2d Design Presentation. For Abstract Painting Course

1. 2/D Design Elements and
Principles for Abstraction

2. ELEMENTS:
LINE – THE WAY WE TREAT OUR LINES ESTABLISHES A
PARTICULAR/DOMINANT
MOOD/EMOTION.
SHAPE – FLAT, 2D ASPECTS OF FORM, AS OPPOSED TO
VOLUME (THINK SILHOUETTE)
VALUE/TONE – RELATIVE LIGHTNESS OR DARKNESS
TEXTURE – CAN BE ACTUAL OR IMPLIED
SPACE – POSITIVE SPACE IS THE FIGURE/OBJECT
YOU’RE DRAWING; NEGATIVE SPACE IS THE AREA
AROUND THE FIGURE OBJECT YOU’RE DRAWING
COLOR – MONOCHROMATIC, COMPLIMENTARY,
SECONDARY, PRIMARY
FROM: HTTP://TEACHING.ELLENMUELLER.COM/DRAWING-
I/RESOURCES/ELEMENTS-PRINCIPLES-OF-2D-DESIGN/

4. Primary: RED, BLUE, YELLOW
Secondary: PURPLE,
ORANGE, GREEN
Intermediate: MAGENTA, LIME
GREEN, YELLOW-ORANGE

5. Properties of Color:
1. Hue: Hue is the name of a pure color, such as red, blue, or yellow.
2. Value: Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue (color). Light values
of colors are called tints. Darker values of colors are called shades.
3. Intensity: Intensity is the brightness or dullness of a hue (color). Pure
hues are high-intensity colors. Dull hues are low-intensity colors. Intensity
of color is changed by adding varying amounts of its complimentary color.
For example, to make a bright green duller a little bit of red could be
added to it.
Warm colors: Warm colors are colors that remind us of things that are
warm:they are red, yellow and orange.
Cool colors: Cool colors remind us of things we associate with cold or
coolness. they are blue, violet and green.
From:
http://www.wcs.k12.mi.us/cousino/wcsart/art%20foundatons%20site/color.
html

6. PRINCIPLES:
Balance – can be Symmetrical or Asymmetrical.
Symmetrical = dividing a composition into two equal halves with seemingly
identical elements on each side.
Asymmetrical = balance based upon a visual sense of equilibrium that can
be felt more than it can be measured. There are no specific rules for
asymmetrical balance except that of diversity
Repetition/Rhythm – a repeating visual element (line, shape, pattern, texture,
movement); a flowing and regular occurrence. A subcategory of repetition is
pattern.
Focus/Emphasis/Dominance – the prime center of visual importance within a
composition to which all other visual elements yield; it holds the viewer’s
attention because of its attractive and dominant influence on its surroundings
Rule of Thirds – a compositional tool that makes use of the notion that the most
interesting compositions are those in which the primary element is off center.
Basically, take any frame of reference and divide it into thirds placing the
elements of the composition on the lines in between.

7. Visual Center – The visual center of any page is just slightly above
and to the right of the actual (mathematical) center. This tends to be
the natural placement of visual focus, and is also sometimes
referred to as museum height.
Unity/Harmony Scale – The overall size of an object
Proportion – The relative size of different elements of an artwork.
An example is the exaggerated proportions in caricatures.
Contrast – When one extreme is pitted against another. Bright vs
Dark. Heavy vs Light, Rough vs Soft, etc.
Movement – How the artist leads the viewer’s eye around the page
Depth – overlapping forms suggest depth; changes in scale can
suggest depth; illusionistic perspective can suggest depth,
atmospheric perspective (see images here) can suggest depth
FROM: http://teaching.ellenmueller.com/drawing-
i/resources/elements-principles-of-2d-design/

8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_conti
nue=16&v=thSjD0BGPx4
Negative and Positive Space

9. Piet Mondrian
Avond (evening): The Red Tree
1908-1910

10. Piet Mondrian
Gray Tree
1911

11. Piet Mondrian
Untitled
1913

12. Piet Mondrian
Composition with Gray and Light-
Brown
1917

13. Piet Mondrian
Composition with Red, Yellow, And
Blue (1937-1942)

14. Questions for consideration
Which painting is the most ABSTRACT? Are they all abstractions? Of
what?
Which of Mondrians paintings would you describe as the most organic? The
most geometric?
Does Mondrian use the principle of Focus/Emphasis/Dominance in any of
his paintings? Which ones? What other principles can you identify
Which painting uses a monochromatic pallette? primary pallette?
complimentary?
Compare on contrast the vertical orientation vs. the horizantal in the first
two paintings.
What is one primary element that Mondrian uses in all of his paintings?
How does it change?