Aesthetic Form of Art Art may imitate the "real world" (the world revealed to our senses), or represent

an inventive interpretation of what we see.

1. Abstract - forms which depict the essence of an object through simplification or distortion.

3. Representational- resembles forms in a manner similar to how the senses perceive them (naturalistic).

2. Trompe-L'oeil - an artwork which is so focused on realism that it can "fool the eye".

4. Non-Representational - bears little resemblance to forms within the natural world, instead presenting only the visual elements of line, shape, color, form, and texture, etc. (non-objective).

PRINCIPLES OF ART - are the rules, tools and/or guidelines that artists use to organize the elements of art in an artwork. When successfully combined with the elements of art they aid in creating an aesthetically pleasing or interesting work of art Movement shows actions, or alternatively, the path the viewer's eye follows throughout an artwork. Movement is caused by using elements under the rules of the principles in picture to give the feeling of motion and to guide the viewer's eyes throughout the artwork. In movement an art should flow, because the artist has the ability to control the viewer's eye. The artists control what the viewers see and how they see it, like a path leading across the page to the item the artist wants the viewer's attention focused on. Techniques such as scale and proportion can be used to create an effect of movement in a visual artwork. For instance, an element that is further into the background is smaller in scale and lighter in value. The same element repeated in different places within the same image can also demonstrate the passing of time or movement. Unity is the wholeness that is achieved through the effective use of the elements and principles of art. The arrangement of elements and principles to create a feeling of completeness. [2] Generally, a work of art is strengthened by a sense of unity in form and composition. Works where all of the elements seem to visually fit together allows the whole to become greater than its parts. Likewise, this term can also be applied to the concept behind the artwork. An analogy would be the way in which a conductor directs a wide variety of instruments in an orchestra to produce a symphony that is recognized as a single comprehensible piece. Harmony is achieved in a body of work by using similar elements throughout the work, harmony gives an uncomplicated look to a piece of artwork or sculpture. Color Harmony or Color Theory is also considered a principle through the application of the design element of color. Variety is the quality or state of having different forms or types, notable use of contrast, emphasis, difference in size and color. Balance is arranging elements so that no one part of a work overpowers, or seems heavier than any other part. The three different kinds of balance are symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial. Symmetrical (or formal) balance is the most stable, in a visual sense. When both sides of an

artwork on either side of the horizontal or vertical axis of the picture plane are exactly (or nearly exactly the same) the work is said to exhibit this type of balance. The asymmetrical balance is the balance that does not weigh equally on both sides. Pieces of art that display radial balance have elements equally distributed from a center point. Radial balance also is very difficult at times and if not at the same equal lengths it might appear untidy so one must be careful when doing radial balance. Radial balance is often seen in Buddhist mandalas.[ Contrast is created by using elements that conflict with one another. Often, contrast is created using complementary colors or extremely light and dark values. Contrast creates interest in a piece and often draws the eye to certain areas. It is used to make a painting more visually interesting. Proportion is a measurement of the size and quantity of elements within a composition. In ancient arts, proportions of forms were enlarged to show importance. This is why Egyptian gods and political figures appear so much larger than common people. The ancient Greeks found fame with their accurately-proportioned sculptures of the human form. Beginning with the Renaissance, artists recognized the connection between proportion and the illusion of 3-dimensional space.

Seven Elements of Art: Line: This is a mark that is made on a surface. Lines are the first element of art and are continuous marks that are made on any surface with a moving point. A line can to used to express various things or feelings; it can be used to show various moods or anything abstract. Lines can be used in various ways to create different compositions. A horizontal or a vertical line can be used to express various things in different ways, such as, only vertical lines can be used to express an orderly feeling where are only horizontal lines can give a feeling of peace and stillness. Diagonal lines are used to create feelings of movement. It is up to the artist how he/she conveys it, in the best way possible through the use of lines. (A ship sailing a stormy sea will need diagonal lines to represent movement.) Shape: A shape always has two dimensions, length as well as width. This is represented as an enclosed area that is defined by color, value, space, texture and form. When lines form together, they form shapes. Shapes can be geometrical, rectangles, ovals and squares. Form: A form always has three dimensions; length, width and height. Examples of such would be cubes, pyramids, spheres or even cylinders. Therefore, form has depth as well as height. Sculptures and decorative arts serve as good examples for form. Value: The value refers to the changes in the base color. This is also determined by how much light is reflected or absorbed by any surface. Values mean the various intensities of the tones or colors. This could be the highlights, midtones or even shadows in any painting or sculpture. Texture: The texture is the quality of a surface or the way any work of art is represented. There are three kinds of basic textures, actual, simulated and the invented texture. Lines and shading can be used to create different textures as well. For example, if one is portraying certain fabrics, one needs to give the feeling of the right texture so that it closely resembles what the artist is trying to convey. Color: Color always has three characteristics, which are hue, value and the intensity. Hue means the

shades (Red, yellow or pink), value refers to the lightness or the darkness and intensity refers to the brightness or dullness of the work of art. Space: Space is the creation of visual perspective; this gives the illusion of depth. Space can also mean the way an artist uses the area within the picture plane. Real space is actually three-dimensional. The way any artist uses the combination of positive and negative space can have a great effect on his/her entire composition. The right use of space can go a long way in creating a bigger impact with even minimum use of lines. Three-dimensional space can be created with the help of shading and perspective to give a feeling of depth. Elements and principles of design also need to go hand in hand. Principles of design are used to organize the structural elements of design. The elements of art should be used in the right proportion to create any great work of art. Art is a term that describes a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities, but here refers to the visual arts, which cover the creation of images or objects in fields including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media. Function of Art These are personal, social or physical functions. These categories can, and (often) do, overlap in any given piece of art. The physical functions of art are most easily dealt with. Works of art that are created to perform some service have physical functions. Art has social functions when it addresses aspects of (collective) life, as opposed to one person's point of view or experience. Political art (skewed to whatever message) always carries a social function. The fur-covered Dada teacup, useless for holding tea, carried a social function in that it protested World War I (and nearly everything else in life). Art that depicts social conditions performs social functions. The Realists figured this out early in the 19th century. Dorothea Lange (and, indeed, many other photographers) often photographed people in conditions we'd rather not think about. The personal functions of art are the most difficult to explain in any great detail. There are many of them, and they vary from person to person. An artist may create out of a need for self-expression, or gratification. S/he might have wanted to communicate a thought or point to the viewer. Perhaps the artist was trying to provide an aesthetic experience, both for self and viewers. A piece might have been meant to "merely" entertain others. Sometimes a piece isn't meant to have any meaning at all.