Lesson video

Hello everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling great.

My name is Ms. Afsal and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling really excited about that because our lesson is called The Work of Artists and Designers: the Principles of Art, and our lesson comes from the unit of work, first sustained project working from a theme.

So I hope you're excited about this, so I hope you have some curiosity about themes, artists and designers.

If you're ready with some focus and enthusiasm, we'll begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can analyse how the principles of art and choices made by the artist impact the viewer.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them.

Principles of art, composition and choice.

So what do these mean? Principles of art: the ways in which artists organise visual elements to create impact.

Composition: the arrangement of visual elements in an artwork to create a unified and effective whole.

Choice: the deliberate decisions an artist makes.

These are our keywords.

Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called The Work of Artists and Designers: Principles of Art.

It has two learning cycles, how the principles of art influence artwork and artist's choices and their impact on the viewer.

Let's begin with looking at how the principles of art influence artwork.

Take a look at this painting.

How does the way this painting's arranged help tell its story or express its message? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

The principles of art are the ways artists organise the elements of art to create balance, unity, and other effects in their work.

Artists create mood and meaning in their work through the principles of art.

Here are those principles, balance, depth, mass, perspective, proportion, repetition, rhythm, scale, unity, variety, and volume.

The principles of art.

Balance is a principle of art where elements are arranged to create stability or visual equality in a composition.

Types of balance.

Symmetrical: both sides are the same or very similar like a mirror.

Asymmetrical: different elements are used on each side.

And radial: elements spread out from a central point like a wheel or a flower.

Do you think this artwork is balanced? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Here's Lucas.

This artwork is balanced because there are no areas with too much space.

The buildings are emerging from the centre and the bees are equally spaced, so I think this could be radially and asymmetrically balanced.

I wonder if you thought something like that too.

Check for understanding.

Which of these artworks is balanced symmetrically A, B, or C? Pause here and share with someone.

Well done if you selected C.

This is balanced symmetrically.

Depth is shown through principles of art that create the illusion of space on a flat surface.

Adding light and shadow can give objects form.

The bold, blocky figures in the street art mural create a strong sense of mass making the artwork feel powerful and commanding in the urban space.

I love seeing street art murals.

I wonder if you've seen any or if there are any near where you live.

Mass is a principle of art that describes how solid, heavy or full something looks or feels in an artwork.

A large stone sculpture has real mass.

It takes up physical space and feels heavy.

Sculptors use mass to create a sense of weight, strength, or solidity in their forms, and we can see a statue of Mary Seacole on the screen now.

Perspective is a principle of art used to show depth and space in two dimensional work.

Perspective helps make a flat surface look like it has distance making objects appear closer or further away.

Just like we see things in real life.

Which principles of art do you notice in this artwork? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Laura.

I think this artwork shows variety through its colour choices and signage.

The repeated windows and signs help create a sense of perspective in the composition and the pieces asymmetrically balanced as each side differs while still feeling visually stable.

Great comments, Laura.

Proportion is a principle of art that shows how big or small things are in relation to each other.

How artists use proportion.

Proportion helps makes things look realistic like the size of a head compared to the body.

Artists can also change proportion on purpose to make things look exaggerated, funny or more emotional.

Take a look at this artwork.

Which principles of art do you notice? Pause here and share with someone.

Heres Sophia.

All the ingredients feel like they belong together, so I would say unity.

The ingredients are also drawn in proportion.

Variety is shown within the range of objects.

An emphasis is on the bottle as it's brighter and taller.

Repetition is a principle of art that involves using the same or similar elements multiple times within a composition.

How artists show repetition.

Repeating patterns or shapes, arranging elements in a regular or irregular beat like music, alternating colours or sizes.

Rhythm is a principle of art where artists create a visual flow that guides your eyes around the artwork.

How artists show rhythm.

Using line shapes or repeated elements that lead the eye.

Showing actual action like a dancer in motion, arranging elements that are flowing or dynamic way.

Scale is a principle of art that refers to decisive an object or element in relation to others within the artwork.

How artists create scale: by making important elements larger to draw attention, by making some aspects smaller to create distance, varying sizes to create contrast and make the artwork more dynamic.

Unity is a principle of artwork where all parts of an artwork artwork together to create a complete and harmonious whole.

How artists create unity: using similar colours, shapes or styles.

Repeating elements, making sure nothing feels out of place.

Can really get a sense of unity from this artwork on the screen with those colours or style and shapes.

Variety is a principle of art where artists use different colours, shapes, or textures to make the artwork more exciting.

How artists use variety: mixing different lines, patterns or colours.

Changing sizes or materials.

Adding contrast between elements.

Volume is a principle of art which refers to the amount of space that a 3D object occupies or appears to occupy.

Volume gives artworks a sense of fullness or solidity, whether in real sculptures or in drawings and paintings that show depth.

Volume is about how big or solid something looks in 3D, even if it's just on a flat surface.

In a painting, shading can create the illusion of volume by making objects look rounded or solid as we can see on this painting on the screen.

Take a look at this artwork.

Which principles of art do you notice? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Andeep.

The stacked pebbles are asymmetrically balanced as they're not the same on both sides.

The pebbles appear to take up space giving the drawing a sense of volume.

Unity is evident within the pebbles as they're all blue.

Maybe you said something like this.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Scale and proportion mean exactly the same thing.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

Now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this.

They are related, but scale is about size compared to something else.

While proportion is about the relationship between parts of a whole.

Many artists explore proportion in their artwork including Tony Heaton, who frequently uses wheelchairs, NHS equipment and charity tins in his works.

These reclaimed oversized objects become provocative sculptures, exploring identity, visibility and societal perceptions.

Tiff Massey is a sculpture and jeweller who creates oversized wearable pieces inspired by West African adornment and hip hop sculpture.

Her exaggerated use of proportion challenges, ideas of identity, power and cultural visibility.

Phyllida Barlow uses exaggerated, bulky proportions in her sculptures to disrupt space and challenge traditional ideas of beauty and permanence.

There are many ways to analyse an artwork, but you could consider the following points.

Rhythm.

Do you notice repeated shapes or colours? Mass.

Do the forms appear heavy, solid, light or fragile? And how does that influence the overall meaning or mood? Balance.

Does the scene feel stable? Is it symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial? Proportion.

Does the artist use proportion realistically or creatively? And variety or unity.

Does it look like one complete connected artwork or is it disconnected in places? These are some ways to analyse an artwork.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to look at a forest scene and make observations about which principles of art stand out? You could record your answers as voice notes, write the answers around the image or write notes by hand or record digitally.

So pause here while you have a go at this task.

Good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task? You may have said something like this.

I noticed the repeated shapes of the trees, which create rhythm.

The sense of unity is strong with the colour, choice, and composition.

I noticed the largest tree first with it being in the middle.

Although the painting isn't symmetrical, it feels balanced with the equal number of trees.

Jun has chosen to record his analysis, and this is what Jun said, The falling leaves give a sense of rhythm and a negative space between the trees gives a sense of balance.

Perspective is also shown through the size variation of the trees.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle.

Artists choices and their impact on the viewer.

Take a good look at this artwork.

How does this composition make you feel? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Artists make deliberate choices using the principles of art to shape how we respond.

These choices are what make us feel calm, excited, uncomfortable, focused or curious, and help communicate the message of the artwork.

Here's Izzy, This artwork makes me feel curious about what the artist wanted to express.

The bubbles remind me of little planet each with radio balance.

Whoa, take a look at this artwork.

How does this composition make you feel? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Not all art is meant to be beautiful or calming.

Sometimes artists want a viewer to feel uncomfortable.

I certainly did looking at that.

Why would an artist's choose to do this? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Perhaps you said something like this.

To draw attention to a serious issue.

To make the viewer stop and think, to express pain, anger, confusion, or protest.

Even without words artwork can tell a story or express an idea.

People might react to the same artwork in different ways.

It might remind you of a place, a feeling, or a memory.

It might make you question something or inspire you.

How has the artist used the principles of art to engage the viewer? And not everyone will have the same opinion.

Pause here, share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Here's Jun.

The view from above creates a sense of depth and perspective.

I'm then drawn to the man floating down as the tone is darker.

The man looks heavy whilst floating, giving a sense of mass in comparison to the sky.

And here's Alex.

I think this painting shows variety and proportion.

Overall, it's quite a balanced image.

This unexpected scale grabs my attention and may suggest ideas like power, isolation, or dreaming.

Through careful choices and the principles of art artists can create powerful effects on the viewer, including calm or peaceful, tense or uncomfortable, sad, joyful, nostalgic, proud.

Pause the video and share with someone.

What kind of effect do you enjoy being drawn to outta the ones we can see on the screen? Thanks for sharing.

Artists use rhythm to guide your eye to a specific part of the artwork.

What do you notice first in this artwork? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

And then where does your eye go to next? Thanks for sharing.

My eye was drawn to the eyes.

First of all, and then next to the light, the area of white at the top.

Visual storytelling lets people from different languages or backgrounds understand the same message without words.

A puppet's, body language, posture, and facial expression can communicate feelings like joy, fear, or anger.

The way artwork is composed affects how enjoyable or interesting it is to look at.

Repetition- rhythm.

Unity- gives us harmony.

Variety- can give us excitement.

Check for understanding.

True or false? All viewers have the same response to a piece of art.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done.

If you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Everyone brings their own experiences.

What you've lived through, seen or felt, shapes how you interpret an artwork.

Many artists are known for their exploration of storytelling through their artwork.

Subodh Gupta uses everyday metal utensils, tiffin boxes, and cooking tools in large sculptures to explore themes of migration, class, religion, and cultural identity.

Sheila Hicks makes large scale textile installations and is known for transforming traditional weaving into fine art.

Her bold textured forms tell visual stories without literal images.

Harold Offeh's patterns for progress, is a collaborative ceramic project that brought together people living with Multiple Sclerosis, MS. Their carers and scientists to tell their stories by designing ceramic tiles that reflect their personal experiences with the condition.

Altering one or more aspects of an artwork can dramatically change the composition or experience for the viewer.

In this paper sculpture, the emphasis is entirely on the form, texture and construction creating a sense of volume.

Balance, proportion and rhythm are noticeable and a viewer is more likely to focus on the structure.

The sculpture is now positioned within a dreamy landscape, completely changing the composition.

Focus: viewer's eyes move between sculpture and setting, creating a visual journey.

Mood: the background can heavily influence the emotional tone.

E.

g.

dreamlike, nostalgic, surreal.

The sculpture has been edited digitally and is now symmetrical design with repetition around a central point like a mandala or kaleidoscope.

Balance: the sharp spikes and the ADMIT tickets direct attention to the centre creating a strong focal point.

Visual flow is created using the principles of art, such repetition, textures, and colour intensity.

This altered version of the sculpture significantly changes the composition by introducing a more complex, layered, and mysterious visual narrative.

The circular and spiral elements create rhythm and shows stronger use of the principles of art than before.

It feels alive, almost kinetic, even though it's static.

For the next part of the lesson, you'll observe four versions of a sculptural piece that has been altered.

Here's the first version, the second, the third, and a fourth.

All four artworks started off with the same shapes used in figure one.

And now for your task, I'd like you to analyse how each change affects the viewer's experience and perception in two of the images, including: the first thing you notice in each version, which principles of art are most visible in each version? How have they changed? How does each version make you feel? Calm, excited, and easy, curious, and why? So pause here while you have a go at this task of analysing how each change affects the viewer's experience and perception in two of the images, I'll see you when you're finished.

Good to be back with you.

You might have said something like this.

In this image, the shapes look sharp and striking against the blue background.

The shapes create unity.

I noticed that it's asymmetrically balanced as the shapes are not equal on both sides.

The sharp angles introduced geometric variety.

It makes me feel a bit uneasy as it's so jagged.

You might have said something like this.

The first thing I notice in the composition is how the emphasis is no longer on a sculpture as it blends into the background creating unity.

The sculptures angular form now feels softened and there is rhythm in the flow of the marbled pattern.

This version makes me feel interested as it's a bit like an illusion.

You might have said something like this, in this repeat pattern, the emphasis on one specific area is reduced, as I'm focused on the whole composition, the pattern feels very balanced, and there's a sense of rhythm and movement.

This makes me feel excited as it reminds me of snowflakes.

Now finally, you might have said something like this.

The first thing I noticed is the contrast in colour and shapes.

The sculpture is mostly angular, whereas the sea is calming.

The vase appears too large in the sea, which impacts the proportion of the composition.

The surreal setting alters the mood.

A simple paper sculpture now suggests a dream or story.

In our lesson, The Work of Artists and Designers: Principles of Art, we've covered the following.

The principles of art are essential tools that help artists organise visual elements in a way that creates meaning, emotion, and impact.

They guide how shapes, colours, textures, and space come together in a successful composition.

An artist's choice and materials can deeply affect the viewer by influencing how the artwork feels, how it's interpreted, and the emotional response it creates.

Well done everyone for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore these principles of art.

They are so key and indeed principle.

I hope this lesson's been helpful and enjoyable for you, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.