Elements of Art

DOTS

DRAWING DOTS

The dot is the simplest element of drawing. It’s the smallest unit we can draw.

These dots can be big or small, in color or in black and white, thickthick, or thin;

They can be drawn next or very far to others. They can also be drawn so big that

they are considered circles.

Every painting, drawing, or photograph is a collection of

dots and lines. Lines and dots are the building blocks of art,

the main ingredients of a recipe.

Mosaic of Teodora,San Vitale in Ravenna, Italia

The mosaics are made by lots of

little pieces of pottery

All the images

and pictures

in the

newspapers,

the TV and in

your computer

are made by

dots

Dots everywhere!

KLEE made wonderful paintings using dots.

Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884-86

Look carefully. This picture is made of many, many tiny dots of color.

The French word for dot is “point”. This way of painting became

known as POINTILLISM.

It is still called this today.

Depending on how and where we draw them, we can create a line, an image, a shadow

zone, etc…

FIRST ACTIVITY

Materials needed:

. White card stock

. A black pen, felt-tip pen, a crayon, …

Instructions:

Draw two squares of ten cm. of side.

1. Draw some dots close together in the center of the first square, making them farther apart as you move outward.

2. Into the second square draw some dots close together around the edges of the shape, making them farther apart asyou move inward.

Paul Signac, Harbour at Marseilles, 1907

If you were standing in front of the

real painting, you would

need to stand some distance

away to see this ship

sailing in the port

Let’s try painting like this!!!

One way is to paint with your pens using only the tip, over and over again, or using a small brash.

You can also try a faster way by dipping and old toothbrush in paint and rubbing the bristles over a screen. Be sure to aim the paint over paper!

Paul Signac, Antibes, evening, 1914

ACTIVITY TWO

With paper and pencil draw the rough outline of a ship and the horizon line between the see and the sky. Then

choose a color for the ship, one for the sky, and one for the sea. Choose colors

that go well together. Now fill in the areas you have drawn with dots of color.

Presentación realizada por

Sergio Altea Cueto.

Muchas de las imágenes, comentarios y ejercicios están sacados del libro

A YEAR IN ART, ed. PRESTEL