| Surface, Shape and Line |
| There are many descriptive ways to define and critique a composition. One of the first areas concerning a design is the surface. A surface can consist of paper, canvas, a wall, and many other things, the possiblities are always expanding. It is whatever the work or composition is done on. The field, ground, and picture plane are similar means to explain the interior areas where all the elements of an artwork or design are placed. Picture frame and format define the outer edges where all the elements within the field (or ground, or picture plane) will be positioned. Figure and ground are closely related but very different. The figures, or figure, are objects of focus placed within the field. Ground refers to all other areas desides the figure. Negative space, the empty areas of a field, supports the positive space, the filled areas within a field. Negative space is very important to design, you don't want to much or too little. Some of the greatest artist use the negative space of their compositions to enhance the positive space. The fundamental basic of an artwork is the shape. Shape is the 2-D (two dimensional) quality of the elements in a field. 3-D (three dimensional) objects are referred to as its form, not its shape. Many types of shapes exist. There are geometric shapes, these are "man made" shapes. Perfect squares, circles, octagons, and such are all examples of mathematically correct geometric shapes. Shapes found in nature, which have many flowing and unpredictable qualities, are called organic shapes. Rectilinear shapes are exclusively straight lined squares and rectangles where as curvilinear shapes are round and flowing. Unlike organic shapes, curvilinear shapes are not representative of nature. Zoomorphic shapes are animalistic, or represent animals. Many zoomorphics that we could easily recognize come from primitive tribes around the world and throughout time. A composition will usually follow just one type of shape throughout but a few combine more than one of these elements. Lines also come in many types. There are implied lines which you know are there but do not actually exist, such as star consolations. Psychic lines, like implied lines, do not exist either, but; they religh on things mentally directing you somewhere. Like someone looking to one side or another in a composition will make you also look that way to see what they are looking at. Every person has their own uniqueness and personal line called a signature line. This line is easily noticeable in a persons signature (where the name comes from) and this carries to their artwork. A line that follows the edge of something, without giving any details, is a contour line. This is common in cartoons and comic strips. Comics also use power lines, these are lines that give a sense that something is moving. Lines can also be over-lapped to create values. They can develop a sense of movement and gesture, delivering the essence of something. Pained lines are somewhat different. Linear painted lines have very defined edges and are usually used with linear shapes. There are also lost and found painted lines. These lines appear and disappear in the light and dark areas of a painting creating powerful and dramatic lighting effects. Surface, Shapes, and Lines are basic principles and elements of design. They give us a means to describe and critique a work. They allow people to easily relate to each other, providing the language necessary to do so. |