Form: Introduction What's it like to create a work of art? Most artists will tell you they begin an artwork with a specific approach or plan, but that their actual experience is different every time. Many say that as they work, the form seems to suggest itself. In fact, the creative experience appears to be much like what athletes call "flow" or "being in the zone" — as they focus intently, time seems to flatten out and their creative drive takes over. Many artists will also tell you that it almost feels as if they are only spectators to the creative act — their creative energy seems to flow through them and into their work. Like graceful dancers who've learned not to look at their feet, artists hone their craft for years to create the forms that emerge fluidly from their hands. Working toward a vision Mike Shea The creative act is a complex mix of intuition, intellect, and mastery of materials. The basic idea for an artwork tends to evolve as artists explore their initial inspirations on paper, wood, or other materials. Many artists refine their vision as they work with their materials, and create several preliminary pieces before they arrive at a finished piece that expresses their inspiration. In order to create complex, nuanced art, artists must have complete control of their materials and technique. Order from chaos Artists create form from the chaos around us — so in a sense, they bring order to the world with each piece they produce. Artists build this sense of order with the building blocks of form known collectively as formal elements: line, shape, light and shadow, texture, color, space, and perspective. We refer to the decisions artists make about these formal elements as their technique. To combine these formal elements in a convincing way, artists apply organizing principles such as rhythm, balance, and proportion. The way an artwork is organized is its composition. Formal introductions Shintaro Okamato The creative act is largely the process of giving form to ideas using the formal elements of line, shape, light and shadow, texture, color, space, and figure/ground relationships. Line is an invention that allows an artist to describe an edge. Shape is created when a line turns or starts to enclose an area. To give dimension to shapes, artists create light and shadow effects. Artists also use space to give the illusion of three dimensions to a two-dimensional image, leading us to imagine that the image stretches into the distance. Some artists add texture — an actual or implied tactile quality — to their artwork. They also draw us in with color, which is the most universally expressive element of form because most people respond to it emotionally. The artist also helps us differentiate between the foreground and background of a work by establishing a clear figure/ground relationship. How an artist composes with all these visual devices determines the artwork's final appearance. It's not all in the wrist John Giarrizzo A finished work of art is much more than the sum of its constituent elements — but by understanding the many decisions an artist makes about technique and composition, we can develop a deeper appreciation of their work. How do I evaluate an artist's technique? Artists use many different techniques, from very abstract to hyper-realistic — but you can still judge each artist's skill on its own merits. An artist's technique is one means of conveying his or her vision in a convincing way. But technical skill is not in itself enough to create a work of art. Only when artists successfully match their technique to a distinctive vision does an artwork compellingly illuminate their ideas and feelings. Technique isn't a minor technicality Skillful technique is not in itself enough to create important art — but without it, the work will not succeed in conveying the artist's vision. The following two artists use very different techniques skillfully. Choose one, and examine how the artist has conveyed a specific vision. Building intrigue Containing chaos Jack Balas Ellen Burchenal Next: Line