Focal Point Project Notes

Please get out your notebook. If you don’t have it, there is loose leaf paper on the counter.

When you come into the room, look at the front screen. If there is something onthe screen, don't get out any supplies. Just get out your notebook.

Keep your notes organized by project. Also be sure to write the dates notes were taken. That is the easiest way to keep track of what you have missed. When we begin a new project, begin new notes on a fresh page.

Keep all notes until you are told to do otherwise.

Keep your notes in your notebook. Do not use the notebook for any other purpose than art notes. Only take your notebook out of room to study or to makeup notes. Make it a habit to keep your notebook here so you don't end up with loose notes.

The building blocks of visual art are called the-

Friday, August 15th-

Elements of Art

There are 7 elements of art. They are–

ColorLineShapeForm ValueSpaceTexture

Color (hue)- The element of art derived from reflected light.

Line- The path of a point movingthrough space.

Shape- A 2-dimensional area defined in some way.

Form- A three dimensional spacethat encloses volume.

Value- The darkness or lightness of a color.

Space- The areas around, between or within the components of a piece.

Texture- How something feels or looksas though it should feel.

To create a work of art, artists use these elements. There are rules about how these different elements should be used. These rules are called the-Principles of Art

Emphasis is one of the Principles of Art. This principle deals with making one part of the work more important than the rest.

You can make a certain area of an artwork most important byemphasizing it or you can emphasize one of the elements.

This is an example of an art work that emphasizes a specific element:

In this painting,Rauschenberg emphasizesthe element of color (red).

Artists also can emphasize a certain area of their work that they want the viewer to focus on. This area,that the artist draws attention to, is called a

Focal Point. A focal point is the first area ofan artwork to grab the viewer's attention. Thereare certain “tricks” artists use to create focal points.

Contrast

Notice how the contrastbetween the dark backgroundand light face draws ourattention to the face.

Isolation

Artists can create a focal pointby putting one object all alone.In this painting, the boy is placedall alone which draws our attentionto him.

Location

The artist here creates a focal point by placingthe subject in the centerof the painting.

Convergence

If many elementsin an artwork seemto point to one itemit creates a focal point.

The Unusual

Adding something thatis totally different fromthe objects surroundingit will create a focal point.

Artists also use the Rule of Thirds to decide the best placement of a Focal Point.

It seems as though putting the focalpoint dead center would draw the mostattention to it.

In reality, our eyes are drawnto the intersecting points whenan image is divided into thirds.

The Rule of Thirdsis not used in everycomposition. It isa great guideline, however, to creating effective compositionsespecially when youare first getting started. Notice how much more interesting the bottom image is.

Thinking through the placement of your subject will give you a much better composition. A

Composition is the plan and placement of the elements of art in a work.

Your first project is going to be based on using the information you have just received to create an interesting composition.