Use this layer to compare.

Click the tabs on the left to discover the ARTiSTiC-insights and then click back to this tab to compare.

ARTiSTiC-inquiry

What is the goal, message, or intent of this image?
Can you state it in a few words, say, five or less?
Does the use of Value, Key, Color Intensity, Hues, Edges, and Composition each effectively support this intent?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

Establish a purpose or for your image; what you want it to “say”. Keep it short, but descriptive. Then check to see if all qualities of your design suggest and support your intended message. Determine if there are elements or properties that detract from your goal and consider eliminating or reducing them.

The relative lightness or darkness of the colors in the image

Value is the most defining art element. Images with a full range of value, including black to white, have a greater potential impact and visual clarity than images using a smaller range of value.

Does this image include a full range of values? Are there areas at or near black and white?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

Determine the range of value for the medium you are using. What is the darkest and lightest color you can make? Utilize the full range of value for more visual impact and clarity. (See Key for proportional use on values to create or enhance a desired mood) Why? Images that use a limited range of value will often appear overexposed, underexposed, poorly printed, and may misrepresent your intent.

The proportional use of value in the image

It is important to use a full range of value, however, larger amounts of dark, medium, or light can help create different moods.

Darker images are called Low-key — More black ⬛ with less gray ◻️ and even less white ▫️. Mid-key images use mostly medium tones ▪️ ⬜ ▫️, and high-key ▪️ ◻️ [ ] use mostly light tints.

Compare the amounts of dark, medium, and light in this image and determine if it is Low, Med, or High key.

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

Does your image include a full range of values?
Is your image low-key, mid-key, or high-key?
Does your use of value enhance the mood, feel, or intent of your image?

Wavelengths of the visible color spectrum

Hue is one of the three attributes of color (Value, Hue, and Intensity) associated with a specific wavelength of light. A color's hue is often used to describe or a color.

This image shows the dominant hues used in the colors in the image. The intensity is exaggerated to show difficult-to-discern areas such as dark, pale, or subtle grayed areas. (Note: Grays areas shown lack sufficient intensity to belong to any hue.)

ARTiSTiC-inquiry

Does your image contain too many hues for the desired mood or emotion?
Does your image contain too few...?
Is one hue more frequent or dominant than the others?
Does the dominant hue convey the feeling or emotion that you intend?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

Hue is the strongest tool for creating and enhancing emotion. It is often easier to create visual unity and convey more specific emotions with a limited pallet of colors. Allow one hue to be more dominant in quantity and/or intensity and then balance it with a second or third hue. The use of hue can be very complex and subjective because of it’s relation to emotion and because of the range of possibilities compared to other art elements.

Warm and Cool are terms used to describe a division of the color spectrum into two categories associated with their psychosomatic properties.

In objective works, look for a relation between Warm & Cool and the lights and shadow areas.

(Note: Darker shades of pure grays and black are shown as “warm”, and grays closer to white are categorized as “cool”. This image does not demonstrate relative warm or cool.)

ARTiSTiC-inquiry

Is the image mostly warm or cool?
Do you think this is this consistent with the intended mood or feel?
Does this image follow a “cool light with warm shadows” or “warm light with cool shadows” convention?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

try using a dominantly warm or dominantly cool color scheme to support your intended mood or feel. Include some opposing warm or cool in the image, even in a very small amount, to increase effect and to provide a visual comparison.

ARTiSTiC-insights

Also of interest, the notion that “warm colors advance and cool colors recede” is more likely dominated by the interplay of value and intensity.

The relative purity of a hue (also called Chroma, Saturation, or more accurately Chromaticity). Colors furthest from grayscale are the most “intense” and attract more visual attention.

This layer is not intended to demonstrate value. Instead, lighter areas represent higher Color Intensity.

(Note: For black & white or grayscale images this layer will appear all black. Such images contain no color intensity.)

ARTiSTiC-inquiry

Does your focal point use vibrant colors?
Are there distracting areas in your image with too much intensity?
Is the overall Color Intensity appropriate for the mood or emotion you are trying to convey?
Is one hue more intense than the others?
Does that hue convey the feeling or emotion that you intend?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

Use Color Intensity to enhance an area of preferred interest. Reduce color intensity to subordinate an area or reduce distractions.

ARTiSTiC-insights

At fullest intensity, hues vary in value, but are generally light. You can further enhance the effect of a color’s intensity by darkening the value in it’s surrounding shapes.

The transitions from one shape of value or color to an adjacent shape.

Edges are often described as being “hard, sharp, strong, crisp, in-focus...” or conversely, “soft, feathered, blurred, lost… ”. This variety of edges is also called Edge Quality.

ARTiSTiC-inquiry

Does the focal point use strong/sharp edges?
Are there distracting areas in your image that can be softened?
For realism art, is the edge quality consistent for a depth of field or focus and uniform on similar distance objects and surfaces?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

Careful treatment of edges is often underestimated and can dramatically improve and refine the look of any image. Sharpen edges to improve their clarity and enhance interest. Soften distracting edges to help them recede in visual importance. Be careful not to over soften or sharpen edges inconsistent with an established depth of field or focus.

For graphic image styles containing only sharp edges, use value, hue, or intensity changes between shapes to increase or reduce edge strength.

In graphic line art, where edges are represented by lines, use value and thickness to alter their visual importance.

In drawing and sketching, use value, thickness, and the edge quality of the line to establish importance and alter the look for visual interest.

(see also: LINE COMPOSITION)

Lines express direction, movement, rhythm, texture, and help define a shape. Lines are often used in art to represent edges (see Edges) and have visual weight and need to be balanced in an image just as shapes of color and/or value.

Use this view to study the most dominant edges, or to visualize the image as a simple line drawing.

ARTiSTiC-inquiry

Are the important elements of your image visible?
Are key edges too subtle or missing in this view?
Do the lines support, point to, or frame your focal point?
Do other lines direct your eye to where you would like?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

Try using edges to help define your focal point, direct your eye to, or frame the focal point. Use dominant edges to enhance the illusion of depth by intersecting with, or appearing to going behind, another shape. Avoid using lines or edges that direct your eye out of the. Make sure that the use of dominant edges is balanced, especially horizontally.

A compositional division of the image in thirds

Study the balance of various elements including shape, value, or line, and the placement of shapes or focal points based on thirds.

ARTiSTiC-inquiry

Where is the focal point in relation to the intersection of lines?
Is the focal point balanced with a visual secondary point of interest in an opposing area?
Does each section contain a pleasing composition?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

The “rule of thirds”, as it is sometimes called, is a practice of placing focal points, large shape separations, or dominant lines near a division of the image in thirds. It is a helpful reminder to not create too predictable a composition (such as placing the focal point in the exact center of the image). Generally, placing a focal point near an upper third will help it be visually supported, and placing it left or right of center with a balancing visual weight or point of interest on the other side can enhance visual interest.

It is not necessary to place focal points on exact intersections of these lines or to create exacting balance. Instead, use these as a general guide for consideration.

A compositional division of the image in halves and fourths

Use this image to study balance of values, line/edge weights, and the placement of shapes or focal points based on halves and fourths.

ARTiSTiC-inquiry

Does your image feel balanced, left to right and top to bottom?
Where is your focal point in relation to the intersection of lines?
Does each section have a pleasing composition?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

“Visual Weight” is a consideration of all properties of visual interest, but commonly refers to shapes or masses of value. Generally, a balanced composition will make a viewer feel more comfortable. Use visual weight to complimentarily balance (not symmetrically balance) a composition, both left to right and top to bottom. It is not uncommon to balance an image with slightly more visual weight in the upper half.

Areas receiving the most visual attention

A Focal Point is an area with initial or particular interest. Discover which area may be receiving the most visual attention and have the most prominent and initial impact.

ARTiSTiC-inquiry

Is this consistent with the way you perceive the focal points?
Are there any detracting focal points?
Is there a balance between the focal points?
Do the secondary or tertiary focal points direct your eye back to the main focal point?

ARTiSTiC-ideas for your art

Try using Value Contrast, Color Intensity, Edge Strength, and other compositional tools to direct the viewer’s eye, create visual impact, and balance focal points of interest. See the ARTiSTiC-i Seeing System for more information! (needs link or reference…)

ARTiSTiC-insight

Focal Points do not take into account subject matter or other psychological interests initially, however, after visual processing and or other cognitive reasoning, certain areas or subjects of interest in an image can develop strong visual attractions as focal points.