11. The eight principles of art.
Balance, Proportion, Movement, Rhythm, Harmony, Unity, Emphasis, Variety.Balance in art refers to the general distribution of visual force in a composition. Every object included in a work conveys a visual force. We add an element to one side of our composition there will be need to add another or several elements to balance the visual force on the other side.
For instance if we include too much visual force at the bottom of a composition, the force will pull viewer’s eye to the bottom. The composition will felt unsettled and balance will be lost and a feeling of heaviness is felt. Sometimes elements go beyond the borders of the picture plane. If the edges of these elements are positioned in a way so they are close to the edges of the picture plane, this will create added visual force and perhaps unwanted attention. Balancing can be achieved by adding elements or by using negative space.
Generally Proportion is not noticed until something is out of proportion.
Proportion in art is the relationship between two or more elements in a composition and how they are compared to one another with respect to specific ratio that is in a setting, size, colour.
Relationship is created When two or more elements are placed together. When a correct or sensible connection exists between these elements this relationship is said to be well balanced.
Good proportion adds harmony and uniformity or balance among the parts of an art as a whole.
Movement can be referred as the course of path a viewer’s eye takes when experiencing the art or t refers to the illusionary motion in a drawing or painting.
When a viewer communicates with your art, their eyes move from one element to the next. The most commanding element demands immediate attention at first. Then the viewer move on to another supporting elements within the work. Artist’s guides the viewer to the most important elements by planning the composition and the artist would like the viewer’s eye to flow through the work in a certain order.
RhythmUnderstanding rhythm is through repetition. Without repetition, there is no rhythm.
Visually rhythm is produced by repeating the elements. This could be a regular or irregular pattern of repeating shapes or it could be a repetition of a specific theme either ways repeating elements produce a rhythm.
A repeating element within a work is often referred to as a motif. Including a motif in your visuals can often lead to a sense of harmony and unity.
Harmony and unity are closely interlinked.
It is easy to assume that they are the same. Although they are similar should be considered separately in composition.
Unity deals with a feeling of oneness in a work of art by using the medium in consistent manner up to final finish. Another way is in terms of artistic style. If the style and use of medium are consistently used and the work feels complete and finished we can say that the work is unified. Through simplification also Unity can be created in works this can be attained by simplifying shapes, subjects, or colour schemes. Unity deals with the work of art as a whole.
Harmony deals more or less with the individual parts of the work. If the individual parts of the piece all work together, then the art could be considered harmonious. Harmony helps to create unity in a work
Harmony is an aesthetic response and one that is different for everyone
A focal point which embraces the main subject is the area or areas within a work which controls the visual attention of the viewer. Every work of art should have at least one focal point.
Focal points must be limited. In many cases, only one focal point is advisable but can have more than one focal point. If your work has more than one focal point, then one should dominate the other. In other words, there should be one main focal point and perhaps a supporting or secondary focal point.
Focal points can be created in a work using a variety of methods such as Contrast, Isolation, and Convergence.
Emphasis is to define the focal point or points within the omposition.
Each one of the methods an artist create a focal point within a work relies on emphasis for its success Emphasis is usually created in a work through some form of contrast.
It’s not advisable to bore the viewers with the same visuals. We should include some variety to keep them occupied and make our artworks more interesting.
Variety is the principle of art that adds interest to an artwork by using contrasting elements within the composition. When an artist places different visual elements next to one another he is using variety.
The elements are line, shape, form, space, colour, texture and value. Without them, it would be impossible for an artist to create art. Every artist uses at least two or more of these elements in their art-making. For instance a painter will use lines and colours when creating a painting and a sculptor use shape and forms.
Lines perform number of functions. A line is a marking which connects two points. When two ends of a line meet shapes are created also can create textures and pattern when combined with other lines. Lines may be actual or implied. Actual lines are lines that are physically present existing as solid connections between one or more points often define the edges of a form. Implied line refers to the path that the viewer‘s eye takes as it follows shapes, colours, and forms within the work of art. There are many types of lines like thick, thin, horizontal, vertical, zigzag, diagonal, curly, curved, spiral. Lines are basic tools of artists though some artists show their lines more than others, some are invisible.
Shape is the quality of an object or body in having an external surface or outline of specific form or figure, or a particular physical form or appearance of something. Shape is a flat area surrounded by edges or an outline, or an area defined by edges within an object bound by line, value, or colour. It can be geometric like square, circle, hexagon, or organic such as the shape of a leaf, stone, clouds or whatsoever it maybe. Shapes guide human attention.
Form is shape and structure of something as distinguished from its material. Form is used to describe a shape that has an implied third dimension showing height, width and depth or in another way a style, design, and arrangement in an artistic work as distinct from its content. Sculpture is the most relevant place to see form, or three-dimensional shape, in art.
Space one of classic element refers to the distances or areas around, between, and within components of an artwork. It is either positive or negative. Positive space refers to the main focus of a picture while negative space refers to the background. Space also refers the feeling or illusion of depth.
Colour is light reflected off of objects. The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light. A pigment used in artwork, along with their various values and intensities, such as the primary colours red, yellow and blue. Colour has three main characteristics such as hue, value and intensity. White is pure light and black is the absence of light. Primary colours blue, red and yellow are the only true colours. All other colours are mixes of primary colours. Secondary colours orange, green and violet are two primary colours mixed together. Intermediate colours, sometimes called as tertiary colours are six in numbers such as Red-Orange, Yellow-Orange, Yellow-Green, Blue-Green, Blue-Violet, Red-Violet, which are formed by mixing a primary with a secondary colour.
Texture refers to the surface quality in a work of art that can be seen and felt. The way a surface feels or is supposed to feel but not always feel the way they look. Everything has some type of texture. We describe things as being rough, smooth, and shiny and so on. Some things feel just as they appear this is called real texture. Some things look like they are rough but are actually smooth. Texture that is created to look like something it is not is called implied texture.
Value is the degree of lightness or darkness of any given colour within a piece of art. The element, value, is used to refer the principles of light. More light, higher the value. White is the highest or lightest value. On the other hand, black is the lowest or darkest value. Colours have value as well. Yellow for example has a relatively high or violet has low value. Adding white to lighten the colour is called tint while addition of black is called shade. In drawing and painting change in value creates contrast. Contrast is needed to help us see and understand a two dimensional work of art. Value contrasts create interest in art works. Our eyes tend to be drawn to areas of high contrast; this way artists show us what they think is important.
The Nathdwara School is a subset of the Mewari School of painting and is seen as an important school in the 17th and 18th century miniature paintings. Nathdwara is a place near Udaipur, where the famous Shrinathji temple is located. Shrinathji is a 14th-century infant incarnation of lord Krishna. Pichwai paintings are a type of the wall paintings of Nathdwara School. The main theme of the Nathdwara style is Krishna leelas. Pichwai are complicated paintings which portray Lord Krishna in different moods, body postures, and attire. This form of ancient art was passed on from generation to generation and it has a very devotional theme of Lord Krishna. The purpose of Pichhwai’s is to narrate tales of Krishna to the illiterate. Pichwai painting is a group effort, where several skilful painters work together under the supervision of a master artist. Nathdwara paintings are of different sub-styles of which pichwai paintings are the most popular.
This word Pichwai comes from the Sanskrit word, ‘pitch’ meaning back and ‘wais’ meaning hanging. It therefore means traditional paintings are hanging behind the idol of Shrinathji.
Devgarh is a small place near Udaipur where a distinctive style of miniature painting emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries. The art of Devgarh reflect a strong Mewari influence with the use of yellow and green as well as bold and elegant lines. Themes like portraits, hunting, durbar or court scenes and of lord Krishna and with his companion radha are seen. The art of devgarh is especially distinct because the artists have mirrored their natural surroundings in their paintings.
The Udaigarh paintings symbolize Rajasthan in a colourful, detailed and luxurious way. The art of Rajasthan portray its hard nature. The detailed and elaborate nature of the paintings that reflect the palatial life’s of Maharajas but managed to display the raw but luxurious culture of Rajasthan with ease. These paintings reflect real life events and are portrayals of such events.
The paintings undergo rigorous process, which involves manufacture of the pigments and colours from the very beginning. The canvases used for the paintings are composed of either paper or sometimes on ivory. Fine brushes are used to apply the organically made pigments, and brushes are fine squirrel haired bristles. The making of paint is an elaborate procedure. The colours are extracted from various natural resources, for example, the colour yellow is obtained by grinding together the Plash flower, and black from stones. Metallic colour is made by boiling the metal in camel musk and water. Camel musk is natively known as ‘Saras’. It provides a base to the colour. The prepared pigment is mixed with gum and water and then made into a fine paste. Since the amount of precision required is very high, the colour needs to be uniform in texture.
Mughal style was visible in the paintings on later stages. This was indicated by the facial features of the figures drawn, as well as the general aesthetic of human figures and structures within the paintings
4. Rajasthani paintings are the style of miniature painting that developed mainly in Rajasthan in the 16th–19th century. It evolved from Western Indian manuscript illustrations. Mughal style of influence became evident in the later years of development.
The Rajasthan style developed various distinct schools, most of them centring in the several parts of Rajasthan, namely Mewar, Bundi, Kotah, MarαΈ³ar, Bikaner, Kishangarh, and Jaipur.
The Mughal and Rajasthani styles were always in contact with each other, generally the Rajasthani schools were not affected by the work produced at the Mughal court during the greater part of the 17th century. This became less evident in the 18th century, when the sharp distinction between the two became progressively concealed, though each retained its distinctive features right up to the end.
Mewar School of Painting
During the medieval era, Mewar passed through a turbulent period of political unrest still the Rajput kings went on patronising the art and in fact helped it to grow up into distinct style. In the ancient as well as medieval times, Mewar was known to be a great centre of artistic and cultural activities.
The oldest manuscripts of Mewar painting include the “Supasanachariyam” and “Suparsanatham” painted in about 1423 AD. These show the traces of Jain style, which can be identified with projecting eyes. The Mewari style as a distinct school emerged only by the end of 16th century.
Ragmala paintings are a distinct feature of Rajput miniature paintings. These are pictorial representation of Indian Ragas and Raginis. The mode and time of Raga is expressed through brilliant colours and colourfully dressed Nayak and Nayikas. They are usually dressed in contemporary royal fashion.
Ragamala produced by Raja Amar sing painted with the help of artists was the earliest-dated example of Mewar School and it was painted at Chavand.
The real beginning of a polished style of Mewar painting started in 1571 AD. By that time, it fully replaced the ‘Apabhransa’ (Jain style). One immediate reason of development of this school was that a large number of artists migrated from Mandu to Mewar after Baj Bahadur, the ruler of Mandu was defeated by Mughals in 1570. Thus, we can say that the new Mewari style originated as an offshoot to the Central Indian painting.
Important Features of Mewar Paintings
In these paintings bright and brilliant colours of orange, green, red, bright blue colours are profusely used. Male and female figures have long noses, oval shaped faces, elongated fish-like eyes. This is the influence of the Apbhramsa style. The female figures have been drawn relatively smaller than the male. The males uses loose fitting garments embroidered Patka and Turbans and the females wear loose long skirts, choli and transparent odhnis .The paintings of the birds, animals and trees are elaborate, the flowers are drawn in bunches, and the Hills and Mountains depicted in Persian style. Small hillocks and mounds are inserted into the paintings.
3. Miniature painting The full blooming of miniature painting in India began when came into direct contact with the civilization of Islam. With Mughal Empire Indian painting began a new phase of evolution. It was from this school of painting that portraits, celebratory, illustrated manuscripts, album miniatures, or genre paintings and various other paintings made their way all over India.
Indian miniature painting was subjected to a strong initial Persian influence, but it was short lived since the Indian artists soon recovered their own independence and originality.
The new patrons of paintings with the decline of the Mughal Empire were the provincial governors of Rajasthan and Pahari kingdom (c. 1700-1900 AD). Rajput artists unlike their counterpart Mughal artists were anonymous and did not enjoy the high status.
Miniatures paintings works were profoundly influenced by Indian literature and were executed as individual paintings or illustrations to texts. These works were small-scale, highly detailed pictorial compositions, more or less providing a true record of the social and cultural life of the time.
Indian painters turned to our epics, and saw it as their task to bringing these stories into visual reality for those who may not be able to read. They flourished only under generous and sensitive patrons.
The turbulent medieval times saw an exodus of artists to the South. These artists were patronized by the royal houses over there and gradually, three distinct schools of art developed.
With the introduction of paper in 12th century in India, illustrations on paper manuscript of larger format than the narrow palm leaf came into style. Apart from such manuscripts still there were no schools of Miniature Paintings in India.
The Delhi Sultanate : It is believed that the Delhi Sultanate did not patronize painting because of their religious belief against the portrayal of living beings in art , however literary evidence and the discovery of illustrated manuscripts from the period suggests that royal painting workshops appear to have flourished under liberal rulers.
The painting style of the Delhi Sultanate borrowed from Islamic painting abroad resulting in an Indo-Persian style and is influenced by the individual tastes of Indian rulers and local styles, including Jain styles of painting.
Features of Delhi Sultanate paintings that are based on Indian traditions include groups of people standing in rows and identical poses, narrow bands of decoration running across the width of the painting, and bright and unusual colours.
Mughal Empire (16th - 19th centuries). Origin of Mughal School of Paintings is a landmark in history of Indian paintings. Mughal paintings emerged exclusively as a court art and its development depended to a large extent on the patrons and their enthusiasm.
The school originated in the reign of Akbar. The origin of Mughal style is was a result of synthesis of Indian style of painting and the Safavid school of Persian painting. Mughal paintings were a unique blend of Indian, Persian.
Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty reigned only a few years. His son Humayun succeeded him, but lost his throne to the Afghan ruler and became a refugee at the court of emperor of Persia and came back and re-captured his throne. He brought two great masters from Persia Mir sayyid Ali and Abd us-samad. And these great masters trained in the Persian court were responsible for establishing the first workshop of painting in India.
Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun in 1556 and laid the foundations of Mughal painting, a unique blending of Persian, Indian and European art. Studios are established at the imperial court and workshops (Karkahnas) were set, comprising of illustrators, calligraphers, paper makers, illuminators, gilders, binders and all are supervised by one master.
Some of the finest works were done at the time of Akbar. Jahangir continued the tradition of painting, fine manuscripts on flora and fauna are popular of his time. Shah Jahan further patronized painting and artists produced works of great richness, finish and refinement, even when dealing with gory subjects such as the beheading of rebels. During Aurangzeb's period some fine portrait studies were made in the imperial studio.
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