Sculpture Exam Review
- January 14, 2015 (Wednesday) 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM Period 2B Exam
- January 15, 2015 (Thursday) 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM Period 4A Exam
Elements
Design elements are the basic units of a painting, drawing, design or other visual piece. LINE Line can be considered in two ways. The linear marks made with a pen or brush or the edge created when two shapes meet. All lines have direction - Horizontal, Vertical or Oblique. Horizontal suggests calmness, stability and tranquility. Vertical gives a feeling of balance, formality and alertness. Oblique suggests movement and action SHAPE A shape is a self contained defined area of geometric or organic form. It is perceived as two-dimensional, having only length and width. A positive shape in a painting automatically creates a negative shape. FORM Form has depth, length, and width and resides in space. It is perceived as three-dimensional. TEXTURE Texture is the surface quality of a shape - rough, smooth, soft hard glossy etc. Texture can be physical (tactile) or visual. COLOR Also called Hue. Consisting of the Primary: Red, Yellow, Blue. Secondary: Green, Violet (Purple), Orange. Tertiary: Red-Orange, Blue-Green, etc. VALUE Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. Value is also called Tone. |
Principles
Principles are applied to the elements of art that bring them together into one design. How one applies these principles determines how successful a design may be. Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and space. If the design was a scale, these elements should be balanced to make a design feel stable. In symmetrical balance, the elements used on one side of the design are similar to those on the other side; in asymmetrical balance, the sides are different but still look balanced. In radial balance, the elements are arranged around a central point and may be similar. Contrast is created by using elements that conflict with one another. Often, contrast is created by using complementary colors or extremely light and dark values. Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewer’s attention. Usually the artist will make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The area could be different in size, color, texture, shape, etc. Movement is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the work of art, often to focal areas. Such movement can be directed along lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art. Pattern is the repeating of an object or symbol all over the work of art. Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly to create a feeling of organized movement. Rhythm creates a mood like music or dancing. To keep rhythm exciting and active, variety is essential. Unity is the feeling of harmony between all parts of the work of art, which creates a sense of completeness. |
The Types of Sculpture
Sculpture can be divided into two classes: relief sculpture and sculpture in the round. There are three methods for making sculpture: modeling, carving, and joining.
Relief sculpture is sculpture in which images are set against a flat background. A coin is a good example of relief sculpture: the inscription, the date, and the figure--sometimes a portrait of a statesman—are slightly raised above a flat surface. When the image is only slightly raised, as with the coin, the sculpture is called low relief or bas-relief. The ancient Egyptians sometimes carved figures into a flat surface. This type of carving is known as sunken relief. Statues that are almost three-dimensional but still are attached to backgrounds are regarded as high relief.
Sculpture in the round is freestanding, attached to no background. Most statues and portrait busts are carved in the round.
Modeling is done with clay, wax, or some other soft, pliable material. The sculptor adds pieces of material and molds it to the desired shape.
Carving can be thought of as the opposite of modeling because it involves removing rather than adding material. With knife or chisel, the sculptor carves from a block of wood or stone until the form is made.
Joining, or constructing, was not widely practiced until the 20th century. In this method the artist uses pieces of wood, metal, plastic, or fibers and joins them together into a construction. The airy, abstract kind of forms that are popular in modern times lend themselves to the joining system.
Sculpture can be divided into two classes: relief sculpture and sculpture in the round. There are three methods for making sculpture: modeling, carving, and joining.
Relief sculpture is sculpture in which images are set against a flat background. A coin is a good example of relief sculpture: the inscription, the date, and the figure--sometimes a portrait of a statesman—are slightly raised above a flat surface. When the image is only slightly raised, as with the coin, the sculpture is called low relief or bas-relief. The ancient Egyptians sometimes carved figures into a flat surface. This type of carving is known as sunken relief. Statues that are almost three-dimensional but still are attached to backgrounds are regarded as high relief.
Sculpture in the round is freestanding, attached to no background. Most statues and portrait busts are carved in the round.
Modeling is done with clay, wax, or some other soft, pliable material. The sculptor adds pieces of material and molds it to the desired shape.
Carving can be thought of as the opposite of modeling because it involves removing rather than adding material. With knife or chisel, the sculptor carves from a block of wood or stone until the form is made.
Joining, or constructing, was not widely practiced until the 20th century. In this method the artist uses pieces of wood, metal, plastic, or fibers and joins them together into a construction. The airy, abstract kind of forms that are popular in modern times lend themselves to the joining system.
Vocabulary:
Armature--the unseen support/framework for a sculpture Contour line--a continuous line that creates the outline or shape Linear--made of lines Gauge--thickness of wire, the higher the number the thinner the wire Shape--the outline of an object, 2-dimensional containing only height and width Form--a 3-dimensional object containing height, width and volume or depth |
Relief--extruding from a flat surface, meant to be viewed from front
Assemblage--made of different pieces/parts, meant to be viewed from all sides Realism--art based on reality, recreating something as realistically as possible Abstract--not realistic, art that uses shape, form, color and texture to achieve it's effect Layering--overlapping multiple pieces within a relief sculpture to create volume/depth Maquette-- a miniature, 3-dimensional "sketch" of a work before the final piece. |