Homeowrk 2 - Reading and Writing

focal point- an emphasis of a work of art, it's typically where the eye travels to first and then is placed in a way to allow the eye to travel to different parts of the image

3 ways to achieve a focal point- contrast, isolation, placement

3 types of rhythm- through shapes and repetition, alternating rhythm, progressive rhythm

Rhythm can be helpful in unifying a piece of art because it creates a pattern within the work.

kinesthetic rhythm- it's when something or some thing within a piece of work activates our senses such as touch, smell, sound

line- a mark that has both width and length with the length exceeding the width

contour- varying line weight to create space

gesture- a quick sketch to show the movement of a figure

implied- incomplete lines that suggests a figure

explicit- when the line is prominent in an image

lost and found line- the image is partially shown in a contour way, but fades out into darkness

line as direction- lines can show direction such as horizontal, vertical and diagonal and can imply different emotion

psychic lines- a way to manipulate the viewer to a certain part of the image

line as texture and pattern- line can show the way a surface would feel as well as a pattern or print which is a repetition of lines to create that visual element

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     In this image titled Painting by Alex Grey the focal point is the body of the artist. Then by line the viewers eye travels to different parts of the painting. The lines that he uses are explicit in order to emphasize the different shapes and images within the painting. He also uses line as direction, using vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines which gives the painting an calm energetic movement.

     Alex grey uses many different colors and and layers of lines and brush strokes to create kinesthetic rhythm. For me the different senses that are activated while viewing this image are touch and sight. Ultimately he uses various design elements to create a certain rhythm to his pieces. Through looking at his work we can study line as texture and pattern to create beautiful works of art like he does.

 To see more of Alex Grey visit his website.

(You can also view some of his wife's work too!)