RELOCATION NOTICE

I may post more information here in the future, if I continue to work on the Visual Principles and Elements of Design. For now, sporadic Art: Help! content has been moved to my personal website's blog, Mili Fay Art Blog.

Thank you for reading.

Mili Fay
April 23, 2017

Happy Holidays!

I just want to thank you all for patiently standing by me as I journey through the murky world of publishing.  I hope to have that Action Line and Path article for you soon. :-) I wish you all the happiest of holidays, and even better days for 2015!

Feel free to download and share this image with your loved ones.

Cheers!

Mili

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Mili Fay, a Toronto-based artist, classical animator, illustrator, writer, and singer, is an award winning graduate of Sheridan College and Art Instruction Schools.  In November of 2011 she created Mili Fay Art determined to support the world one artwork at a time.

Her latest published work is Animals In My Hair; a story about a boy who goes for his first haircut only to find endangered animals falling out of his hair.  Presented at INSPIRE! Toronto International Book Fair (November 14, 2014) out of 700+ submissions, Animals In My Hair, is the world’s first ever Artwork Book; a new type of picture book that seamlessly combines the best features of fine art, picture books, activity books, and educational books.

In accordance with Mili Fay Art’s vision, 30% of all profits from Animals In My Hair book and merchandise will be donated to wildlife conservation.

Join Mili Fay Art Fan Club to stay in touch with Mili Fay and to be the first to find out of her upcoming books and artworks.

Mili Fay Art: “Together we support the world one artwork at a time.”

ART CONTEST!

To support wildlife conservation, protection, and education, I've decided to create monthly animal art prints.  However, I need help choosing the animals.  If you love animals and art, this contest is for you.  There is no age limit, no skill requirement,... The whole world is invited!  Have fun drawing and remember:

"Together we support the world one artwork at a time."

Note: If you are under legal age, you need your parent's or guardian's permission to enter this contest.

To Enter The Contest:

1.  Create an original artwork of your favourite wild animal.  It cannot be an imaginary animal!!!

2.  Send a 1 MB JEPG (.jpg) file of your artwork, your name, your age, and contact information (a working e-mail will be fine) to Mili Fay Art:

contest@artofmili.ca

You must send your artwork by midningt on the last day of the month to qualify for that month.

Judging:

Mili Fay will choose the top 10 entries for each month.  Then a panel of artists (including Mili Fay) will choose the winning entry.  Judge's names for each month will be posted with the winning entries.

PRIZE:

The winner will receive an Art Print of a painting created by Mili Fay showcasing the winner’s favourite wild animal.  His/her work will be showcased on AIMH Members’ Fan Page and Mili Fay Art’s Social Sites. The winner will also be entered in a draw to win “Animals In My Hair” Artwork Book.

Rules:

One entry per person per month.  You can only win once.  Previous winners will be disqualified. 

Monthly contest closes at midnight on the last day of the month.  Winners will be contacted, and top entries will be showcased on AIMH Members’ Fan Page and Mili Fay Art’s social sites.

The draw will be held on January 15th 2014.

Mili Fay reserves the right to discontinue this contest at any time in her sole discression. 

THE ELEMENT OF DESIGN: LINE--PART 01

What is a "line"?

Depending on a particular point of view there are many definitions for what we mean when we say the word "line"; for example consider "an assembly line", or "the waiting line".

As an element of design, in its simplest terms, a line can be visible or implied; it can be an actual mark connecting two or more points, or an invisible connection between two or more points (or two or more objects).

VISIBLE LINES VS. IMPLIED LINES

Visible Lines

In reference to art, I believe that the visible line may be outline and/or contour line.

Students often confuse an outline with a contour line.  This is very understandable, because there are varying definitions for both.  It becomes even more confusing because sometimes an outline can be a contour line, though a contour line is never an outline in a two-dimensional artwork.

Do not worry, I will explain.

When I think of an outline, I think of a continuous mark of uniform or varying thickness that records the outermost edges (and sometimes tonal differentiation) of a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional object on a flat surface (such as paper, canvas, etc.).

For the purpose of this demonstration our object (a.k.a. subject) is a simple rubber ball.

This is the simplest outline of that ball.

Here we have another outline drawing of the ball, showing the basic differentiation of tone:  

the shadow and the light.

I have recently read an art book where the artist/author states that "contour lines define edges... inner or outer...".

I disagree with that statement, and I firmly believe that it is because of such careless statements that students have trouble differentiating between outlines and contour lines.

When working on a two-dimensional surface, a contour line is a mark that follows the form of a three-dimensional object, creating the illusion of space and depth.

Look at any object near you.

 Do you see the object's edges?  Draw them.

Those edges are outlines.

Now, imagine dipping your index finger in paint.  Touch the object with that index finger, and without lifting your finger, move it over the surface of the object.  You are "painting" a contour line.

Note: The broken lines show the painted lines you do not see from this angle.

Did you notice something about the contour line?

A contour line never ends.  As long as you keep the finger on the surface, you can keep drawing your contour line forever.

"But... Mili if I keep my finger on the edge and follow it, I can keep "painting" the edge forever.  So, isn't the edge also a contour line?"

If you were working on a three-dimensional sculpture of your object, I would say "yes".  However, on a two-dimensional surface, the edge becomes an outline.

Just as there is no such thing as an outline on a three-dimensional sculpture, there is no such thing as a contour line at the edge of a three-dimensional object drawn on a two-dimensional surface.

Let us get back to our ball.

As you can clearly see even though all the lines of this drawing are outlines (outlining the edge of the object and the tonal edge on the surface of the object), the tonal edge is also a contour line, because it follow the form of the object.  

Therefore proving that sometimes an outline can be a contour line, though a contour line is never an outline in a two-dimensional artwork.

Drawing complete contour lines of your object creates a very ghastly image.  

These are just a few contour lines following the form of this ball.

You can create an infinite number of lines.

Therefore break those lines, and draw just enough of them to help give the illusion of three-dimensionality of your subject.  The best way to do this is to add a few lines to indicate the difference in tone.

Note:

When adding tone to your drawing using line, you have two options: you can either cross hatch, or you can contour hatch.

Cross Hatching

VS.

Contour Hatching

Cross hatching may take less mental effort, but contour hatching gives a more three dimensional look to your artwork.

So, to cross hatch or to contour hatch?

There is no right or wrong way to hatch.  I find that if I contour hatch my entire drawing, the drawing looks three dimensional, but also somehow mechanical; while an only hatched drawing looks rather flat.

Nothing in nature is perfect, and I believe it is the imperfections in your work that differentiate a potential masterpiece from "a nice drawing".

THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN: POINT

Point is the simplest of all the elements of design.  A dot. A period. A mark.  It is not often emphasised, but it is found in every work of two-dimensional art imaginable.


One artist has taken this element of design to its extreme, and is credited with developing an entire movement that fascinated the public in the late 19th century.  Of course I am speaking of Pointillism and Georges Seurat (1859-1891).  (I have always wondered if his decision to paint with points of colour was perhaps influenced by the rediscovery of the atomic theory debated at the time.)


I privately believe that Pointillism taken to the extreme became that well-known game: Connect the Dots.


But let me get back to the point :-) of this article.

When is a point, not a point?

If visually represented, it can be argued that a point is never really a point.  Take any point on any piece of paper.  If you imagine yourself zooming in (coming closer, magnifying the point), any point will become a dot (a circle) or an irregular shape.  Shape is another element of design, and therefore not a point.

It follows then that when we talk about the element point we are in fact referring to the viewer’s perception of a point, whether that point is actually represented (a mark on a canvas, paper, etc.) or is merely implied (a point that is sensed but cannot be seen).

In my opinion the implied points are the most important points in Visual Language.  They are what make great artwork great.

Essentially, an implied point represents Focus.  Remember this: Point = Focus.  If you keep that in mind you are on your way to creating great art.

What is an implied point?

Consider an acute angle. 

An acute angle is essentially made of two connected lines.  There is no actual point on an acute angle, but we all feel the existence of a point where the two lines meet.  This implied point where the two lines meet is where the viewer's eyes are focused, therefore that point is the focus of the image.  However, there are two more implied points which are the secondary focus, and those are found at the end of each line.

How does this help in creating great art?

Simple, when you are considering creating art, place an implied point in the composition where you want your audience to focus and make sure that all the other elements of the composition support the existence of that one point.

Point = Focus

When you consider a picture plane, there are several implied points you should be aware of:

The first has to do with the Golden Ratio.

I'm sure there is someone out there who can explain why when we use the golden ratio artwork is more visually appealing, but that someone is not me.

(a + b)/a = a/b = The Golden Ratio

In my experience Golden Ratio is responsible for The Rule of Thirds.  When you divide the picture plane ( the imaginary plane corresponding to the surface of a picture, perpendicular to the viewer's line of sight (invisible line connecting the viewer's eyes and whatever he/she is looking at)) into three equal sections vertically and horizontally, you will have four intersecting, implied points.  To better your composition, you must insure that one of these points is your main focus; therefore, you will place your most important subject at that one implied point.  Doing so will add more energy and tension in your art, rather than if you placed your point of focus smack in the middle of the picture plane.  I will write more about The Rule of Thirds when we study composition, for now just be aware of the four intersecting points, sometimes called the power points.

The red dots are called the Power Points or Points of Focus.  Use only one or two in a composition.

The second implied point of focus we are going to discuss concerns Radial Focus.  This implied point can be discovered in any circular composition.  Basically you will place your point of focus in the center of the circle and all the additional elements would radiate outward from that point or inward toward that point.

An example of Radial Focus is a Rose Window.  These windows can be found in many Gothic churches.  The focus (or the center of the window) usually holds the image of the most important religious figure, such as Christ or Madonna. To see examples of rose windows, click here.

The last and perhaps the most important implied point is the Vanishing Point.

Vanishing Point has to do with perspective which I will also discuss later in our studies.  Using vanishing point(s) creates depth in a picture plane, and is one of the ways to create the illusion of deep space.

To create the best possible composition, you should consider all of the above mentioned implied points.

Nowadays when I create my own compositions, I try to place my point of focus and my vanishing point where I want the audience to look at first.  Then, I consider secondary points of focus and hopefully create an interesting visual path for my audience to follow.

Below is a two page spread from a picture book I’m currently working on.

Now, let’s analyze the image.

The seam of the book will go in the middle of the image, so the cyan lines you see show The Rule of Thirds for the whole image, and for each page.

You can see that when looking at the whole image, the power point I use is the red dot above the shoulder of the woman in the pink dress.  If you close your eyes and open them, the woman in the pink dress draws your eye.  She is the most dynamic focus of the whole image.

However, the important subjects of this story are the mother and child on the second page. They are the main focus.  The child's foot almost touches another power point.  I've also placed them in the center rectangle of the second page and stuck the vanishing point (the green dot) between the two subjects.  Since, the child is more important of the two, I've placed the horizon line just above his eye level.  Because of this, the perspective lines (the staircase, the rails, the box, the garbage can, people and animals) lead your eye to the mother and child.

I use the blond boy to keep the focus of the viewer on the image, and have placed him just outside of the power point of the second page (the blue dot).

Another implied point we have not discussed is the Line of Sight Point.  Whatever the subjects of the image(s) are looking at, the viewer tends to follow with his/her eyes.  In the above image the line of sight points are represented by red lines and hot pink dots.

Let's recall our acute angle. 

Point = Focus. 

The dog and the cat create an angle that points towards the face of the little boy (yellow dot).  

The acute angles between the branches of the tree, point towards the old man, drawing the viewer's eyes into the the image, and starting a path that is connected through the lines of sight, and the dog's leash.

(The obtuse angles, on the other hand, draw the eye away from the point of convergence, in this case almost creating a bracket for the text on the first page.)

So, there you have it,  the point analysis of this illustrated image.

Before closing there is something else I would like to draw your attention to:

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but sometimes an artist has to play with accuracy of perspective.  In this case, I have clearly meddled with the curb line.  By all rights, this image should be one-point perspective.  In one-point perspective, there is only one vanishing point, and all the implied lines of the subjects that are perpendicular to the picture plane should converge into that one point.  However, I've angled the curb suggesting an inaccurate second vanishing point.  This is wrong, but by angling the curb, I created a sense of movement.   I don't know about you, but I can feel the old man walking towards the woman in the pink dress.  Can you imagine how much duller the whole image would have been if I just kept that curb line straight as I properly should have?

I will write articles on perspective later on, but I will write more about angling lines in my next article "Elements of Design: Line".

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them or to contact me.

"Elements of Design" Line" article, should have been June's article, however, I'm swamped with work at the moment, so please bear with me, I'll post that article as soon as possible.  Till then: Keep drawing!

Mili Fay

www.artofmili.ca

VISUAL LANGUAGE: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF 2D DESIGN

VISUAL LANGUAGE

What is visual language? 

In animation we had a whole class devoted to the subject, but at the time our assignments made little sense to me when they were compared to the title of the subject.  

I remember one assignment where we were asked to design a tree.  I picked up my sketchbook, did various observations of trees, and eventually ended up drawing a tree made of three Fates.  

The above are some of the observational sketches I made for the final assignment shown below.

"The Three Fates" (2003)

I thought I did a good job, but apparently I was wrong.  Many of my visual language assignments earned low marks, leaving me extremely frustrated, hating the subject, and hating the stupidity of my teacher, who clearly had no idea how to communicate his lessons to ignorant students like me!

The problem, looking back, was that I had no idea what "visual language" meant, and therefore I did not consider using "visual language" to complete my design, but instead worked from my gut--and in this case my gut was a sadly ignorant, uneducated organ.

So that you would not make the mistakes I made, I will interpret "visual language" in a way I have come to understand the meaning of the words.

Simply put, visual language is an artist's way of communicating his views, feelings and thoughts through his artwork.

Just like any other language, it has its words and grammar, and just like any language these words and grammar must be learnt, so the artist could communicate well.  The more words you know and the more proficient your use of grammar, the more fluent your speech.

Just as you cannot learn a spoken language in a day, do not expect to learn visual language in a day.  It will take time, careful observation and study, but if you are persistent, one day you will be able to communicate through art exactly what you want your audience to understand.  

It will take more than one article for me to teach you visual language, and I confess that most likely I am not as proficient in the language as I would like to be, but I can set you on your way.  So, let me begin at the beginning.

VISUAL LANGUAGE: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF 2D DESIGN

I do not work in sculpture, and though I am sure these elements and principles can be applied to sculpture as well, when I speak of them, I will be thinking in terms of two-dimensional design.

In visual language, elements of design would be your "words", while principles of design would be your "grammar".  Or to put it another way, elements of design are the tools you will use, while principles of design are blueprints you will follow to create a work of art that will communicate your thoughts.

It has been quite a while since I had to think of these elements and principles of design and define them in any way, so before writing this article, I decided to do some research...

The more I researched the more confusing the whole subject became, because there is not a single source that interprets elements and principles of design in the same way; there is not even a collaborative agreement on how many elements and how many principles of design are there in the mysterious world of art.

However, after Googling for hours, with a pulsing headache creeping between my eyes, I did manage to come to some sense of order. 

Therefore, allow me to present the elements of design.  They are:

point, 

line,

shape, 

form, 

size, 

value, 

texture 

and colour.  

The seven principles of design I learned in high school are too few for serious artistic purposes, so in addition to them I have added the ones taught to me in my 2D Design class as part of the Art Fundamentals Course at Sheridan College.  I'm sure cases could be made to include more principles of design than the ones I will list here, but these are the ones I decided to include for the purpose of this article: 

movement, 

direction,

balance, 

repetition and episodicity, 

contrast and gradation, 

harmony,

unity,

variety, 

emphasis and neutrality, 

fragmentation,  

proportion, 

distortion and accuracy, 

economy and intricacy, 

flatness and depth, 

predictability and spontaneity, 

regularity and irregularity, 

sequentiality and randomness, 

sharpness and diffusion, 

singularity and juxtaposition, 

subtlety and boldness, 

transparency and opacity, 

understatement and exaggeration...

The following articles will deal with each element and principle of 2D design in depth, so that by the end, there will be little confusion of what is expected of you in terms of understanding the visual language.  For now, I will define the elements and the principles of design in the simplest way possible.

THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

     Point

     A dot. A period. A mark; the simplest mark one can make as an artist, 
     therefore the simplest of all elements of design.

     Line

     A line can be visible or implied.  It can be an actual mark connecting two or
     more points, or an invisible connection between two or more points (or two 
     or more objects).

     Shape

     A shape is a two dimensional space enclosed by other elements of design 
    (line, shape, texture,...).  It can be geometric (regular) or organic (irregular).

    

     Form

     When a sense of visual depth is given to a shape that shape becomes a 
     form. (For example, a circle is a shape, while a ball is a form.)

     Size

     Size is a term used to define a relative comparison of one element of design (or 

     object/subject) to another, interpreting their length, width and/or visual mass.

     Value

     Value refers to the level of comparative lightness or darkness of an element 
     of design or an entire composition.  Value is most usually interpreted by 
     using something called a Value Scale.

     Texture

     Texture refers to the actual or "visual" feel of an element of design, individual 
     objects and subject, and/or of the entire composition.

     Colour

     Colour is the interpretation of light as it is seen by your eyes when that light 
     is reflected off the surface of your subject, or when it is refracted by a prism. 

THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

     

     Movement

     A way of using elements of design to create the illusion of movement in an
     artwork.

     Direction

     Using elements of design to guide the viewer's eye through an artwork.

     Balance

     Balance refers to the distribution of elements of design in an artwork.  There 
     are three types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial.

     Repetition and Episodicity 

     Repetition refers to the repetition of elements of design in an artwork.  Its 
     opposite is episodicity, meaning lack of repetition of a particular element 
     of design.

     Contrast and Gradation

     Contrast occurs when opposing elements of design (or even principles of 
     design) are placed in close proximity to one another.  For example, using 
     colours opposite each other on the colour wheel, light and dark values, 
     horizontals near verticals, etc.

    Gradation is opposite of contrast.  It refers to placing elements of design in 
     such a way to  lead the viewer through the changes in a gradual manner.  
     For example, starting with a black square and then adding white gradually 
     as you paint towards a completely white square in the end.

     Harmony

     Harmony is achieved in an artwork by using similar elements of design.

     Unity

     Unity is achieved in an artwork when all the elements of design support the 
     main idea, theme, feeling, etc. of an artwork.  However, be wary; unity without 
     variety makes for dull artwork indeed.

     Variety

     Variety in an artwork is achieved when elements of design are combined 
     in intricate and complex relationships, with enough changes to enhance 
     each other.  Variety with harmony creates unity, while variety without 
     harmony creates chaos.

     Emphasis and Neutrality 

     Emphasis in an artwork is achieved when an element of design is given 
     more prominence than other elements of design.

     Neutrality in an artwork is achieved when there are no prominent elements 
     of design; instead all elements appear of equal importance.

     Fragmentation

     Fragmentation in an artwork is achieved when elements of design are applied 
     in such a way to suggest pieces of the artwork are broken or missing.

     Proportion

     Proportion refers to size relationships in an artwork.

     Distortion and Accuracy

     Distortion refers to deliberate changes made to the subject of an artwork, 
     usually to express an idea or emotion of the artist.  A distortion can be as subtle 
     as creating an 8 head high figure to create a feeling of godly elegance, or as 
     deliberate as Mickey Mouse--a character that bears very little resemblance 
     to an actual mouse.

     Accuracy is the exact opposite of distortion.  In an artwork, it refers to an artist's 
     ability to copy (or crate) his subject, so the subject is represented as is in real life.

     Economy and Intricacy

     Economy in an artwork is achieved when the artist has used as few elements 
     of design as possible to represent his vision, subject, and/or structure.

     Intricacy, on the other hand, refers to adding unnecessary, but embellishing 
     details to the artist's vision, subject, and/or structure.

     Flatness and Depth

     Flatness in an artwork is achieved by arranging elements of design in a 
     way to only represent height and width of the subject.

     Depth is achieved when a third dimension is applied to height and width, 
     creating an illusion of a 3D space.  Depth is created by using principles 
     of linear perspective, areal perspective, contours, and/or overlapping.

     Predictability and Spontaneity

     Predictability in an artwork is achieved when an artist places visual clues 
     that lead the viewer on an expected path.  This has a lot to do with direction, 
     and/or repetition.

    Spontaneity in an artwork is achieved when there is no clear plan to the 
     artist's work, or a path the viewer can follow.

     Regularity and Irregularity

     Regularity and irregularity refer to the implied structure of an artwork.  
     This principle is related to balance, but it is more related to the geometrical 
     construction of the artwork.

     Sequentiality and Randomness

     Sequentiality refers to a clear sequence of design elements within the 
     artwork, or a sequence created by grouping individual pieces of artwork 
     in a logical manner.  

     Randomness is sequentiality's exact opposite.  There is no logic or reason 
     for the representation of design elements in an artwork, or in the grouping 
     of individual artworks.

     Sharpness and Diffusion

     Sharpness refers to clear separation of design elements in an artwork.

     Diffusion is the exact opposite; elements of design merge and blend 
     together, until their boundaries are indistinguishable, or at least blurred.

     Singularity and Juxtaposition 

     Singularity is achieved when only one element is present within the artwork.

     Juxtaposition refers to grouping many similar or different elements within 
     the artwork.

     Subtlety and Boldness 

     Subtlety in an artwork is achieved when the idea or the actual subject is 
     elusive, mysterious, and/or hard to grasp.

     Boldness in an artwork (or of the artwork) is crated when the idea and/or 
     subject is confidently assertive, and/or vivid.

     Transparency and Opacity 

      Transparency and opacity refers to the application of paint and/or the subject 
      matter. Paint is transparent when the viewer can discern the colour or surface 
      below the paint.  If all the viewer can see is the surface paint, that paint is 
      opaque.  When the subject matter is transparent, it means the viewer can see 
      through the subject of the painting as if he/she was looking through a window, 
      if the viewer cannot see anything behind the subject, the subject is opaque.

     Understatement and Exaggeration

     Understatement means the artwork is representing something in a restrained 
      way, without enough information.

     Exaggeration is to represent something as greater than it really is.  Usually it 
      involves some embellishment. 

Well, there you have it; elements and principles of 2D design listed and defined.  Since, many of these definitions make little sense if you've come across the concept for the first time, I will provide in depth information in my following articles and illustrate these concepts as they apply to art.

For now, read them over and think about them.  If you cannot wait for my explanations, I suggest you research the terms yourself, and try to find your own art examples.  To help you, I include a list of websites I've come across when researching information for this article.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, by commenting on this post, or by e-mailing me at art.help@artofmili.ca.

Till next time: Keep on sketching!

Mili Fay

References

http://www.canleyvale.hs.education.nsw.gov.au/Winning%20websites/art/pod.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principles_of_art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elements_of_art

http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/V.html

http://www.johnlovett.com

http://arthistory.about.com/cs/glossaries/g/c_contrast.htm

http://www.artincanada.com/arttalk/arttermsanddefinitions.html#d

http://www.ehow.com/about_6376213_definition-value-art.html#ixzz1s8CoMaqV

http://painting.about.com/od/artglossaryc/g/defcolor.htm

http://colour.pro/

http://www.studiocodex.com/shape01.html

http://www.creativeglossary.com/drawing/line.html

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/element.htm 

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/files/elements2.htm

http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/Compose.htm

http://www.bluemoonwebdesign.com/art-lessons-9.asp