TEXTURE {element of design}

the surface quality of an object, which is understood through touch and visual cues; the illusion of texture is what we are concerned with in two-dimensional design;
textures vary tremendously, from smooth to rough, spiky to bumpy, shiny to matte, crinkly to fluffy.


-value and contrast play a large role in the depiction of textures, through the variation of light and dark areas in the form of a pattern

     ...notice the way in which the curly fur of the dog is painted below, through the use of alternating values in a soft, swirling pattern

George Stubbs

     ...because the surface is soft, it is depicted through low contrast of values and blurry edges

George Stubbs (detail)

-high value contrasts and hard edged patterns can depict sharp, hard and shiny textures

-rough, bumpy surfaces can be depicted through quick, small changes in value and color in an irregular pattern

Chuck Close

Lucian Freud (detail)

-the varied use of the artist's medium and tools can be used to describe texture, i.e. paint built up, scraped away or dripped onto a surface

Van Gogh

Justin Van Genderen

-it can also be suggested through simplified, abstracted use of patterns and lines

Studio 3 Pieces

Kazumasa Nagai

-texture can create visual interest in an otherwise flat composition

     ...with textural surfaces coming forward in pictorial space, and smooth surfaces receding

COLOR {element of design}

the quality of an object with respect to light reflected by its surface, measured by hue, value and intensity; color is often the most powerful tool available in design

COLOR TERMS

           

-color: broad term described by three characteristics: hue, value and intensity

-hue: the name of a particular color (ex. Yellow, orange, green, etc.)

-value: the relative lightness or darkness of a color.

-intensity (saturation/chroma): the purity of a color which determines its relative brightness or dullness.

-tint: color plus white

-tone: color plus gray

-shade: color plus black

-primary colors: yellow, red & blue

the three basic colors that cannot be made by mixing any other colors together

-secondary colors: orange, violet & green

these are each made by mixing two primary colors together.

orange = yellow and red

violet = red and blue

green = blue and yellow

-tertiary colors: yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green & yellow-green

there are six tertiary colors, each made by mixing one primary and one secondary color together (by which they are named)

COLOR SCHEMES

-monochromatic: using any tint, tone or shade of just one color; monochromatic color schemes result in a calm, unified composition

     ...monochromatic colors can visually connect disparate things to communicate a relationship between the two

     ...it can also emphasize the concept of a grouping of like items

-analogous: using colors that are next to one another on the color wheel (i.e. blue, blue-green and green); analogous color schemes also feel harmonious, calm and unified, but provide more variety and interest than a monochromatic color scheme

Edouard Vuillard

-complementary: using any two colors that are directly opposite one another on the color wheel; complementary color schemes result in highly activated and contrasting compositions

Sandy Skoglund

     ...complementary colors placed next to each other intensify one another

     ...they can also heighten the symbolic concept of opposition and contrast

Genis Carreras

COLOR TEMPERATURES

-warm colors: reds, oranges, yellows

warm colors (think of the sun) appear to come forward in space.

-cool colors: greens, blues, purples

cool colors (think of the ocean) appear to recede in space.

because warm colors appear to come forward in pictorial space and cool colors seem to recede, opposing warm and cool colors helps create space in a composition

Andre Derain

     ...warm and cool colors can also suggest form, with warm colors often found in light and cool colors often found in shadows

Sir Matthew Smith

COLOR SATURATION

-saturated colors are colors that are pure and not mixed with white, gray or black (tint, tone or shade); saturated colors come forward in space in relation to more muted or neutral colors

Hans Hofmann

Frederick Hammersley

-a composition made up entirely of saturated colors can feel intense, chaotic and attention-grabbing

Andre Derain

-a composition made up entirely of muted (tonal) colors can feel more unified, quiet, calm and dull 

Giorgio Morandi

     ...both compositions flatten somewhat due to a lack of contrast in intensity

-colors can be used in isolation for emphasis

Design Sponge

     ...or in groupings to create a sense of movement and continuity within a composition

-it is also important to realize that color is relative and can appear very different depending on the context (lighting) or the colors surrounding it

     ...look at three examples of color shifting based on what is around it; the center strip is the same color on both sides, though visually we perceive them as very different

     ...remember, color affects color

VALUE {element of design}

the relative lightness and darkness of a form compared to other forms around it; one of the primary building blocks of a composition


-value is used to describe and understand form, by showing the way light would travel across the surface of an object in space

-it creates the illusion of dimension on a flat surface

Robert Mapplethorpe

     ...sharp contrasts in value can allude to hard, linear forms with distinct sides and edges

Vilde Form Terrain Rug

     ...whereas gradations in value can allude to soft, rounded forms

Giorgio Morandi

-value can also describe pictorial space, or the illusion of three-dimensional space (depth) on a flat surface

     ...high value contrast (dark next to light) comes forward in space

Rembrandt Van Rijn

    ...low value contrast (light next to light) recedes in space

-high value contrast can create a focal point in a composition

22 ad campaign

Leonardo da Vinci

-similar values scattered throughout a composition can move the eye through the picture plane

Pablo Picasso

-it is important to remember that value is relative, meaning our perception of it is affected by the values around it (light values look even lighter when surrounded by dark values, but can look dark compared to other lighter values)


     ...consider square A and B below...A looks significantly darker than B

     ...when in fact, they are the exact same value; only the values around A and B are different, which is enough to greatly affect our perception of them

     ...remember, value affects value

SCALE {element of design}

the size of a shape or form; often referred to in relation to the size of the picture plane it is occupying, or to the size of other shapes within the picture plane


-scale can create a sense of importance and emphasis; viewers often perceive larger shapes as more important than smaller shapes

-scale can create a sense of depth; larger shapes feel closer than smaller shapes

Claude Monet

-changing the scale of a similar shape can create interest and variation in an otherwise repetitive composition

Daehyun Kim

     ...it can also create a sense of continuity and unity within a larger design

-repeating similar shapes in the same scale will create a sense of order and repetition

Laylah Ali

-exaggerating the scale of a form in relation to other forms can create a sense of surreal or unreal space

Jeff Koons

Ron Mueck

-the scale of forms in relation to the scale of the picture plane is also important to consider


     ...forms that take up the entire picture plane can be seen as grandiose, and singularly important, and can create a sense of a crowded composition

Walton Ford

     ...forms that take up little of the picture plane are considered in conjunction with other forms, and create a sense of space within the composition

H57