User:Varsha Arora/sandbox

ART
Art is a reflection of human personality. A man expresses his emotions, feelings and ideas through art. Objects of art give pleasure and satisfaction to body and mind. Every object is a piece of art, only we have to recognize and develop it. Learning the fundamentals of art is important to enhance our interest in that field. Art is arranging things in an organized and attractive manner.

ELEMENTS OF ART
Following are the elements of art – line, shape, texture, color. Apart from these three more elements are used in interior decoration and space management. These are light, space and pattern.

LINE:
Lines have emotional significance depending on their direction and their quality. Line is a flow between two points. Shape of a line depends upon its flow. Lines are of following types:
 * Vertical lines – These lines are perpendicular to earth. These lines suggest life and activity.
 * Horizontal lines – These lines are parallel to the earth. These lines suggest repose, steadiness and duration.


 * Diagonal lines – Flow of these lines depends upon its angle. These lines suggest movement and force. They express restlessness.
 * Curved lines – These lines are curved and represent beauty, pleasure and flexibility.

FORM OR SHAPE:
Different shapes are formed by joining two or more lines, for example triangle, square, rectangle, circular, etc. A good shape has two features:
 * Shape of an object should be according to its utility.
 * It should be influenced by the material from which it is made.

TEXTURE:
The word texture refers to the tactile quality of the surface of any object. In ordinary usage, texture refers to the qualities that are perceptible through the sense of touch. Following are the textures of interest to home planner and decorators – crisp, delicate, fury, leathery, metallic, rocky, rough, etc. Texture is an element of art that is valuable in giving character and beauty to objects, interiors, building and landscape gardening.

LIGHT:
Light is an art element as well as an element of utility. It has a definite emotional effect. Day light is an important factor in the appearance of a room. As much daylight as is desired can now be procured by use of glass wall, large windows extending from floor to ceiling. Modern artificial light is not only functional but also flexible art medium. It can bring rhythm and continuity to a room’s furnishing by linking together various points of emphasis.

SPACE:
Management of space is basic in interior decoration. The present trend is for space to become less obstructed throughout a house.

PATTERN:
The term pattern here refers to any sort of extrinsic surface enrichment. Surface pattern adds liveliness and interest to a room. Opinions differ on how much pattern is desirable in a room, but it is customary to use pattern at least one fourth of the total surface area. A large can support more pattern than a small one.

THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
The elements and principles of design are the building blocks used to create a work of art. The elements of design can be thought of as the things that make up a painting, drawing, design etc. Good or bad - all paintings will contain most of if not all, the seven elements of design.

The Principles of design can be thought of as what we do to the elements of design. How we apply the Principles of design determines how successful we are in creating a work of art.

BALANCE:
Balance in design is similar to balance in physics. A large shape close to the center can be balanced  by a small shape close to the edge. A large light  toned shape will be balanced by a small dark toned shape (the darker the shape the heavier it appears to be).

GRADATION:
Gradation of size and direction produce linear perspective. Gradation of of colour from warm to cool and tone from dark to light produce aerial perspective. Gradation can add interest and movement to a shape. A gradation from dark to light will cause the eye to move along a shape.

REPETITION:
Repetition with variation is interesting, without variation repetition can become monotonous. The five squares above are all the same. They can be taken in and understood with a single glance. When variation is introduced, the five squares, although similar, are much more interesting to look at. They can no longer be absorbed properly with a single glance. The individual character of each square needs to be considered.

If you wish to create interest, any repeating element should include a degree of variation.

CONTRAST:
Contrast is the juxtaposition of opposing elements eg. opposite colours on the colour wheel - red / green, blue / orange etc. Contrast in tone or value - light / dark. Contrast in direction - horizontal / vertical.

The major contrast in a painting should be located at the center of interest. Too much contrast scattered throughout a painting can destroy unity and make a work difficult to look at. Unless a feeling of chaos and confusion are what you are seeking, it is a good idea to carefully consider where to place your areas of maximum contrast.

HARMONY:
Harmony in painting is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar, related elements. eg. adjacent colours on the colour wheel, similar shapes etc.

DOMINANCE:
Dominance gives a painting interest, counteracting confusion and monotony. Dominance can be applied to one or more of the elements to give emphasis.

UNITY:
Relating the design elements to the the idea being expressed in a painting reinforces the principal of unity e.g a painting with an active aggressive subject would work better with a dominant oblique direction, course, rough texture, angular lines etc. whereas a quiet passive subject would benefit from horizontal lines, soft texture and less tonal contrast.

Unity in a painting also refers to the visual linking of various elements of the work.