"CUBIST STYLE" APPROACHES TO PICTURES

Charles Pinkney, the Pinkmeister

"Modern Art" had its beginning when artists began to depart from the natural appearance of things (realism) and introduce new ways of expressing their personal interpretation or perception. Picasso introduced a form of abstraction in 1907 continued to develop "cubism" in one form or another well into the fifties. 

Some features of Cubism are listed on this page for you to try. 

        Overlapping images
        Simultaneous views
        Faceting surfaces
        Distortion and exaggeration
        Figure and Ground experimentation
 

Breaking up Spatial areas is the key to the modern art approach in drawing and painting.  Through abstraction we become aware that  the entire picture space is important to the visual whole.  Break-up is the first task of design. The skilled artist thinks about the whole picture.  The artist is aware of and gives consideration to each and every square inch of the picture area.  

 

 
 
 
20th Century Abstraction

Abstraction: 
Basic Methods

   

Repeat and Overlap Shapes or Forms 
which are Alike or   Similar    

  

  Lines of Symmetry 
divide space and penetrate objects

    
 
 

 Repeat and Overlap Shapes which are Unlike
Feel free to Reinterpret the shape or Distort the shape

Break up Space with a Figure and Background type of pattern. (this means that both dark and light areas or shapes are of equal importance.  This is called a Positive  - Negative design. Or Figure and Field Design.  

Faceting

Faceting is done by using more or less strait line segments to interpret the subject. After drawing segmented contours (edges) one connects the points of the line segments together. Finally add tone or color to each section (or surface). Color or tone changes as it moves from one side to the other. In the first example use see the breakup into faceted areas, In the second you will see how color was introduced to produce a cubistic interpretation. Picasso and Braque used this method in the early 1900s as they developed Cubism.  Early cubist works were inspired by Cézanne and African Sculpture.
  

  
 
 


 

     


2014