Process:
I took a variety of photos to represent the different elements and principles of design in art class. These different elements and principles included: line, value, shape, texture, space, color, emphasis, rhythm and movement, pattern, unity, contrast, and balance. I have included below 5 of the best pictures that I took, what element or principle I used them for, why I used each picture, and what my definition was for that element or principle.
The above picture was taken a few weeks ago on my family farm. I used this picture for color. The picture has different values and intensities of blue in the sky and clouds. There are also different values and intensities in the green grass, field, and trees. I defined color as the following:
Color is made up of three parts:
1. Hue is the name of the color, like red or blue.
2. Value tells us if the color is light or dark.
3. Intensity shows how bright or dull the color is.
The above picture was taken at the brown county fair this year. I used this picture for rhythm and movement because the carnival ride in the picture was rotating and moving while I took the picture. If you know it's a carnival ride, movement is sort of a given. I defined rhythm and movement as the following:
Rhythm is like a pattern in art that makes your eyes move around. It happens when you see the same shapes or colors repeating, and it can be smooth and regular or fun and surprising.
Movement is how art guides your eyes around a picture. It helps you look at lines, shapes, and colors, leading you to the most important part of the artwork.
The above picture was taken by me of my little sister for her senior pictures on our family farm. I used the picture for Balance. On the left side of the picture is a silo on our farm and my sister is leaning off the silo into the right half of the picture to provide balance to the picture. I defined balance as the following:
Balance is how the parts of a picture are spread out so it feels even. It can be symmetrical, where both sides look the same, or asymmetrical, where they are different but still feel balanced. There's also radial balance, where everything spreads out from a center point, like the rays of the sun!
The above picture was taken outside of Krikac Administration Building looking across campus towards Graham Hall. I used this picture to show space. In the picture you can see what is closer to me: the tree and the small garden separating the walking paths. You can also see what is farther away: Graham Hall and part of the Student Center. I defined space as the following:
Space is about how we see things in three dimensions: width, height, and depth. In flat pictures, it can look like things are deep and far away. Artists can show space in different ways, like making some things bigger or smaller, putting some things in front of others, or using special lines to make things look like they're going back.
The above picture was taken along the western shore of the Missouri River in Pierre, South Dakota looking at the train bridge that crosses the river. I used this picture to show pattern. The trusses and structure of the bridge repeat in a regular pattern across the entire bridge. There is also the concrete and brick supports in the water that are all the same color and shape repeating at regular intervals across the width of the river. I defined pattern as the following:
A pattern is when something is repeating over and over. It can be a set pattern that's planned, like stripes or dots, or it can be random and surprise us with different shapes and colors!
Extension: One example of an extension project for this lesson could have students learn about texture and create a collage with different textures. The students could use a variety of different materials including tinfoil, cardboard, construction paper, tissues, paper towels, wrappers, and more to make a hands-on "touch and feel board". Once they have finished their creation, I might ask them to write a short description of the items they included and the texture they have. For example, they might say something like, "We used cardboard to make a bumpy texture." For older grades, I might tell them they need to include a certain number of different materials or that they have to have a specific number of materials that have a certain texture. I might also ask them to write more in depth about how they created their touch and feel boards.
