Project # 2 Principles and Elements of Art

In this project, we were to shoot a minimum of 12 digital photographs to explore the elements (lines, shapes, textrue, space, value, color) and the principles (balance, rhythm/movement, contrast, unity/variety, emphasis, pattern/repetition) of art. I enjoyed this project as it took me outdoors and taught me how to look for the elements and principles of art in the world around me.

Value


Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue. I chose this photo because of it is an excellent example of value which is illustrated in the colors of the horizon as the sun rises. An extension activity could begin with talking about the values of color in sunrises and sunsets. I could have each student do an original sunset or sunrise on a large piece of paper. I would instruct my students how to make tints and shades of a particular color and encourage them to use them in their paintings. I could also incorporate a science lesson by explaining why we see certain colors of the spectrum on the horizon as the sun rises and sets but not in the sky when the sun is overhead.



Organic Shape

An organic shape is a shape based on natural objects. I

chose this snow banks photo because the snow banks are so uniquely formed--basically each snowbank form is a one-of-a-kind. An extension project I would do with a photo like this one would be to ask my students what organic shapes they may see as they look out of a window. The window could be one in a building or one in a vehicle. We could talk about the differences in man-made shapes versus nature-made shapes and how to tell the difference. The students could pretend that the shape of their paper is the shape of the window and draw or paint what their mind's eye sees as it looks out of that window. A math lesson on shapes could also be incorporated here. We could look for the geometric figures vs. curved lines both of which are incorporporated in the math standards.