1) Balance

Balance refers to the weight of objects and their placement in relation to each other.

It’s a sense of stability you might feel from elements in alignment. This can take three forms: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial.

Symmetrical balance refers to the exact mirroring of objects across an axis (i.e. an invisible line on the page).

Asymmetrical balance is the opposite of this – when objects do not mirror each other perfectly, shifting the balance to one side or the other of the axis.

This is often done to highlight an object in relation to another. Radial balance is when objects are distributed all around a central point.

2) Proportion

Proportion is the size of objects in relation to each other, or within a larger whole.

This could be natural (e.g. a nose which fits onto a face the way you would expect it), exaggerated (e.g. a nose that is vastly over or undersized), and idealized, in which parts have the kind of perfect proportion that you just don’t see occurring naturally.

One of the key characteristics of Renaissance Art that changed the world forever is the invention of linear perspective, and proportion is one of the inherent behaviors towards achieving perspective

3) Emphasis

Emphasis is an extension of these first two principles: it is when contrast, placement, size, color, or other features are used to highlight one object, area, or other elements of the artwork.

This is used to draw attention – a focal point – or accentuate a feature.

4) Variety

Variety is a sense of the difference between elements of an artwork – the opposite of unity, or harmony.

Variety adds a sense of chaos to a work, and this is often used to highlight certain powerful emotions. Salvador Dali is one of the artists who have experimented with chaos and variety in his paintings, yet achieved a great sense of perfection.

Who is Salvador Dali? and Which are the top paintings of Salvador Dali?

When unity is used instead, it immediately calms – though this can also lead to being boring!

5) Harmony

In follow on from variety, harmony is the use of related elements.

This might be similar colors, shapes, sizes of objects, etc. It’s about repetition and a relationship between elements. This creates a sense of connection between the objects, creating a sense of flow.

One of the great examples is Titian, the iconic artist often remembered as the Venetian Master of Colour. Titian Paintings Are Truly Stunning, Brings Brightness, and Lustre To His Works Through Brilliant Colors. And, if you look at it, he used the color as a tool to bring harmony to the subject.

Harmony is one of the most important aspects when it comes to principles of art

6) Movement

This indicates the direction your eye takes as you view the work – in what order does your eye travel? If the emphasis is used, this often means you start with this element first and travel away from it.

The movement inherent in the image is important, as it tells you a story through the use of lines (whether they are literal or implied).

7) Rhythm

This can also be thought of as a kind of relationship between patterned objects.

Rhythm is often the use of regular, evenly distributed elements – they could occur in slow, fast, smooth or jerky intervals, and this tells you something about the feelings invoked.

Like listening to an upbeat pop song versus a slow ballad, the arrangement of notes creates a kind of pattern you naturally respond to. The important part is recognizing the relationship between the objects.

8) Scale

It might sound similar to proportion, but they differ slightly: scale is about the size of objects but in relation to what you’d expect them to be in reality.

If an object occurs in a natural scale, then the object is the size we would expect to find it.

Diminutive refers to an object being smaller than expected, and monumental is when the object is much larger.

9) Unity

Not to be confused with harmony, unity is the overall cohesion of the work.

You might achieve this through any kind of grouping of objects.

Any kind of similarity will help to strengthen the sense of unity you feel when looking at a series of objects.

10) Repetition

This is the pattern itself.

A combination of shapes, colors, or other elements recurring across the composition.

Objects might be repeated such that they slowly get smaller, or slowly change color – where the pattern starts and stops is important! Patterns usually evoke feelings of security and calm.

In all, these ten principles of art combine and contrast to create the effects we respond to visually. By breaking down the elements, we begin to understand more about the intention or meaning of art.

The post 10 Principles of Art appeared first on The Artist.

Artists choose colors based on the emotions they want to convey, the mood they want to establish, and the overall message of their artwork. The choice of colors also takes into account the principles of color theory, which dictate how colors interact and harmonize.

Furthermore, artists often draw inspiration from the natural world, cultural symbolism, and their personal experiences, weaving these influences into their work. In this intricate dance between intention and intuition, artists use colors to breathe life and meaning into their creations.

From calming blues to passionate reds, colors reveal symbolism, context, and interpretation that enriches our understanding of art. This article delves into how artists use color to engage our minds and touch our souls.

A color wheel organizes colors based on their relationship, helping artists and designers understand color theory. It includes primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.

While color wheels do not inherently influence human emotions, they help to know how colors can be used to evoke emotions.

Warm colors evoke energy, cool colors calmness, complementary colors create visual contrast, and analogous colors create harmony.

Cultural and personal associations with specific colors influence human emotions. Understanding color positioning and emotional associations can help make intentional color choices.

“Color helps to express light, not the physical phenomenon, but the only light that exists, that in the artist’s brain.”
– Henri Matisse

Here are some aspects of color perception in art.

Emotional Association

Color in art is intrinsically linked to emotion, serving as a potent means of conveying and eliciting feelings within the viewer.

Vibrant reds and fiery oranges often ignite passion and intensity, while calming blues and soothing greens evoke serenity and tranquility. Yellow exudes warmth and joy, while somber grays and blacks can signify melancholy or mystery.

Artists harness this emotional resonance to imbue their work with a mood, guiding the viewer’s emotional journey through a piece. Beyond personal interpretations, cultural associations play a role, further deepening the connection between color and emotion, making the psychology of color in art a powerful tool for evoking and expressing the complex tapestry of human feelings.

Color Harmony

Color harmony is essential for compelling art.

It’s the artist’s palette, orchestrating colors to create balance, evoke emotions, and guide the viewer’s eye. Whether using analogous or complementary colors, the artist’s choices impact the artwork’s overall mood and message.

Color harmony is the secret language of artists, a powerful tool to give life to their creations.

Cultural Difference

Cultural differences significantly impact the use and interpretation of color in art. Colors are laden with cultural, historical, and symbolic meanings.

For instance, red may symbolize good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture, while it often signifies love or passion in Western art. Similarly, white represents purity in Western cultures but is associated with mourning in some Eastern cultures. These variations shape an artist’s palette and influence the messages conveyed in their work.

Artists often draw from their cultural backgrounds, either adhering to traditional color symbolism or subverting it to challenge norms and provoke thought.

The interplay of culture and color in art fosters a deep, diverse, and ever-evolving creative landscape.

Color and Memory

Color and memory share an intimate connection in artwork, often evoking powerful emotions and recollections.

Artists skillfully employ hues to trigger personal and collective memories, using color to transport viewers to specific moments, places, or feelings.

For example, the warm tones of a sunset may summon memories of summer evenings, while the cool blue of an ocean can recall seaside vacations. These connections create an emotional resonance, infusing the art with layers of meaning.

By harnessing the vivid relationship between color and memory, artists transform their work into a visual time capsule, allowing viewers to relive the past and create new memories, all within the canvas’s embrace.

Color Temperature

Color temperature in art is a powerful emotional communicator. Warm hues like fiery reds and sunny yellows ignite feelings of energy, passion, and joy, evoking intensity and enthusiasm. These colors infuse art with a sense of vitality and heat.

On the other hand, cool colors like tranquil blues and soothing greens impart a sense of calm, serenity, and stability, inviting viewers to relax and reflect. The temperature of color shapes the emotional landscape of a piece, allowing artists to orchestrate emotional responses that guide viewers on an evocative journey.

In art, color temperature becomes a profound tool for tapping into our feelings, creating a visual language of emotion.

Examples of Artists Using Colors Effectively

Many artists have used color in their art wisely and masterfully. Here are a few notable artists renowned for their exceptional use of color.

 Vincent van Gogh’s expressive colors

 Van Gogh is celebrated for his vibrant and expressive use of color. His bold and intense palette,  in works like “Starry Night” and “Sunflowers,” conveys powerful emotions and is synonymous with Post-impressionism.

  Claude Monet’s neutral palette

 A leading figure in the Impressionist movement, Monet’s use of color and light to capture the fleeting moments of nature in works like “Water Lilies” and “Rouen Cathedral” revolutionized art.

  Pablo Picasso’s abstract shades

 Picasso’s art evolved through various color periods, from the Blue Period to the Rose Period to Cubism. His innovative use of color and abstraction had a profound impact on modern art.

  Mark Rothko’s contemplative colors

 Rothko’s large, color field paintings are renowned for their profound emotional impact. He used color to create contemplative and transcendent experiences for viewers.

  Henri Matisse’s bold visuals

 Known for his Fauvist style, Matisse used bold and non-representational colors to create works like “The Dance” and “The Red Studio.”

 Georgia O’Keeffe’s offset colors

O’Keeffe’s use of color in her large-scale floral paintings and depictions of the American Southwest brought a unique perspective to the use of color in art.

These artists, among many others, have left an indelible mark on the art world through their brilliant and innovative use of color. Their mastery of color has influenced and inspired generations of artists and continues to captivate viewers worldwide.

Conclusion

Colors exert powerful psychological effects and play a pivotal role in various art forms.

Red, for instance, often evokes passion and urgency, making it a common choice in emotionally charged artworks like abstract expressionist paintings. Blue, known for its calming qualities, is frequently used in serene scenes, such as landscape art. Yellow, representing happiness, often appears in joyful and uplifting artworks. Green’s associations with nature and growth make it ideal for eco-themed art forms.

These emotional responses to color are harnessed by artists in diverse ways across painting, interior design, fashion, and more to create atmospheres, provoke sentiments, and guide the viewer’s emotional journey through their art.

The article contains sponsored affiliate links from Amazon to valuable resources.

The post How Artists Choose Colors for their Artworks appeared first on The Artist.

While many principal characteristics of renaissance art have been influencing the modern world, this phase had led towards a spiritual thinking wherein people began exploring the philosophy of humanism

With the advent of the printing press, knowledge was for the first time in over 1000 years accessible to people outside of the clergy, the noble, the aristocratic, and the royal.

Renaissance brought about several changes. And these are changes that are still influencing the modern world, even up till presently. But germane among its effect was the fact that at the time, it ushered the world into a phase of heightened spiritual thinking. A phase where people began to explore the philosophy of humanism.

Special attention was given to the classical eras in Greece and in Rome, which until the Renaissance were the pinnacle of human achievement.

Renaissance Art – A period of revival and creativity

A renewed passion for learning and for human achievement led to the influence of all of these new studies in the formation of greater art.

Renaissance was a period of greater learning and curiosity that led many learners and artists to develop and engage in new forms of art.

Renaissance brought about several changes. And these are changes that are still influencing the modern world, even up till presently. But germane among its effect was the fact that at the time, it ushered the world into a phase of heightened spiritual thinking. A phase where people began to explore the philosophy of humanism.

Florence, Italy was the birthplace of the Renaissance and that is the reason why many disciplines focused mainly on Italy.

The power of humanists during the Renaissance period was dominating and thus the church sought to become “patron” of the artists’ projects.

The creative ventures involving the church and the artists shot up due to the high education sponsored by the church and the wealthy merchants spending huge amounts of money on the paintings.

Renaissance art was instrumental in the change that the world experienced. Below are five of the characteristics of Renaissance Art that had a major influence on the world. 

Top 5 Characteristics of Renaissance Art that Changed the World

1. A positive willingness to learn and explore

The onset of technology and new discoveries led artists and learners to seek more.

While the Western world saw simultaneous discoveries and innovations, the artists in Italy became more and more curious to explore the world and all the possible aspects of nature.

The discoveries in Europe included new sea routes, continents, and colonies along with new innovations in architecture, sculpting, and painting. They believed that revival of the classical antiquity could lead to a much worthy and standardized stake in that era.

2. Faith in the nobility of man- Humanism

Prior to Renaissance was the Renaissance Humanism which contributed immensely to the rise of the Renaissance.

Note that Renaissance Humanism is not the same as Humanism.

Humanism was a major offshoot, and characteristic of the Renaissance period. While the Renaissance Humanism was an intellectual movement that began in the 13th century. The major ideal of the philosophy was tied around the study of classical texts, and the alteration of these classical thinking by more contemporary ones. As in the 15th century, Renaissance Humanism had become the dominant form of education. It was so popular that it was divided into a range of sub-developments. Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) is regarded as the Father of Italian Humanism, his contribution to the philosophy was quite huge.

Renaissance Humanism was very instrumental to the reign of the Renaissance. It was popular and predominant during the period. This was to the extent that the church had to support and even “patron” it.

Humanists shared the belief that God created humans with so many potentials and abilities, and to get the best of them, one has to dignify himself and esteem himself rightly. So they felt that they had the responsibility to act on this belief and make the most of it.

Through humanism, Art especially enjoyed the support of the church. The church began to finance and sponsor creative ventures and education. And with the high-rate of patronage from the wealthy royals, there was always a ready market for the paintings that were made.

Intellectuals, artisans and common men concluded that the Church was never a responsible source for their behavior and beliefs towards God and fellow men and that they themselves are responsible for the actions.

The parallel vision between religion and humanism was cleared and the esteem related to self-importance was thought upon. The magnificent Procession of the Magi, portrayed by Gozzoli along with companies, seeks a more regal face rather than a religious one.

3. The discovery and mastery of linear perspective

The revival in math and proportions led to the innovations of two major systems: the use of linear perspective and the introduction of the vanishing point – This is considered to be one of the revolutionary characteristics of renaissance art

This was created by the famous architect of that time, Filippo Brunelleschi.

He used the innovations in math to create a linear perspective using parallel lines, a horizon line and a vanishing point to realistically portray space and depth in art.

Since painting is a two-dimensional activity, the advent of linear perspective created a three-dimensional look through practice.

To achieve this, artists took a horizon line at eye level and marked a vanishing point on it. A receding checkerboard of intersecting lines was created that converged and met the vanishing point. This created a sense of distance and depth.

With constant practice, artists managed to create a three-dimensional effect in their paintings.

Not only did the art with linear perspective shoot high, but the ability to portray convincingly naturalistic figures in illusionistic spaces was praiseworthy too.

The mastermind behind the developments was the author of three mathematical treatises and a wonderful artist, Piero Della Francesca, whose perspective paintings and impressive figures showed technique and finesse. One such classic example of his work is The Flagellation of Christ.

4. Rebirth of Naturalism. 

This is another characteristic of Renaissance Art that brought about change in world patterns.   

At the period, there was the rise of anatomical drawings and paintings. The Italian Renaissance artist-Leonardo da Vinci pioneered this move. He set the standard for drawing and painting anatomically correct bodies. He birthed this out of his quest to thoroughly understand the human body. He did this by performing 20 autopsies while drawing all that he found in the human body, the way he saw them. He then incorporated what he learned of bone structures, musculature, and organ placement (from the bodies he drew or painted), into the body of knowledge.   

Italian Renaissance artists integrated figures into complex scenes that permitted a broader perspective and a glimpse into the lives of the wealthy or rich.

Both light, shadow, and perspective were used effectively to draw attention to figures in paintings. 

Leonardo Da Vinci was considered to be a scientist as well as an artist.

Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo observed cadavers being dissected.

This was for them to study how human muscles lay underneath the skin.  

In Medieval days, the human body was regarded as being sinful, smelly, and disgusting. And therefore, it was to be covered at all times.

But then, during the Renaissance period, this changed. Renaissance thinkers considered the human body to be a beautiful thing. And in fact, a model for God’s universe.

In Da Vinci’s 1487 drawing; “Vitruvian Man,” which meant “universal man”, he expressed how a spread-eagle human body, fits into a perfect circle. And he did this with its arms stretched out into a perfect square.

Michelangelo’s nude statue, “David” is a prime example of the Renaissance’s fascination with the human body. And its belief that the human body is the apex of God’s creation.

Michelangelo painted so many nude characters in his “Last Judgement”. He did this on the wall of the Sistine Chapel. And after a while, the Vatican had to hire another painter to paint modest clothes around his drawings, to cover many of the nude paintings.

5. Secularism 

Secularism; which is the last characteristic I’ll dwell on, was also a useful force. It is the transition of predominant beliefs and thought patterns from religious themes to broader themes. And also the incorporation of practices such as architecture and sculpture. Renaissance artists portrayed non-religious themes, meanwhile, Medieval Art was exclusively religious in nature.

During Medieval times, most people believed the world would end in the year 1,000 A.D., so they believed that any other art subject was inappropriate.

Renaissance art focused on religious subjects, and Bible characters. So the trend gradually shifted toward the painting of scenes that were not religious. 

One of the earliest Renaissance examples of a non-religious theme was van Eyck’s revolutionary “Arnolfini Marriage.” Jan van Eyck employed the art of depth and reflection by adding a mirror on the back wall. That way, the people that viewed the picture got a reflection of themselves in the view of the painting.

The interest in Classical Roman culture was rekindled during this period. Then, the Renaissance put forward artworks that often portrayed scenes from Greek and Roman mythology. 

One of the evidence of the rebirth of the Greek and Roman culture was the revival of sculpture works.

In classical times, only the important cities were filled with statues and sculptures. But during the Renaissance, there was an increased interest in archeology, to rediscover the Classical culture. Michelangelo was present when the Laocoon; carved in the 1st century, was discovered in Rome.

Michelangelo was not only a painter and sculptor of great talent. He also served as the architect of the Dome for St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. And this church building is acclaimed to be the largest church building on earth.

Final thoughts

Conclusively, the phase of Renaissance art had countless effects and a great impact on the way the world is now structured.

Painters and sculptors that emerged after this period of great innovations and developments, followed up on the new trends and even made out better designs and artworks. Well, as time passed, innovations proceeded and knowledge got more refined with every passing generation.

The teachings, learnings, and innovations of previous generations led newer ones to thirst after new breakthroughs. Breakthroughs that will typify their own generation. This then kept each person on their toes and helped them to discover and contribute more to the body of art.

Geniuses such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo contributed at a high level with their findings and innovations.

Other fields of expertise like Architecture were also not left out. Architecture and Art experienced a completely different lapse.

This phase in Architecture led to the rise in all of the beautiful designs that characterized the past centuries. Viewed as devotional objects of that time, the paintings are still adorned as great works of art. And it even birthed our present structures; the jaw-dropping ones which we now boast of today. 

The principles of Renaissance art have no doubt, contributed immensely to the state of the world today. It taught us principles and ideals which have remained relevant, through and true.

And have transcended generations, while still strongly influencing our lifestyle and patterns in today’s world.

The 7 most famous of renaissance paintings

Why is Monalisa painting so famous?

The post 5 Characteristics of Renaissance Art That Changed the World Forever appeared first on The Artist.

Mainstream comics are still going strong and are gaining more and more popular because people are getting interested thanks to the wide plethora of movies, video games, and TV series we see. A few historical events have forever changed the course of the medium, which is always interesting to behold.

What would’ve comics looked like today if people hadn’t embraced the superhero concept? What kind of comics would we be reading? Would there still be comics at all?

Based on the fact that the industry has been so resilient over the years and is still here, we would say that it’s entirely possible. We can’t wait to see what will happen next.

A Brief History and Introduction to Comics

The history of comics can be traced all the way back to the 17^th century after the invention of the printing press.

However, what we today recognize as a comic strip would not appear until the 19^th century with the publication of The Glasgow Looking Glass, which is considered the first comic strip.

Indeed, there is an argument to be had, but one cannot deny the fact that it contains all elements we know, love, and recognize from modern comics – it incorporates satire, uses caricature, employs the use of thought bubbles, and is a continuous narrative represented through a series of pictures with captions.

A bit later satirical drawings that became more and more popular, appearing in newspapers and magazines, got the name “cartoons” during the 1840s.

Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday was the first serialized comics that featured a recurring character. It appeared in Judy, a British humor magazine, in 1867, and was created by C.H. Ross and illustrated by his wife, Emilie de Tessier.

Comics started to slowly grow in popularity and the industry started to thrive in the 1920s and 1930s. The Adventures of Tintin was born in Belgium, coming straight out of the mind of Georges Prosper Remi, more widely known as Herge.

In the meantime, in Britain, The Dandy and The Beano also opened the market to children through childish humor and storylines.

In 1938, Adventure Comics #1 launched with the superhero known as Superman on its cover. That was the year that completely changed the course and direction of comic books forever.

This is the direction we’re still following to this day.

Everything you see on the big screen right now stems from the popularity of the character at that time.

He served to define the genre of American comic books. It’s true that the genre saw a dip in sales and popularity in the 50s, but it quickly reclaimed its positions in the 60s.

In May 1939, Detective Comics #27 brought another genre-defining character to life – Batman.

Soon after, many other comic book characters would be created, which would give birth to the entire multiversity. Thus the Golden Age of comic books had begun.

During the Golden Age, comic books thrived. Comic books provided cost-effective entertainment and were popular among many different age groups. However, after World War II, there was a great dip in the popularity of superheroes.

While the most popular characters like Batman and Superman continued to sell, many others that hadn’t been established yet (like Green Lantern and the Flash) at the time were canceled.

The industry still expanded through different science fiction titles, such as Mystery in Space.

The industry saw some problems in the 50s. The numbers started to take a dip because of several factors.

Many believed that comic books actually caused juvenile delinquency, which caused problems and controversy.

Sales suffered from all the scandals, and Comics Code Authority, which was established with the aim of reducing juvenile delinquency and other problems caused by comic books, didn’t help.

In the mid-50s many people blamed comics for different youth-related problems. Parent groups help public comic book burnings to do away with comics. There were even bans in some cities. The industry took a huge hit.

Around the same time, TV was also an emerging form of entertainment, which competed with comic books for the time viewers. TV was innovative, fresh, and interesting, not because the programs were so good (the story-arcs in comic books at the time were far more interesting), but simply because it was a relatively new technology coming to the public.

The industry managed to persevere, though. The mid-fifties (1956, to be more precise), saw the beginning of the Silver Age. Many scholars believe that the rebirth of the Flash in Showcase #4 also gave the birth of the new age.

The Silver Age would be characterized by a new type of superheroes.

In 1961, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Fantastic Four, which, despite the atrocious movies we’re now forced to watch, is one of the most influential comics of that time. For the first time, superheroes were humanized and given inner demons to fight and conquer, aside from the villains.

This was considered a revolution at the time because it hadn’t been done before. This made superheroes like Spider-man, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men a lot more relatable, especially among college students who could relate to the heroes and the problems they were facing.

The 1970s would (figuratively speaking) give birth to the Bronze Age of comics.

The transition wasn’t as sharp as the one between Gold and Silver Age and not all characters entered it at the same time. The timing is also quite speculative, though it’s widely accepted among fans and scholars.

The Bronze Age brought a lot more substance to the comics.

They began to provide social commentary and tried to tackle popular issues at the time, such as drug abuse. During the Bronze Age, we also so the revamping of some characters with some more serious and darker undertones.

The industry was thriving again and even saw the birth of the first specialized comic book stores.

The darker undertones that started with the Bronze Age transitioned in the Modern Age.

The creation of Alan Moore’s Watchmen and Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns served to cement this. Both comics were critically acclaimed and saw huge sales.

In fact, they are among the most influential comics to this day. The darker tone of DC’s cinematic universe can be traced to the success of those comics, and the director of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (which is loosely based on Miller’s masterpiece) is the same director who brought Watchmen to life on the big screen – Zach Snyder.

The popularity of antiheroes like Wolverine and the Punisher began to grow because of this.

Mainstream comics are still going strong and are gaining more and more popular because people are getting interested thanks to the wide plethora of movies, video games, and TV series we see.

A few historical events have forever changed the course of the medium, which is always interesting to behold.

What would’ve comics looked like today if people hadn’t embraced the superhero concept?

What kind of comics would we be reading?

Would there still be comics at all?

Based on the fact that the industry has been so resilient over the years and is still here, we would say that it’s entirely possible. We can’t wait to see what will happen next.

The post Infographics : A Brief History and Introduction to Comics appeared first on The Artist.

Whether or not we are aware of it, we allow art to affect our lives one way or another.

In the famous book Art as Therapy by Alain De Botton, the author has outlined seven functions of art and explains how art helps us grow and evolve in our understanding of ourselves, each other, and the world we live in. Taking your time to mindfully observe artwork can be of true value to your emotional well-being.

How to use Art as Therapy?

Memories

We live in a world of stress and distraction so it is hard for us to remember everything. We often write down what we need to remember. To remember something sentimental or something that stirs great feelings in us, we make an image of it.

In our day and age, we snap a picture of what we want to remember, but before the snapshot came art.

Art focuses on the essence of the scene rather than the whole of it.

It homes in on what is most memorable from the scene the artist was viewing. DaVinci could have put detail into every part of Mona Lisa, but he chose to light up her smile.

Van Gogh made it quite obvious that the brilliance of the stars in the night sky were the things meant to make you reminisce.

Artists not only preserve a visual reminder of a memory, but they also record the emotions associated with the memory. When we view the image, whether it is one from our own memory or someone else’s, we tap into that remembered emotion and relate it to our own past experiences.

Hope

The authors argue that a person viewing a pretty picture is neither ignoring nor forgetting reality. They cannot see a picture as beautiful without the contrast of what they know to be true about the harshness and stress of life.

We give most of our focus to the things in our lives that cause us stress and negative emotions. The authors point out that we need pretty art to give us hope.

Art reminds us that there is beauty in the world that we can strive to see it, appreciate it, and have it.

Art can move us to tears.

Beautiful art can bring tears of joy when we see a painting, sculpture or photograph of people or creatures experiencing things we want to experience. Experiencing such heart-warming feelings about it encourages us to hope for the same thing for ourselves.

Sorrow

Art doesn’t just increase our capacity for joy, it validates our sorrows.

Because we can appreciate and identify with sorrow shown in a work of art, we are able to take solace in not being alone in those feelings and reactions. We are also able to turn the sympathy we have for the subject to ourselves. Art helps us see that sorrow can be beautiful and noble and still be one aspect of a good life.

The power of art lies neither in the image nor the emotions it arouses in the viewer, rather its greatness is derived from understanding the creative forces which inspired the masterpiece.

Goya’s black paintings series is a great example that proves this theory.

Art also helps us to suffer alone without the input of society so that we can show a dignified face to the world in our public sorrow. It provides a different perspective or “vantage point from which to survey” our own sadness and how we deal with it privately and how we show it to the outside world.

Rebalancing (The Most Powerful Way to Use Art as Therapy)

Our day to day lives influences the balance of our emotional makeup. A stockbroker might be balanced toward a fast panic, a social worker toward depression, or a pre-school teacher toward excitement and childlike happiness.

Viewing art that depicts situations and feelings outside of what we normally experience on a daily basis helps us attain balance in our emotions by filling those voids.

Our negative responses to art also help us to see what it is within ourselves that hate the image.

In doing so, art questions our moral reasoning, asking us to put aside our judgments and rethink the situation. Though it may seem bossy, art encourages us to better ourselves by examining unfamiliar or negative issues.

We gain balance through art by taking a moment to observe, judge, and appreciate things we don’t normally see and our responses to them.

Self-Understanding

Art helps us to complete our own unformed thoughts and ideas.

We have an ‘aha’ moment when we see a piece of art that perfectly captures a feeling or thought we have had that we couldn’t express. When this happens, we have gained a piece of new knowledge through the art that we can now communicate to ourselves and to others.

People express the self-understanding they have gained from art in the images they put on their walls, upload to social media, or wear on their t-shirts.

Growth

When we see a picture of something we haven’t personally experienced or of an emotion that we don’t have a personal context for, we can take the time to think about it, react to it, and empathize with it.

If we were to encounter that situation in reality without having ever seen it before in art we wouldn’t have the time to think about it before judging or reacting.

Because we have been exposed to these situations in art and have processed them in our minds when we encounter them in the world we have a prior context in which to organize our thoughts about them and react in a kinder way than we might have otherwise.

That is growth.

Appreciation

Humans are creatures of habit and routine. We often miss seeing the average, everyday things that surround us. When we do think outside of our routines, we often think about things we aspire to have and not the things that we do have.

Art helps us to revisit the value of ordinary things like the pretty colors in a splash of morning light on a table cloth or the familiar and nostalgic aspects of old beer cans.

Art also points out that things we don’t normally see as beautiful can be, and that we can be beautiful as well. As a society, we strive to achieve a certain body type, but Ruben shows us the beauty in another. Vermeer asks us to forget altogether the physical beauty of a woman is and to instead look at the beauty of her capacity for feeling.

When we appreciate the things that art points out to us we are kinder to ourselves and to others.

Recognizing and remembering these seven functions of art as therapeutic tools for personal growth the next time that you encounter art will hopefully enhance your experience of the image you are looking at.

Taking the time to mindfully observe artwork is shown by the authors of Art as Therapy to be of true value to your emotional well-being.

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Good things aren’t always beautiful. Beautiful things aren’t always good. Ugly can be made beautiful. Beautiful can be revealed as ugly. Street Art is one such super cool art where it’s meanings and messages are much deeper and thought-bending

Check out art infographics on five reasons why street art is super cool

Most of the top street Art and Graffiti Has A Remarkable Attitude, Satire and Creativity . A lot of street art has an obvious, or sometimes very subtle, anti-establishment hint in it. The very mediums it uses, owned by states or corporations, are protected by law from the artist but are used without regard or in spite of it. That illegality is often a part of the message.

For millennia, people have been desecrating public buildings and spaces with their written or drawn opinions of authority figures, celebrities, and even their own friends and lovers. Archaeologists have found Roman inscriptions that mirror what’s written on the wall in our modern bathrooms.

Street art’s former graffiti reputation as destructive vandalism has mostly disappeared. As the art form gains the notice of the art world elite, and more importantly, the masses, there is hope of success for the artist in his life and even the immediate future. Street Art plays a major role in adding soul and personality to its existence. Berlin is one such fascinating city for street art, where large-scale, puzzle-like street art works can be seen all around the city.

Street art has proven itself to be a true expressive art form. It is not an inferior form of political outcry nor is it the indifferent rebellion of a disaffected youth. Street art thinks, feels, and evokes thought and emotions in the people that view it with an open mind.

Street art is executed with purpose, design with technique and produced with intention. Inquisitive urban explorers are often the first to find new street art. So, next time if you are around Rio, Berline, Prague or New York, find some time to explore the magic of street art.

The post Infographics: Why Street Art Graffiti Is Super Powerful? appeared first on The Artist.

Three centuries later, art fairs were taking place in the grand expositions of Paris and at the Royal Academy in London. The United States introduced major European works at its first art fair at the Armoury exhibition of 1913 in New York City.

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