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The Elements of Art: Space

The Art Elements 6 - Space

A very important (and often neglected) element of art is space. When we think of drawing, most of the time we think of drawing “something.” Whether it be rocks, trees, clouds, animals, or whatever, we think in concrete and tangible terms. Sometimes we’re able to draw those things accurately; other times, not so much. But when you learn how to see and use space, you are on your way to being able to draw what you see, and draw it accurately.

As Pat Knepley says, “Draw what you see, not what you know.” Learning how to work with space, particularly negative space, will help you do that. (For example, to draw the palette in the graphic above using negative space, draw the shapes around it rather than the palette itself.) But there’s a lot more to space than just negative space. 

Today’s post has some lessons and video tutorials that I have found around the Internet, all of which will help you better understand how to use space in your drawings. So, let’s get out those art supplies and have fun!

How to Draw Using Negative Space

This page is a gold mine of resources for learning how to draw using negative space. With links to thirteen different websites and tutorials, this page will enable you to find the teaching aids you need to help your children learn about negative space drawing

– http://www.drawinghowtodraw.com/drawing-lessons/art-design-principles/negative-space-drawing.html

How Artists Use Space

This page will show you how artists create the illusion of space in their paintings and artwork

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/looking-art/elements-of-art/a/space

A Practical Exercise in Space

This page has some very good illustrations of positive and negative space, plus a suggested project at the bottom of the page

https://www.smore.com/06pj-elements-of-art-space

Video

The following video is an excellent survey of space and how it is used, both in paintings and in sculpture and other physical forms:

Yellow background with art pallet. Homeschool Art Unit: The Art Elements Part 6: Space. See the Light Shine

The Art Elements: Texture

Homeschool Art Unit: The Art Elements. Part 5: Texture. See the Light Shine.

Texture is probably the easiest of the art elements to wrap your mind around. Smooth or rough? Shiny or dull? Crumpled (as in the photo)? Like sandpaper? What would the art object feel like if you touched it?

As with form, texture can be real or implied. In the photo above, the texture is implied because, although it looks rough, if you were to run your finger over it, it would feel smooth. Obviously, a piece of sculpture would have real texture, but sometimes you can find texture in paintings. In impasto style painting, the artist makes use of texture by applying the paint in thick layers, often with a palette knife.

However you use texture, it’s an important element in an artist’s tool box. Here are some websites and videos that will help you explain this in your homeschool art class:

Definition & Examples:

Nice summary with illustrations:  https://www.smore.com/9xm5-elements-of-art-texture

Lesson Plans:

K-4: http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/education/teachers/lessons-activities/elements-of-art/texture.html

Tutorial for High Schoolers:  https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/elements-of-art-texture

Video Summary:

The following short video provides a good summary of texture, both actual (as in sculpture) and implied (as in drawings):

Homeschool Art Unit: The Art Elements. Part 5: Texture. See the Light Shine.

The Art Elements: Form

Art Elements 4 - Form

If the first element of art is line and the second element is shape, the next logical element is form.

Line is one dimensional. Shape has two dimensions. Form is created when a shape takes on three dimensions. The three-dimensional character of form can be real, as in a sculpture. Or it can be implied, as in a 3-D drawing.

Here are some great web pages and tutorials that will help you understand form and how it works in art.

K-4 LESSON PLAN

Here is a complete lesson plan from the national gallery of art: http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/education/teachers/lessons-activities/elements-of-art/form.html

ONE-PAGE SUMMARY

This short page is subtitled Notes and Examples of How to Illustrate Form. It provides a concise resource for young artists who want to explore form: https://www.smore.com/efkd-elements-of-art-form

FOR OLDER STUDENTS

This page is a bit more involved but will be a valuable resource for high school age students who want to dig deeper into this element of art: http://visualartspdsf.blogspot.com/2012/04/form-or-volume.html

VIDEO LESSON

The following short (3 min.) video shows how form works in art and sculpture:

The Art Elements: Shape

Art Elements Part 3 - Shape

The first of the seven art elements is line. The second is shape. (Note: There is no particular order to the art elements. I list them in the order I do because it’s easier to remember if you progress logically.)

Everything you see can be described or depicted as a shape or collection of shapes. One of the keys to drawing what you see is learning how to spot the shapes in the everyday objects around you.

For today’s blog post, I’ve pulled together several tutorials, lesson plans, a YouTube video, and even a  PowerPoint presentation. So get out those pencils and let’s have some fun.

LESSON PLAN FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS:

K-4 Lesson Plan: This page from the national gallery of art is a full lesson plan for teaching children how shape relates to art. It is very thorough, with guided practice exercises.

http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/education/teachers/lessons-activities/elements-of-art/shape.html

LESSON PLAN FOR OLDER STUDENTS: 

This tutorial would be great for grades 9-12. It’s a bit more complex, but it will give the students a very thorough understanding about how shape works inart.

http://www.sophia.org/tutorials/elements-of-art-shape

The last two items in today’s post are a PowerPoint slide show about shape and a 4-minute video tutorial. Both are worth watching.

 PowerPoint Slide Presentation: Shape

 

 

Element of Art – Shape from RodriguezArt

 

Video Tutorial: Shape

The Art Elements: Line

Art elements 2: Line

One of the seven elements of art is line.

Today, we’ve got some fun resources that will help you to understand how line works in art, and the different types (or families) of lines that you can use.

HOW LINES WORK IN ART

Follow this link for an explanation of the many different ways line works in art, plus a fun and easy line art/craft project at the bottom of the page:

https://kidcourses.com/line-elements-of-design-for-kids/

LESSON PLAN

You’ll find a complete lesson plan on line for early elementary students at this page from the National Gallery of Art:

https://www.nga.gov/education/teachers/lessons-activities/elements-of-art/line.html

HOW LINES CONVEY MOTION, EMOTION, AND MORE

This page will be good for older students, because it demonstrates the more subtle uses of line in art: to convey motion, emotion, and much more.
 

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/looking-art/elements-of-art/a/line

ART LESSONS FOR KIDS — 

http://artlessonsforkids.me/tag/elements-of-art/

This page is definitely one of my favorites. It has some very creative art projects, some targeted at children as young as first graders. All the projects involve the creative and colorful use of line.

A SONG ABOUT LINES

And just for fun, here’s a song about lines. It’s a bit on the corny side, but it might help your younger children remember the different kinds of lines they can use when they create art.

 

It’s Okay to Copy!

When I was growing up, I was taught not to copy other people’s work. It was considered dishonest and cheating. That, of course was even more true in college and graduate school.

For most of the last 20 years, I’ve made my living as a freelance writer, and I can tell you that the rule has not changed–at least for writers. The technical term, of course, is plagiarism, and it has ruined more than one writer’s career.

However, there is one area where copying is not only acceptable, it’s encouraged–under certain circumstances. That’s in art. 

For many years, artists have honed their craft by copying the works of the old masters. Although there are some who discourage this practice because they feel it hinders originality, there is much to be said for learning to draw and paint by copying the works of master artists.

If you have a young student who wants to learn and grow as an artist, and who is up for a challenge, encourage them to try copying some classic works of art. I’ve linked to some blogs below to help you get started.

And don’t forget to have fun.

Here are some blog posts worth reading:

DRAWING TIPS FOR COPYING OLD MASTERS DRAWINGS

THE THREE STEPS TO BECOMING A BETTER PAINTER

IS COPYING THE MASTERS BAD OR GOOD?

 

Enjoy these random selections from the blog:

And don’t forget to visit our store! Here are a few of our products that will help you have a first class art program at home: