Sandy Breckenridge

Graphic Design: 4 Basic Surfaces

October 27, 2021 By Sandy Breckenridge 1 Comment

“To improve oneself you must be as persistent as the drip, drip, drip of water filling a bucket. Do a little bit, every day.” ― Jeffrey Fry

After Basic Directions, the fourth tutorial of the Graphic Design Basic Element Series covers Basic Surfaces.

The quote by Jeffrey Fry reminds me of what it means to have a daily art practice. I don’t know of an artist who would say they have mastered art! Art is one field where there is always more to learn, do, express, and discover.

Exercising the Artist Within

Have you experimented with the mantra shared in the last graphic design post?

“Line, Plane, Tone, Small, Medium, and Large”

Creating an art journal is a perfect way to track progress. This way you’ll have an easy record of your daily art explorations. You can go back anytime and embellish or change up the variations you create and explore additional elements.

Try altering each of your illustrations, paintings, drawings, or images by using a different medium, too. Try incorporating new shapes, sizes, textures, tones, and directions.

Exercising the way we see an object or an interest while recreating that which we see in simplistic terms can lead to a pleasant storm of ideas.

I remember one of my art instructors telling me that all design in art is redesign. Another way to phrase the evolution of an idea is that it is a variation of a theme.

Identifying Four Basic Surfaces

It is time to experiment with the next category of elements in this series. These are the Four Basic Surfaces in graphic design.

Reflective: A surface that gives back an image
Opaque: A surface that is solid without light
Transparent: A surface that transmits light rays so that objects on the other side are recognizable.
Translucent: A surface that lets light pass through it but is not transparent.

Reflective Surfaces

The most common reflective surface that we experience is easily found in our homes.

The mirror is the most obvious device that reflects. But this brings up the question of how reflection is modeled in art?

Creating a collage from torn papers can be a perfect way to incorporate existing reflective surfaces by including foils, reflective tape, or paper in your design.

You can also purchase mirror paint at most any home improvement store. In an art store, you can find acrylic paint that is formulated to reflect or simulate reflective qualities in an artwork.

There is also another way to capture the qualities of a reflection. For example, a landscape painting may illustrate a lake with a body of water reflecting the trees and mountains above.

Another illustration could be a painting of a car with a shiny finish parked alongside a row of bright flowers showing a floral reflection as a point of interest.

What examples can you dream up and add to your daily art journal that offers reflective qualities?

Opaque Surfaces

A solid color that does not allow light to pass through it is very easy to illustrate and takes the least amount of imagination.

If you held up a piece of opaque paper to cover a lightbulb the luminous rays are not able to penetrate or shine through the surface.

In an art image the same is true. Just like the illustration of the curtains that cover a window, the objects on the other side of an opaque color are not visible.

Transparent Surfaces

Transparency in art can be created by using a clear film like medium or paper to overlay over another layer of colored paper. The color will be clearly visible.

A transparent surface can easily be modeled in a collage using see through materials as one of your supplies.

How might transparency appear in a painting?

Imagine an illustration of a window with lightweight gauze curtains covering a few panes of glass.

The glass clearly allows the distant scenery to glimmer through and this surface leaves nothing to the imagination for the viewer.

Another example, could be a painting of a pristine body of water that allows images of the colored stones that lay at the bottom to shine through the water’s calm surface.

Transparent surfaces can be implied or created. You might try using various types of see-through materials that allow objects and shapes on the other side to be fully visible.

Translucent Surfaces

Light also plays an important role in creating translucency. In this case, light passes through to create transparency, but the objects on the other side are not fully recognizable.

Artist materials could include tissue papers, or other lightweight see through materials such as a tinted film.

Using the previous example of a window with a lightweight curtain, we can see the material allows the glimmering colors and elusive shapes to shine through to the viewer.

Downloadable Tutorial Guide

Please feel free to download the image guide of the Four Basic Surfaces.

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Art Playtime

Make sure to take time before moving on to the next post and record examples of each of the Four Basic Surfaces in your art journal.

The next series post incorporates several Basic Surface Enrichments. They offer additional opportunities to change up your creative ideas and practice creating some fun art images.

To follow along, click > Art & Design Tutorial Table of Contents.

Graphic Design Basic Directions

October 19, 2021 By Sandy Breckenridge 2 Comments

Basic directions and shapes — Illustration Example using basic directions and shapes

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

After Basic Descriptions and Shapes, the third tutorial of the Graphic Design Basic Element Series covers Basic Directions.

Lines in graphic art essentially incorporate four main descriptions. They are also further broken down into a subset utilizing these four main distinctions.

We can see lines in art expressed as a single line or series of lines that define an entire design, a part of the design, or something as simple as its border.

Another term an artist may use to describe a line is a continuous contour.

Four Basic Line Descriptions

straight
horizontal
vertical
curved

Subset Descriptions

zigzag
contour
implied
dotted
dashed

The Parts That Create The Whole

At the top of the page is an example illustration. The visual in its simplicity demonstrates how an artist can use the basic line and shape plus opaque and tonal colored hues to create a visual statement.

By learning to see these basic elements, an artist makes important creative distinctions. They are opening their eyes to a new way of seeing and recreating their world. Even the newbie artist can begin to transfer their ideas and feelings to a canvas or paper so they may tap into the joy of creating.

Feel free to download the following design tutorial example of the Four Basic Directions.

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Small, Medium, and Large

Like lines, shapes also add interest when their size and shape are varied.

Even in complex designs, basic elements can build the intent of the art piece while seeming simple and yet elegant.

An artist mantra:

“Small, Medium, Large, Line, Plane, Tone”

I like to view each image I create and ask if I have incorporated the mantra’s qualities. Sometimes the small element acts as a treat for the viewer who closely views the art piece.

To practice learning, incorporate the basic descriptions by creating a piece of art. It can be a drawing or painting.

Pick a season of the year and illustrate it using the above mantra.

Here is a simple example illustration expressing the idea of leaves blowing in the wind.

Now that we have covered the basic element descriptions, sizes, and directions the following tutorial will cover Basic Surfaces.

Hope to see you there!

To follow along, click > Art & Design Tutorial Table of Contents.

Basic Design Descriptions and Shapes

October 13, 2021 By Sandy Breckenridge Leave a Comment

Art Image Example of Line, Plane and Tone — Art Image Example of Basic Elements: Line, Plane and Tone

“Design is as much an act of spacing as an act of marking.” — Ellen Lupton, designer and educator

After the Introduction to Design, the second tutorial of the Graphic Design Basic Element Series covers Basic Design Descriptions and Shapes.

What’s My Line?

“The essence of drawing is the line exploring space.” — Andy Goldsworthy

The line is a starting place in design and represents one of the most basic design elements.

A mathematician might explain that a line is by nature one-dimensional. What determines its place is its length. A line is essentially a path the artist uses that leads the viewer’s eye into a design while always retaining more length than thickness.

A line or series of lines can define an entire design, a part of the design, or something as simple as its border.

The Plane: Solid (Opaque) or Tone?

A plane is a term used in design that describes one of the most basic elements. It is a solid surface used to define a space.

Unlike a line, the thickness or width is equal to or greater than the length or depth. A plane is created by using an opaque or a tonal colored hue to define the shape. If the shape is opaque, light does not pass through the area. If a tonal hue then a percentage of light will appear through the plane.

Basic Shapes Can Be Small, Medium, or Large

There are three basic shapes in design: Circle, square, and triangle. A rectangle is included as a basic shape, but it is an elongated square. The basic design principles are applied to shapes.

These three basic shapes can have linear, tonal, or opaque properties. Sometimes basic shapes can consist of all three qualities within their boundaries.

Feel free to download the following design tutorial images that describe the Basic Descriptions and Shapes.

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Our next tutorial will describe the Basic Directions found in design and downloadable tutorial images. To follow along, click > Art & Design Tutorial Table of Contents.

Caulk A Doodle Do, Three

September 27, 2021 By Sandy Breckenridge 1 Comment

“Basic research is what I am doing when I don’t know what I am doing.” – Werhner von Braun, German Rocket Scientist

It’s time to document another attempt at a Caulk-A-Doodle Do painting experiment.

A friend coined the name after seeing the two previous caulking projects using the medium for art. The earlier paintings revealed some splendid results.

Creating Dimension with Layers

For the third experiment, I wanted to see how caulking would hold up to additional layering, etching, and a mixture of paints. I had a canvas ready, a loaded caulking gun, and some palette knives to etch into the wet medium.

I applied a skim coat of white caulking to the 16 x 20-inch canvas. Next, I laid down size-varied squiggly doodle marks over the entire surface. Toward the bottom of the canvas, I also etched a similar squiggly pattern. I hoped that once the wet caulking dried the layers would reveal a dimensional effect.

I let the canvas dry overnight. Now it was time to apply paint. I sorted through all the partial bottles, cans, and sample paints while looking for a harmonious combination. I chose some leftover iridescent light-gold and aqua-blue, along with leftover cans of gray primer and black spray paint. I also set aside a few other neutral hues.

Mixing Oil With Water

Most of us know oil and water do not mix. However, mixing incompatible paints can sometimes offer engaging results. So that is what I did!

In scientific terms when mixing the two mediums, water molecules are attracted to each other and form one layer, while the oil molecules stick together to create a second layer. The pigments in the water layer pack closely together. They also sink to the bottom to cause the oil layer to sit on top.

Here is a slide show of the finished painting with close-up and distance views. The blue iridescent hues of the splattered pigment created an intriguing result.

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Abstract designs can be so fun. Using odd materials can challenge us to loosen up and play without giving excessive thought to composition. Painter’s caulking is now a mixed media option added to my bag of tricks to use in future creative projects. Caulking is an appreciable medium when I know I want to be playful and lose attachment to a result.

I would love to see or hear about your experiments working with different mediums. Please share your creations and experiments in the comment section below, or better yet, send me an email! Happy Creating.

To view the previous experiments, click >