In this activity, you will apply what you have learned about the basic artistic elements in subunit 4.1. You will select a realistic artistic composition and reduce it down to its most basic artistic elements.
· First, select a piece of artwork from the list of provided repositories/sources of artwork, and save an image of the artwork to your computer.
· The artwork you select should be “realistic,” so choose a photograph or a photorealistic painting, most likely. Otherwise, please choose an artwork that incorporates many of the artistic elements you learned about in subunit 4.1.
· Next, use a computer program like Microsoft Paint or use pen/pencil and paper to re-create a simplified version of the image.
· Your new image should distill or reduce the original composition into its most basic art elements, that is, points, lines, shapes, and shading.
· Then save your new image or take a photograph of your new image and save that to your computer.
· Upload both saved files to using the file upload box below the text box.
· Finally, in the text box, provide a few sentences about what image you chose and your experience of reducing the image down to its basic art elements.
· Be sure to include a line indicating the Terms of Use and/or copyright information for your work!
Art Resources
·
ART 21Links to an external site.
: Includes interviews with major contemporary artists, studio visits and explanations of their work
·
Google ImagesLinks to an external site.
: A comprehensive search engine for images
·
ArtcyclopediaLinks to an external site.
: Good general art site, mostly image links to museums:
·
Mark Hardin’s ArtchiveLinks to an external site.
: Great link with alphabetical listing of artists, mostly contemporary and historical European
·
Art History LinksLinks to an external site.
: An amazing collection of links specific to sites related to the practice of art history, many are written, not visual, information
·
Cities and Buildings CollectionLinks to an external site.
: Over 5000 architectural images maintained by the architecture department at the University of Washington
·
Web Gallery of ArtLinks to an external site.
: Good reference for lots of art history images
·
Saatchi Gallery, LondonLinks to an external site.
: Cutting edge contemporary art, plus a site where any artist can post their work
·
The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCLinks to an external site.
: Our national art museum
·
Seattle Art MuseumLinks to an external site.
·
Museum of Modern Art New YorkLinks to an external site.
: A treasure trove of modern art
·
Metropolitan Museum of ArtLinks to an external site.
: Extensive collection database from many cultures and time periods
·
Islamic art collectionLinks to an external site.
: An extensive collection of Islamic art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
·
Museum of Fine Arts, BostonLinks to an external site.
: An extensive digital collection with text information
·
Currier Museum of ArtLinks to an external site.
: A smaller museum in Manchester, NH with a fantastic collection, much of it online
·
Henry Art GalleryLinks to an external site.
: The art repository of the University of Washington. An extensive image database and excellent search system
·
National Galleries of ScotlandLinks to an external site.
: Extensive collection of artwork from many cultures and
· time periods
·
ARTstorLinks to an external site.
: Nearly one million images here. For access to this site, please check with your campus library or public library
·
CAMIOLinks to an external site.
: 95,000 images of all kinds. For access to this site, please check with your campus or public library
·
SmarthistoryLinks to an external site.
: Smarthistory.org is a free and open, not-for-profit, art history textbook. We use multimedia to deliver unscripted conversations between art historians about the history of art
·
Tibetan Book of the DeadLinks to an external site.
: Literature and Artwork on Prayer, Ritual, and Meditation from the Religious Traditions of Tibet, India and Nepal. Special Collections Department at the University of Virginia Library
·
Day of the Dead CelebrationLinks to an external site.
: History and images from the Mexican “Dia de los Muertos” celebration.
·
Frank Gehry sketchesLinks to an external site.
: Initial sketches of building design ideas by architect Frank Gehry
·
African Art: Death and RebirthLinks to an external site.
: Sculpture images and text describing ritual beliefs from African cultures. Other themes included
·
Burke MuseumLinks to an external site.
: Artwork database from their ethnology collections. Administered through the University of Washington
·
All Together NowLinks to an external site.
: A digital collaborative and interactive music project
·
AIDS Quilt Information WebsiteLinks to an external site.
·
What is a Print?Links to an external site.
: Interactive tutorial on printmaking processes, with images. Created by the Museum of Modern Art, New York
·
Edvard Munch MuseumLinks to an external site.
: Image database for many of Munch’s paintings and prints
·
Nuxalk Sun MaskLinks to an external site.
: Image and context for the
Mask of the Sun from British Columbia Nuxalkculture
·
Bradshaw FoundationLinks to an external site.
: Excellent source for images and information on prehistoric rock art, Cycladic figures, the Pyramids, ancient temples and geometric signs
·
The Art StoryLinks to an external site.
: Movements, Artists, Theory and the Progression of Art History
·
Francis Bacon EstateLinks to an external site.
: A website devoted to the images and explanations of the important and idiosyncratic English painter
·
Mayan TemplesLinks to an external site.
: An excellent site for historical information about the Temples of Palenque in Mexico
