These photos of geysers in Yellowstone National Park served as inspiration for texture and color in my artwork. I will share the techniques I used based on these images so that you, too, can create these effects.
Here I’m intrigued by the texture on the side of the geyser. Dissolved silica is ejected by the geyser, which cools and dries to create these undulating forms called sinter. To me, this deposit looks like a petrified version of a wave crashing onto a beach. The layers and the different earthy nuances of color also speak to me.
I love the color combination of deep blue, teal, white, off-white, orange and sienna; this is nature providing a perfect palette. Bacteria, algae and different water temperatures cause these intense shades of blue, as well as the colors in the sinter. Nature knows a thing or two about the color wheel (blue and orange are complementary hues).
When you look at art, you will see how the artist used form, shape, line, color, value, space and texture. These are the things we’re drawn to. If the principles of art in chapter 2 can be seen as a recipe for art, then the elements are the ingredients. Each of the ingredients has its own qualities. They reinforce each other and, combined, make up the whole: the work of art. Adding the right ingredients—the elements—to your art makes the work more interesting, and developing your own recipe results in your individual style.
Lines are the most basic element of art. Lines can be straight, curvy, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, dotted, broken, thin or thick, light or dark. They can be smooth, rough, bold, messy or jagged, triggering different emotions for the viewer as well as directing the eye.
Shape is two-dimensional, the line that connects with its own end or crosses with another. Shapes can also be formed by colors and value changes. They can represent reality or be abstract. Shapes can be geometric (square, circle, triangle) or organic and freeform.
Form is three-dimensional and can be geometric (cube, cone, cylinder) or organic (animals, people, plants). A form can be viewed from different angles. In two-dimensional visual art, shapes that are created with the illusion of the third-dimension of depth become forms. Usually they’re created with light and shadow or contrasts. Squares (shape) can become cubes (form) by adding depth. Form takes up space, either real or implied.
Space is the area in which an artwork is organized. The main objects take up positive space while the area around them is the negative space. On two-dimensional artwork, the illusion of three-dimensional space can be implied by creating size differences. Smaller objects appear farther away, as do objects that are higher up on the picture plane. Larger objects, placed lower on the picture plane, appear closer. Overlapping and layering objects as well as varying values in color can also imply three-dimensional space. What is shown with sharper detail also appears closer, while soft edges or muted colors imply distance.
Color is the reflection that we see after light hits a surface and gets absorbed. This depends on the surface (porous versus nonporous, light versus dark). The way in which an artist uses colors, the combination and value choices, creates the artist’s own style. Colors can evoke feelings and memories for the viewer, as well as for the artist. To me, color is the most prominent and exciting element in artwork.
Value is the scale of a color going from dark to light. Colors can be lightened with white, toned down with gray or shaded with black, creating different values and tones of a single color.
Texture refers to the tactile look or the actual feel of a surface and engages the viewer’s sense of touch. It’s an expressive tool to underline the message of an artwork. Note that it can be implied or actual: A painting can suggest a rough texture while remaining totally smooth on the substrate. Different lines or shapes can create visual texture. Surfaces that are matte appear a bit rough, while glossy and sparkling surfaces are often identified by the eye as smooth. Actual texture can be created by thick impasto techniques or paint applications so the surface becomes three-dimensional. It can also be created by using collage elements, including papers, fibers, fabrics and found objects.