STILL LIFE

Elements of art introduced in this lesson:

1) Line: A mark with length and direction, created by a point that moves across the surface.

2) Value: The lightness or darkness of a color.

3) Space: Space is the area between and around objects. The space around objects is often called negative space. Space can also refer to the feeling of depth in a piece of artwork.

LINE VALUE

SPACE

Principles of art introduced in this lesson:

1) Balance: A pleasing arrangement of the different elements in an artwork.

2) Emphasis: The center of attention or focal point.

BALANCE3 Ways

Radial Balance

Symmetrical BalanceAsymmetrical Balance

A picture that can be folded in such a way that one-half of it is an exact

reflection.

A form of symmetry in which the two sides of art work are different but are visually balanced.

A type of balance in which the parts of the picture are regularly arranged and radiate from a central point.

EMPHASIS

Still Life: An artwork that shows non-living things, such as fruit, flowers, or books.

Still Life with Apples Paul Cezanne Still Life with Hat Vincent van Gogh

Artists throughout history have recorded people, places and events of their time. The objects that are included in their artworks provide clues about everyday life during the time in which the artist lived. In a still life piece, an artist will direct all of his or her attention to these objects.

Are there any clues in these artworks that may tell you something about the artist or the period of time in which they lived?

Think about the objects that you use everyday.

What items would you choose for a still life drawing that reflect who you are at this time of your life?

COMPOSITION: The arrangement of shapes, colors, lines, and other elements in a work of art that creates the desired effect. The effect may be pleasing, shocking, comfortable, elegant, or whatever is the artist’s intent.

Some elements of composition are:• Focal point: A primary center of interest in a drawing• Overlapping: The visual separation of a drawing into foreground, middle ground,

and distant space by overlapping (or layering) objects.• Negative Space: The space within your drawing not occupied by a focal point,

important subject, or area of interest.• Balance: A stable arrangement of subjects within a composition.

FOCAL POINTMost compositions have one or maybe two

focal points.

Your center of focus on the composition is always better if it is placed off-center.

The rule of thirds has been used by artists since the renaissance age. If you were to divide your drawing paper in thirds both horizontally and vertically (like a tic tac toe game), you would

want to put your points of interest along one of those lines or where the lines intersect.

Overlapping

Overlapping objects, or placing some objects over (or in front of) others, unifies a drawing, creates a sense of depth, and results in a more pleasing composition.

Symmetry and BalanceJust as a room would seem out of balance if all of the furniture were piled up on one side, a drawing must be balanced to be aesthetically pleasing.

Asymmetrical Balance Symmetrical Balance

Balance can be symmetrical ("formal"), where elements are given equal "weight" from an imaginary line in the middle of a piece.

Asymmetrical balance occurs when elements are placed unevenly in a piece, but work together to produce harmony overall.

More Hints for Arranging Elements in Your Composition

It’s all about arranging! Does your artwork have:

A center of interest or focal point?

A variety of shapes, values, lines, and other elements?.

Balance?

Value changes, overlapping, and other techniques that give the illusion of depth and space?

Unity of elements and subject matter?