7 Fundamentals of Art Every Artist Needs To Know
The basics of art are essential to any artist's development, including the very definition of art itself. Whether you're an experienced artist or someone who only dabbles in the arts from time to time, it's important to know the fundamentals of art.
These principles make up the building blocks of any piece of art, so knowing them will help you bring your artistic creations to life in a different manner. If you have trouble understanding these fundamental aspects of art, this article will shed light on their meanings.
Art Vs. Craft, What is the difference?
Color
This fundamental of art is best explained using color mixing and color theory. The color theory entails the process of combining different colors to achieve a particular hue or tone. Three primary factors influence the color theory, including Color wheel, Color harmonies, and Color context.
These factors work together to understand how two colors can be made similar by adding a third color. For example, if you take red and blue paint and mix them, you will get purple paint.
The color wheel is the basic representation of all hues within a given range. It is composed of twelve hues in contrast to those mixed with black or white, making it easier for artists to understand what other colors they might need to obtain their desired effect on their artwork.
The color harmonies represent a group of colors that go well together. They are created when complementary colors such as yellow and violet or green and pink are used side-by-side. Color context refers to the meaning behind the color scheme and its symbolic connotations regarding subjects like moods, seasons, periods, emotions, etc. The color mixing theory also includes terms like Monochromatic and Analogous.
Monochromatic color schemes utilize only one hue at a time, while Analogous schemes use colors from adjacent positions on the wheel. Artists can explore these combinations to find new ways of expressing themselves through their work.
Elements And Principles Of Art
Lines
Lines are another fundamental art that works together with color to create a masterpiece. Lines can be made by hand or computer and can be straight or curved. Regarding lines, there are different types of strokes available: Straight, Curved, Broken, and Diagonal. Straight lines are often found in logos, drawings, cartoons, and comics.
They are commonly used to show hard edges in objects and depict clarity in thought processes. One way to think about a straight line is as a thin piece of string being cut into smaller pieces.
Curved lines are often found in nature and easily flow because they capture the natural curves of objects around us, from mountains to our bodies. A curved line can be considered a wave crashing against the shoreline. Broken lines have jagged ends and are typically uneven.
They are often used to add texture to an object or give the appearance of watercolor washes over the paper. An artist might want to break up their lines to add more detail than would normally be possible with a single stroke. Diagonal lines are both jagged and curvy at once, making them stand out against other types of straight lines.
Composition
Composition is perhaps one of the most important principles of art. If a piece of art isn't framed well, it can ruin an otherwise flawless execution. Like many things in life, framing goes back to even before our cavemen ancestors.
A caveman trying to show off their hunting prowess would carefully select not only what animal they would bring home for dinner but also where they wanted it placed on a flat rock so that everyone else could see how great of a hunter he was.
In the present day, the composition remains a very important principle of art. Artists must be aware of the placement and how it affects the viewer's eye flow throughout the artwork. Even if you have found a brilliant color palette or perfect subject matter, if your composition is sloppy, then all your hard work will be for nothing.
Space
The space between objects, whether large or small, creates tension. Too much space means there are no connections between objects; too little means there are too many connections. Artists should use this balance to create harmony within their compositions and give meaning to their paintings.
Value
Value is a fancy word for how light or dark an object is. Some artists find value to be one of their most difficult principles of art, but it can also be one of their most powerful when used in harmony with other principles.
It's especially useful for creating a three-dimensional effect and bringing a flat painting to life. The value will affect all other principles of art, so if you aren't paying attention to it, then everything else will fall apart on its own.
Art vs Design, What is the difference?
Form and Structure
Form is one of those principles of art that gives visual interest and movement to a painting. It also helps to guide your viewer through your artwork. Using the good form in your paintings will help make it easy for people to understand what's going on in a piece of art, or at least give them something interesting to look at.
Perspective
Perspective is another powerful principle of art that can either bring a painting to life or ruin it. Poorly executed perspective can easily make a painting seem flat and boring while using it well will add depth and space to your artwork.
Good perspective needs to consider how things are set up in front of you and how they'll look when they get further away from you.
Final Thoughts
The fundamentals of art play a vital role in every artist's work. These principles are crucial not only for painting or drawing but also for photography and film.
It is often said that 'painting is just light on canvas,' and artists use these building blocks to bring their works to life. So if you're an aspiring artist, you should start learning about these art fundamentals now.
