What is variety in art

He was talking about art. Variety works through juxtaposition and contrast. Straight lines next to curvy lines add variety. Organic shapes among geometric shapes add variety. Bright colors next to dull colors add variety. Note: If an artist uses variety to draw the viewers attention to a specific area in a composition then variety morphs into emphasis , also a principle of art.

Principles of art bleed into one another. They overlap. Harmony and variety are really opposite expressions of the same nebulous concept. To emphasize one is to de-emphasize the other. Harmony and variety play tug-of-war in a composition. Too much harmony is boring while too much variety is aimless and incomprehensible.

Look at the image below. Both harmony and variety are evident. The orange squares and the blue grid that surround them are in harmony based on both color and shape. The round form of distorted squares adds variety. The ball breaks the monotony of squares and adds interest. Unity and harmony are similar, but unity is more broad. There are numerous ways to create unity in art. Unity is about separate parts working together.

We can better understand unity by thinking about a car. When the many parts of a car are working together, it moves. No part of the car, separated from the whole, is capable of providing transportation. When the car functions as it should, the parts are working together in unity.

Like harmony and variety, unity is not easy to understand at first. Different from the elements of art, unity is an impression — a feeling the artwork conveys to the viewer. One can imagine a solitary shape and hold that shape in the mind.

One cannot, however, simply imagine unity and hold that concept in the mind. We must evaluate unity by looking and analyzing. Therefore, developing unity in artworks requires the artist to pay attention to its development throughout the process of creating. The painter needs to ensure that by adding shapes like this, you should not lose harmony. There are countless colors in the universe, and a painter selects whichever he is comfortable with for the theme.

The easiest and comfortable way to add variation to areas in an artwork is by adding colors. If artwork is muted or has dull, adding some warm color to highlight will add variety to the subject. Adding variety is comfortable when doing Oil painting work, where the painter can keep working on it till he achieves his desired result.

Again, here too, adding several shades of colors, the artist needs to ensure that the work does not lose its harmony. Size plays an essential role in creating distance, reality, depth, perspective, and whatnot. Not showing differences in size will add monotony to the drawing. Overall, size creates realism to work. Adding different sizes along with the regular size of the object creates a variation and interest in the work.

In a complete composition, an artist may not just use one element; he may use multiple elements to create diversity in his artwork. Unity in art is achievable when the composition is excellent and all elements fit together as a wholesome. The whole picture gives a more significant meaning than individual elements or parts. A viewer can remember a separate object from the painting, but he cannot remember the concept of unity.

On the other hand, variety is attainable by adding spice to the composition creating attraction to the artwork. The kick here is something in contrast to what is already there in the painting. I suggest you take a look through his work to get some ideas of how you can incorporate varies techniques into your work whilst retaining a sense of cohesiveness. You should also check out my post on his painting below, The Fighting Temeraire. Nothing stands out more than a lack of shape variance.

It tends to look bland and unnatural if you use the same circles or squares throughout your painting unless you are painting rigid architecture. The cliff forms several strong shapes in the positive and negative space the positive space being the cliff and the negative space being the sky in the background.

I have outlined these dominant shapes below. When I think about shape, I first think in terms of these dominant, big-picture shapes. I can break the dominant shapes down into smaller, more intricate shapes, as shown below. Notice all the variety in these shapes; no two shapes are the same. If you want to see more examples of shape variance, you should check out the work of Edgar Payne.

He was a master of using shape to depict the natural environment. Edge variance is essential if you want to paint with a quality of realism.

If you only use hard edges in your painting, then it will look very harsh and rigid. If you only use soft edges in your painting, then it will look blurry and out of focus. Venice in the Fog by Sargent is a beautiful demonstration of edge variance, with soft edges used to depict the moody background, and hard edges used for the busy foreground.

Below is another example by Sargent. Notice how hard edges draw your attention towards the beggar's out strung hand, which is a key feature of the painting. If you want to learn more about this topic, you should check out my posts on the principles of art and the other visual elements.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I appreciate it! Feel free to share with friends. If you want more painting tips, check out my Painting Academy course. Very intresting and informativ mail i especially like those with Pictures and text.

I learn so much. Every time I need a suggestion that works, you have what I need in a well explained post. Thank you! The best examples I have come up with so far are by Cy Twombly. What paintings might you point to?

The way he breaks down the work and explains it in photos is so helpful! You should make a textbook. Thank you!!! Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Pin 1K. Share What Is Variety in Art?