Principles of Design - How do artists emphasize the focal point?
Students begin this year with a study of the principles of design. This study gives the students a shared vocabulary to discuss and analyze works of art. As well as covering Visual Arts Anchor Standard 9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work, this study helps students speak kindly and with purpose when critiquing each other's art work.
Emphasis: In works of art, visual emphasis is placed on the most important parts of the work - on the focal area.
Artists use many different techniques to create emphasis; value contrast - light and dark, color contrast, difference/unexpected elements, detail, positioning, pattern, size variation, shape variation.
For real-world examples students looked at book illustrations for children and young adults. Students determined the focal point of the illustration and the techniques the illustrator employed to emphasize, draw our eye toward, that part of the artwork.
This knowledge will help the children when they create illustrations for their summer read, Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes. This is part of the art exhibition for the seventh and eighth grade classes. Expect to hear more information shortly about the exhibition from cbuckley@mustardseedschool.org
Artists use many different techniques to create emphasis; value contrast - light and dark, color contrast, difference/unexpected elements, detail, positioning, pattern, size variation, shape variation.
For real-world examples students looked at book illustrations for children and young adults. Students determined the focal point of the illustration and the techniques the illustrator employed to emphasize, draw our eye toward, that part of the artwork.
