A Lack of Absolutes
October 25, 2020 Design lessons, Polymer community news
Do you feel, or have you felt, that design is a very confusing subject? I wanted to ask because as of next month, we dive into the PRINCIPLES of Design. We’ve been working on Elements thus far. Yes, there are two categories to define the ways we use design. So, before I go further, let’s define those.
Elements of Design – the components used to create designs. They are like the ingredient in a recipe, only they are not the materials or tools you use but rather the individual elements you create with them.
Elements of Design (my list for mixed media arts) include:
-
- Line
- Marks
- Color
- Shape
- Form
- Texture
Principles of Design – the concepts used to arrange and organize the elements of design. These are like the methods and choices used to combine the ingredients in a recipe in order to create the desired outcome.
Principles of Design (as I am going to teach it here) include:
-
- Balance
- Movement
- Contrast<->Variety
- Emphasis<->Hierarchy
- Repetition<->Rhythm
- Scale<->Proportion
- Unity<->Similarity
Don’t they look so manageable in those simple lists? Well, Elements does, I’m sure. Principles … they are concepts, so they’re more complicated. But don’t worry. I’ve been fiendishly sneaking them in all along so you are actually familiar with many of them if you’ve been reading my blog even for just this year. Just in the last couple months, I’ve been drilling in the ideas of contrast, similarity, movement and even a bit about scale.
There may be two separate lists above but they are completely dependent on each other. You can’t use principles with out the elements to create with and you can’t create with elements without the principles pushing you, consciously or unconsciously, towards the beauty and satisfaction that comes from a good design.
The Ultimate List of Design
Now, you may be asking yourself, why are the notations above about these lists my version? Aren’t these things standardized? Well, unfortunately, they are not and that’s the crux of the problem I want to peel open today.
When I talk about elements and principles of art and design, I’m giving you what I believe would be the best set of these for what we do in polymer and mixed media art. If you go online and search for just a list of the Principles of Design, you will find everything from a list of 5 up to a list of 20 principles. That’s pretty crazy!
It is understandable when some people think one or two things don’t belong on a list but when you regularly get this whole range, with some items paired up (like I did above) and others listing those same paired items as separate and distinct concepts, it can really make you wonder how you will ever learn the “right” set of concepts?
To make it simple (but possibly no less frustrating), I’m here to tell you there is no single ultimate list of elements or principles of design. And, no, it’s not because people have different opinions, although they do, but it has to do with the type of creative work each source assumes the reader will be considering.
These lists of elements and principles change to best serve the medium the writer or instructor assumes you, the reader, are dealing with. For instance, in painting and illustration, value is its own element discussed outside of color because value is what allows painters to define dimensionality, space, and perspective in the work. Our work in craft is primarily dimensional to begin with which is why I simplified my list to included value as part of the color element discussion.
Likewise, mark making in crafts is extremely important while mark making in graphic design is nearly nonexistent or is replaced with the concept of motif or pattern. And motif is an extremely important element in interior design but it is usually a side note, if even that, in fine arts.
So, all those lists out there are customized and created for the particular creatives the creator of the list believes will be using it. Right? Right!
I just wanted to clarify that before we jump in the principles of design so if any of you have learned or been taught something different than the list I’m going to give you, you understand why. I do believe my lists will best serve you as a mixed-media artist but you are welcome to build your own as needed.
The bottom line here… Don’t worry about whether you’ve got design terminology down precisely. Worry about understanding the concepts, identifying them, and working with them.
Ack! What’s a Creative to Focus On?
If all these lists and their imprecise ways make you feel like you’re going to hyperventilate, take heart. When it comes down to it, there are really just a few things you need to focus on as I can distill what I am trying to teach you into just three things. If you concentrate on these, you can just read my posts and the club’s mini-mag content and all this design knowledge will work its way into your brain by osmosis:
Your Artistic Keys:
- Create with intention, whatever that means to you.
- Draw your intention from that authentic and unique core that is you.
- Aim to make conscious, intentional design choices on every aspect of your work.
If you can do these three things, you can and will be an incredible and fulfilled artist. The rest – the terminology, concepts, elements and such – you can gather like you do art supplies. You pick them up as you can and then use them at every opportunity that makes sense. It would be great if you actually thought of them as new shiny tools and materials on your studio table. They can be, and usually are, the most valuable tools you have at hand.
The End of Free Lessons is Nigh!
In the coming months, the Principles of Design lessons, although they will continue to appear here in some fashion, will be largely moving to the weekly Devotee Club mini-mags. I need to start transitioning the bulk of my content to the Club content as the full free lessons were intended just to help get us all through this tumultuous year, but I do have to get back to bringing in the funds so I can keep at it!
So … if you have been enjoying the lessons you’ve had here in recent months, come join the club! Not only will you be getting the full lessons, but I also have a lot of other content from tips on living a creative life to community news to subscriber only specials and first dibs on new products.
And for the rest of this month, get a 14 day free trial! Offer ends October 31st.
(By the way, the Success Club, which combines coaching with the weekly content, is full, in case you are wondering when you get to the page and don’t see it to add to the cart. I am taking names for the waiting list only at this time.)
Come support your design knowledge, creative growth, and these Tenth Muse Arts projects with a subscription to the Devotee Club. Just click here.
The ‘Elements’ in store for Fall 2015
August 3, 2015 Inspirational Art, The Polymer Arts magazine news
As promised … here is the new cover for the Fall 2015 issue due out later this month. Our cover is graced by the soulful work of Ronna Sarvas Weltman who wrote a beautifully honest and heartfelt piece on the whys and hows of teaching art that you won’t want to miss. Among other things!
The Elements theme is all about bringing together the many parts that go into creating in order to make amazing finished pieces of art! Here are some of the inspirational and skill-building articles you can look forward to if you subscribe or pre-order:
- Embellish! The Art of the Accent with Christi Friesen
- Elements of Inspiration: Where Ideas Come From
- It’s a Small World: Micro Mosaics with Karen Mitchell
- Transfer Anything! Easy & Artful Image Transfers
- The Joyous Classroom with Ronna Sarvas Weltman
- Creating Atmosphere: The Elements of Mood
- Strange Beauty: The Art of Celine Charuau
- Alternate Avenues of Artistic Income
- Properly Equipped: Indispensable & Inexpensive Photo Accessories
- The Right Adhesive for the Job
- Fun with Pebeo Paints
- Creative Ear Wires
- … and much more
If you have not pre-ordered your copy or updated your subscription, you will want to do that now to get it hot off the presses! Head over to our website here!
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who took part in the survey. This really helps us to gear our offerings towards what YOU want to read, and this makes ALL of us very happy. Tomorrow, I will pull names for the giveaway and let the lucky ducks know by email, so I can get those physical mailing addresses from you. I’ll also announce it on Wednesday, so you’ll know if you’ve won even if the email gremlins run off with my congratulatory emails as they sometimes like to do.
So, forgive me for all the TPA news, but I need to run off and craft more good stuff for you. We will resume digging up and talking about more admirable polymer pretties on Wednesday!
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.
Staging Simplicity
July 24, 2014 Inspirational Art
Pushing the construction or composition of a necklace doesn’t have to be overly complex. Simplicity is sometimes the best path to unusual pieces.
With this composition by Russian artist Oksana Aleksandrovna Vedernikova (she works under the name Silverpepper), the rather stark presentation really helps us focus on the delicate details of these of the gorgeously crafted polymer beads. The uneven drop length keeps the composition from feeling stagnant and gives each bead a separate height from which to be admired.
Oksana rarely creates in typical or classical composition. If you enjoy the idea of pushing construction and presentation of your polymer within the art jewelry form, you will find further inspiration within her other creations. Just head on over to her Flickr pages.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Do you feel, or have you felt, that design is a very confusing subject? I wanted to ask because as of next month, we dive into the PRINCIPLES of Design. We’ve been working on Elements thus far. Yes, there are two categories to define the ways we use design. So, before I go further, let’s define those.
Elements of Design – the components used to create designs. They are like the ingredient in a recipe, only they are not the materials or tools you use but rather the individual elements you create with them.
Elements of Design (my list for mixed media arts) include:
-
- Line
- Marks
- Color
- Shape
- Form
- Texture
Principles of Design – the concepts used to arrange and organize the elements of design. These are like the methods and choices used to combine the ingredients in a recipe in order to create the desired outcome.
Principles of Design (as I am going to teach it here) include:
-
- Balance
- Movement
- Contrast<->Variety
- Emphasis<->Hierarchy
- Repetition<->Rhythm
- Scale<->Proportion
- Unity<->Similarity
Don’t they look so manageable in those simple lists? Well, Elements does, I’m sure. Principles … they are concepts, so they’re more complicated. But don’t worry. I’ve been fiendishly sneaking them in all along so you are actually familiar with many of them if you’ve been reading my blog even for just this year. Just in the last couple months, I’ve been drilling in the ideas of contrast, similarity, movement and even a bit about scale.
There may be two separate lists above but they are completely dependent on each other. You can’t use principles with out the elements to create with and you can’t create with elements without the principles pushing you, consciously or unconsciously, towards the beauty and satisfaction that comes from a good design.
The Ultimate List of Design
Now, you may be asking yourself, why are the notations above about these lists my version? Aren’t these things standardized? Well, unfortunately, they are not and that’s the crux of the problem I want to peel open today.
When I talk about elements and principles of art and design, I’m giving you what I believe would be the best set of these for what we do in polymer and mixed media art. If you go online and search for just a list of the Principles of Design, you will find everything from a list of 5 up to a list of 20 principles. That’s pretty crazy!
It is understandable when some people think one or two things don’t belong on a list but when you regularly get this whole range, with some items paired up (like I did above) and others listing those same paired items as separate and distinct concepts, it can really make you wonder how you will ever learn the “right” set of concepts?
To make it simple (but possibly no less frustrating), I’m here to tell you there is no single ultimate list of elements or principles of design. And, no, it’s not because people have different opinions, although they do, but it has to do with the type of creative work each source assumes the reader will be considering.
These lists of elements and principles change to best serve the medium the writer or instructor assumes you, the reader, are dealing with. For instance, in painting and illustration, value is its own element discussed outside of color because value is what allows painters to define dimensionality, space, and perspective in the work. Our work in craft is primarily dimensional to begin with which is why I simplified my list to included value as part of the color element discussion.
Likewise, mark making in crafts is extremely important while mark making in graphic design is nearly nonexistent or is replaced with the concept of motif or pattern. And motif is an extremely important element in interior design but it is usually a side note, if even that, in fine arts.
So, all those lists out there are customized and created for the particular creatives the creator of the list believes will be using it. Right? Right!
I just wanted to clarify that before we jump in the principles of design so if any of you have learned or been taught something different than the list I’m going to give you, you understand why. I do believe my lists will best serve you as a mixed-media artist but you are welcome to build your own as needed.
The bottom line here… Don’t worry about whether you’ve got design terminology down precisely. Worry about understanding the concepts, identifying them, and working with them.
Ack! What’s a Creative to Focus On?
If all these lists and their imprecise ways make you feel like you’re going to hyperventilate, take heart. When it comes down to it, there are really just a few things you need to focus on as I can distill what I am trying to teach you into just three things. If you concentrate on these, you can just read my posts and the club’s mini-mag content and all this design knowledge will work its way into your brain by osmosis:
Your Artistic Keys:
- Create with intention, whatever that means to you.
- Draw your intention from that authentic and unique core that is you.
- Aim to make conscious, intentional design choices on every aspect of your work.
If you can do these three things, you can and will be an incredible and fulfilled artist. The rest – the terminology, concepts, elements and such – you can gather like you do art supplies. You pick them up as you can and then use them at every opportunity that makes sense. It would be great if you actually thought of them as new shiny tools and materials on your studio table. They can be, and usually are, the most valuable tools you have at hand.
The End of Free Lessons is Nigh!
In the coming months, the Principles of Design lessons, although they will continue to appear here in some fashion, will be largely moving to the weekly Devotee Club mini-mags. I need to start transitioning the bulk of my content to the Club content as the full free lessons were intended just to help get us all through this tumultuous year, but I do have to get back to bringing in the funds so I can keep at it!
So … if you have been enjoying the lessons you’ve had here in recent months, come join the club! Not only will you be getting the full lessons, but I also have a lot of other content from tips on living a creative life to community news to subscriber only specials and first dibs on new products.
And for the rest of this month, get a 14 day free trial! Offer ends October 31st.
(By the way, the Success Club, which combines coaching with the weekly content, is full, in case you are wondering when you get to the page and don’t see it to add to the cart. I am taking names for the waiting list only at this time.)
Come support your design knowledge, creative growth, and these Tenth Muse Arts projects with a subscription to the Devotee Club. Just click here.
Read MoreAs promised … here is the new cover for the Fall 2015 issue due out later this month. Our cover is graced by the soulful work of Ronna Sarvas Weltman who wrote a beautifully honest and heartfelt piece on the whys and hows of teaching art that you won’t want to miss. Among other things!
The Elements theme is all about bringing together the many parts that go into creating in order to make amazing finished pieces of art! Here are some of the inspirational and skill-building articles you can look forward to if you subscribe or pre-order:
- Embellish! The Art of the Accent with Christi Friesen
- Elements of Inspiration: Where Ideas Come From
- It’s a Small World: Micro Mosaics with Karen Mitchell
- Transfer Anything! Easy & Artful Image Transfers
- The Joyous Classroom with Ronna Sarvas Weltman
- Creating Atmosphere: The Elements of Mood
- Strange Beauty: The Art of Celine Charuau
- Alternate Avenues of Artistic Income
- Properly Equipped: Indispensable & Inexpensive Photo Accessories
- The Right Adhesive for the Job
- Fun with Pebeo Paints
- Creative Ear Wires
- … and much more
If you have not pre-ordered your copy or updated your subscription, you will want to do that now to get it hot off the presses! Head over to our website here!
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who took part in the survey. This really helps us to gear our offerings towards what YOU want to read, and this makes ALL of us very happy. Tomorrow, I will pull names for the giveaway and let the lucky ducks know by email, so I can get those physical mailing addresses from you. I’ll also announce it on Wednesday, so you’ll know if you’ve won even if the email gremlins run off with my congratulatory emails as they sometimes like to do.
So, forgive me for all the TPA news, but I need to run off and craft more good stuff for you. We will resume digging up and talking about more admirable polymer pretties on Wednesday!
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.
Pushing the construction or composition of a necklace doesn’t have to be overly complex. Simplicity is sometimes the best path to unusual pieces.
With this composition by Russian artist Oksana Aleksandrovna Vedernikova (she works under the name Silverpepper), the rather stark presentation really helps us focus on the delicate details of these of the gorgeously crafted polymer beads. The uneven drop length keeps the composition from feeling stagnant and gives each bead a separate height from which to be admired.
Oksana rarely creates in typical or classical composition. If you enjoy the idea of pushing construction and presentation of your polymer within the art jewelry form, you will find further inspiration within her other creations. Just head on over to her Flickr pages.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Read More