the vehicle for the
expression of
communication of
emotions and ideas, a
means for exploring and
appreciating formal
elements for their own
sake and as mimesis or
representation (R. Wollheim).
Art is the product or process of
deliberately arranging items (often with
symbolic significance) in a way that
influences and affects one or more of
the senses, emotions and intellect
 Art encompasses a diverse range of
human activities, creations, and modes
of expression including music, literature,
film, photography, sculpture and
painting.

The arts have played a major role throughout
the history of humans. As the result of the
power of the arts to communicate on a basic
human level, they continue to serve a variety
of purposes in society. The arts are used for
artistic expression to portray specific emotions
or feelings, to tell stories in a narrative manner,
to imitate nature and to persuade others. The
arts bring meaning to ceremonies, rituals,
celebrations and commemorations.
Additionally, they are used for recreation and
to support recreational activities.
What do you see
in this
photograph?
Do you see
anything odd
about this photo?
What do you
think Frank is
saying through
this?
Robert Frank 1954—The Americans

Ceremonial—created or

Recreational—created for

Artistic Expression—
performed for rituals or
celebrations (e.g., patriotic music,
music for worship)
entertainment (e.g., music for
play such as game songs, music
for dances and social events,
music for physical activities, music
as a hobby)
created with the intent to
express or communicate one’s
emotions, feelings, ideas,
experience (e.g., music
created and performed in a
concert setting for an
audience)
Ceremonial - dances created or
performed for rituals or celebrations (e.g.,
dances of Native Americans and West
Africans to celebrate life events such as
harvest, ritual dances associated with
worship)
Recreational - dancing for
entertainment, to support recreational
activities (e.g., ballroom, line dancing,
aerobic dance, dance as a hobby)
Artistic expression - dance created
with the intent to express or communicate
emotion, feelings, ideas (e.g., ballet, tap
dance, modern dance, dance created and
performed in a concert and/or theatrical
setting for an audience)
Sharing the human experience - to
express or communicate emotion,
feelings, ideas, information through
dramatic works (e.g., social change,
express or communicate universal
themes, to interpret and recreate
information, ideas and emotions)
 Passing on tradition and culture - to
express or communicate feelings, ideas,
information (e.g., narrative, storytelling,
folktales, religious ritual and ceremony)
 Recreational - drama as recreation and
for recreational events (e.g., for
entertainment, diversion, festivals)
 Artistic expression - drama created with
the intent to express or communicate
emotion, feelings, ideas, information (e.g.,
dramatic works created and performed
in a theatrical setting for an audience)

Ceremonial - ritual, celebration, artworks
created to support worship ceremonies
Artistic expression - artwork to express or
communicate emotions, ideas, feelings (e.g., for
self-expression, to decorate or beautify objects)
Narrative - artworks that tell stories, describe
and illustrate experiences, or communicate
information, art to document important or
historical events (e.g., Lange’s photography of
the Depression era)
Functional - artistic objects used in everyday
life (e.g., pottery, quilts, baskets, etc.)
Persuasive
- artworks that promote ideas,
philosophies, or products (e.g., advertising,
marketing, propaganda, ideology, etc.)
Structures that artists use include
elements and principles of each art form,
tools, media, and subject matter that
impact artistic products and specific
styles and genre that provide a context
for creating works. It is the artist’s choice
of these in the creative process that
results in a distinctively expressive work.
Structures in Music
Rhythm• Patterns of sounds and silence
• Often mistakenly called the “beat” or “pulse” of
the music
• Some music has little or no organized rhythm
(eg. Gregorian Chant)
• Some music has very strong and complex
rhythm (eg. Drum Corps, African Drumming)
• Measures or bars – separate a musical work into
regular groups of beats
• Measures help the musician follow the notes and
rhythm and aid ensembles in rehearsal
• Measures are divided with bar lines. Music is read
from left to right.
Value
4
2
1
½
¼
•The top number tells the number of beats in each measure.
•The bottom number tells the kind of note that gets one beat.
• Certain styles will use specific meters in order to create metric emphasis
– a pattern of strong and weak beats within the measure (e.g., rock and
roll is strong on 2 and 4 with measures usually grouped in patterns of 4
beats, and the waltz is strong on 1 with measures grouped in patterns of
3 beats.
Timbre is the quality that
distinguishes one sound from
another; tone color.
Instrument families
String
Woodwind
Brass
Percussion
Voice Categories
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Bass
The variety of materials used to construct musical instruments and
the different ways they produce sound account for many very
different and distinct timbres
Form is the structure of a musical
composition.
•AB – Composition with 2 contrasting sections.
•ABA – Composition with 3 sections; first and last are the
same and the middle is different.
•Rondo – Composition with several different sections; “A”
section is repeated between each new section. (EX.
ABACADA)
•Theme & Variations – Composition that begins with a main
theme which is followed by several variations on that theme
(EX. AA1A2A3)

Tempo is the speed of the beat/pulse.
•Adagio – slow tempo
Slower
•Largo – very slow tempo
•Andante – walking tempo
•Moderato – medium tempo
•Presto – very fast tempo
•Accelerando – gradually speed up
•Ritardando – gradually slow down
Faster
•Allegro – quick and lively tempo
A single succession of notes moving by
step, leap, or repeat; the main tune
 Because melody occurs one note at a
time and moves forward through a
piece, it can be seen as linear
(horizontal). This is visible in written music:

Harmony is more than one tone or pitch sounding at the
same time; is primarily used to accompany melody or occurs
when two different melodies are performed at the same time.
Can be seen as vertical (see below).
Harmony can be described through the following musical
textures.
•Monophonic Texture (Monophony) – single unaccompanied
melody; no harmony
•Homophonic Texture (Homophony) – Features a melody
(and occasionally a countermelody) with harmonic
accompaniment.
•Polyphonic Texture - Two or more melody lines performed at
the same time; similar to a round.
•
Levels of intensity in music
Forte – loud
Mezzo forte – moderately loud
Louder
Fortissimo - very loud
Mezzo piano – moderately soft
Pianissimo – very soft
Softer
Piano – soft
Crescendo – gradually getting louder
Decrescendo – gradually getting softer
Space
Time
Force
A dancer uses personal space or the
space immediately surrounding her or his
own body. Personal space includes the
levels, planes and areas from the center
of the body outward in all directions.
 Dancers also use general space or the
larger area where movement will occur.

Movement can occur in space in
different ways. Dancers can use
direction – forward, backward or
diagonal movement.
 Dancers can move through space by
creating pathways, which can be
straight or curved.
 Choreographers design ways in which
individual dancers or groups create
patterns on the floor or in the air.

How fast or slow (tempo);
even or uneven (beat); and
long or short (duration) the
movement is
Theme and
Variation
begins with an initial movement pattern (A)
and then adds subsequent variations of that
pattern (A1, A2, A3):
A: walk forward 4 counts and back 4
counts, beginning right foot
A1: walk forward 4, back 4, beginning left
foot
A2: walk diagonally forward (right) 4
counts, back 4 counts, right foot
A3: walk diagonally forward (left) 4 counts,
back 4 counts, left foot
A choreographic form of three or more
themes with an alternating return to
the main theme (ABACADA).
A Scene from The Nutcracker ballet by Tchaikiovsky
©
©
©
©
©
Standardized dance
movements
specialized leaps and lifts.
Uses French terminology to
describe each standardized
movement. Women wear point
shoes, and men wear slippers.
costume includes tights and
tutu.
stems from court dances.
Emphasis
on rhythm
tap
shoes
costumes—formal or
street wear
Improvisation
Roots in recreational
dance like Irish Step
dance, jig and African
steps.
Fred Astaire and
Ginger Rogers
Stylized movements
Accents in hands, head, hips, and feet
English and French words to describe
movements
Uses jazz shoes or boots
Costumes related to theme of dance
Improvisations
 Root in social dances and early
musical theater dance
Freedom in movement
English and French words to describe
movements
Usually barefoot but can use shoes
based on theme
Costume relates to the dance theme
Improvisation is used in the
development of choreography
Literary elements are those
elements which a playwright or
dramatist uses to write a play.
These elements are broken into
even further parts including plot,
character, and language.
Plot
Character
Thought or meaning behind the play
Diction or the written word
Music (important to the Greeks
because of the chorus)
Spectacle or all the visual elements
Literary Elements—
Plot Structure
A plot is the basic storyline or
structure of a play. It has several
parts:
Exposition
Inciting incident (point of attack)
Rising action (series of
complications/conflict)
Climax
Falling action
Conclusion
Exposition
 The background information of a story.
 Could be explained through characters
during the course of the play.
 Tells the where, when, why and who
 Introduces main characters and setting.
Inciting incident
 The first important event from which the rest
of the plot develops.
 It is the earliest incident in the play that
exposes the basic conflict of the play.
› This conflict asks the Major Dramatic Question.
 The question upon which the action of the play focuses.
It is a key action factor to the audience.
Rising action
 The series of events or complications
following the initial incident.
 Another literary element, suspense (the
state of being uncertain or not knowing), is
often introduced and holds the audience’s
attention as the conflict rises.
The death of Mercutio,
Romeo and Juliet (1968)
Technical Climax
 The turning point of the action.
 The moment of intense crisis that
determines the outcome of the conflict.
 Answers the Major Dramatic Question
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan
meet in Sleepless in Seattle
Dramatic Climax
 The moment of intense crisis that
determines the outcome of the conflict.
 Answers the Major Dramatic Question
Falling action
 The series of events following the climax.
 Usually shorter than the rising action.
Conclusion—
Resolution
 The logical
outcome of the
preceding
action.
 The success,
failure or
sorrow of the
characters.
Funeral of Romeo and Juliet (1968)



Must be vivid and varied in personality.
Developed mostly through their words and actions.
Every character has a motive.
Jack Sparrow
Voldemort
Jake Sully
Protagonist/Antagonist
 Protagonist is the character
through which the theme is often
expressed and who the major
dramatic question is asked.
› The hero of the story

Antagonist is the character or
agent which aims to prevent the
protagonist from reaching his/her
goal.
› The villain of the story
Theme is the message of the play.
 Not necessarily a lesson or moral.
 Could be a subject issue

› Tolerance, diversity, etc.

It usually is a statement about society,
human nature or the human condition.

What are some examples of theme?
The way that a playwright chooses to
put words together defines the style and
language of the play or story.
 Language and style can create the
mood for the story and define character.

Monologue – a long speech made by
one actor; a monologue may be
delivered alone or in the presence of
others
 Soliloquy – the character is alone and
the speech indicates the character’s
innermost thoughts.

Dialogue – spoken conversation used by
two or more characters to express
thoughts, feelings, and actions
 Stage directions – the manner in which
the playwright directs the character’s
expressions and stage movement, often
written in italics or in parentheses.

Scenery
 Sound
 Lighting
 Make-up
 Costumes
 Props

Scenery is the term that describes painted
pieces of a stage set that suggests location,
time period or physical setting.
 The various ways to create a set.

Most scripts call for sound effects or
mood music.
 Can also include amplification of actors

Lighting creates a visual image for the
audience based on the needs of the
playwright, director and actors.
 It allows for creation of mood, time and
place.
 Many ways and methods to create mood.

Make-up is necessary because stage
lighting can wash out actors.
 Make-up should work with lighting and
costume to communicate character,
time, place and setting.

Costumes create the overall feel of
character, time, setting and place.
 Costume designers consider the setting
of the play as well as color when
designing costumes.

Props, short for properties, adds to the
action of the play and the
communication of time, location and
setting.
 Props fall into two categories

› Set props: stationary items on stage such as
sofas, chairs
› Hand props: items carried on by characters
to enhance character, time and setting
Performance elements are essential to
an actor who has the job of
communicating the playwright’s words
and meaning to the audience.
 Acting is the art of using verbal and
nonverbal skills to communicate a
character.

Actors and directors approach
character motivation and analysis in
different ways.
 The purpose of a read through


When a playwright creates a character,
that character has an objective.
› The character has strategies or tactics to
attain the goal.
› A playwright usually creates an obstacle for
the character to aid in conflict.

Based upon what the playwright
creates, a director may create questions
for the actor to analyze. Or the actor
may do their own homework.

Basically an actor wants to know what
motivates his character.
› Motivation prompts delivery and line
interpretation.
› If the actor understands the character, then
the audience will understand the character
and his choices.
› Why is that important especially to you as an
audience member?
Empathy is one of the primary results of
good drama.
 Audience members should identify with
and share the feelings of the characters.

Appropriate breath control can help in
actor with volume and projection.
 Breath control is also important for
pronunciation.







Vocal expression is one of the primary ways
to convey meaning to the audience and
the audience will empathize.
Diction: degree of clarity and distinctness in
speaking
Rate: how fast or slow one speaks
Articulation: the act of uttering clear distinct
consonants and vowels
Volume: loudness or softness in speaking
Inflection: changing the pitch or tone of the
voice.
Nonverbal expression includes: facial
expressions, body alignment, gestures and
basic movement.
 It is often referred to as body language.
 Facial expression shows mood, emotion
and feeling and can evoke audience
empathy if done correctly.
 Body alignment and movement are
important for the changing physicality of a
role. Actors consider space, time and force
when concentrating on body alignment
and movement.

Blocking is the precise movement used by
the character in the play.
 It ensures that the character is seen and
heard.
 Actors must know all of the body positions
for the stage in order to be seen.

Line
Space
Shape
Value
Form
Color
Texture
Line is a point set into
motion….a dot moving
through space.
There are five basic kinds of lines. These include the
following:
Horizontal=
Vertical =
Diagonal =
Zigzag =
Curved =
When used in an artwork, LINES can
relate Feelings…………
VERTICAL LINES
HORIZONTAL LINES
DIAGONAL LINES
show dignity , strength , and formality
feel calm, relaxed, comfortable.
show action and excitement!
They can make us feel tense and
uncomfortable!
ZIGZAG LINES
can suggest action, nervous
excitement, and confusion.
CURVED LINES
express graceful, flowing
movement.
Georgia O'Keefe
Grant Wood
Salvador Dali
Piet Mondrian
Viewing the above artworks, you can see how artists
incorporate lines into their art !
Shape is the area set off by one
or more of the art elements.
Shapes can be classified into two classes…
*Geometric shapes = precise shapes such as the circle,
triangle,
rectangle, oval, and square.
*Organic shapes = these shapes are irregular or
uneven…and are often found in nature.
In Georgia O’Keeffe’s and Piet Mondrian’s works we can
see the two basic kinds of shapes.
Form is an object with three dimensions.
In drawing, it is creating the illusion of threedimensional space on a two-dimensional
surface.
2-Dimensional
3-Dimensional
We can see in the following works how the artists relate
FORM:
Michelangelo
Escher
Cassatt
van Gogh
Dali
Shapes
are
2D
Shapes
have length
and width
Forms
are 3D
Forms have
length, width,
and depth
Value Scale
Primary Colors
Secondary Colors
Intermediate Color
Primary colors are the original colors. These
cannot be made by mixing any other
colors.
 They are the building block colors from
which all other colors originate.
 The three primary colors are the following:

Red
Yellow
Blue
Auguste Renoir
van Gogh
Picasso
Secondary Colors are colors created by
mixing equal amounts primary of two colors.
For example:
Red + Yellow = Orange
Yellow + Blue
= Green
Blue + Red
= Violet
Gauguin
Picasso
Monet
Intermediate colors (also known as
Tertiary Colors) are colors created by
mixing a primary color with its’
neighboring secondary color.
For example:
Primary Red + Secondary Orange = Red Orange
Primary Blue + Secondary Violet = Blue Violet
Primary Yellow + Secondary Green = Yellow Green
Warm Colors
Warm Colors are in one of the two groups of
which colors are often divided. The three
main warm colors are:
Red
Orange
Yellow
Warm colors suggest energy, action, and
normally optically advance!
Artists Use of Warm Colors
Rothko
Monet
Munch
Turner
Cool Colors
Cool Colors are in one of the two groups of which
colors are often divided.
The three main cool colors are:
Blue
Green
Violet
Cool colors suggest calmness and
peacefulness.
Optically, they tend to recede.
Vermeer
Gainsborough
Picasso
Analogous Colors
Analogous Colors are colors neighboring
on the color wheel having a common
“hue.” Examples would be the following:
Red
Blue
Yellow
Red Violet
Blue Green
Yellow Orange
Violet
Green
Orange
Monochromatic
…is the lightness or darkness of a hue.
To change the value of a color you add white (or
water in watercolors) to change its TINT and Black
to change its shade.
Texture is how something feels or looks like it
feels. We experience texture through our
senses of sight and touch
There are three basic kinds of Textures.
*Natural or actual…
Is what you experience when you actually touch an
object. Porcupine quills would be sharp...cotton puffs
would be soft, etc.
*Simulated = Man made to look like it has a
texture (illusion of texture).
In these works, we can see how the artist relates Textures….
Pollock
Native American
van Gogh
Space is the
distance or area
between,around,
below, and within
things.
*There are two basic kinds of Space :
positive and negative.
Positive space is the object itself.
Negative space is the area in and
around the object.
Look at these images and
distinguish between the
positive space and the
negative space!
Cassatt
Klimt
Brady
Artists use various technique to give the illusion of
DEPTH in their works of art. Some of these include :
1.= Overlapping
2.= Size
3.= Focus
4.= Placement
5.= Intensity and Value
6.= Linear Perspective
OVERLAPPING is when the artist has one shape in
front of the other.
In this image by Giotto di Bondone, figures that
overlap other figures appear to closer to the viewer
SIZE = is making distant shapes smaller than closer ones.
In this work by Vermeer,
the woman seems
farther away because
she is smaller than the
man who sits with his
back to the viewer.
FOCUS = Artists add more detail to objects in the foreground,
less detail to objects in the background.
Vincent van Gogh’s Irises are more distinct in the foreground than the background.
PLACEMENT: Artists also show space by placing distant
objects higher up on the picture (background) and closer
ones lower down on the picture (middle ground and
foreground).
Background
Middle ground
Foreground
In this image by Manet, we can see that objects farther
away appear higher than those closer to us.
Intensity and Value:
Artists often used
colors lower in
intensity and lighter in
value for objects in
the distance.
In this artwork by Turner, we can see how the color becomes less
Intense and lighter in value in the distance
Linear Perspective:
An artist uses slanted
lines on buildings and other objects so that they
appear to come together in the distance.
We can see in these works by Lange (left) and Escher
(right) how linear perspective can draw the viewer into the
artwork.

The Principles of Design are the basic rules
or guidelines that govern how artists
organize the elements of art.
› Included:








Repetition/Pattern/Rhythm
Movement
Contrast
Variety
Proportion
Balance
Emphasis
Unity


The repeating of shapes,
lines, color, or other art
elements in planned or
random order to create
interest or make the artwork
more exciting.
Repetition of elements,
shapes, forms, or motifs
creates a pattern. Patterns
create a sense of rhythm.
Adams
Lawrence

The look and
feeling of action
and to guide the
viewer’s eye
throughout the
work of art –
often to a focal
point.
Duchamp

Showing a difference between various elements of
art (light/dark, rough smooth, etc.)
The Louvre Museum
Architectural contrast
Stella
Contrasting hue and
movement

How parts of a work relate in size to each
other and to the whole.
Scale - Size as measured against a standard
reference
Renoir
Asael
Giacometti

Hierarchal Proportion
› Figures are arranged so that scale indicates importance
Detail from Chartres Cathedral tympanum relief

The arrangement of art elements so that no
one part of a work overpowers, or seems
heavier than, any other part.

There are three types of balance:
› Symmetrical or Formal Balance
› Asymmetrical or Informal Balance
› Radial Balance

Symmetrical or Formal Balance
› created when one half of a work of art
mirrors the other half.
› is predictable and sometimes less interesting.

Asymmetrical or Informal Balance
› when two unlike objects appear to have equal weight.
› when used skillfully, it can create more interesting
compositions.
Lichtenstein

Radial Balance
› occurs when the elements or objects are
positioned around a central point.
Rose Window, Notre Dame

Where one part of
the artwork
dominates over the
other parts.
Manet

The quality of wholeness or oneness that is achieved through
the effective use of the Elements of Art and Principles of
Design
da Vinci
Two-dimensional—paint,
(watercolor, tempera, oil, or acrylic)fabric,
yarn, paper, ink, pastel (oil and chalk), fiber, photography,
computer-generated design/art.
Three-dimensional—clay
Bellini
, wood, glass, metal, stone plaster
Michelangelo

Two-dimensional

Three-dimensional
› Drawing
› Textiles
› painting
› Fiber art (e.g.,
› fiber art, (e.g..,
fabric painting,
stamping, batik, tiedye)
› Printmaking
› Photography
constructing with
fiber, weaving
rugs, crocheting,
knitting, quilting)
› Ceramics
› Sculpture
› Architecture

Representational—
landscape, portrait, still
life

Nonrepresentational—
abstract, nonobjective
Rembrandt
Kandinsky