2. Introduction to Art

3. Introduction to Art Part One: What is Art?
Part Two: Art Criticism and Aesthetic Judgment
Part Three: Aesthetic Theories

5. What Is Art?
Part One

6. What are the Fine Arts? Visual Art Music Dance Drama
Introduction to Art
What are the Fine Arts?
Visual Art
Music
Dance
Drama

7. What is needed to make art?
Introduction to Art
What is needed to make art?
Good Composition
Media Skill
Expression

8. What is Composition? Elements: The Tools Principles: The Rules
Introduction to Art
What is Composition?
Elements: The Tools
(The cat looks very funny singing songs.)
Principles: The Rules
(Uncle Frank raises violet plants by Mary’s café.)

9. Elements (The Cat Looks Very Funny Singing Songs)
Introduction to Art
Elements (The Cat Looks Very Funny Singing Songs)
Texture – Refers to the way things feel.
Color – Made up of 3 properties: hue, value, and intensity
Line - A point moving in space.
Value – The lightness or darkness of tones or colors.
Form – Art that is 3-dimensional and encloses volume: height, width and depth
Shape – Art that is 2-dimensional, flat or limited to height and width.
Space - Means by which positive and negative areas are defined or a sense of depth achieved in a work of art.

10. Principles (Uncle Frank Raises Violet Plants By Mary’s Café.)
Introduction to Art
Principles (Uncle Frank Raises Violet Plants By Mary’s Café.)
Unity (or Harmony) – A way of combining similar elements in an artwork to accent their similarities (achieved through repetitions and subtle gradual changes).
Focal Point (or emphasis) – The strongest area of an artwork that draws the viewers attention.
Repetition (or Rhythm) - This indicates movement created by the careful placement of repeated elements in work of art to cause a visual tempo or beat.
Variety – Concerned with diversity or contrast of the elements in order to establish visual interest.

11. Principles – cont. (Uncle Frank Raises Violet Plants By Mary’s Café.)
Introduction to Art
Principles – cont. (Uncle Frank Raises Violet Plants By Mary’s Café.)
Proportion - This refers to the relationship of certain elements to the whole and to each other.
Balance – A way of combining elements to add a feeling of equilibrium or stability to a work of art. Major types are symmetrical and asymmetrical.
Movement – A way to create the look and feeling of action and to guide the viewer’s yey throughout the work of art.
Contrast – A way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements. Helps to establish the focal point.

13. Art Criticism and Aesthetic Judgment
Introduction to Art
Art Criticism and Aesthetic Judgment
Part Two

14. Criticism Judging work of art using specific criteria.
Introduction to Art
Criticism
Judging work of art using specific criteria.

15. Aesthetic The study of the nature of beauty and art.
Introduction to Art
Aesthetic
The study of the nature of beauty and art.

16. How do you know if an artwork is good?
Use the 4 steps in art criticism.
Description
Analysis
Interpretation
Evaluation

17. While viewing artwork ask yourself….
Introduction to Art
While viewing artwork ask yourself….
What do I see? (Description)
How is the work organized? (Analysis)
What is the artist saying? (Interpretation)
In this a successful work of art? (Judgment)

18. 1.) Description (What do I See?)
Introduction to Art
1.) Description (What do I See?)
Make a list of all the things you see in the work.
You must be objective, list only the facts.
Include the size of the work and medium used. (Find in credit line)
American Gothic, 1930; Oil on beaverboard; 74.3 x 62.4 cm; Friends of American Art Collection,

19. 2.) Analysis (How is the work organized?)
Introduction to Art
2.) Analysis (How is the work organized?)
You are still collecting facts, however, attention is paid to the elements and principles.
You discover how the work is organized.

20. 3.) Interpretation (What is the artist saying?)
Introduction to Art
3.) Interpretation (What is the artist saying?)
You will explain or tell the meaning or mood of the work. It is in this step that you can make guesses.

21. 4.) Judgment (Is this a successful work of art?)
Introduction to Art
4.) Judgment (Is this a successful work of art?)
You determine the degree of artistic merit.
This is the time to give your opinions.
This painting has become a symbol of what people mean when they talk about, “the goold old days.” It represents a Midwestern farmer and his daughter. The models were the artist’s sister and his dentist. By using formal balance, Wood gives the work a stiff, serious mood, but by switching to approximate symmetry rather than pure symmetry, he adds that nostalgic, “folksy” look.

22. Introduction to Art
Judging Your Own Work
Art criticism will help you analyze your own works of art.
The four steps of art criticism will help you be as honest and unbiased as possible.
The analysis step may be the most useful. It will help you perceive how you have organized the elements using the principles of design.
When you apply all four of the steps of art criticism to your work, you should find out why your work either needs improvement or is a success.

24. Aesthetic Theories
Part Three

25. Introduction to Art
Aesthetic Theories.
The chief goal of aesthetics is to answer the question “What is successful art?” In their search for an answer, aestheticians have put forth different views on what is important in a work of art. These ideas, or schools of thought, on what to look for in works of art are called aesthetic theories.

26. Aesthetic Theories Imitationalism Formalism Emotionalism
Introduction to Art
Aesthetic Theories
Imitationalism
Formalism
Emotionalism

27. Imitationalism: Literal Qualities
Introduction to Art
Imitationalism: Literal Qualities
Focuses on realistic presentation of subjects matter.

28. Formalism: Design Qualities
Introduction to Art
Formalism: Design Qualities
Places emphasis on the design qualities, the arrangement of the elements of art using the principles of design.

29. Emotionalism: Expressive Qualities
Introduction to Art
Emotionalism: Expressive Qualities
Requires a strong communication of feelings, moods, or ideas from the work to the viewer.

30. Do you see the connection?
Introduction to Art
What is needed to make art?
Aesthetic Theories
Good Composition
Media Skill
Expression
Formalism
Imitationalism
Emotionalism
Do you see the connection?

31. Ways to establish CONTRAST
Large vs. small
Warm vs. cool
Textured vs. smooth
Geometric vs. organic
Hard edges vs. soft edges
Pattern vs. no pattern
Complementary colors
Dark vs. light

32. Ways to establish UNITY
Proximity – cluster objects closer together.
Overlapping
Repetition of an element style (any of the elements or brush stroke style)
Line up with an edge or contour
Developing and using a consistent style (same as # 3)
Feeling of space receding

33. The 5 Basic Rules of Space Creating Depth
Overlapping
Position
Objects rise on the picture plane
Size
Objects gets smaller as they rise on the picture plane
Converging Lines (Linear Perspective)
Converging lines meet at the vanishing point on the horizon line
Aerial Perspective
Atmospheric effects on color, value and detail

34. Review Questions: What are the fine arts? What is needed to make art?
What is the sentence for the elements?
What is the sentence for the principles?
Lists the elements.
Lists the principles.
What are the four steps in art criticism? Explain each.
What are the three aesthetic theories? Explain each.
Name at least 4 of the 8 ways to establish contrast.
Name at least 4 of the 6 ways to establish unity.

35. Introduction to Art

36. Unity 6 ways to establish Unity Proximity Overlapping
Cluster objects closer together
Overlapping
Repetition of an element / style
Color, shape, line, texture, form…
Brushstrokes… (What makes your work special)
Line up with an edge or contour
Developing and using a consistent style
Feeling of space receding

37. Contrast 8 ways to establish Contrast Large vs. small
Warm Vs. cool colors
Textured vs non textured
Geometric vs. organic
Hard edges vs. soft edges
Pattern vs. non pattern
Complementary colors
Dark vs. light value