A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

What do you think?

It’s a challenge! Using your own words and perceptions, can you give an answer or
explain the following concepts below? Share us what you think!

What is the difference between

an artist and an artisan?

Can you name some of our artists

in CaMaNaVa?

What elements and principles in

art were used in this picture?

SUBJECT AND CONTENT

In the Philippines, looking at art has always been a tricky business not only for novices,
but also for the long-time art aficionados. This is also true in all other parts of the world.
Why? Because in order for people to appreciate an art, one must be able to extract a
specific image, isolate the artist’s intention and understand a particular meaning. Failure
to do so, means there will be no comprehension and therefore leads to failure of
experience.

THE SUBJECT OF ART

In any art form, be it a painting, sculpture, music, dance or architecture, there is always a
subject that serves as the foundation in the creation of an artwork. The subject of art is
varied - it may be a person, object, scene or event represented in a work of art. Some
arts have subjects while others have none. Arts that have subjects are called
representational or objective arts because they depict something and easily recognized
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

by most people. Examples of these are paintings, sculpture, graphic arts, theatre arts and
literature although some paintings and sculptures are without subjects.

“Hut” Colored Pencil on paper, 2011 by Rey Bollozos, Davao City

On the other hand, arts that do not have subjects are called non-representational or
non-objective arts for they have no resemblance to any real or identifiable objects and
they do not represent anything. Rather they just appeal directly to the senses primarily
because of the satisfying organization of their elements.

Abstract Canvas Garden Flowers by Celine Marcoz

A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

In most cases, there are things to consider between the artwork and the viewer, allowing
the viewer to understand more easily what he is seeing. These are the three basic
components of an artwork: the subject which is the visual image, the form which pertains
to how the elements and the medium are put together, and the last is the content which
is referred to as the meaning communicated by the artist.

In simpler terms, the components of art answers the following questions when creating
an artwork:

SUBJECT WHAT

FORM HOW

CONTENT WHY

KINDS AND SOURCES OF SUBJECT

There are many subjects that can be represented in an artwork and they are grouped
into:

1. Nature (landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes) – this deals with the environment
– the natural and the physical world.

Colorful landscape by Harun Ayhan

A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

2. Animals – represents the figures and likeness of animal species.

“Swallowtail Butterfly” by Irma Lacorte

3. Portraits of Human Figures – It is a realistic likeness of a person in a painting,

sculpture or drawing. It can be a whole human figure or just a part of it.

“Self Portrait” by Fernando

Amorsolo
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

4. Still life – This refers to any inanimate objects either in a form of a drawing, painting
or photograph.

“Orange Still Life” by Carola Ann-Margret Forsberg

5. Everyday life – This portrays the real and actual happenings in the daily lives of
people about their usual ways, performing their usual activities.

“In the sea of everyday life” by Elena Sharagova

A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

6. History and Legend – This subject is inspired by history or legend. Historical events
are real stories transpired from the past while legends are just imaginary.

“Urduja: The movie” by Reggie

Entenzia and Mike Tuviera

“Bust of Rizal” by Guillermo

Tolentino

7. Religion and Mythology – Used the arts to aid in worship, to instruct, to inspire
feelings of devotion and as representations of divinity.

“Kristo y Kristos” by Augie Fontanilla “Medusa” by Caravaggio

A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

8. Dreams and Fantasies – It refers to subjects that are inspired by the subconscious
mind that make them usually vague, illogical and irrational. These may be a product
of the workings of an artist’s imagination.

“Tools” by Bong Perez

“Untitled” (After Charles Howard Hodges) by

Ewa Juszkiewicz

CONTENT IN ART
The question word applied here is the why. Why was the artwork created in the first place?
When we come to encounter this question, we are after the meaning communicated in
the artwork or the message that the artist wants to express in his art. Some people do not
see content at once, but it is transmitted by the way subject and form interact in a work.

To take on the challenge of fully understanding the content of art, one must consider its
three levels of meaning.

1. Factual meaning – This is the literal statement and the most basic level for it is easier
to grasp the content here by just extracting the identifiable or recognizable forms in
the artwork and understanding how these elements relate to each other.
2. Conventional meaning – This refers to the acknowledged meaning or interpretation
of the artwork using signs, symbols and motifs that a certain object or color has for a
particular culture or group of people. (flag is a symbol for a country; the cross is a
Christian symbol of faith)
3. Subjective meaning – This stems from any personal meanings consciously or
maybe unconsciously perceived by the viewer that could result to a variety of
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

meaning when a particular work of art is read. These could rely on what the audience
know, learned, experienced and the values they stand for. So it is expected that
meaning of the art may not be singular but rather can communicate multiple meaning
to the viewers.

Sample Illustration

“Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo

For the factual meaning, there is Adam in the nude sitting on a reclined position and
earth-bound. While on the right part is God afloat, wearing a tunic and surrounded by
drapery and some figures. Their arms both stretched with their respective index fingers
appearing to be in contact. The subject matter and the content here from the factual
perspective suggests that the painting is a biblical art since the painter depicted a
scene the creation of man.

The interpretation of the conventional meaning is seen in the symbolic nudity of

Adam which means innocence, the figure of the old man who is God showing divinity
and perfection, their leveling position which shows God’s superiority and their body
forms and structure believed to be man was created in the image and likeness of God.

The last is the subjective meaning which can create multiple of meanings associated
with the images seen in the artwork (e.g. the shape of the human brain, the finger
contact, the reclining position of Adam). All of these can bring varied meanings to the
viewer according to their perception.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

ARTIST AND ARTISAN

Artist is an art practitioner such as painter, sculptor, choreographer, dancer, musician,
etc. who produces or creates indirectly functional arts with aesthetic value using
imagination.

Artisan is a craftsman, such as carpenter, carver, plumber, blacksmith, weaver,

embroider, etc. who produces directly functional and/or decorative arts.

An artisan started as an apprentice with skills qualification to register under a particular

craft guild. Here, they took on a certain specialization or trade and with a lifetime
commitment to a particular trade, an artisan develops immense skill and expertise in his
craft.

PEOPLE IN THE ART WORLD

With the complexity of the art world, people in here are no longer limited to those who
undertook formal instruction in either production or study of art. The reason is they can
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

assume administrative or managerial roles whose interest is the management and

operations of museums, galleries and other art spaces.

Aside from these people and with the inclusion of the artists and artisans, there are also
others who are part of the art world. They are:

1. Curator – typically affiliated with museums and galleries and has the ability to
research and write, as an arbiter of design and layout and decides for the display and
hanging of materials for exhibition.
2. Buyers and collectors – are often considered as one and the same. Nevertheless,
buyers are those who assess and survey the artwork and oversee the sale on behalf
of the collector. This happens if the latter wants to keep his identity hidden or maybe
if he’s too busy.
3. Art dealers – are those in charge in the distribution and circulation of those artworks
through varied means such as direct sales, through galleries or by auction.

MEDIUM AND TECHNIQUE

When an artist has a certain shape in his vision, his first thoughts are on what
medium to employ. Unless an artist translates his experience into a form that can be
perceived, it cannot be shared by other people. Art has to exist in some medium to be
recognized as such.

Medium in art is the mode of expression in which the concept, idea or message is
conveyed. These are the materials used by an artist to interpret his feelings or thoughts:
pigments in painting; wood, stone, bricks and various building materials in architecture;
marble, metal and clay in sculpture; sound in music and words in literature. Thus, medium
is very essential in arts.

The selection of medium depends entirely on the artist. He usually selects materials that
would suit his plan that can be used and handled easily and bring out the qualities he
wants to show.

An artist’s knowledge of his medium and his skill in making it achieve what he wants to is
referred to as technique. It is the manner in which the artist controls his medium to achieve
the desired effect. It is how the artist manipulates his medium to express his ideas in the
artwork. In creating an art, artists may differ from each other in technique even if they use
the same medium.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

MEDIUMS OF THE VISUAL ARTS

Visual Arts are those arts that can be seen by our eyes. The most common are painting,
sculpture and architecture.

PAINTING
It is the art of creating meaningful effects on a flat and smooth surface by the use of
pigments. There are different mediums used in painting and each kind has unique
qualities that the artist can use to his advantage.

Ortiz, M.A. et al. (2002). Art: Perception and Appreciation

1. Watercolor – is tempered paint made of pure ground pigment bound with gum
Arabic. It is difficult to handle because it is difficult to produce warm and rich tones
but it invites brilliance and a variety of hues. Spontaneity is its principal essence.
There can be very little corrections made with this kind of medium since it makes the
color less brilliant.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

2. Gouache – is an opaque watercolor painting the major effects of which are caused
by the paper itself. It is noted to be similar, but not quite the same, to poster paint.

3. Fresco – is the application of pigments mixed with water on a moist plaster wall.
Color will then sink into the surface and becomes an integral part of the wall. The
image becomes permanently fixed and lasts as long as the wall exists. The famous
example of this is the painting done by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

“Sistine Chapel”, Painting in Fresco by Michelangelo

4. Tempera – paints are mineral pigments mixed with egg yolk and egg white. This is a
favorite medium throughout the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance. Since the paint
dries quickly, corrections are difficult to make. Nevertheless, it has an advantage of
great luminosity of tone – the colors being clear and beautiful.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

5. Pastel – is a stick of dried paste made of pigment ground with chalk and compounded
with gum water. It is a very flexible medium and varied effects may be produced. It is
not very popular, because no one has yet discovered the way to preserve its original
freshness. The chalk tends to rub off and the picture loses some of its brilliance.

6. Encaustic – is the application of wax colors fixed with heat. This is used by the
Egyptians for painting portraits on mummy cases.

Fayum
Encaustic
Mummy
Portrait

7. Oil – pigments are mixed with linseed oil and applied to the canvas. It is very flexible
medium since one can use brush, palette knife or even his bare hands in applying
paint thinly or thickly on a canvas. Oil paints are slow to dry and the painting may be
changed and worked over a long period of time. On the other hand, it tends to crack
easily, turns yellowish in color or darken with age.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

8. Acrylic – is the favorite medium used by today’s painters because of the

transparency and quick drying characteristics of watercolor and the flexibility of oil
combined.

DRAWING
It is the most fundamental of all skills needed in the arts and can be done with various
mediums:

1. Pencil – the most common medium and its lead comes in different degrees of
hardness or softness.

2. Pen and Ink – one of the oldest mediums still in use and offers great variety of
qualities, depending on the tools and techniques used in application. An example of
this is the India ink which comes in liquid form and the favorite medium of comic
illustrators and cartoonists.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

3. Bistre – is a gray-brown pigment extracted from the soot of wood.

Bistre
Drawing
by Louis
Smith

4. Crayons – are pigments bound by wax and compressed into sticks.

5. Silverpoint – a silver stylus that produces a thin grayish line that cannot be erased.
This is very popular during the Renaissance period and not in general use today.

“Moses”
by
Sherry
Camhy
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

6. Charcoal – made from particles of carbon mixed with a binder and compressed. It
is very useful in showing light and shadow.

SCULPTURE

It is the art of making a two or three dimensional representation by means of carving,

casting, modeling and fabrication. There are many different materials that a sculptor can
work with. Each of those presents a challenge to his creativity.

1. Stone – a hard and brittle substance formed from mineral and earth material.
Marbles, Limestones, Pumice, and Soapstones are examples of stone materials
which are used in sculptures.

“Bathsheba” by Benjamin Victor Ancient Aztec Stone Sculpture in

Metropolitan Museum of Art
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

2. Metal – can be cast, cut, drilled, filled, bent, forged and can be shaped or deformed
under great pressure without breaking.

Refugee boat art metal sculpture by Giannis

Dendrinos

3. Plaster – is composed of lime, sand and water and used extensively in making
mannequins, models and other indoor sculptures.

Bust of Laocoon reproduce by Galleria Romanelli

A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

4. Clay – mainly used for making bricks, ceramics and sculpture since the earliest
times.

Clay Sculpture by Candice Bohannon Ancient Indian Animal Clay Sculpture

5. Glass – a medium that is hard, brittle, non-crystalline and transparent used to make
beautiful but very fragile figurines

“Mother and Child” by Ramon Orlina “Motion” by Bryan Randa

A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

6. Wood – can be intricately carved and subjected to a variety of treatment because it

is lighter and softer to carve.

“Longing” by Fred Zavadil

BASIC SCULPTURE TECHNIQUES

The 1st three methods are considered traditional

 Carving involves removing the unwanted portion of the raw material to reveal the
desired form. It is said to be the most difficult method.
 Modeling means building the form and the most common material used are clay
and wax.
 Casting is considered as a complex process since this requires first with the
production of a negative mold.
 Fabrication/Assembling is a process of building a form piece by piece by
combining different materials together.

Architecture is an art of designing and constructing a building. The usefulness and beauty
of a building lies on the choice and handling of the materials employed in the construction.

 Rock materials such as stone, clay, gravel and sand, cement and hollow blocks
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

 Metal materials such as steel, iron, aluminum, bronze, etc.

 Organic materials includes all kinds of wood used in the construction

 Hybrid materials are tiles, marbles, bricks and adobe

 Synthetic materials composed of glass and plastic

A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

GAMABA AND NATIONAL ARTIST

AWARDS AND CITATIONS

In history, support for the arts and culture is not limited to the allocation of funding or
patronship. One of the most common measures in which artists and other creative
producers are given incentives and honor for their work is through state-initiated and
given awards and citations. The two major awards given to the artists in the Philippines
are the Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining (Order of National Artists) and
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasure Award). Both are said to be
the highest National Awards for Culture and the Arts.
GAMABA was created in 1992 under R.A # 7355 under the jurisdiction of the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA). It recognizes exceptional artists who are
engaged in the traditional and artistic excellence. As culture bearers, they must have been
passed on their artistic knowledge and widely practiced by the present generation in their
community. The skills of the artists fall under these categories: weaving, carving,
literature, pottery, music, graphic and plastic arts and other traditional artistic expressions.

Some of the incentives granted to the recipient are the following:

1. A specially designed gold medallion

2. An initial grant of P100,000 and a P14,000 monthly stipend for life
3. Medical and hospitalization benefits worth P750,000
4. Funeral assistance and tribute

On the other hand, the Order of National Artists is conferred every three years through a
rigorous deliberation and selection process jointly administered by the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines
(CCP). It is conferred by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendations of
these two institutions. The award is given to a Filipino artist who excels in: music, dance,
theater, visual arts, literature, film, broadcast and allied arts. Fernando Amorsolo was the
1st recipient in the year 1972 as National Artist for Visual Arts.

The following are the privileges received by the awardee:

1. Rank and title

2. Medallion and a citation that will be read during the conferment
3. Cash awards and other benefits (life pension, medical and hospitalization, life
insurance)
4. State funeral and burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani
5. A place of honor for designated area during national state function.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART

In creating an art, the artist need not only utilizes mediums but puts together elements. It
must be emphasized, however, that all works of art require the elements to be present.
They are the necessary preconditions for the creation of art.

ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ARTS

LINE
It is the prolongation of a point or the path of a moving point. It defines edges of shapes
and forms. It is said to be the most universal, primitive and the easiest means of creating
an art. Line have various types:

Straight Line – a line that Curved Line – a line that

progresses in one direction gradually changes in direction
that creates soft edges

Angular Line – a line that

changes abruptly, creating sharp
edges

In viewing a picture, our eye movement is controlled significantly by a large measure of

line directions.

 Horizontal Directions – represents serenity, calmness and stability

 Diagonal Directions – identifies movement, motion and instability

 Vertical Directions – represents strength, power and poise

A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

SHAPE AND FORM

These two are related to each other in the sense that they define the space occupied by
the object of art.

 Shape refers to two dimensions: height and width.

 Form refers to three dimensions: height, width and depth.

Examples of Shapes Examples of Forms

A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

CATEGORIES OF SHAPE

1. Natural/Organic Shapes
 are an obvious popular source since it objectively represents the physical or
material and the natural world.
 are shapes directly identified with the environment.

2. Abstract Shape
 are fundamental shapes that are objectified coming from an idea, emotion or
experience.
 a thought processed shaped where it solicits further understanding likewise
appreciation of the articulated or emphasized idea.

3. Geometric Shape
 are identified by the use of any geometrical figures such as cubes, spheres,
cones, etc.
 it is classified in two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

4. Positive Shape – is the solid form in a design

5. Negative Shape – is the space which are not occupied by any form

KINDS OF FORM

1. Closed Form – the figure inside the frame is complete which means that the figure
that you see is the only figure presented in the artwork

“Sunflowers”
by Vincent
van Gogh

2. Open Form –the form or image inside the frame is incomplete which means that the
artwork creates an illusion that the dimensions inside as if extends and may be
infinite

“Paris Street;
Rainy Day” “Mona Lisa”
by Gustave by Leonardo
Caillebotte da Vinci
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

TEXTURE
This refers to the feel or tactile quality of the surface of an object.

TYPES OF TEXTURE

1. Actual Texture
 These are artworks that are intended to be touched.
 These are artworks that make use of the Impasto Technique (layered painting).

2. Simulated Texture
 Most common texture employed in visual arts.
 As per observation, the works exhibit an evident appreciation of tactility as the
process moves from one texture detail to another.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

3. Invented Texture
 may be sourced from nature and from the artist’s hand through a proactive
metamorphosis.
 as such, texture will be treated more as a decorative rather than a surface
representation.

VALUE
It is the relative degree of lightness and darkness in a graphic work of art or painting. In
the application of value, one must determine the source of the light. If the light comes
from the left, the left part of the object is seen light, while the right side is seen dark.

If there is lightness and darkness in color, there is also light and shadow and this is
referred to as CHIAROSCURO.

Note:

The dark part and the shadow is

always the opposite to the
direction of the source of light.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

VOLUME/SOLIDITY
It is the characteristic of an object that has mass and weight.

SPACE
It refers to the area, size, location or distance. It exists as an “illusion” in the graphic or
two dimensional visual arts but in sculpture it is actually present. To achieve the illusion
of space, the artist usually consider the use of perspective. There are two kinds of
perspective:

1. Linear perspective is the means by which we see the illusion of distance through
the use of converging lines.

“Arched Hallway Photography”

by Christopher Walsh
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

2. Aerial perspective is the representation of relative distances of objects by

gradations of tone and color and providing a wide perspective of the figures and
view

“Aerial Perspective” by Richard

Garvey-Williams

COLOR
It is the most important element in the visual arts and has the most aesthetic appeal.
Many colors may be formed by mixing 2 or more colors but there are some which we
cannot combine because they are pure colors. These are red, yellow and blue and they
are called primary colors.

The color formed out of combining two primaries is called secondary color. These are
green, orange and violet.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

The combination of 1 primary and 1 secondary is called intermediate color like blue
green, yellow orange, red violet, etc.

Color Harmony
The proper combination of colors must always be looked upon, for this will best determine
the beauty of an art. A good color combination that is pleasing to the eyes is referred to
as color harmony. There are two kinds of color harmony:

1. Related color harmony – colors that are nearer to each other in the color wheel

a. Monochromatic color – uses one color only with the application of values
(dark and light).
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

b. Analogous color – there are two or more different colors that possess one
common color in all their mixture.

2. Contrasting color harmony – colors that are farther to each other in the color
chart.

a. Complementary color – they are the opposite colors in the color chart.

ELEMENTS OF AUDITORY ART

RHYTHM
This is said to be the most important element in music for it is considered as the pulse
and heartbeat in music. Rhythm is the repeated pattern of strong and weak beats in
music. It is often associated to beat, meter and tempo.

DYNAMICS
In music, this refers to the loudness or softness of sound. Examples of this are the
following:
 Pianissimo (pp) – very soft
 Piano (p) – soft
 Mezzo-piano (mp) – medium soft
 Mezzo-forte (mf) – medium loud
 Forte (f) – loud
 Fortissimo (ff) – very loud
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

TONE COLOR
This is a quality that distinguishes a voice or an instrument from another. Also known as
timbre.

STYLE
Style in music refers to the singer’s or composer’s way of doing his part.

TEXTURE
Texture in music refers to the number of sounds being heard one at a time. It could also
refer to the thickness or thinness of a musical composition. There are three kinds of
texture:
 Monophonic – single melodic line
 Homophonic – main melody plus accompaniment or two different
melodies sounded together
 Polyphonic – three or more different melodic lines.
FORM
This is the structure of a musical composition and it has four types:
 Unitary – one section only
 Binary – two sections
 Ternary – three sections
 Rondo – multiple sections
MELODY
A combination of tones arrange in succession is termed melody. It is presented in a
horizontal manner and read from left to right.

HARMONY
Harmony is a combination of tones arrange in a simultaneous manner. If the musical
presentation of melody is horizontal, harmony is vertical. It arises when tones are
combined to form chords.

PRINCIPLES OF ART DESIGN

Design is the overall visual structure of a work of art. It is also the proper arrangement of
the different elements of art in order to produce something beautiful. To come up with
attractive artworks, artists must be governed by the different principles since these are
the rules and standards of artistic compositions. Good and nice arts are the result of
careful and correct application of the principles. Thus, it would be very beneficial for us to
be familiar with the following principles on the next page.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

1. Balance is a feeling of equality in weight, attention or attraction of the various

elements. In art, balance is more felt than seen for the parts of a visual
composition are judged not by how heavy they are, but how they look. In other
words, it is the power of attraction of some factors like size, position, form, color,
etc. there are three kinds of balance, the formal or symmetrical balance, the
informal or asymmetrical balance and the radial balance.

“Geometric Symmetry”
by Jason Galles

a. Formal or Symmetrical Balance - There are two equal parts of the pictorial
plane of an artwork that stand like mirror images of each other.

b. Informal or Asymmetrical Balance - It is obtained when the visual units on

either side of the axis are not identical but are so equated as to produce a “felt”
equilibrium.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

c. Radial Balance - The parts or patterns of the design seem to move outward from
the center.

2. Rhythm is a flow or a feeling of movement achieved by the repetition of regular

visual units. It is classified into simple and composite

Simple Rhythm – there is only one motif

being repeated.

Composite Rhythm – there are two

or more motifs being repeated.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

3. Proportion is the art principle which shows the ratio of one part to another and of
the parts to the whole. It is the proper and pleasing relationship of one object with
the others in a design.

“Pieta” by Michelangelo “Vitruvian Man”

by Leonardo da Vinci

4. Emphasis is the manner of creating one

element in an artwork as the most important
part. It is achieved through size, shape, color,
brushstrokes or combinations of these.

5. Harmony refers to the adaptation of

the visual elements to each other, the
agreement between the parts of a
composition which result in unity. It is
the quality which unifies every part of an
arrangement.
A Module in GE 6: Art Appreciation, Nourishing the Mind and the Heart through the Arts

6. Contrast is the disparity between the elements that figure into the composition. As
in one object appears darker and the other appears lighter.

7. Variation is very essential to prevent monotony because of the repetition or

sameness. This principle aims to retain the interest by allowing areas that excite
and allow the eye to rest.

RULE OF THIRDS
The rule of thirds is a "rule of thumb" or guideline which applies to the process of
composing visual images such as designs, films, paintings, and photographs.

The visual image should be imagined as divided into 9 equal parts having 2 equally
spaced horizontal lines and 2 equally spaced vertical lines. The important elements in the
design must be placed along these lines or intersections.
Discouraging the placement of the subject at the center and preventing a horizon to divide
the picture in half is the reason for applying the rule of thirds. These create more energy
and interest in the work rather than simply centering the subject.

The photograph shows the application of the rule of thirds. The

horizon sits at the lower third of the horizontal line. The tree is
on the intersection of two lines, called power point or crash
point. The point of interest here do not have to actually touch
one of the lines to take advantage of the rule of thirds. Example
is the brightest part of the sky near the horizon where the sun
set; it does not fall directly on the line, but falls near the
intersection.