Black Friday is here and people everywhere are out and about shopping. I won't be one of them, I'll pick my shots and avoid all those crowds like I always do. I don't know if a good deal on an item or two is worth all the trouble. Anyway, getting back to business today, I have for you an article on the language of art and how artists use it to "craft" their style. The article was written by William Tan who is an artist as well as a writer.
Is there such a thing called language of the Art or Art language? We know that in the field of design, designers refer to an overarching style that guides their product design. Usually, design languages are not rigorously defined since the designer basically create a design in a similar manner as another. There are also times whereby they are followed strictly, so that the products gain a strong thematic quality.
How about Art? Is there a consistent language that an Artist can make use of during his artistic career? A style that is personalised by the artist and admired by his followers?
In truth, there is a style of artistic expression that an artist will employ during his lifetime which is very similar to that of the designer. Master artists such as Da Vinci, Wu GuanZhong commit to their art, a personal style that is the envy of many other artists.
Is there a secret to cultivating an artistic expression? The answer lies in understanding the basics of Art language. There are seven components of the language that organize and relate images on the painting which will animate and unify the various elements in the painting.
The seven Components:
1) Unity
It is the integration of the parts to achieve oneness and completeness. Unity is achieved by using contrasts and resolving contrasts by providing dominance. It can also be obtained by repetition and harmony. It is often said that ' the Whole is greater than the sum of its parts'.
2) Contrast
Contrast generates interest, be it violent or mild. The key to creating a visually exciting art work is to master the concept of contrast.
3) Balance
Often in a painting, visual forces are aplenty. What the artist should do is to balance these visual forces so that these individual forces can be read by the viewer. The most significant feature of the field is the vertical centre line.
4)Repetition
In repetition technique, an artist can repeat hues, shapes, tones, colours, texture, sizes and direction. Echoes and similarity bring the work together and establish a visual theme.
5) Harmony
Elements with similar attributes are said to be in harmony. The expert artist is able to achieve harmony by bringing together the forces of chaos and order.
6)Dominance
Superior force is the equal of Dominance. Dominance creates unity and resolves contrast. Dominance and contrast work together to create unity
7) Gradation
Gradation is the combination of harmony and contrast through a sequence of small subtle steps. It is an extremely hard technique to master.
