I. Introduction to Humanities II.

Defining Arts

From time immemorial, man has puzzled over the The word “art” originated from the Latin ars, which
meaning of his existence. “What am I? Why am I what means “skill.” It is equivalent to the Greek techne,
I am? Why am I in this world? Where do I go from from which our modern word “technology” is
here?” These are some of the questions he has sought derived. In the early day, the term was applied not
answers to in an effort to “make sense” out of life’s only to craftsmanship but also to proficiency in
apparent confusion. We learn what it is to be human performing any activity.
by studying humanity. Arts is used to refer to skills and products which are
Humanities are records of man’s quest for answers to primarily intended to delight the senses and produce
the fundamental questions he asks about himself and a satisfying experience of aesthetic value and the
about life. The content of humanities is anything that “beautiful”.
is inherently human- man’s experiences, his values, Aristotle defines art as the right reason for making
his sentiments, his ideals, his goals. things. Now, art is a formal expression of a
The humanities thus provide more than just an considered human experience with a focus on two
appreciation of what is “the true, the good, and the elements: form and substance.
beautiful,” concepts that vary from age to age, from The role of art in human life is to transform man's
country to country. They are aimed to shape the widest metaphysical ideas, by selective reproduction
student’s subjective energies (his feelings, attitudes, of reality, into a physical form—a work of art—that
and aspirations) in accordance with a particular view he can comprehend and to which he can respond
of the social world in which he dreams, acts, and emotionally.
fulfills himself. The view about man and this world
changes and so too the content and direction of the III. Nature of Art
humanities; but in all cases, their principal task
remains the same, which is to make man conscious Nature pertains to the basic or inherent features of
and critical of, sensitive and responsive to the norms something, especially when seen as a characteristic
and hopes of his society. of it. In understanding art, there is a need to come to
terms with the facts that surround it.
The Humanities and the Sciences. Sciences are
studies dealing with the external world of man, as Art is universal.
well as the facts of man’s being that can be subjected Art is found everywhere and in every period of time
to observation, measurement, and experimentation. (past, present, future). It is embedded into the way of
The humanities, on the other hand, deal with man’s life of the people. Art is the true Esperanto, an
internal world- with his personality and experiences, artificial language, the one form of culture that is
matters that cannot be precisely measured, classified, genuinely beyond national limitations. Art knows no
or controlled. barriers; not even language is a barrier to
understanding it.
The Humanities and the Sciences. Sciences are
studies dealing with the external world of man, as Art expresses and communicates.
well as the facts of man’s being that can be subjected No one can contain an intense emotion within
to observation, measurement, and experimentation. himself for long. Art has grown out of man’s need to
The humanities, on the other hand, deal with man’s express himself. Expression in arts, however, is not
internal world- with his personality and experiences, limited to the revelation of emotions alone. The
matters that cannot be precisely measured, classified, personal and social values of the artist and his
or controlled. penetrating psychological insights into human reality
are also covered through the arts. When an artist
produces a poem, a song, a sculpture, or even a chair,
he is actually saying or revealing something artist as he: a) uses his experiences to create art, b)
significant. expresses his experience as he creates the art and c)
The artist uses symbols that he organizes into some experiences gratification as his art is accomplished.
comprehensible equivalent of the experience that he The fourth kind, on the other hand, refers to what an
is trying to convey. If the symbols are understood by audience undergoes when he perceives the work of
his audience, then communication had been art.
established. Sometimes, communication can be
intended and unintended. In experiencing art, a varying combination of
sensory, emotional, and intellectual responses
Art records history and reflects reality and happens. Sensorial experiences involve the senses to
culture. perceive the art but don’t seem to need a deeper
While each work of art is evidently the expression of understanding of the artist’s message. Emotional
an artist’s personal viewpoint, it is at the same time response happens through stimulation of memory,
an expression of a general vision of the age in which recognition of familiar situations, and empathy.
it was created. The artist, belonging to a milieu, Intellectual experience happens when we want to dig
cannot escape the influence of his social, economic, deeper into the art, understand what goes into the
political, religious, scientific, and technological making, and analyze how elements and components
environment. are blended together to create the art.
It reflects society and culture and even has
tendencies to alter values and morals. With art, the Art is not Nature. Nature is not Art.
beliefs, culture, and practices of a community are A work of art is man-made, and although it may
preserved. It is a manifestation of society and a closely resemble nature, it can never duplicate it.
reflection of people’s intricate identities. When it comes to human experience, although artists
draw from actual life situations, they do some
IV. Assumption of Art altering details.

An assumption is a statement that is accepted as true Art is only used to improve nature.
or as certain to happen without proof. Many
assumptions have been written about arts, but here V. Function of Art
are three that pretty much sums up everything.
All arts have a function, for man, the maker, creates
Art is subjective. things because he has a particular need for them.
Art cannot be measured by its significance or the Here are the three functions of art for people.
level of skill with which it is created. What is
considered “good” art varies among individuals, Personal function.
cultures, generations, and even in the stages of a Art serves as an expression for individuals. Whether
person’s lifetime. Preferences are influenced by a lot it is from the perspective of the artist or the audience,
of factors that may be related to social involvement, art can be therapeutic, entertaining, cathartic,
education and training, past experiences, or some comforting, or educating.
psychological and emotional associations.
A thing of beauty is one that gives us pleasure when Social functions.
we perceive it. However, beauty is in the eye of the Influencing Social Behaviors. Many works of art
beholder; thus, there is not one set of criteria that influence the way we think, feel or act. Some arts
applies. Nevertheless, the beauty in art is the result of have been used to express humanitarian concern as
the successful organization of lines, color, shapes, well as ideological or political comments. Yet, they
and spaces in order to convey an idea or emotion. have done tremendous mindset changes to society.
Commercial and advertising art also influence
Art involves experience. customer decisions very much.
There are four kinds of experience involved in the
artistic activity. The first three focused solely on the
Display and Celebration. They serve to record satisfying organization of their sensuous and
important historical events or reveal the ideals of expressive elements. They evoke certain
heroism and leadership that the community would emotional responses. Some artists focused on
want the young to emulate. Public celebrations, such art as an object, an exciting combination of
as festivals, involve rituals of some kind, and these, in shapes and colors.
turn, employ the arts. 2.Ways of Representing Subject

The manner of representing subject matter varies

Social Description according to the inventiveness and purpose of each
Even without the slightest intentions of artists to artist.
present historical pictures, artworks are vital Realistic representation is used when things are
historical documents. They describe aspects of depicted in the way they would normally appear in
existence at certain periods. Because many of them nature. However, no work of art is truly realistic.
focus on facets of daily life, they tell us what the
societies that produced them were like. ● Abstract representation is the process of
simplifying and/ or reorganizing objects and
Physical Functions.
elements according to the demands of artistic
Form and Function refer to how the function of an
expression. The artist selects and renders the
object generally determines the basic form that it
objects with their shapes, colors, and
takes.
positions altered.

Architectural designs must suit the building’s

● Distorted representation happens when the
purpose and its surroundings.
figures have been so arranged that
proportions differ noticeably from natural
measurements. It is usually done to
1 What Subject Is dramatize the shape of a figure or to create
an emotional effect.
When you look at a work of art, do you ever wonder
what it is all about? Without looking into the ● Surrealism is the combination of realism and
background of the artist or the painting per se, do distortion. The images are recognizable,
you find your guesses close to what the real subject is sometimes, drawn from nature, but they are
all about? combined in utterly fantastic and unnatural
To a majority of people, the appeal of most works of relationships.
art lies in the representation of familiar objects- the
satisfaction they get out of recognizing the subject or 3.Kinds of Subject
understanding the narrative content.
A. Landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes-Artists
● Subject refers to any person, object, scene, or
have always been fascinated with their physical
event described or represented in a work of
environment. Nature has eternal qualities that just
art. Some arts have subjects, others do not.
inspire the artist to create their masterpieces. For
Try to identify the subject of each artwork
example, Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave off
below.
Kanagawa.

● Representational or objective art has a

B. Still life.-Some artists love to paint groups of
subject.
inanimate objects arranged in an indoor setting. They
usually arrange the objects to show particular human
● Non-representational or non-objective art
interests and activities. For example, Paul Cezanne’s
does not have a subject. They appeal directly
Still Life with Water Jug.
to the senses primarily because of the
C. Animals- Animals have been represented by 4.The Artist and His Choice of
artists from almost every age and place. The grace
and vigor of animals in action have attracted painters
Subject
and sculptors alike and have inspired poets as well.
Animals have also been used as symbols in Most, if not all, of the visual arts, are representations
conventional religious art. For example, Abdulmari of what the artists thought and felt about the world
Asia Imao’s Sarimanok. they lived in, or things they imagined or dreamed
about.
D. Portraits- People have always been intrigued by Whatever the subject may be, this choice involves
the human face as an index of the owner’s character. some personal statement.
As an instrument of expression, it is capable of An artist’s choice may be affected by his medium.
showing a variety of moods and feelings. For An artist’s choice also depends upon the time in
Example, Johann Vermeer’s The Girl with the Pearl which he lives and on the patronage he gets.
Earrings, and Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury No matter what, the value of a work of art does not
Tales. depend on the artist’s choice of subject. It doesn’t
necessarily follow that the more profound the
E. Figures -The sculptor’s chief subject has subject, the greater the work of art. The worth of any
traditionally been the human body, nude or clothed. representational work of art depends upon the way
The body’s form, structure, and flexibility offer the the subject has been presented
artist a big challenge to depict it in a variety of ways,
ranging from the most idealistic to the most abstract. 5.Subject and Content
For example, Myron’s Discus Thrower or Discoblos.
Recognizing the subject is not necessarily grasping
F. Everyday Life-Artists have shown deep concern the content of the work of art. Subject and content
about life around them. Many have recorded their are two different things. While subject refers to the
observation of people going about their usual ways objects depicted by the artist, content refers to what
and performing their usual tasks. For example, the artist expresses or communicates on the whole in
Amorsolo’s Planting Rice. his work. It is sometimes spoken of as the meaning
of the work. In literature, it’s the One does not always
G. History and Legend-History consists of verifiable see content, but it is transmitted by the way subject
facts, and legends of unverifiable ones, although and form interact in a work. It is easier to grasp the
many of them are often accepted as true because content in arts with explicit subject matter than in
tradition has held them so. For example, Felix abstract arts. There are three different levels of
Resurreccion Hidalgo’s Assassination of Governor- meaning in arts.
General Fernando Bustamante.
Factual meaning is the literal statement or the
H. Dreams and Fantasies-Dreams are usually vague narrative content in the work which can be directly
and illogical. Artists have tried to depict dreams, as apprehended because the objects presented are
well as the grotesque terrors and apprehensions that easily recognized.
lurk in the depths of the subconscious. For example,
Joan Miró ’s The Hunter. Conventional meaning refers to the special meaning
that a certain object or color has for a particular
I.Religion and Mythology-Art has always been and culture or group of people.
handmaiden of religion. Most of the world’s religions
have used the arts to aid in worship, to instruct, to Subject meaning is any personal meaning
inspire feelings of devotion, and to impress and consciously or unconsciously conveyed by the artist
convert non-believers. For example, Michelangelo’s using a private symbolism that stems from his own
Fresco at the Sistine Chapel. association of certain objects, actions, or colors with
past experiences.
Final notes: There is nothing that may be considered nature and special characteristics of the medium
an improper subject for a work of art. There are itself.
reasons for the wide appeal of works of art that show Technique is the artist’s knowledge of his medium
human suffering because each of us has suffered and his skill in making achieve what he wants to. It is
grief, frustration, or loss one way or another. It is as if in the use of a technique that the artist differs from
by vicariously experiencing the suffering evoked by the craftsman. Although both require technical
the work of art, we are purged of the pain and we competence, “creativity” enters into the work of the
achieve a release of tension. sculptor. His work is almost always in response to
INTRODUCTION some “leap of the imagination.” It is an attempt to
objectify an original, imagined design, and in the
Over the years, art methods have changed; for process of working on his material, he exploits every
example, the acrylic paint used today is different possibility that the medium offers.
from the cave art earth-based paint used 30,000
years ago. People have evolved, discovering new II. Mediums of Two-Dimensional Arts
products and procedures for extracting minerals
from the earth to produce art products. The art Painting Mediums. Painting is the process of applying
methods are considered the building blocks for any pigment on a smooth surface to secure an interesting
category of art. When an artist trains in the elements arrangement of forms, lines, and colors.
of art, they learn to overlap the elements to create Encaustic is the application of a mixture of hot
visual components in their art. beeswax, resin, and ground pigment to any porous
surface, followed by the application of heat to set the
I. Medium and Visual Arts colors and bind them to the ground.
Tempera paints are earth or mineral pigments mixed
Unless an artist translates his experience into a form with egg yolk and egg white.
that can be perceived, it cannot be shared by other Fresco painting is the application of earth pigments
people. Art has to exist in some medium to be mixed with water on a plaster wall while the plaster
recognized as such. is damp.
Medium in art refers to the material or means that Watercolor is tempered paint made of pure ground
the artist uses to objectify his feeling or thought: pigment bound with gum Arabic.
pigment in painting; stone, wood, and metal in Oil painting uses pigment ground in linseed oil to
sculpture; various building materials in architecture; primed canvas.
sound in music; words in literature; and body Acrylic paints using acrylic polymer emulsions as
movements in the dance. According to the medium, binder which combines the transparency and quick-
the arts are classified differently. drying characteristics of watercolor and the
Visual or space arts are those whose mediums that flexibility of oil.
can be seen and which occupy space. Drawing is the most fundamental of all skills needed
Two-dimensional art means that the composition in the arts. A drawing may be a study made for the
possesses the dimensions of length and width but sake of learning how to draw some forms or as a
does not possess depth. For example: painting, means of investigating a particular detail of what
drawing, printmaking, and photography. may become a larger composition. It may be a sketch,
Three-dimensional art pieces, presented in the a cartoon, or a finished work.
dimensions of height, width, and depth, occupy Printmaking is a graphic image that results from a
physical space and can be perceived from all sides duplicating process. Each print is considered an
and angles. For example: sculpture, architecture, original work, not a reproduction.
landscaping, community planning, industrial design, Relief printing involves cutting away from a block of
furniture, and ceramic crafts. wood or linoleum the portions of the design that the
An artist’s choice of medium is usually influenced by artist does not want to show, leaving the design to
practical considerations such as the availability of stand out on the block.
material, the use to which the art object will be put, Intaglio printing is the opposite of relief printing. The
the idea that he wants to communicate, and the design is scratched, engraved, or etched into a metal
plate. The incised line or depressed area is filled with Luminal sculpture uses electronic devices – cathode
ink, which, under considerable pressure, leaves a tubes, photoelectric cells – that make beams of light
sharp impression on damp paper. Some common travel in patterns or just remain in place to subtly
examples are engraving and dry point. light up a sculptural form.
The planographic process or surface printing is done Architecture is the art of designing and constructing
from an almost smooth surface that has been treated a building that will serve a definite function, ranging
chemically or mechanically so that some areas will from providing the simplest shelter to meeting the
print and others will not. technological demands of our modern cities. The
The stencil process is done by cutting designs out of usefulness and beauty of a building are directly
special paper, cardboard, or metal sheet in such a related to the choice and handling of the materials
way that when ink is rubbed over it, the design is employed in the construction.
produced on the surface beneath. Post-and-lintel is the oldest construction system
Photography involves the use of such equipment and which makes use of two vertical supports (posts)
materials as a camera fitted with a lens, shutter, and spanned by a horizontal beam (lintel).
diaphragm; filters, film, either black-and-white or Arch consists of separate pieces of wedge-shaped
colored; and a special kind of paper onto which the blocks, called voussoirs, arranged in a semicircle. The
image is transferred. keystone which is the last set stone at the top center
Mosaic art is related to painting only because it locks the pieces together into a single curved
creates pictures on flat surfaces. Mosaics are walls or structure. The dome is a hemispherical roof
floor decorations made of small cubes or irregularly resembling a ping-pong ball half is built on a
cut pieces of colored stone or glass called framework formed by a series of arches rising from
Stained glass developed as a major art when it consecutive points on a base called the drum.
appeared as an important part of the Gothic Truss is a system of triangular forms assembled into
cathedral. Stained glass derives its effects from the a rigid framework and functioning like a beam or
variations in the light that shines through it. lintel. It is used in bridges, assembly plants, theaters,
Tapestry is the use of fabrics into which colored gymnasiums, and halls where wide spaces must be
designs have been woven. spanned with very few interior supports.
Skeleton construction employs reinforced concrete
III. Mediums of Three-Dimensional Arts and steel. Concrete construction makes use of
concrete poured, while still in its semi-fluid state,
Sculpture is a three-dimensional form constructed to into a hollow frame.
represent a natural or imaginary shape. It can be Interior design is concerned with the selection of
free-standing, carved in relief, or kinetic. Some space and furnishings to transform an empty shell of
materials of sculpture include: wood, stone, ivory, a building into a livable area. It works with such
metals, plaster, glass, and plastics. articles as pieces of furniture, appliances, fixtures,
Carving is a subtractive process that involves draperies, and rugs with an eye for texture and color
removing unwanted portions of the raw material to that would bring about both unity and variety in the
reveal the form the artist has visualized. place.
Modeling is an additive process that involves Landscaping is the artificial arrangement of outdoor
building the form, using highly plastic material such areas to achieve a purely aesthetic effect.
as clay or wax. Landscaping makes use of the terrain as his basic
Casting is a complex process that begins with a medium, along with the sand, rocks, water, and
production of a negative mold. The artist covers the growing plants.
original model with a mold in such a way that a
faithful negative reproduction is created.
Fabrication is an additive process that employs any INTRODUCTION
method of joining or fastening, such as nailing,
stapling, soldering, and welding. Through this, the Over the years, art methods have changed; for
artist builds his form piece by piece. Welding is an example, the acrylic paint used today is different
example of this. from the cave art earth-based paint used 30,000
years ago. People have evolved, discovering new around the focal point of the art piece and might be
products and procedures for extracting minerals negative or positive.
from the earth to produce art products. Art methods These elements are used to create the Principles of
are considered the building blocks for any category Design. The principles are used to create interest,
of art. When an artist trains in the elements of art, harmony, and unity to the elements that you are
they learn to overlap the elements to create visual using. You can use the principles of design to check
components in their art. your composition to see if it has a good structure.

I. ELEMENTS OF ARTS V. PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

The principles of design are the recipe for a good
Line - is a mark on a surface that describes a shape or work of art. The principles combine the elements to
outline. It can create texture and can be thick and create an aesthetic placement of things that will
thin. Types of lines can include actual, implied, produce a good design.
vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and contour lines.
Color - refers to specific hues used in visual arts. It is Center of interest- is an area that first attracts
the visual perception seen by the human eye. The attention in a composition. This area is more
color wheel is designed to explain how color is important when compared to the other objects or
arraigned and how colors interact with each other. elements in a composition. This can be by the
From the primary colors: red, green, blue, comes contrast of values, more colors, and placement in the
secondary colors: green, orange, purple, to the format.
tertiary colors: red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow- Balance- is a feeling of visual equality in shape, form,
green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet. value, color, etc. Balance can be symmetrical or
Value- is the degree of light and dark in a design. It is evenly balanced or asymmetrical and un-evenly
the contrast between black and white and all the balanced. Objects, values, colors, textures, shapes,
tones in between. Value can be used with color as forms, etc., can be used in creating a balance in a
well as black and white. Contrast is the extreme composition.
changes between values. Harmony- brings together a composition with similar
Tint- is where an artist adds color to white to create a units. If your composition was using wavy lines and
lighter version of the color. Eg: pink organic shapes you would stay with those types of
Shade - is where an artist adds black to a color to lines and not put in just one geometric shape.
darken it down. Eg: maroon Contrast- offers some change in value creating a
Tone - is where an artist adds grey to color. Eg: dark visual discord in a composition. Contrast shows the
red difference between shapes and can be used as a
large.png background to bring objects out and forward in a
design. It can also be used to create an area of
Texture - is about surface quality either tactile or emphasis.
visual. Texture can be real or implied by different Rhythm- is a movement in which some elements
uses of media. It is the degree of roughness or recur regularly. Like a dance, it will have a flow of
smoothness in objects. objects that will seem to be like the beat of the music.
Shape - is defined as having some sort of outline or III. OTHER TYPES OF VISUAL ARTS
boundary, whether the shape is two or three-
dimensional. The shape can be geometric (known Two-dimensional Art. When a work of art is classified
shape) or organic (free form shape). as being 2-dimensional, it means that the
Form- is a 3-dimensional object having volume and composition possesses the dimensions of length and
thickness. It is the illusion of a 3-D effect that can be width but does not possess depth. Drawing, Painting,
implied with the use of light and shading techniques. Printmaking, Collage, and more!
Form can be viewed from many angles. Three-dimensional Art. Three-dimensional art
Space- refers to variations in the perspective, and pieces, presented in the dimensions of height, width,
proportions of objects, lines, or shapes. It is the area and depth, occupy physical space and can be
perceived from all sides and angles.