Chapter 7 & 10

We find the golden ratio when we divide a line into two parts so that

the whole length divided by the long part is also equal to the long part divided by the short part

The Golden Mean

A line divided into two parts so that the smaller line has the same proportion or ration to the larger line, as the larger line has to the whole.

golden ratio

(a+b)/a = a/b = 1.618...

The ratio of the Golden Mean comes out to

1: 1.6

ratio of the forearm to the hand

1: 1.6

The Golden Rectangle

Can use the principle of the Golden Mean to establish a Golden rectangle which can be used as a compositional device. For years, artist's have used the Golden Mean to create pleasing compositions. The general idea is to find where the Golden Mean is located on your picture plane and putt the tallest or most important thing in the picture on it. A lot of times finding the exact spot where the Golden Mean is located may not be so easy especially if you don't have a calculator handy so artists have come up with a simplified version: the Rule of Thirds.

Texture

Element of art that deals with the way something feels or looks as if it feels.

Best compositional devices to use when setting up the picture plane

Golden Mean or a triangle.

How artists use proportion

Many artists use proportion to make a point. They can use correct proportion to represent something realistically or sometimes they exaggerate proportion to make a point. Sometimes artists totally exaggerate proportions to emphasize a feature as in the realm of charicatures.

Matte vs. shiny

Matte surfaces reflect soft dull light/ shiny surfaces reflect bright highlights.

proportion

Principle of art that deals with size relationships of one part to another within a work of art or an object such as the human figure. The average adult will be about 7- 7 1/2 heads tall. A 5' tall jockey will look out of proportion next to a 6"10 basketball player. They may not even be the same headlengths but that's okay. What will be the same is the ratio between body parts. The length of the basketball player's foot will be equal to the length of the inner elbow to the wrist. The same is true of the jockey. We will evidence this when we do our body measurement demonstration in class.

Rough vs. smooth

Rough surfaces reflect light unevenly/ smooth surfaces reflect light evenly.

How to find where the Golden Mean is on a line

Say your line is 12", 12 divided by 1.6 = 7.5 So 7 1/2" would be where the Golden Mean is located.

scale

Size as measured against a standard reference. It deals with how the overall size of one object relates to the overall size of another object or the space in which the object is placed. Think standard size clothespins. Clothespins that are actually designed to hold up clothes on a clothesline have been the same size since they were invented. When sculptor, Cluas Oldenberg did his take on the clothespin by making a 40' tall clothespin sculpture for the Chicago institute of Art, it was out of scale. Think of maps. Maps all have a scale which denotes that a specific unit of measure is equal to a certain amount of miles.

The Golden Mean is actually a concept developed by ancient Greek mathematicians

The Greeks were constantly on a quest for the perfect representation of physical beauty, whether it was in its depiction of the human figure or in its buildings. Euclid, one of the famous Greek mathematicians, started to notice patterns in objects in nature. He noticed that objects in nature which followed a certain proportion were far more pleasing and uniform in the physical appearance. He was particularly enamored with the nautilus, sunflower and pinecone. He developed a theory that there was a perfect way to divide space (in particular, a line) so that it was the most pleasing to the human eye.

Human proportions

The human figure is usually measured in head lengths. The average adult is usually 7 1/2 heads tall. A young child is usually five-six heads tall. An infant is usually only about three heads tall.

Visual Texture

The illusion of a three-dimensional surface.

Foreshortening

To shorten an object to make it look as if it extends backward into space.

The Rule of Thirds

When in a pinch, divide your canvas into thirds. Pick one of the "thirds" lines and come in a bit towards the center and put your most important object just to the left or right of the thirds line going in the the direction of the center of the painting.

hierarchial scale

When the figures in a work of art are arranged so that the scale or size of them signifies importance. Often see it in Egyptian drawings where the kings and queens are depicted as much larger than their servants.

Texture & value

You must have value in order to create texture. The value is what an artist uses to make the suggestion of texture.

1.618

is the actual numerical value for the Golden Man.

ratio of naval to foot

ratio of foot to the head - 1.6

ratio of our armspan

ratio of our height

ratio of the naval to the knee

ratio of the naval to the foot

Two kinds of Visual texture

simulated & invented

simulated

texture looks realistic

invented

two dimensional patterns that create decorative surfaces