The Artist's Toolkit: Visual Elements and Principles
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The Artist's Toolkit: Visual Elements and Principles
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Artists overlap things to create the illusion of space. As in the real world, those things nearest to us can partially overlap objects that are farther away.

Black-figured Hydria by The Antimenes Painter, c. 530 B.C., Slip-glazed earthenware, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The John R. Van Derlip Fund

The Antimenes Painter
Black-figured Hydria
c. 530 B.C.
Slip-glazed earthenware
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The John R. Van Derlip Fund
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The artist has shown horses and reins overlapping each other, indicating which horses are nearest to us and which are farthest away, or behind other horses.

Detail of Black-figured Hydria by The Antimenes Painter, c. 530 B.C., Slip-glazed earthenware, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The John R. Van Derlip Fund

The Antimenes Painter
Detail of Black-figured Hydria
c. 530 B.C.
Slip-glazed earthenware
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The John R. Van Derlip Fund
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This sculpture uses a series of overlapping shapes to create a sense of space.

Robert Smithson, Leaning Strata, 1968, Aluminum, paint, Walker Art Center, Donation of Virginia Dwan

Robert Smithson
Leaning Strata
1968
Aluminum, paint
Walker Art Center
Donation of Virginia Dwan
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An artist can use the relative size of objects to create the illusion of space in a two-dimensional work, like a painting or a drawing. Things appear to be smaller the farther away they are from us. The three women in this painting appear closer to us because they are larger than the three men carrying the coffin in the background.

Ben Shahn, Italian Landscape, 1943-1944, Tempera on paper, Walker Art Center, Gift of the T. B. Walker Foundation, Gilbert M. Walker Fund

Ben Shahn
Italian Landscape
1943-1944
Tempera on paper
Walker Art Center
Gift of the T. B. Walker Foundation, Gilbert M. Walker Fund
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We understand the shepherd boy to be closer to us because he is larger than the figures in the background.

Abraham Bloemaert, Shepherd Boy Pointing at Tobias and the Angel, c. 1625-1630, Oil on canvas, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip Fund

Abraham Bloemaert
Shepherd Boy Pointing at Tobias and the Angel
c. 1625-1630
Oil on canvas
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip Fund
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This artist plays with our notion of space by depicting small objects such as a spoon and cherry as surprisingly large. The sailboat and runner are dwarfed by the gigantic spoon and cherry, a reversal of the relative sizes we would usually expect when we see these familiar objects. The relationship of things to each other creates a sense of scale.

Claes Oldenburg, View of Spoonbridge and Cherry, with Sailboat and Running Man, 1988, Pastel, paper collage on paper, Walker Art Center, Acquired in conjunction with the commissioning of Spoonbridge and Cherry for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Claes Oldenburg
View of Spoonbridge and Cherry, with Sailboat and Running Man
1988
Pastel, paper collage on paper
Walker Art Center
Acquired in conjunction with the commissioning of Spoonbridge and Cherry for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
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Artists use relative position on the picture plane to create the illusion of space. The higher up the objects are placed in the picture, the farther away we assume them to be. Objects placed lower in the picture appear nearer to us. We understand that the chairs in the lower part of this drawing are closer to us than the chairs that are higher up in the picture.

Michele Zalophany, The Castleton, 1987, Pastel, charcoal, on paper mounted on canvas, Walker Art Center, Walker Special Purchase Fund, Jerome Foundation Purchase Fund for Emerging Artists

Michele Zalophany
The Castleton
1987
Pastel, charcoal, on paper mounted on canvas
Walker Art Center
Walker Special Purchase Fund, Jerome Foundation Purchase Fund for Emerging Artists
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Traditionally, many Asian artists have used relative position on the picture plane, but not relative size, to create depth in a picture.

Tosa Mitsuyoshi, Butterfly Dance, c. 1585, Ink, color and gold on paper, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cleveland, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Zelle, and the Lillian Z. Turnblad Fund

Tosa Mitsuyoshi
Butterfly Dance
c. 1585
Ink, color and gold on paper
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cleveland, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Zelle, and the Lillian Z. Turnblad Fund
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Even though the figures are the same size in this painting, we understand which are closer and which are further away by their lower and higher placement on the picture plane.

Detail of Butterfly Dance by Tosa Mitsuyoshi, c. 1585, Ink, color and gold on paper, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cleveland, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Zelle, and the Lillian Z. Turnblad Fund

Tosa Mitsuyoshi
Detail of Butterfly Dance
c. 1585
Ink, color and gold on paper
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cleveland, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Zelle, and the Lillian Z. Turnblad Fund
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