2. The Rules of Art
"I would chiefly recommend, that an implicit obedience to the Rules
of Art, as established by the practice of the great Masters, should be
exacted from the young Students. That those models, which has
passed through the approbation of ages, should be considered
PERFECT AND INFALLIBLE guides; as subjects for their imitation, and
NOT THEIR CRITICISM. I am confident that this is the only efficacious
method of making progress in the arts; and that he who sets out
with doubting, will find life finished before he becomes the master
of the rudiments. For it may be laid down as a maxim, that he who
begins by presuming on his own sense, has ended his studies as
soon as he has commenced them"
(Sir Joshua Reynolds, Discourse One,
1769)
4. What is Art?
Art makes you look into yourself and ask the hard
questions.
You
The HARD Question
5. BeautyUnity With Variety
Below we have two same-size rectangles,
both of which have had two lines drawn through them.
The rectangle on the left is divided evenly, yielding us four panels of the same size and shape while the one on
the right creates four differently shaped panels. Both images achieve unity, with the panels seeming to belong
properly with the whole, but only one has variety. The first image is much less visually stimulating to our eyes
and as a result does not hold our attention as long as the second image which has something for our eyes to
explore.
The images you create should hold your viewer's attention, should give them something to explore. A good
notion to remember is, "Anything in the center is boring" so if your design does not require it be in the center,
then it should not be.
This is as good a time as any to introduce the concept of Dominance. Design is an act of premeditation, there
is a goal in mind, and to achieve our goal we need to focus on that which brings us closer to doing so. You will
hear over and over again that, "something MUST be dominant." This is especially true when part of the goal is
that your idea be understood as quickly and as clearly as possible.
Although the images above are simple, it is clear that no one panel is dominant in the first image, and that the
large rectangle clearly dominates the second.
"There is only room for one big idea in a design." -Scott Kuntz
7. Beauty
The Aesthetics of Beauty
The Greeks believes that things can only exist in one of three states:
Simplicity
Beauty
Ugliness
Yes, I am sure many of you are going, "Huh, what is beautiful about a rectangle?" well, think about the words you might use to describe the
first two images. The square might be described as even or balanced, but we quickly run out of words with which to express what we see
because it really is just a simple object. The rectangle however gives us more opportunity for description with words such as sleek, slender,
long, stable, sturdy, resting, etc... which, when compared to the simplicity of the square, might be considered beautiful.
So now we get to the Ugliness of the third image, and once again I hear the question clearly, "Isn't that just another rectangle?" Yes, it is, but
for the Greeks Ugliness was the state of not being Beautiful or Simple, and our third image is certainly not the same as either of the first two.
9. Narrative Focus
Or, Where You Want the Audience to Look.
Narrative Focus is paramount to connecting with your audience.
Manipulating your viewer by playing the on the nature of the human eye
By understanding the nature of how the EYE works.
10. Contrast
Shadow Midtone HighlightHighlightHighlight
Shadow HighlightHighlightHighlight Midtone
Point of Maximum Contrast
The Human eye is controlled by contrast. Making your narrative focus
The POINT OF MAXIMUM Contrast is key to controlling the viewers attention.
11. The Golden Ratio
Place your subject in the Golden Ratio.
There our four points on the plane.
The Golden Ratio is where the eye Naturally rests and is a powerful
Device in controlling the Narrative Focus of your viewer.
13. Horizon Line Position
Choosing the horizon line position is crucial for creating the proper emotional
Response for the viewer.
High Angle position places the viewer above the subject. This will give a sense
That the viewer is dominate.
The Eye level position places the viewer and subject on equal terms.
It allows the viewer to connect with the subject.
Low Angle places the view below the subject, allowing the subject
to appear dominate.
14. High angle placement puts the
narrative focus On the ground plan
and looks down on the subject.
Eye level focus the viewer on the
Foreground. But it should never
be CENTER.
High Angle places the Narrative
Focus in the sky plane. It forces the
Audience to look up at the subject.
15. High angle placement puts the
narrative focus On the ground plan
and looks down on the subject.
Eye level focus the viewer on the
Foreground. But it should never
be CENTER.
High Angle places the Narrative
Focus in the sky plane. It forces the
Audience to look up at the subject.
17. Emotional Quality of Line
Line is key to creating the proper emotional response in your viewer.
IT can give the perfect subtext to the overall idea you are showing.
Vertical Line: this line transmits the idea of stability, honor, power, strength, and awe.
Perfect for showing a strong company image that is stable for the long haul.
Horizontal Line: this line evokes the idea of peace, calm rest and
quietude. This can be a nice contrast to a dynamic sequence to help
Cleans the pallet.
Oblique Line: this suggest motion, movement clash action and
combat. This line can be used to emphasis a dynamic moving
changing company.
19. Vertical Line evokes the idea of Power,
Strength, Stability, and Awe.
Horizontal Line evokes Peace, Calm,
Rest, and quietude.
Oblique Lines are Action, Movement,
Combat and Action.
20. Vertical Line evokes the idea of Power,
Strength, Stability, and Awe.
Horizontal Line evokes Peace, Calm,
Rest, and quietude.
Oblique Lines are Action, Movement,
Combat and Action.
22. Choosing the Best Angle
Choosing the best angle to shoot a subject is related to it’s shape and
ultimately its Silhouette.
A Silhouette is the most instantly recognizable characteristic of the thing or
the action. This is crucial in audience recognition factor.
Typically a Good Silhouette is shot from an angle that shows the most sides.
It is an Angle that gives the best impression of depth.
23. One side only tells part of the story.
This could be a cube or a rectangle
It is a BAD Silhouette.
Turning the object to show 2 sides
Is better but it still does not yield
The results needed and is a BAD silhouette.
Showing 3 sides is the best solution.
It shows depth and clearly is a GOOD
Silhouette.
24. This Image Says It All
Silhouette is IMPORTANT
A good silhouette is one that shows the most instantly recognizable characteristic
of the thing or the action.
46. Newtonian Color Wheel
1666
Isaac Newton allowed sunlight from a small, circular hole to fall on a prism, producing a rainbow of color. Although the
production of a rainbow by a clear crystal was known to the ancients, it was Newton who showed that the colors did not
originate in the crystal, but rather were components of sunlight. This array of colors he called a spectrum. Here is how the
great man explained it:
“And so the true Cause of the Length of that Image was detected to be no other,
than that Light is not similar or Homogenial, but consists of Difform Rays, some
of which are more Refrangible than others.”
Other people had played with prisms before. What Newton did next, however, had no precedent. He passed the emergent
spectrum of colors back through another prism and recovered the pure white he had started with. Further, Newton tried
to disperse each of the spectrum's seven colors, but he found them to be pure.
Years later, in Opticks, Query 29, he gave the following mechanism for the fact that the colors refracted from the greatest
amount (violet) through blue, green, yellow, orange (which he does not mention) and to the least amount (red):
"Nothing is more requisite for producing all the variety of Colours, and degrees of Refrangibility than that the Rays of Light
be Bodies of different Sizes, the least of which may take violet the weakest and darkest of the Colours, and be more easily
diverted by refracting Surfaces from the right Course; and the rest as they are bigger and bigger, may make the stronger
and more lucid colours, blue, green, yellow, and red, and be more and more difficultly diverted.”
Once Newton had categorized the Visual Spectrum, he then joined the two ends of the color spectrum together to show the
natural progression of colors. In his initial color wheel he chose seven major colors to relate to the seven planets and
seven musical notes of the diatonic scale: red (C), orange (D), yellow (E), green (F), blue (G), indigo (A), and violet (B). He
then twisted this straight bank of the spectrum into history's first color wheel. Since that time other basic hues have been
added, based upon the Red, Yellow Blue (RYB) Primary Color Model.
84. The Final Warning
And be assured, that if this power is
not acquired whilst you are young,
there will be no time for it
afterwards.
There is one precept, however, in
which I shall only be opposed by the
vain, the ignorant, and the idle. I am
not afraid that I shall repeat it too
often. You must have no dependence
on your own genius. If you have great
talents, industry will improve them; if
you have but moderate abilities,
industry will supply their deficiency.
Nothing is denied to well directed
labor: nothing is to be obtained
without it!