Review on Line

LINES

Lines that are mechanical are actual marks on a surface. In the picture plane, they go up, down,
side-to-side, corner-to-corner, crisscrossing, arching, and so on. Lines outline the shapes of
images. These shapes are further developed into visual mass through painterly effect. Lines have
psychological and symbolic associations, expressed as follows:

1. Vertical lines are associated with dignity, stature, stateliness, confidence, dominance and
strength

2. Horizontal lines are associated with restfulness, relaxation, tranquility, calmness, passivity,
and indisposed condition

3. Diagonal lines are associated with dynamic movement as it appears falling or rising. It is the
line of tension and energy

4. Curve lines are associated with elegance, softness, beauty and grace

5. Zigzag lines are associated with nervous confusion, chaos, danger and violence

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Madame Palmyre with Her Dog, 1897

In Lautrec’s monochrome drawing, lines defined the boundaries of

the subject. Further, the tone or relative lightness and darkness
have introduced little suggestion of weight and roundedness.
Initially, we see hasty lines figuring the shape of a woman and a
dog. At this stage, the viewers enter into the picture plane and
eventually reach a representational curb inherent in lines.a

Lines in "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"

Expressive Lines of Durer

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse works like a drawing monochrome. Several lines work
together to create both figures and emotions against the compact space. In works such as this,
lines extend their function beyond its property. The basic motif that lines create come from
direction, orientation, outlines and contour. But when lines are applied to achieve the visual effects
of color, texture, and movement, we see its expressive possibilities. In the work of Durer, the below,
the contrast of dark and light is strong with hatching lines in the background countering the outlines
of the clouds. The hatched background sets a heightened motion - in this case - of charging
forward, making the background seems to flush to the left side.

The scene reflects those themes that were painted in Romanticism movement which entail heavy
visual drama. In Durer's The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the lines show theatrical intensity,
with contour hatching creating the surreal windy folds and creases. Finally, the darkness created by
the lines are vast and horrifying.

Durer, Albert. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse . 1498. britishmuseum.org. Web. 19 July 2020.

Line: The Hatching Technique

The article below was written by Nicole Tinkham. I find this useful for us to start a little tutorial on
how to do hatching. On the next assignment page, I hyperlinked a file that opens as an activity
sheet

7 BASIC Pen & Ink techniques to help you get started

Pen and ink– these are two very scary words for any newbie. If the first thought that comes to mind
when you hear these words is PERMANENT then you’re not alone. Many of us shy away from even
trying pen and ink drawings for fear of making a mistake and not being able to easily fix it. Here’s
what we want you to do today. We want you to LET GO of that fear. Anything you attempt in life will
take time and practice, pen and ink being no different. One main difference between pen & ink and
pencil drawing is shading. With a pencil, you can produce different shades depending on how much
pressure you place on the pencil. Pens on the other hand don’t work that way. In order to get nice
shading, you have to rely on TEXTURE. Don’t stress out, this is actually super fun. Continue reading
for 7 BASIC pen & ink techniques and how to achieve them.
1. Hatching

START HERE. This is the most basic of the 7 techniques listed in this blog. Hatching is simply
straight parallel lines. No need to use a ruler though. The lines don’t have to be perfectly straight or
the same distance apart. In fact, we prefer them not to be perfect. Give it some character!

2. Cross Hatching

Cross hatching is like hatching but doubled. You’ll create your straight parallel lines going one
direction and then do the same exact thing going in the other direction so that the parallel lines
cross.

3. Contour

Take the parallel lines in your hatching technique and curve them with the shape of the object. This
will give a 3D effect to the object and really make it stand out. Again, your lines don’t have to be
perfect.

4. Cross Contour

The cross contour technique is similar to that of the cross hatching technique. You’ll take your
contour lines and cross over them with a second set of contour lines going the other direction. Be
sure to follow the form of the object.

5. Contrasting lines

We always think contrasting lines are so much fun. These are shorter angled lines going in one
direction and then another set of short angled lines going in the opposite direction (not
overlapping). This is a more decorative approach and produces a detailed look.

6. Stippling

Stippling is another fun one to play around with but also the most tedious one in this post. It’s
basically a series of small dots, clustered where the shading should be. The further away the dots,
the lighter the area. The closer they are together, the darker the shading.

7. Doodles (Random Lines)

Doodles are the exact opposite of hatching. Instead of shading with straight parallel lines, you’ll be
shading with random squiggly lines. This technique is meant to be done loosely. Overlap squiggly
lines where the shading is darker and thin them out where it’s lighter. This works great for furry or
fuzzy areas.

Henri Matisse's Color

"I cannot copy nature in a servile way." - Henri Matisse

I extracted some lines from Notes of a Painter, written by Henri Matisse himself to illustrate his
relationship with colors. It shows how the basic element can transpose subjects and impel an artist
to modify or let colors succeed over other elements of design, and over other concerns of
composition. In the light of his Fauve Philosophy, he was searching the most satisfying tones for his
subject rather than searching the most conventional ones.

Henri Matisse's Thoughts About Color

Here are what he wrote about colors in Notes of a PainterLinks to an external site. (1908):

• I am forced to interpret nature and submit it to the spirit of the picture.

• From the relationship I have found in all the tones there must result a living harmony of
colors, a harmony analogous to that of a musical.

• I have found in all the tones there must result a living harmony of colors, a harmony
analogous to that of a musical composition.

• The chief function of color should be to serve expression as well as possible.

• If at first, and perhaps without my having been conscious of it, one tone has particularly
seduced or caught me, more often than not once the picture is finished I will notice that I
have respected this tone.

• The expressive aspect of colors imposes itself on me in a purely instinctive way.

• I will not try to remember what colors suit this season, I will be inspired only by the
sensation that the season arouses in me.

• My choice of colors does not rest on any scientific theory; it is based on observation, on
sensitivity, on felt experiences.

• There is an impelling proportion of tones that may lead me to change the shape of a figure
or to transform my composition.

Short Biography of Henri Matisse

Feature in the scroll box is the mature years of Matisse until his legacy.

Mature Years

Matisse spent summer 1905 in Collioure, working with André DerainLinks to an external site. to
create a new style of pure colors and bright light. The new style became known as Fauvism, after
critic Louis Vauxcelles described the arrangement of works at the Salon d'Automne in 1905 - an
important showcase for the new movement - as "Donatello among the wild beasts [fauves]."
Matisse was soon known as the Fauvists' leader in the press, called "chief fauve" by Louis
Vauxcelles and other critics. The Fauvist movement, though short-lived, forged one of modern art's
two directions. In 1905, Matisse met Pablo Picasso at the studio of Gertrude SteinLinks to an
external site.. The two artists began a lifelong friendship and rivalry, each artist representing a
possible direction modern art could take after the death of Paul Cézanne. While Picasso
deconstructed objects into Cubist planes, Matisse sought to construct an object's form through
color.

By 1907, painters were no longer working in the Fauve style, not even Matisse. He moved on to
create simplified forms against flat planes of color. His interest in sculpture intensified as well,
especially North African work, probably due to his experiences on a 1906 trip to Algeria. He used
sculpture to resolve pictorial problems, especially those relating to the figure. He also acquired the
support to open an art school in 1908, teaching approximately eighty students over three years. And
he gained patronage from collectors of avant-garde art, including the Russian collector Sergei
Ivanovich Shchukin, who eventually owned dozens of his paintings.

From 1911 to 1916, Matisse focused on depicting the human figure in interior spaces decorated
with Eastern rugs and souvenirs. While he was not drafted during World War I, the seriousness of
world events affected his painting, muting his palette. Towards the end of the war, however, he
returned to his bright colors, leading to his "Nice period" from 1917 to 1930. Many of these
paintings make use of the white of the exposed canvas to suggest the bright light of southern
France.

In 1930, Matisse went through a time of artistic crisis and transition. Dissatisfied with the
conservative direction of his work, he traveled first to Tahiti, then to America three times in three
years. He spent much less energy on easel painting, instead experimenting with book illustration,
tapestry design, and glass engraving. In 1931, he was commissioned to create a mural for the
Barnes Foundation in Pennsylvania, which he completed in 1933.

Late Years and Death

Matisse's separation from his wife in 1939, the arrival of World War II, and ill health, all added to
Matisse's anxiety over the direction of his work. After major surgery in 1941, he was confined to a
wheelchair. He turned to drawing and paper cut-outs, media that were physically more manageable
and offered new potential for expression. Paper cut-outs symbolized for Matisse the synthesis of
drawing and painting.

The paper cut-outs encouraged Matisse to simplify forms even further, distilling the object's
"essential character" until it became a symbol of itself. He used the paper cut-out technique to
design stained glass windows for the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence, France, and as a medium in its
own right in large-scale works. With the help of assistants, Matisse was able to continue working
through his illness. On November 3, 1954, Matisse died of a heart attack.

The Legacy of Henri Matisse

Scholars in the 1950s described Matisse and Fauvism as a precursor of Abstract

ExpressionismLinks to an external site. and much of modern art. Several Abstract Expressionists
trace their lineage to him, though for different reasons. Some, like Lee KrasnerLinks to an external
site., are influenced by his various media; Matisse's paper cut-outs inspired her to cut up her own
paintings and reassemble them. Color field paintersLinks to an external site., such as Mark
RothkoLinks to an external site. and Kenneth NolandLinks to an external site., were taken with his
broad fields of bright color, as in the Red Studio (1911). Richard DiebenkornLinks to an external
site., on the other hand, was more interested in how Matisse created the illusion of space and the
spatial tension between his subject matter and the flat canvas. Others, like Robert MotherwellLinks
to an external site., did not show Matisse's influence directly in their artwork, but were influenced
by his view of painting color and form. Matisse's art continues to beguile not only artists, but also
collectors, who have bought his paintings for as much as $17 million. And as several recent and
upcoming blockbuster exhibitions suggest, he continues to be a favorite of the public worldwide.

Source:

“Henri Matisse Biography, Life & Quotes.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist/matisse-
henri/life-and-legacy/.

Review on Color

Color

Color is a property of light. As a wavelength, it is bounced off from surfaces into the eyes’ retina.
Several wavelengths of light would enter into the retina at each viewing situations, resulting in color
perception. Color perception is important to see color patterns, harmony, temperature and other
associated visual phenomena. In art, the properties that concern an observer are the hue, value
and intensity.

Hue is the distinct quality of color that is determined by the color palettes in the color wheel. Hues
can be adjusted in terms of lightness or darkness and brightness or dullness. Adding white pigment
or water to a certain color X in painting will lighten color X. In contrast, adding black pigment to
color X will darken it. The two processes will also adjust the quality of brightness.

Value is the relative lightness and darkness, or tonality of a hue. Different range of values can be
achieved in reference to light and dark or the presence or absence of light. For example, blue can
be articulated as sky blue or navy blue in different lighting conditions. In painting, changes in values
are simulated to fit the context of the subject matter. For example, in a landscape, dark hues
represent a moody or stormy environment. In contrast, a well-lit landscape represents a sunny
weather, and a more cheerful environment.

Johaness Vermeer, The Milkmaid, 1658

In terms of intensity, a particular hue can be adjusted in order to show a more diffused color quality.
This is to decrease the purity of a color, deriving weaker variations that may be suitable to the kind
of representation an artist is planning for a painting. Some ways to describe intensity is in terms
of deepness – whether a hue has a deep quality or not.

Color Temperature

Colors can also be described in terms of its temperature – warm or cool. Colors assimilate to the
dominant colors they interact with. For example, a speck of blue, in the environment of a dominant
red will be warmer. Conversely, a small amount of red will be cooler in the environment of a
dominant blue.

Color temperature is used to obtain the appropriate range of emotional association, with warmer
being more inclined to a welcoming and affectionate atmosphere while cooler being inclined to
coldness, aloofness and apathy. Sometimes the two temperatures are exploited lyrically to evoke a
single emotion such as in the painting “Under the Red Umbrella”, where the Leonid Afremov
charged romantic and passionate feelings to the canvas. The painting shows a scene that brings
together the warm hues – yellow, orange, and red, and cool hues – blue, violet and blue violet.
Leonid Afremov, Under the Red Umbrella, n.d.

Color Harmony

Color harmony is the pleasing visual effect that results from combining two or more hues. In
principle, some colors look better together than others. To know which color goes with another, the
following categories of color harmony are described.

Monochromatic. Monochromatic is the easiest to conceive among the color harmonies since it only
involves one color and its variations. This scheme is good for a single-subject painting since it
brings an automatic focus on the image, and creates striking atmospheric effect.

Analogous. Analogous combination brings together colors adjacent to each other on the color
wheel. This scheme is popular for its gentle effect and for being easy on the eyes. Generally, it
creates a peaceful theme, mainly because it is seen a lot in nature. It may seem monochromatic at
times, which is exploited in compositions that use low-key emotions.

Triadic. This color harmony uses strong contrast to achieve visual appeal. It involves colors that are
equally distant to each other in the color wheel. This type of color harmony is best applied to

cartoons and surreal subjects since this scheme evokes exciting and playful effects. Orange, green,
and blue usually have a very cheerful effect and sit well even with advertising bills and posters.

Complementary. Colors that are opposite each other in the color wheel are called complementary.
This color harmony is naturally pleasing to the eyes. But most of the time, this scheme is
misapplied. The common understanding of people is that complementary harmony uses two colors
equally. This does not achieve the pleasing effect of complementary harmony. It makes the
composition too sharp and vibrant. The appropriate arrangement is that one color must dominate
over the other. In this case, the weaker color must dominate over the stronger. Logically, the
stronger color is already dominant. If it is assigned the dominant role in the composition it will be
overbearing. An example of a good complementary arrangement in a composition is to draw on
splashes of red in an immersive green environment.

The artworks in the scroll box below are some examples of the use of color in an inspiring way. Each
of these show how artists use the visual aspect of their work as a creative force.

Matisse's Notorious Expression of Color

In his Fauve painting, Matisse used pure colors and the white of exposed canvas to create a
luminous atmosphere. Matisse used contrasting areas of pure, unmodulated color rather than used
modeling or shading to add volume and structure to his pictures.

Matisse's Radiant Sunshine

The Egyptian Curtain, shown below, 'is a beautiful example of Matisse 's influence at the height
of still life art. It is a work that colorfully radiates sunshine.

The palm outside the window erupts into sunburst against the black window frame. The speed of
Matisse’s brushstrokes results in the intensity of light. Inside the house, a vibrant visual drama
continues through the fruit bowl and curtain contrasts with the dark interior.
The perception of depth is created by the shape of the table, the shadow created by the fruit bowl
and the hint of a wall to the left of the picture plane. Observe the angles -- trying to conform to the
laws of perspective.

Matisse's Subdued Color

Matisse explored a beautiful moonlit night and how the subdued light generates a nocturne
meditation and a sense of mystery but enriched by elegance. The night is accentuated by green and
orange in the bottles of perfume and flowers, to add complementary color effect.

Watch the video below to learn more about "The Blue Window".

Wild and Bright

Matisse further explored the wild and bright, expressive vibrating colors to direct the viewer's eyes
to where he wanted it. Observe the painting below.

In the painting above, Matisse used greens and blues to complement and help draw out areas of
reds and oranges, thus resulting in a vibrating effect. This approach urges the audience to usher
their eyes to those points helping depict depth, dimension and form.

In Matisse’s work Dance and Music, he fully used complementary colors—orange and blue, and
green and red. In this case he subdued the brightness of his composition, thus confirming what he
had written in his personal journal that he is using instinctive approach to the stylistics of color. But
he used the three colors that were common to Fauvists - red, green and blue. For fauvists, these are
enough to create a compelling contrast.

Color Harmonies Review: Analogous, Triadic , and Monochromatic

Analogous Colors are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.

Triadic Harmony is where three equally spaced colors on the color wheel are used for example,
Red, Blue, violet is a triadic harmony color scheme. The use of three colors equidistant from each
other on the color wheel.

Monochromatic is where one color is used but in different values and intensity. It is composed of
variations of the same hue.

Constantin Brancusi's Shape and Volume

Constantin Brancusi masterfully rendered his sculptures by utilizing abstracted forms. He carved
them directly on the material instead of working on a mold. Sculptors work on actual mass of solid
forms unlike the painters. Their work significantly differ in technique from painting. Paintings deal
with two-dimensional plane and need to imply depth for visual mass. In sculpture, the labor on
stone, clay, casting material and other substances is like building a structure. The sculptor subject
the material to the real physical environment and the mass --to the experience of spectators
moving around it or touching it.

Before we dig deeper into the mass of Brancusi, let us review the fundamentals of two closely
related basic elements of art shape and mass in the next page.
Review on Shape and Mass

Shape

Every object is comprised of shapes. In fact, the basic structure of everything is shape. In design,
shapes have 2 dimensions – length and width. Together, these dimensions create boundaries by
setting off by negative shape from positive shape. The two terms are used technically distinguish
between the focused shape object and the defocused shape object – the former being a potential
subject, and the latter as the context or background. In decorating, shapes are usually symbolic,
pattern and texture-based.

Two Types of Shapes

Geometric. These are shapes that exist in the human-made world. In a visual composition, an
illustrator usually uses a ruler or compass (i.e. engineers and architects), or control the outline of
geometric shapes in a painterly way so that they would be regular and formal. Rectilinear and
triangular forms are common in geometric compositions.

Organic. These shapes are present in nature. They are free-flowing and could either be simple as
circular forms or complex like the shape of the clouds, trees and mountains.

Geometric and organic shapes are sometimes combined to create different perceptual
experiences.

Two Dimensional Compositions

In design we play shape together creating design relationships. Shapes also are modal and
evocative. They trigger feelings, convey messages, engage the audience and create movements.
The visual proximity of a design plan plays an important role. Objects that are placed side-by-side
and on top of each other can eventually build up shapes.

Brand logos. Shapes are used in their purest forms in typography to create brand logos. A mix class
or a single-class of shapes are used to design logos, depending on the image requirement. Some
are single solid shapes. Some involve multiple shapes that are grouped together.

Typography. Typography is the art of written languages. The strokes leave an impression or reveal
legible, readable and appealing characters and typefaces. Since letters are enhanced in sizes and
length, they create shapes that comprise a unique combination of geometric and organic forms.

Painting with shapes. Shapes are used to paint both realist and abstract images, or to generally
flatten our perception of space in other unique ways. The outline of a cartoon character is a good
example of this. Children are more simplistic in their approach to form. Most often, the more
effective and entertain forms for them are flat geo-organic shapes that sit well with their
fascinations. In more serious paintings in the realism tradition, shapes are being enhanced to
reveal more roundedness in a subject.

Mass
Mass can either be applied or actual. Implied is subjective since the perceived mass is approached
by how intuitively we take the object composed in illusionistic way. Monumental masses in real life
are referred to as actual mass. The experience of density and volume in actual mass is not
simulated, and offers heightened impact in observers. Symbolic buildings being built to
commemorate heroism and historical events are usually built with an enormous scale to capture
the intended epic and climactic feel. This is usually achieved by constructing a long enormous
staircase leading to the main area or by vertical articulation of the building.

Some sculptures are created as less permanent mass owing to the material used such as mud
bricks, ice, sand and foodstuff. But sculptures made of marble and bronze are considered as more
permanent, considering its longevity. They are perceived with less impact and less weight,
especially if the sculptural work is thinly articulated. The same is true with sculptural work that
shows boney appendages, they appear weak and fragile. On the other hand, sculptures that are
thick, bulky, compact and solidly looking are perceived with much strength and heaviness.

Signature Shape and Poetic Visual Form

Mass is paramount to Brancusi's thought and he is devoted to shaping a lump of material into
poetic figures such as The Kiss.

The Kiss is composed of two vertical figures that form a closed mass. Its mass can be viewed as an
assembly of two volumes of entwined individuals. Brancusi abstracted their bodies by eliminating
detailed protrusions. The only significant protrusions are the arms, because they carry the meaning
of the work, along with the kiss which is sparsely represented.

Many would speculate on the meaning of Brancusi's "kiss". Is it electrifying? Is it passionate? Does it
have more to say about the moment when the lovers embrace? The various interpretation and the
way the form makes us think is the beauty of expressive sculptures in the hands of a genius.

Vincent van Gogh's Texture and Space

"I know nothing with certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."

Knowing Vincent van Gogh means getting past the tortured,confused artist's stereotype and getting
to know how he ingeniously used texture and space in his paintings.
Vincent Van Gogh had created highly textured artworks. He densely applied oil paint and produced
artworks with a rough texture and an elevated surface. He is considered a pioneer on this so-
called impasto technique. But Van Gogh's impasto was not just about denseness but he also added
feeling and movement. We see the motion in the swirling clouds of Wheat Field with
Cypresses and Starry Night.

Van Gogh describes the use of impasto in several letters. In a letter dated 2 September 1882 to his
brother Theo, Van Gogh wrote:

“Sometimes the subject calls for less paint, sometimes the material, the nature of the subjects
themselves demands impasto.”

Review on Texture and Space

Texture

The way a surface feels or perceived by our senses is called texture. Texture creates visual details
on surfaces. It can also draw and repel interests of the viewers from the object of observation,
depending on the quality of texture. Shiny and gleaming textures easily attract attention while matte
finish and dry textures are usually indistinct. Two types of texture are recognized in a design
composition – (1) organic texture and (2) manmade texture. Organic texture appeals to the eyes as it
recalls the figurative images that we usually observe in everyday life. It usually appears random and
free-flowing. Manmade texture is manufactured and structured. These patterns appear as if
engineered and calculated rather than spontaneous.

Two Types of Texture

Actual Texture. This refers to the type of texture that can be seen and felt with the body (tactile).

Implied Texture. This refers to textures that are not felt but the visual technique of the artist helps
the audience to imagine what the surface of the subject feels like if touched.

Another not-so-common classification of texture is based on origin - nature or non-nature, such as

the following:

Organic Texture. This kind of texture is environmental such as wood, water, grain, sand, stars in the
sky

Manmade Texture. This texture is inspired by the industry and commerce such as napkins, textiles,
wallpapers and tiles.

Most often our texture vocabulary is derived from the material and finish products. But there are
some texture terms that are coined.

Space
Space establishes the visual essence and dynamics of the composition. In a composition we label
the quality of space as positive space or negative space. The former is the main focus of the
composition or the image that makes the most sense. The latter is usually referred to as the ‘white
space’ or the ‘empty space’ that surrounds the most important image. Negative space is integral in
design since it frames the positive image in the composition. It also helps avoid visual clutter in
order to create visual balance in the composition.

Visual Cues

In two-dimensional design, proximity, overlapping, light and shadow and perspective are the visual
tools that help conceive the needed visual dynamics.

1. Proximity suggests relationships between figures, which would inform the kind of scale to
apply on each element in the composition

2. Overlapping is the placement of figures one on top of the other.

3. Opacity is the transparency of a figure which when increased blurs the barriers between
negative and positive spaces

4. Light and Shadow can give an object a three-dimensional appearance. The two qualities
also suggest how far apart figures are from each other.

5. Perspective establishes the arrangement of figures as they appear in real life. The smaller
the figure, the further away they get, and vice versa. Also, relative sizes of figures help in
establishing perspective. Two systems of perspective are at work under the tenets of
realism

Linear and Atmospheric Perspectives

Linear perspective. Linear perspective is a technique used by artists to create the illusion of depth
and space, using a group of objects' relative size and location. To achieve that effect, the
development of a painting or drawing using linear perspective needs three important components:

1. Orthogonals (also known as parallel lines)

2. Vanishing point

3. Horizon line

Atmospheric perspective. Atmospheric perspective (or aerial perspective) refers to the manner in
which the environment influences how we see objects as they recede into space. Atmospheric
perspective means that we see an object with decreased visibility, meaning and color saturation as
an object recedes into the distance relative to the viewer.

Van Gogh's Sunflower Series

Artists often use texture to convey sentiment or demonstrate their specialized techniques. This
display of emotion is a prominent feature in van Gogh 's paintings for which he created works that
showed a rough, elevated surface.
You can see van Gogh 's trademark impasto style in the Sunflower series— using dense paint and
fluid brush strokes to give the painting greater three-dimensionality and to showcase his
imagination and creativity.

The colorful brushstrokes of Van Gogh's Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers built up the texture of the
sunflowers. He used a wide variety of yellows to represent the blossoms, owing partly to newly
discovered pigments that made new colors and tonal variations possible. Note how the simple
background is lined with lines of paint and color variations - some areas are much darker and
others a little brighter.

Note as well the simple circle shapes of the flowers. Van Gogh effectively brought them up-close,
filling the whole picture plane. Other details that reveal his technique are the white dabs and other
light colors to highlight, flower lines that go in all directions, circles of brush strokes that make the
painting burst with life and strength.

Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers (August 1888) by Vincent van Gogh — National Gallery, London

Starry Night Over Rhone and Negative Space

Van Gogh's Starry Night over the Rhone (1888) could be the precursor to his The Starry Night (1889)
as he began to swirl the stars stylistically. In this piece, Van Gogh used negative space within the
painting to help create a sense of depth. Negative space is the space around and between the
subject of the picture. It is necessary to create a setting in a landscape painting and to create
contrast with the image of the subject.

Further, Van Gogh used the technique of filling in the negative space of his composition. It works
through the detailed attention he put on the background or environment of his painting or by
creating a well-composed frame. The edges within the image help define the positive space or the
subject matter.
With this technique, Van Gogh was able to evoke the sublime mystery in his painting -- first,
because he detailed more area or vastness, and second because he was able to pay attention to
the ambiguity of space, where the audience constantly looking and never ceasing to be captivated.

“Starry Night Over the Rhône.”