Lesson 10: Emphasis Artwork

Objective: To have the children create a pastel drawing with emphasis.

Vocabulary:

assemblage - A sculpture made of different kinds of materials.

emphasis - A design principle used to make a part of the artwork stand out, show which part of an artwork is most important, or a focal point.

three-dimensional (3D) - Having length, width, and depth, such as a form.

two-dimensional (2D) - Having both length and width, such as a shape.

Emphasis

Artists create emphasis in an artwork to grab the viewer's attention. Emphasis is the special importance given to part of an artwork. It is created by using the elements of art to make one or more parts of an artwork stand out.

Palm Tree in Mauritania by Raymond Depardon1999, photograph

Contrasting Values
Look at Palm Tree in Mauritania by Raymond Depardon. How did the photographer create emphasis in this scene? The palm tree stands out because is dark value shows contrast, or sharp difference, from the rest of the scene. Notice that the tree trunk is the only vertical line in the photograph. This also draws attention to the palm tree.

Portrait of Gordon Parks by Johanna Fiore1997, photograph

Now look at Portrait of Gordon Parks by Johanna Fiore. What do you notice first? This artist used value to emphasize several areas in her artwork. Look at the light values in the moon, the wave, and the subject's hair. They stand out from the darker values in the sky, the water, and the subject's clothing.

A Bigger Splash by David Hockney1967, acrylic on canvas96" x 96"Tate Gallery, London, England

Contrasting Shapes
In A Bigger Splash by David Hockney, what catches your eye first? Most of this scene is made up of geometric shapes. Notice the contrast created by organic shapes and lines in the splash of water. Imagine this scene without the splash of water. What kind of feeling would it create? How does the splash change the mood of the painting?

Toward the Blue Peninsula by Joseph Cornell1951-1952, mixed media10.5" x 15" x 4"Collection of Daniel Varenne, Geneva, Switzerland

Emphasis in Three-Dimensional Art
Artists create emphasis in three-dimensional art just as they do in a two-dimensional painting or photograph. Three-dimensional artworks have height, width, and depth. Toward the Blue Peninsula by Joseph Cornell is a three-dimensional artwork called an assemblage. An assemblage is an artwork made from a variety of materials, such as paper and wood. How would you describe the textures in this artwork? Where do you see emphasis in Toward the Blue Peninsula?

Think Critically - Tell what you learned.

Studio Time: Emphasis Artwork

Materials:

Magazines, Pencils, Sketchbooks, White Paper, Oil Pastels

Plan

Choose a magazine photograph of a subject you like. Make sketches of your subject.
Check list:
- Create a picture that shows emphasis.
- Use oil pastels to complete your picture.

Create

Choose your best sketch, and draw it on white paper.
Decide how you want to use emphasis in your drawing. You could contrast values, shapes, colors, or textures.

3. Use oil pastels to complete your drawing.

Reflect - Tell about your work.

Photograph and Submit your work on Google Classroom.

Photograph sketches as well as completed artwork.
"Add" (attach) to Google Classroom assignment.
"Mark as done" to submit your work for a grade.

Challenge: Emphasis Collage

Create an abstract collage with paper and yarn using texture and value to create emphasis.