Module Four - Art Making/Material Exploration #1: Exploring Value and The Subtractive Color Theory Blog

1. Discuss what you thought about creating the Value Scale and Color Wheel.
 These were good exercises and it was also nice to do something hands on.  I really liked that it was a nice intro.  I didn't feel overwhelmed with it due to a lack of experience with either medium so it was fun rather than stressful.

2. Which media did you enjoy working with the best and why?
I thought, initially, that I would enjoy working with the acrylics better.  I've recently been doing small paintings on my own time just to experiment and try something new but after the exercises I enjoyed the pencil work more.  I usually get very frustrated with that medium but this was just enough to help me hone my skills a bit without overwhelming me or frustrating me.

3. What was the most important discovery in the creation of these studies?
The pencil is build-able, layer upon layer, just like value.  These studies actually helped me understand subtractive color theory.  I read it a few times but this exercise put everything together for me.  Also, the comparison with the 10 square value study helped solidify everything we had been discussing.

4. What is the most important information you learned from watching the videos for this project? What is your opinion of the videos?
Personally, I learned the most from the value video.  I learned that patience (something I lack in pretty much every way unfortunately) is key but also watching someone else do this with small circular motions rather than the usual long straight markings i try to use makes everything blend much nicer and builds up color more evenly.  The videos went perfectly with each study.

Project #1: Elements and Principles of Art

http://s46.photobucket.com/user/Renderduselez665/library/Elements%20And%20Principles

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s46.photobucket.com/user/Renderduselez665/embed/slideshow/Elements%20And%20Principles"></iframe>

Elements:

1. Line
 The dark vein lines in this leaf draw your eye along its shape.  They also direct your eye to the contrast of the purple color of the leaf which isn't an often seen color.

2. Value
Our shadows demonstrate value. Our shadows are very dark in comparison to the grey hue of the wooden walkway.

3. Shapes
The shapes of each floor of this building are created by lines.  They form this organic kidney bean shape.

4. Forms
 Forms are 3D shapes with depth, width and height.  Here the water droplets are forming off of recently watered flower petals.

5. Space
Space is demonstrated here by this cactus. You can see the sharp edges of the tips of the cactus spikes and space also allows you to tell that each one is grouped with several others that grow out of the same space.

6. Color
The coloring on this flower is very unique.  The petals themselves use color to differentiate between the circle shapes of brown.  Color is also used to outline the brown spots on the leaves in yellow.

7. Texture
The surface quality of this leaf can be seen and felt.  It is rough and abrasive to the touch, which you can even tell from this photograph.

Principles:

1. Balance
Balance is created in this photo of a pathway next to the lake.  The lush greenery is split down the middle by the dirt walkway.  The colors here are all earthy greens and browns.  The textures are smooth leaves and lush foliage paired with spindly vines and sticks.  The balance here is left/right.

2. Contrast
The contrast in this piece is fairly obvious.  The ocean in contrast to the pier is one way; the soft ebb and flow of the water around the harsh wood of the pier.   There is also the contrast of the perspective.  You are looking out from a low point on the pier over the ocean to a man standing at another area of the pier, also looking out over the ocean.  The eye follows the beams of the pier that are evident in the left hand side of the photo out onto the area where the man stands overlooking the ocean, and out among the water.

3. Movement
This boardwalk among the swamps of Maine creates movement through the marshlands.  The contrast of the shadows between each plank and the recurring lines of the plank spaces draw your eye upward through the photo. From there the contrasting foliage draws your eye outward to the edges of the photo.

4. Emphasis
The emphasis here is on the spiraling nature of the leaf.  You can tell the plant is present in the background but the edge of the leaf in the foreground draws your eye into the center, where the leaf spirals in onto itself.   Even the color of the leaf leads the eye to that middle spiral.

5. Pattern
 Is the repetition of a shape, in this case a square.  Each space of the checker board is a repeated element as well as the shape of the board as a whole, itself.  The squares are also repeated in the shape of the tiles on the ground and draw your eye from the table down and outward.  I also think that the concentric circles of the table is another patter that helps to draw your eyes out from the checker board, as it is a more organic shape where a square has harsh corners.

6. Proportion
Proportion plays on the fact that things appear as they should.  In this case the skyscrapers are looming over the people on the walkways and the cars passing by, just as one would think.

7. Unity
There is a strong balance in this piece, with the subject (me!) breaking apart the photograph evenly.  The colors are all subdued and there is also an equal amount of the sky and ground.

Mod 3: Color Theory & Emotional Effects

1. Describe Color and it's effects on emotions. Use the appropriate vocabulary of color in your posting.

Color is a function of light.  Without it there can be no color.  Light absorbs or reflects colors so that we can perceive certain colors.  It is amazing how much of an effect on emotions color can have on us and it is also intriguing how much our culture and personal experience plays a role in that concept. Cool colors tend to have a calming effect on us; blues for example parallel colors found in the sky and ocean.  In the english language blue is linked to the emotion of sadness, where as in India blue is linked to the idea of order and stability due to their god Vishnu.  I think an example everyone can relate to is in school.  Classrooms are generally painted blues, greens, occasionally yellow.  These are meant to be uplifting, calming colors meant to be conducive to learning.  One would probably feel more comfortable and relaxed learning in a blue colored room than one that was fire engine red that may give them anxiety or one that was painted black that may seem depressing and dark.

2. What is a theoretical aspect of color that most intrigues/fascinates you? Why?

I'm very intrigued by the fact that hue, value and intensity are somewhat dependent on one another.  You can change one value while keeping the others fairly consistent and having a well versed knowledge of HVI allows for almost spot on manipulation of color.  As a former engineering student with a strong CAD background this knowledge helps when creating objects using 3D printing as well as creating duplicates of an already existing object.  For me this real world, technical approach to color is fascinating and actually helps me, not only in my art but my career as well. 

3. In the Color video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and it's effects on emotions?

As they were discussing the reflections of the buildings in the water and how the water morphed the color and created emotion, they passed underneath a walkway where the water was reflected up onto the bottom side of the walkway.  That really impacted me.  The reflection of the water had so much movement to it, and the colors of the water - emerald greens, blues, turquoise, swirled around on the stone of the walkway.  As the boat passed through, June Redfern mentioned that it makes you feel as if you're within one of the paintings.  I completely agree with her.  Such a bright, moving reflection in such a narrow dark space seems almost otherworldly.  It's so uplifting and brightens your mood instantly. Even to watch it in the video was breath taking, I could only imagine how it appears in real life.

4. In the Feelings video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and it's effects on emotions?

Art does what history textbooks can't do; it shows us what civilizations of the past yearned for.  There was a shift from art being a reflection of the divine and predominantly religious artwork to man expressing self.  For me, Giottos use of real art techniques to intensify religious stories was very interesting.  He utilized shading and soothing colors to depict images of the bible.  People could emotionally identify with the light surrounding christ, or the torture of him, depending on the piece.  His response to the rise of humanism also speaks to the idea that there is a level of divinity in all of us.  I like that he was one of the first to begin tying these elements together.

Mod 2: Video and CNN Article Review

1. For each video and article list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts (Video) -

This video offers insight to the interactions between artist, artwork and the audience.  Plato believes that art is a reflection of nature or something else. Aristotle defined beauty as a form of order, symmetry and definiteness which can be explained by mathematical science.  In pertinence to plays, the unity of action, time (not exceeding 24 hours) and place (the action of the play takes place in the same location). 

CARTA (Video) - 

This video is a collaboration between neurologist Vilayanur Ramachandran and neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux and how neurobiology mediates our perception of creativity and aesthetics.  The brain creates these patterns and scaffolding and stores them in the long term memory, which helps us to build the framework for our creativity or a lens from which to reference new experiences.  The brain becomes very active when surprised.  After that moment passes and the brain becomes bored again, activity levels drop.  Artists aim to keep these levels up for as long as possible by creating multi-faceted works that have many sensory levels to them.  It is also important to differentiate how we perceive things.  Some things we perceive bottom up; realism, and mentally reverse engineering things versus top down; abstraction, uncovering new layers as we go.
There are 8 laws of art as well
1 - grouping ; this reinforcement is the source of the pleasant sensation
2 - peak shift principle; to capture the essence of something, an artist amplifies the differences of that object, or what makes it unique
3 - contrast; playing on the values of shadows and highlights and also eliminating redundant information and focusing attention
4 - isolation of a specific que to create attention; a black and white photograph of a child holding a balloon, but the balloon is still in color and is red. This prevents non-unique features from detracting from the image.
5 - perceptual problem solving; the brain "filling in the blanks"
6 - symmetry; aesthetically appealing
7 - abhorrence of unique vantage points; in a landscape image, the viewer will interpret an object in the foreground as obscuring an object in the background, rather than assuming that the background figure has a piece missing
8 - art as a metaphor; enables the viewer to highlight crucial aspects that the two objects share


What the brain draws form Art (Article) -

This article started out with the idea that art is a lie and artists use their art to lead us to the truth behind that lie.  It uses that concept as a springboard to relate our perception of art to how our brain processes the information we're taking in.  We can take the 2 dimensional and transform it into a multi-dimensional interpretation; our brain can "fill in the blanks" so to speak, and the artist can use that concept to lead us to the point they are attempting to make.  Artists can also utilize luminance and color because our brains compare activity in the cones of our eyes and can add them together as luminance, or how much light appears to pass through a given area.  Scientists have even come to get an understanding of why we like and enjoy art.  Distortion of certain things (the softness of a brush stroke, the harshness of a line, how symmetry tends to calm the brain) can create a certain resonance within our neurons that actually draws us in and allows us to enjoy the artwork.  There is now a field, called neuroesthetics, that studies why people appreciate art and music and, scientifically, what beauty is.  

2. Which philosopher's theroy on aesthetics do you feel is most important? Be sure to mention the philosphers name, era (time in history), and contribution to the aesthetic theory in your response.

I feel that Francis Hutcheson (1964 - 1746) had the most important impact on the theory of aesthetics.  During the 18th century he helped shift the idea of beauty and harmony as characteristics of the world, to those of personal experience.  He helped create and distinguish the difference between absolute beauty, that found in nature, and the relative beauty that is related to art.  The difference plays into the concept that art immitates life, life as the original and art as the interpreted copy.  I think his concept helped to define the vast spectrum of personal differences and experiences that allow each of us to interpret art slightly differently.  He gave levels to the thinking and feeling of art, where one representation can come in many forms and levels of iteself; one painting of a sunset could be more, less, etc than another.
 
3. What do you think about Changeux and Ramachandran scientific view of aesthetics and art? What was the most interesting fact you discovered from each speakers lecture? 

I really enjoyed the scientific approach to aesthetics and art.  They make many valid points and have the scientific data to prove it.  I personally liked the explanation of 8 laws of art.  They work as a unit to lead the viewer to the place that the artist intended, usually without even realizing it.  It's much how water follows the path of least resistance, when viewing art ones eye moves through a piece and takes information in, drawing a conclusion from it.

4. How do the videos and article relate to the readings in the text?

The theory of the first video help to solidify the concepts of chapter 3.  I like that it ties into the different references art can use.  When viewing older art it's good to know how people perceived beauty, as that changes aesthetic as well.  The second video gives a very good scientific representation of those same points, allowing fact to back up thought.  The article went into detail of how manipulating those things can allow you to create a desired effect or bring the viewer to a desired outcome.  Manipulating your art allows you to use your art as a tool and vessel for change.

5. What is your opinion of the films and article? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics in your reading in the text?

The films and article help give a real world aspect to what the textbook is referencing.  It is easier to understand and apply the sometimes methodical concepts of the textbook with real people, events, etc.  Learning the timeline of how aesthetics has changed into our perception of it present day was really helpful as well when looking at older art and being able to reference the views on beauty as well. I really appreciated that the article tied science into everything, because that adds another layer of validity and shows how life changing art is with solidified factual information.