03 the language of art

Medium and Technique

Elements

Subject Matter

Style

Principles of Design

Medium: materials used by the artists by

which they create their works

Technique: refers to how artists use their

medium

The choice of material and technique is

always a deliberate act of the artist; it is

neither neutral nor incidental

Important consideration is in the

availability and accessibility of materials

Two-dimensional expressions: pigments

and techniques on surfaces

: it has height and width (flat work)

: wall-based and viewed from the

front

: composed of a surface or ground

and a coloring or marking substance

that is applied to surface or ground

Boxer Codex

Pintados – early inhabitants of the

Visayan region who covered their bodies

with tattoos

Barks of trees, flattened bamboo reeds,

leaves

Oil on canvas – most traditional of

painting materials and techniques

Spoliarium, Juan Luna, 1884, oil on canvas, 425cm x 775cm, National

Museum collection

Virgenes Christianas Expuestas al Populacho, Felix Resureccion HIdalgo

Acrylic – acrylic vinyl polymer emulsion,

a water-based and quick-drying paint;

can be used on canvas or on paper

Paper – widely used painting surface;

made from papyrus or plant fibers such

as rice, bamboo and cogon

Watercolor – commonly used by Filipino

painters on paper

Invisible Forest, Wire Tuazon, 2007, acrylic on canvas, 244cm x 244cm

Letras y Figuras, Jose Honorato Lozano, 19th Century, watercolor on

paper, Lopez Museum

Printmaking – another technique that

uses paper; printmaking techniques

includes relief printing, serigraphy,

lithography and intaglio

Woven Mat – use plant materials that are

abundant in the area; banig

Embroidery – widespread in the

Philippines

Lichonan (detail), Manuel Rodriguez, 2011, etching, 40.64cm x 50.80cm

Woven by widowed B’laan women of Cagayan de Sulu, Mindanao

(pandan and buri leaves)

Gemma Perez, Lumban, Laguna, jusi (banana fibers) and piña

(pineapple fibers)

Stained Glass – employs small pieces of

colored glass to form an image;

popularly used in churches

Mosaic – uses small pieces of colored

stone (tesserae) combined to form an

image, usually on floors or walls

Photography – uses technical process to

create images on highly sensitive paper

The Call to Arms, The Supreme Sacrifice, and Peace, Cenon Rivera, Mt.

Samat Three-Paneled Stained Glass

River of Life, Arturo Luz, Church of the Holy Sacrifice, University of the

Philippines, Diliman

Beautiful Lady, Cedric Cruz, 2012

Three-dimensional expression: has

height, width and depth

: sculpture is the most prominent form

Wood – common sculptural material

Taka – intricately painted paper mache

figures

Stone – popular sculptural material;

marble, granite, alabaster

Allegorical Harpoon, Napoleon Abueva

Paete, Laguna

Bonifacio Monument, Guillermo Tolentiino, Ambrosio Morales, et.al., 1931

Metal – includes bronze, brass-casting,

lead, copper

Glass – can also be made by assembling

colored bottles together

Clay – commonly used for pottery;

terracotta is baked clay used for

sculpture

Checkmate, Daniel Dela Cruz, 2011, copper, and lead

Passive Multiplayer Online, Ramon Orlina, 2011, glass

Maranao, Julie Lluch, 2004, terracotta, 68.1cm x 71.1cm x 80cm

Basketry – common traditional art form

found all over the Philippine

Mixed Media – combination of different

materials

Installation Art – uses mostly found

objects and recycled materials

Pasiking (backpacks) made of rattan and/or bamboo

Musmos, Imelda Cajipe Endaya, 1991,, Mixed Media (oil on canvas and

assemblage mounted on plywood,), 122.5cm x 122.5cm

Sandata Indi Magua Dona, Lirio Salvador, Stainless Scrap Metal Bass

Guitar Sculpture

Architectural materials: considers the

availability of the materials

: considers the suitability of the

material for the locale’s climate and

weather conditions

Rock – often used for architecture;

includes corals, clay, bricks, sandstone

and adobe

The façade of the Baclayon Church in Bohol is made of white coral

stones collected from the sea, cut into square blocks, and piled on top

of one another

Organic Materials – such as wood and

grass are also used for architecture

Metals – of different kinds were

commonly used to build bridges and

skyscrapers

Synthetic Material – such as glass

Concrete – considered a hybrid material

made of cement, sand, gravel and

water

The San Sebastian Church in Manila is known as the only fully-steel

church in Asia. It was built in 1893.

San Miguel Corporation Building, Jose Manuel and Francisco Mañosa,

Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City

MRT

Architectural Technique: the five basic

methods of architectural construction

includes lashed, post and lintel, arch and

vault, skeleton, and cantilever

construction

Lashed – different parts are manually

tied together wit the use of ropes made

from rattan (e.g. Bahay Kubo)

Post and Lintel – consists of one horizontal

lintel on top of two vertical posts forming

a right angle

Arch and Vault – usually made of cut

stone; keystone, a wedge-shaped piece

at the topmost portion of the arch, holds

the stone parts of the arch together;

arches of the same size placed together

form a vault

Bahay na Bato

Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, UP Diliman, Arch. Leandro Locsin, 1955

Church of the Risen Lord, UP Diliman, Arch. Cesar H. Concio, 1950s

Skeleton Construction – dependent on

structural steel and reinforced concrete

(i.e. high rise buildings)

Cantilever Construction – characterized

by a part of the architecture projecting

beyond its support

Cultural Center of the Philippines, Leandro Locsin

These are the basic parts of an art work

They are the building blocks of visual arts

and architecture

Basic Elements: line, color, value, texture,

shape and space (all are used to

convey meaning in art)

Line – is a mark drawn or carved on a

surface; can be a row of similar things

that can indicate direction; can hint at

movement and direction

Horizontal Lines – can suggest rest, sleep,

stability and death; connotes horizons in

landscapes

Reclining Mother and Child by Vicente Manansala

Vertical Lines – can suggest alertness,

equilibrium, strength, formality and

firmness

Diagonal Lines – connote movement

Bonifacio Monument, Guillermo Tolentino, 1933, Kalookan

Color – best element to use for the

expression of emotions

Culture is very influential in determining

how people use color

i.e. “bluer that blue” = sad

we “see red” = mad

yellow = jealousy / cowards

“green with envy” = envious

Properties of Color:

(1) Hue – is a particular kind of color;

primary colors are red, yellow and blue;

white, gray and black are considered

neutrals

(2) Value – the lightness or darkness of a

hue; color can be made lighter by

adding white (tints) and darker by

adding black (shades)

Properties of Color:

(3) Temperature – the warmth and

coolness of a hue; cool colors tend to

recede while warm colors appear to be

closer and bigger

(4) Intensity – also known as saturation or

chroma; the dullness or brightness of a

hue; intensity can be made duller or

brighter by adding neutrals

Kahapon, Ngayon at Pangarap, Edgar Talusan Fernandez, 1990

The visual element of value is the

interplay of light and dark in an image

It refers to the lighting effect on the

entire surface area of the work

It is the element that creates mood,

atmosphere, temperature, climate, and

time of day in an artwork

Photograph by Eduardo Masferre in “A Tribute to Sagada” album

Value indicates what the focus or center

of attention of the artwork is

It is almost synonymous with

chiarouscuro, a combination of chiaro

meaning “clear” and oscuro meaning

“dark”.

Value in architecture can be seen in the

material used for construction

Café Juanita in Pasig (Fine dinning restaurants usually have lowlight or

low value to approximate a mood of romance.)

Texture is how things feel to the touch.

It appeals to one’s sense of approach or

avoidance

Texture in architecture is also very

important

Lualhati, Guillermo Tolentino, marble

Torso, Napoleon Abueva

Manila Hotel Lobby (The very smooth surface of marble flooring gives a

feeling of formality and opulence)

Shape are areas formed by boundaries

of line or differences in color, texture and

value

Closed Shapes – those that are self-

contained and without any protrusions or

projections

Open Shapes – shapes with protrusions

and projections

Oblation, Guillermo Tolentino,

Space is concerned with the dimension

of height, width and depth

It is the most important element in

architecture

Visual artists try to represent space in a

2D format. To do this, they use

perspective, a system of spatial clues,

visual clues that give an illusion of depth

Philippine Revolution, Carlos “Botong” Francisco (used overlapping

shapes and vertical placement to connote space)

Jeepney, Vicente Manansala (creates an illusion of depth by reducing

clarity, contrast, size and color intensity of objects)

This is what the image is about

Examples of image subject matter are

portraits (people), landscape, historical

events, religious (scenes), literary

accounts, myths, surreal images

(dreams), nudes, still lives, and scenes of

objects from everyday life

Portrait is a representation of an

individual or a group of people.

It is usually posed.

Portraits are very good indicators of

class, social status, race and nationality.

Miniaturismo portraits are paintings of

the ilustrados showing the minute details

and intricate designs of their clothes,

jewelry, furniture and accessories

Una Bulaquena, Juan Luna

Genre paintings show people doing

everyday activities

Different from portraits because people

are depicted as actively doing everyday

activities, so that they do not appear to

be posing

Planting Rica, Fernando Amorsolo

Landscape paintings show the

panorama of nature

They are representations of space,

whether urban or rural

Most landscapes are meant to show the

beauty of nature

Fishpond in Malabon, Fernando Amorsolo

Historical paintings are representations

of important historical events

They constitute history from the point of

view of artists

The Assassination of Governor Bustamante, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo

Mythology abounds in the visual arts

Religious subject matter is based on

stories and legends from the holy texts of

different religions

Maria Makiling, Carlos “Botong” Francisco

Brown Madonna, Galo Ocampo

Still Life is a popular subject matter. It

consists of objects, furniture, interior

domestic settings, utensils, flowers, food,

etc.

The nude is a study of anatomy. The

human body is often idealized in the

nude.

Chair with Table and Lamp, Arturo Luz

Nude 2 Ronald Ventura

How the artists manipulate materials, use

technique, and the manner in which

subject matter is depicted

Representational or figurative style –

subject matter is recognizable

Non-representational or abstract art –

made up primarily of visual elements

such as line, color, texture and shapes

Naturalism is a kind of representational

art

It involves the representation of nature

the way it looks

Naturalism is a style that adheres to

Plato’s concept of mimesis, or the

copying of nature

Other artists aim to represent an ideal

nature (idealized or stylized)

Tinikling, Fernando Amorsolo

Expressionism is a kind of

representational art that does not

concern itself with the observation,

copying, or idealizing of nature

The expression of emotion is the primary

consideration of expressionism

Colors as vehicle for expression

Concerned with the subjective reality

Self-Portrait, Danilo Dalena

Dog Fight, Ang Kiukok

Cubism is another kind of

representational art, using multiple

perspective, or a view painted from

different angles or vantage points

Transparent Cubism – human figure is not

broken down into cubes, cones and

cylinders

Tiangge, Vicente Manansala

Impressionism is concerned with

capturing the impression of light on

objects.

Impressionist do not paint the actual

objects; they paint the effect of light on

the objects

Jones Bridge, Emilio Cruz

Surrealism is concerned with the

depiction of the subconscious reality of

the artist

In surrealist paintings, images look

dreamlike, sometimes nightmarish and

weird

Invitation to the Feast, Ronald Ventura, 2011

Abstract art are nonrepresentational art

Geometric abstraction is limited to the

use of geometric shapes in building

abstract forms

Abstract expressionism or action

painting upholds the notion that it is the

act of painting that is art, not the

painting itself

Mutants, Hernando R. Ocampo

Baroque is the dominant style in

Philippine church architecture

It is characterized by extensive use of

decoration and ornamentation

As a style, it generally appeals more to

the emotions, rather than to the intellect

Pakil Church, Laguna

Neo-classical style is usually used in

government buildings

Simplicity, order, balance and symmetry

are the general characteristics of neo-

classical architecture

They abide by the Greek and Roman

ideas about architecture

Greek column orders: Doric, Ionic and

Corinthian

Legislative Building, Manila

Rhythm is created

when there is

repetition, alternation,

progression or

reduction.

Movement is seen in the placement on

space of certain elements

Balance needs to be

achieved to create a

work of art or it will not be

comfortable to look at or

experience

Symmetrical Balance

Asymmetrical Balance

Proportion refers to how one shape

relates to the other

Variety is also

important to

works of art or

these could

become

boring

Emphasis

means that

there is an area

that is stressed,

given

importance, or

accented so

that it becomes

the focus of the

work of art

Contrast is when you use light colors in an

area of a painting, one can darken one

side to “bring out the light”

Harmony is when all the elements in an

artwork go together in a pleasing

manner

Unity is when all parts of the artwork

contribute to the “unified whole” or have

unity and oneness

Contrast,

Harmony

and Unity