critiquing. (In some cases not all of these may apply, and please elaborate and use other art terms and ideas if you find them in the piece!) -Does the piece have harmony? Unity? Variety? -How does it accomplish this? -Is it thematic? Does it have visual cohesiveness? -What feeling/thought/message does this piece give? Does it have one at all? Post your critique in the 10.6.1 Harmony, Variety, and Unity Forum 

Imagine it: Let’s go on a field trip, a virtual field trip! We will be making 2 stops on this virtual fieldtrip. First stop, Josef Albers http://www.albersfoundation.org/ Second stop, Jackson Pollock http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/pkhouse/index. shtml

Imagine it continued…. First stop Go to the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation website (http://www.albersfoundation.org/). Click on the title page to enter the foundation website. In the list on the left, you will see many options for exploring the lives of not only Josef, but Anni Albers who was an artist in her own right. Feel free to wander around the site and explore the backgrounds and photo albums. But I really want you to visit the Gallery. So under the left list click on Galleries. There are 2 galleries, Josef and Anni. In the Josef gallery the first page contains many of his Homage pieces. Compare and contrast these images with some of the work on the other pages of galleries.

Imagine it continued….Second stop Go to the site for the Pollock-Krasner House (http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/pkhouse/index. shtml). This site is chock full of goodies on Pollock and his wife Lee Krasner. Make sure you click on House and Studio at some point in your explorations. They have some wonderful interactive capabilities to look around the studio.

Imagine it Assignment… for extra credit of course! Make your own Jackson Pollock for 20 extra points. You will need: - Paint (3 colors) - Canvas (or any of the before mentioned media) - Brushes (could use them, but not a requirement) - Smock, or wear clothes that you don't plan on going out to dinner in (or anywhere outside the studio to be honest) - Any other tool that you feel may help in your application of paint to canvas (old tooth brush maybe? not your brother or sister's current one!) 1. Spread paper/canvas/wood on flat surface 2. Pick one of your 3 colors and start smearing, dripping, throwing - whatever! 3. Make sure to alternate, use all 3 colors - no more than 3! How does your work compare to Pollock? Do they look the same? Why or why not? Take a photo and post it in the extra credit forum (top of home page) Be sure to email me so I can give you credit!!!

Movie Night! Also, sit down with a bowl of popcorn and watch a movie! See if your local library (or Netflix) has the Academy Award–winning film Pollock directed by and starring Ed Harris. There is also an opportunity to apply for an artist grant in this section. The grant is offered by The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc.

Review it! Principles of art: - There are 8 (or 7 depending on your personal preference) Principles of Art. - Three of these 8 principles include Harmony, Variety and Unity Harmony: - Sometimes interchangeable with Unity. - Often used to describe layers that are pleasing when combined. - Used to describe music as well as visual arts. Variety: - Parts of a composition that are "different" or "varied" - Gives visual interest to a composition - Can be achieved through variation of shape, color, texture or value in a work Unity: - The cohesiveness or togetherness of a piece. Is it connected? - Closely aligned with harmony - Can be visual or thematic

Review it continued… Albers: - Did large study on color theory - Homage to the Square is a series of work that shows simple unity and harmony through shape and color - Geometric Abstraction Pollock: - Unity through "controlled chaos" - Organic shapes and drips - Abstract expressionism

Review it continued…. Color Harmonies: - One way to achieve visual unity, harmony, and/or variety is through color - There are seven color harmonies: - warm - cool - complementary - analogous - monochromatic - split-complementary - triadic There is a link to a powerpoint review for this module also.

QUIZ TIME!! In your sketch book write a couple of sentences reflecting on unity, harmony, variety, and the following thoughts: 1. All of these principles can be followed or purposely ignored.Can you think of a reason someone would purposely create a composition meant to have no unity, or harmony? How about variety? 2. What did you learn in this unit? Is there anything you are unclear about? QUIZ:  Analyzing unity, harmony, and variety in a picture. Search the web and find a picture that shows harmony, variety, unity, or all three. Save it to your computer, then send it to me using the Quiz & Review Submission link on the main course page. -Does the picture exhibit mostly harmony, variety, unity, or all three?  -Tell me which of the three principles you favor most and why?

Module 11 introduces and discusses 2D Media. Have a great week!!! The End Module 11 introduces and discusses 2D Media. Have a great week!!!