This document discusses famous paintings and the principles of art. It defines the elements of art as the tools used by artists, including line, shape, value, texture, and color. It then explains the principles of art, which are rules that govern how artists apply the elements. Some principles discussed are balance, proportion, rhythm, movement, variety, contrast, unity, and emphasis. Examples are given of famous paintings that demonstrate each principle, such as Starry Night by Van Gogh illustrating rhythm and Mona Lisa by da Vinci showing contrast.

1. Famous Paintings and
The Principles of Art
Paintings you’ll see again and again…..

2. Taking notes “from”
pictures
Do a thumbnail sketch. Draw a 2” x 2” box and
QUICKLY sketch the major details of the picture.
You want to sketch enough that the thumbnail
will trigger a memory of the actual picture
Include the artist’s name
Include the name of the piece

3. The Elements of Art
The Elements of Art are like the tools an artist
uses to create a work of art. The Elements are:
LINE
SHAPE/FORM
VALUE
TEXTURE
COLOR

4. The Principles of Art
The Principles are the rules of art. These rules
apply to how the artist uses the tools of art…oh’
yeah…line ,shape/form, color, value and texture.
BALANCE
PROPORTION
RHYTHM
MOVEMENT

5. VARIETY
CONTRAST
UNITY
EMPHASIS

6. BALANCE
VISUAL EQUALIBRIUM – The sense of stability
Symmetrical
Asymmetrical
radial

8. symmetrical
Leonardo da Vinci
The Last Supper

9. Salvador Dali
The Persistence of Memory
asymmetrical

10. Leonardo da Vinci
Vitruvian Man

11. PROPORTION
THE RELATIONSHIP OF SIZES

12. Pablo Picasso
Portrait of Olga in the Armchair

13. Pablo Picasso
The Dream

14. James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Arrangement in Grey
and Black

15. Rhythm
Repetition of any of the elements – usually color,
shape and value.

16. Vincent Van Gogh
Starry Night

17. Claude Monet
Poplars

18. MOVEMENT
Directs the viewer’s eye through the picture
plane

19. Franz Marc
Fighting Forms

20. Vincent Van Gogh
Wheat field with Cypress
Trees

21. VARIETY
Differences in the elements. Different colors,
textures, shapes, sizes create interest.

22. Andy Warhol
9 Marilyns

23. Georgia O’Keeffe
Oriental Poppies

24. CONTRAST
A big difference in any of the elements

25. Leonardo da Vinci
Mona Lisa

26. Georgia O’Keeffe
Cow Skull:Red, White and Blue

27. EMPHASIS
Points of interest that pull the viewer’s eye to the
important parts of the work

28. Andy Warhol
Campbell’s Soup I

29. Jan Vermeer
Girl with a Pearl Earring

30. Rene Magritte
The Son of Man

31. UNITY
All parts of a work seen as a whole.

32. Gustav Klimt
The Kiss

33. Claude Monet
Water Lilies

34. Edvard Munch
The Scream