2D Art

Elements of Art & Design

"The activity of art is as important as the activity of language itself, and as universal." - Leo Tolstoy

"A picture is a poem without words." - Horace

Theory

Within the domains of two-dimensional art, product development and advertising, "design" is the word we use to talk about the intentional arrangement of marks on a surface. Further, we can use this word to talk about shaping a volume (of some particular material) when we make a sculpture or whenever we create the prototype for a consumer object. Design also plays a crucial role when it comes to defining a space, as in the case of installation art, architecture, interior decor and civic planning (designing a park, a neighbourhood, a shopping mall, and so on).

Before making marks on a flat surface, shaping a volume or defining a space, one needs to think about HOW the mark will be made; HOW the volume will be shaped; or HOW the space will be defined. Equally important, one needs to consider WHY a mark, object or space must be created in the first place. The planet has finite resources and we're rapidly approaching a point (perhaps we passed the point a long time ago) where discretion and thoughtfulness MUST be used whenever we add to the environmental clutter (signs and advertising are the biggest offenders) or whenever we relegate another portion of our small world to some fruitless endeavour (such as packaging and manufacturing mountains of disposable consumer products).

Material, Support & Method

HOW we make the mark, volume or space will depend on the materials, support and methods that we choose. To make sense of the vast array of choices before us, it's often easier to categorize things as being either natural or fabricated (a somewhat arbitrary distinction, but useful nevertheless).

In the widest possible sense, most materials are:

natural - minerals, rock, bodily fluids, resins, gums, wax, clay, bone, wood
fabricated - paint, ink, pastels, crayons, plaster, bronze, brick, steel, plastic

Also in the widest possible sense, most supports are:

natural - earth, rocks, vegetation, flesh, wilderness
fabricated - paper, textiles, wood panel, urban parks, galleries, developed public spaces

Again in the widest possible sense, most methods are:

natural - processes such as erosion, animal interaction, weather, fire and human intervention (pouring, piling, leaning, layering, dropping, dripping, throwing, growing, and so on). These methods are sometimes allowed to unfold randomly or according to principles that cannot be fully controlled, thereby lending a "natural", spontaneous or "unplanned" appearance to the final product (follow this link to learn about the related Theory of Automation.
fabricated - human-made processes such as print-making, oil-painting, charcoal-sketching, graphite-drawing, bronze-casting, stone-carving , metal-welding, wood-constructing and object-assembling. These methods often involve technique and require some amount of practice, skill and planning.

Formal Properties / Art Elements

HOW we make the mark, volume or space will determine its FORM. When we talk about form, we are really talking about the properties of shape, value, colour, line, mass/space and texture. You can memorize these elements by using the clever (and somewhat humorous) mnemonic, "Sexy Vixens Cause Lonely Men to Tremble".

At this point, we might distinguish between formal properties that are fundamental (not dependant on any other elements) and those that are emergent (dependent on at least one other element for its existence). After thinking about this for a VERY long time, I now believe that shape, value, colour, line, and texture are always fundamental whereas space and mass are always emergent and may be connected to different elements depending on whether we're working in two dimensions or three.

In two-dimensional art & design, a sense of mass and space may emerge from the manipulation of shapes, values, colours, lines and textures. In three-dimensional art & design, a sense of mass and space emerge primarily from the manipulation of shapes and values. Colour, line, and texture may enhance the space and mass of a sculpture, but they can just as easily exist without affecting the volume of space that a sculpture displaces.

FORMAL PROPERTIES can be:

natural - organic, life-like
fabricated - geometric, machine-like, non-naturalistic

WHY we make an object or a space depends on only one thing: CONTENT. Content means that a mark, volume or space has some sort of significance beyond itself. Like a signpost pointing the viewer in a specific direction, marks, objects and spaces almost always signify ideas or emotions beyond their visual appearance. This is what we normally regard as the "meaning" of a work. From a very broad perspective, CONTENT can be:

natural - realistic, naturalistic or documentary representations of the outer world
fabricated - symbols and other narrative representations of the inner world, often presented with the goal of eliciting an emotional response or persuading others to share an opinion

There are countless ways that we can combine material, support, method, form and content. Arguably, the most challenging works will merge natural elements with fabricated elements in unexpected and pleasing ways. Whatever you choose, any work can be successful (in terms of design) when you enter a project with thoughtfulness and an open mind.