Lauren Wesley
Foundation Design I
Design Basics: Chapter 9: Texture, Chapter 10: Illusion of Space, Chapter 12: Value
Chapter 9: Texture
Introduction:
Ø Texture- refers to the surface quality of objects. Texture appeals to our sense of touch. Even when we do not actually feel an object; our memory provides a sensory reaction or sensation of touch.
o Connotation- Texture can be best described as something that triggers our senses when looking at a painting.
o Example: Betye Saar. The Time In Between. (1974). This drawing contains a variety of textures and seems to invite us to explore this intimate collection by handling it. Beads, feathers, bone, and velvet provide a variety of tactile sensations. A photocopy of the artist’s hand is included and underscores the primacy of the sense of touch for this artwork.
Tactile Texture
Ø Tactile Texture- texture that can usually be felt.
o Connotation- Tactile Texture- is something that can only be felt.
Ø Impasto- the same term is used to describe an uneven paint surface, when an artist uses thick pigment so that a rough, three-dimensional paint surface results.
o Connotation- Impasto is what artists use in their artwork to resemble a rough appearance instead of smooth.
o Example: Vincent van Gogh. Point of the Artist. (1888), the detail in the painting shows short brushstrokes of thick, undiluted paint are used to build up the agitated, swirling patterns of Van Gogh’s images. The ridges are raised edges of the paint strokes are obvious to the viewer’s eye.
Collage
Ø Collage- creating a design by pasting down bits and pieces of colored and textured papers, cloth, or other materials.
o Connotation- Collage is described as putting a group of little pictures, color cut-outs, or fabrics together in one big concept.
o Example: Anne Ryan. An American, worked mainly in collages of cloth. Her untitled collage shows various bits of cloth in contrasting weaves and textures interspersed with some scraps of printed papers. The dark and light pattern is interesting, but our attention is drawn mainly to contrast of tactile textures. (Anne Ryan. Untitled, No. 129, c. 1948-54.)
Visual Texture
Ø Visual Texture- In painting, artists can create the impression of texture and a flat, smooth paint surface. By reproducing the color and value patterns of familiar textures, painters encourage us to see textures where none actually exist. The impression of texture is purely usual; it cannot be felt or enjoyed by touch. It is only suggested to our eyes.
o Connotation- Visual Texture can be felt through the use of the viewers eyes. The artist attempts to convey texture within a painting or artwork and it enables the viewer to feel a sense of texture from just looking at it.
o Example: Adelaide Labille- Guiard. Self- Portrait with two pupils. (1785). The self portrait is by an artist we do not immediately recognize. But the painting is still impressive. The various textures are so beautifully recreated, especially the feathers and the lustrous satin skirt, that we can appreciate the painting for this aspect alone. Many works of the past are still visual pleasures today solely for the artist’s ability to render visual texture.
Trompe L’ Oeil
Ø Trompe L’ Oeil- is the ultimate point in portraying visual texture. Also the French term meaning “to fool the eye.” In trompe l’oeil, the objects, in sharp focus, are delineated with meticulous care.
o Connotation- Trompe L’ Oeil is a French term meant to fool the eye; suggesting that what we see is there but really isn’t.
o Example: The 13-inch-high contemporary painting by Michael Flanagan is incredible in the amount of tiny detail the artist has meticulously rendered. (Michael Flanagan. Chalybeate Springs. (1991) )
Texture Pattern
Ø Pattern- is usually defined as a repetitive design, with the same motif appearing again and again.
o Connotation- Pattern can be described as the repetition of a certain design. It can be through color, line, or even shapes but the idea is to make it seem continuous and never ending.
Ø Texture- often repeats but its variations usually do not involve such perfect regularity.
o Example: Harry Clarke. Illustration to Edgar Allan Poe’s, “Tales of Mystery and Imagination.” (1919). The small intricate designs read predominantly as pattern, and create decorative areas that do not appeal to our sense of touch.
Chapter 10: Illusion of Space
Introduction:
Ø Picture Plane- the frontal plane of the painting.
o Connotation- Picture Plane is what’s presented first in the painting, (frontal plane).
Devices to show Depth
Ø The easiest way to create an illusion of space of distance is through size: Notice that the size factor can be effective even with abstract shapes. When the forms have no literal meaning or representational quality.
Ø Using relative sizes to give a feeling of space or depth is very common to many periods and style s of art. Some artists have to take this basic idea and exaggerated it by increasing the size differences.
o Example: Ando Hiroshige. Boys’ Day in Suidobshi from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. (1857). In the Japanese wood art, the one fish kite is very large and hence seems quite close. By contrast, the other smaller kites and the tiny figures, trees, and hills seem far in distance. There are two advantages to this practice. First, seeing a kite drawn larger than human figures automatically forces us to imagine the great distance involved. Second, this very contrast of large and tiny elements can create a dynamic visual pattern.
Overlapping
Ø Overlapping- is a simple device for creating an illusion of depth.
o Connotation- Overlapping can be best described as a device used to acquire depth. It gives a painting or piece of art work volume/mass.
o Example: Jacob Lawrence. Cabinet Makers. (1946). In Jacob’s painting, the five cabinet makers are shown with no size difference between the figures in the front and those in back. But we do understand their respective positions because of the overlapping that hides portions of the figures. Since overlapping is the primary spatial device used, the space created is admittedly very shallow.
Vertical Location
Ø Vertical location- is a spatial device in which elevation on the page or format indicated a recession into depth.
o Connotation- Vertical location can be described as the height above location presented on a page indicates a decline in depth.
o Example: Bahram Gur in the Turquoise Palace on Wednesday. 16th century. Persian miniature. In the Persian miniature, the various figures and objects are depicted with no differences in size but with some overlapping. The artist is relying mainly on vertical location to give us a sense of recession into depth. To our eyes, the effect, though charming and decorative, seems to have little suggestion of depth. The figures appear to sit almost on top of each other all in one plane.
Ø Horizontal/ Eye level- as we gradually raise our eyes upward, objects move faster away.
o Connotation- Horizontal/Eye level can best be described as the process of the viewers eye moving upward as objects begin to recede into the distance
o Example: Berenice Abbott. Wall Street, Showing East River from the roof of Irving Company. (1938). We are increasingly accustomed to aerial photographs or a bird’s-eye views in which the traditional horizon has disappeared, and the point farthest from us can indeed be at the bottom of the picture.
Aerial Perspective
Ø Aerial or atmospheric, perspective describes the use of color or value (dark light) to show depth.
o Connotation- Aerial/ atmospheric perspective can be described as dark light used to show depth.
o Example: The photograph, Ansel Adams. Yosemite Valley from Inspiration Point. (1936), illustrates the idea: The value contrast between distant objects gradually lessens, and contours become less distinct. The color would change also, with objects that are far away appearing more neutral in color and taking on a bluish character.
Ø Linear Perspective- is a complex spatial system based on a relatively simple visual phenomenon: As parallel lines recede, they appear to converge and to meet on an imaginary line called the horizon, or eye level.
o Connotation- Liner Perspective can be described as parallel lines that meet at one vantage point.
o Example: Philippe Apeloig. Chicago- Naissance d’une Metrople. (1987). The parallel lines of the street and buildings gradually taper, leading to one common point. The letters for “Chicago” dramatically follow the same pattern receding to the same common point. The result is an effective impression of very deep space, including the letter-forms in this case.
One-Point Perspective
Ø Linear perspective- the concept of linear perspective starts with the placement of a horizontal line, the “horizon,” that corresponds to the “eye level” of the artist.
o Note that it is important for the architect, city planner, interior designer, set designer, and so on, an ability to do perspective drawing is essential for presenting their ideas.
Ø Vanishing Point- is one of possibly several points in a 2D image where lines that are parallel in the 3D source converge.
o Connotation- Vanishing Point can be described as the ultimate line where a bunch of parallel lines meet at within a drawing or painting.
Ø One-point perspective- A single point has been places on the horizon line, and all the lines of objects at right angles to plane of the canvas angle off toward that point.
o Connotation- One-point perspective can best be described as one point used to help navigate lines of objects at right angles to the particular point to help accomplish unity and accraucy.
o Example: Dick Bouts. Last Supper Altarpiece. (1464-1467). Bout’s painting is an example of what is called one-point perspective. A signal point has been placed on the horizon line, and all lines of objects at right angles to the plane of the canvas angle off toward that point. The lines of the walls, windows, ceiling beams, tiled floor, and even the table, if extended, would meet at this common point.
Two-point perspective
Ø Two-point perspective- is an approximate representation, on a flat surface (such as paper) of an image as it is seen by the eye. Appears to the human eye more natural and lifelike.
o Connotation- Two- point perspective can best be described as a lifelike image that appeals to the eye on paper.
Multipoint Perspective
Ø Multipoint perspective- A system of spatial illusion with different vanishing points for different sets of parallel lines.
o Connotation- Multipoint perspective can best be described as a bunch of different vanishing points with various sets of parallel lines interceding.
o Example: In the photograph by George Tooker, the long corridors of the subway recede back at several different angles from the center to foreground.
Amplified perspective
Ø Amplified perspective- to introduce a dramatic dynamic quality into their pictures.
o Connotation- Amplified perspective can be described as a use of dramatic features to heighten the quality of the picture.
o Example: Ad for Din Sko shoe store, Sweden. Two figure’s legs are thrust directly at us. In this exaggerated example we are presented with the image of the feet being unbelievably large in juxtaposition with the body.
Multiple Perspective
Ø Multiple perspective- looking at a figure or object from more than one vantage point simultaneously.
Isometric Projection
Ø Isometric Projection- is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings.
o Connotation- Isometric projection can be described as incorporating tree dimensional objects within a two- dimension layout.
o Example: A painting based on traditional Japanese paints illustrates this device. The effect is different, but certainly no disturbing. The rather flat decorative effect seems perfectly in keeping with the treatment of the figure, with a strong linear pattern and flat color areas.
Open Form/ Closed Form
Open form/ Closed form- one other aspect is of concern to the artist or designer. This is the concept of “enclosure.”
o Example: (closed form)- Jean- Baptiste- Simeon Chardin. The Attributes of Music. (1765). Chardin puts the focal point in the center of the composition, and our eyes are not led out of the painting. The still life of musical instruments and sheet music is effectively framed by the curved border of the picture, which echoes the many ovals in the composition. The book on the left and the candle on the right bracket the composition and keep or attention within the picture. This is what’s referred to as closed form.
o Example: (open form) - Robert James Foose. Light’s Course. (1997). The landscape painting by Robert James Foose does not include the entire tree but only part of it. Most of the foliage is outside the picture. The focus is on the tree and the reflection is the water. This reflection provides a vertical balance, and the picture feels complete, even if the forms are cropped or incomplete.
Transparency
Equivocal Space
Ø Transparency- when two forms overlap and both are seen completely, the figures are assumed to be “transparent.”
o Connotation- Transparency is similar to overlapping but in this case, two forms overlap but both are seen completely.
Ø Equivocal space- the uncertainty of the change in a spatial pattern.
o Connotation- Equivocal space can be described as a sense of confusion with a change in pattern.
Spatial Puzzles
Ø A confusion of spatial relationships is intriguing because the viewer is confronted with a visual dilemma that may invite further consideration of the artwork.
o Example: Giovanni Piranesi. The Prisons. C. (1750). In one of his many etchings of prisons, not only ignores the rules but actually distorts them to create weird, spatially intricate scene. Our sense of scale is disturbed ass we try to measure features in the architecture against the few small figures that provides a scale reference. The confused mazelike complexity of the enormous chamber serves as an ominous symbol of the government bureaucracy and repression.
Chapter 12: Value
Introduction:
Ø Value- is simply the artistic term for light and dark.
o Connotation- Value can described as the use of black and dark light
Ø Achromatic- mixtures of only black and white; no color (or chroma) is used.
o Connotation- Achromatic is the use of ONLY black and white.
Ø Value-contrast- refers to the relationship between areas of dark and light.
o Connotation- Value-contrast is the combination of dark and light areas.
Ø Chromatic grays- grayed neutrals can also be produced by mixing certain colors, which result from different tones.
o Connotation- Chromatic grays is the result of different tones with the process of mixing colors.
Value Pattern
Ø Value Pattern- the arrangement and the amount of variation in light and dark, independent of the colors used.
o Connotation- Value Pattern is the arrangement of light and dark within art work.
o Richard Sparks. Streetcar Scene, Football Game. Illustration for Yale Alumni Magazine. March, 1997. In this illustration, the values are all extremely light, with few contrasting dark areas such as the shadow under the trolley.
Value as Emphasis
Ø A valuable use of dark-and-light contrast is to create a focal point or center of attention in a design. A visual emphasis or “starting point” is often desired
o James McNeill Whistler. At the piano. 1858-59. The painting directs the eye immediately to the young girl on the right. Her light dress stands in bold contrast to the darkness of the space around her, including the piano. On the other hand, the woman playing the piano is absorbed into the dark background.
Value and Space
Ø Chiaroscuro- used to describe the artistic device of using light and dark to imply depth and volume in a painting or drawing.
o Connotation- Chiaroscuro is a device of using light and dark to convey depth ans volume.
o Example: Michelangelo. Madonna and Child. 1535-40. In the drawing, the baby has been shaded in dark and light, giving it a feeling of volume and three dimensions, especially in comparison with the figure of the Madonna. Being drawn just in line, she remains a fairly flat portrayal.
Ø Aerial perspective or atmospheric perspective- Fairly off images visually become grayer and less distinct as the distance increases.
Techniques
Ø Shading- the use of value in a work of art.
o Connotation- Shading is the use of value in art work.
o Example: Pierce Paul Prud’hon. La Source. C. 1801. This drawing shows the subtle and gradual transitions possible.
Ø Cross-hatching- black lines of various densities that, seen against the white background, can give the impression of different grays.
o Connotation- Cross-hatching is different sized black lines against a white background the give the impression of different grays.
Reproduction of Artwork
Who designed it?: Studio Glithero
How was it designed?: Glithero uses vast lengths of the material as an experimental test strip of sorts; the fabric standing as a platform in which to express gradual coloration using a natural pigment known as rubia.
When was it designed/ publicly announced?”
Fun Fact: Together with pigment specialists, Glithero submerged the fabric in a large drum of the organic red dye - extracted from the root of the madder plant - before being slowly raised at regular interviews, changing the intensity of its color. The result is a gradient color strip which reveals the passing of time, and pays tribute to a stage of the design process which is typically left unstated. This dip-dying procedure also introduces a new layer of color, susceptible to chance and imperfection which plays a contrast to the meticulously colored hallingdal textile. To express this, Glithero has upholstered a sofa by Italian furniture producer Cappellini, with the 'test' fabric, showcasing the dye's resulting color gradation.
I really like this sofa. It’s clearly different form the leaf sofa. There is definitely visually texture and texture within the format of the sofa. It triggers the viewer’s senses and enables them conclude that the texture of the sofa is smooth. You can also find value pattern in the sofa because the colors are organized form dark to light. The shading of the color rubia helps give a different range and quality to the color itself. Also, value-contrast plays a role within the layout of the sofa because it shows the dark and light highlights of the color and how they can be formed into one big concept.
