MEANING AND SCOPE OF ART

Art is a means of self-expression. It is a way of communicating what you are thinking in a chosen way
e.g. drawing, painting, designing, craft etc. It is also the use of skills and imagination to make or
produce beautiful objects.

AREAS OF STUDY IN ART

1. VISUAL ART : Visual arts are the arts we can see and touch e.g. painting, drawing, crafts,
sculpture, and design
2. PERFORMING ART: This include music, dancing, drama, puppetry and theatre
3. LITERARY ART: This includes poetry, novels and stories

In the Art classroom room or studio, the only studied area in Art is VISUAL ART. It is divided into
three categories or groups namely;

 Fine art or Aesthetic art

 Crafts
 Design or commercial art

FINE ART

This group of arts are created only for aesthetic (the study of what is considered to be beautiful or
valuable) reasons and not for practical or commercial (financial gain, profit and reproduction)
purposes

EXAMPLES OF FINE ART

Painting drawing sculpture

CRAFTS

These are handmade objects used for functional or decorative purposes such as leatherwork, clay
works, baskets, fabric works, and jewellery making etc.

Jewellery Mosaic Handbag

DESIGN OR COMMERCIAL ART

This refers to the artworks used for financial purposes such as posters, logos, emblems, book covers,
and signs for advertising.

LOGO POSTERS/POSTCARDS

CARTOONS FABRIC PRINTING

ART ELEMENTS AND ART PRINCIPLES

ART ELEMENTS

These are the main or basic parts that are used to create
artworks. These main parts are LINE, SHAPE, SPACE, FORM,
VALUE, TEXTURE, and COLOUR. These elements exist in the
environment and in artworks

1. LINE is a mark made or path made by a moving point, e.g. by a pen, pencil or drawing tool.
There are FIVE kinds of lines namely:

(i) Vertical line (ii) Horizontal line

Vertical lines show ______________ horizontal lines show _________________

(ii)

(iii) Diagonal line (iv) Curved lines

Diagonal lines show_________________ curved lines show _________________
 (iv) Zigzag lines show ______________________in a work of art

CONTOUR LINE is a line that defines the edge of a shape or object. It is done concentrating on the
directions and curves of an object.

Contour drawing

(i) Use contour lines to draw the outline of your palm.

GESTURE LINE is a line or drawing that is done quickly to capture movement of the subject’s body.
 (i) Use Gesture lines to show movement
2. SHAPE

Shape is a two dimensional area usually enclosed by a line e. g. square, circle, sphere, cylinder. There
are two types of shape namely: GEOMETRIC and FREE FORM shapes.

(i) Geometric shapes are shapes with regular edges and are easy to measure. These types
of shapes are used in Mathematics subjects.

(ii) FREE-FORM SHAPES are shapes which are difficult to measure. They have irregular
edges. The other name for free form shape is Organic shape. Examples of these shapes
are clouds, leaves, flowers, tree, and stones. Art elements work together in natural
things as well as in artworks.
3. SPACE

Space is an art element that refers to the area around and between shapes and forms in an
art work. There are two types of space namely; POSITIVE and NEGATIVE space.

(i) POSITIVE SPACE is the space which is occupied in an artwork. NEGATIVE SPACE is
the space which is not occupied or an empty space in an artwork.

(ii) Label the correctly in the arrows positive and negative space.
4. FORM

Form is a three dimensional fine artwork or shape e.g. cube, pyramid and cylinder. Form is
different from the art element shape because shape is two dimensional (flat). In an artwork
form can be created on two dimensional surfaces through the use of value.

If you draw a ball without shading with value, that ball has no form but if the shading has
value of dark and light, the ball is said to have form.

E.G.

Fig. 1.0 Shape Fig. 1.1 Form

 (iii) Use the correct values to shade in the shape below and create form or make it look
three dimensional.

ACTIVITY

5. VALUE

Value is the lightness and darkness of a colour or object. Value can be used in a colour to
show form in a two dimensional surface. The lightest part of a drawing is called HIGHLIGHT
and if it is a painting, it is called TINTS. The darkest part of a drawing is called SHADOWS and
if it is a painting, it is called SHADES

NB: Label in the artwork above highlights and shadows

ACTIVITY:

TONAL VARIATION

In the space provided shade from darker to lighter to create variety of tones.

LIGHETER MID-DARK DARKER

6. TEXTURE

Texture is the art element that refers to the way surfaces feel or look like. It is the surface
quality of an object. For example; rough, smooth, and soft. The two types of texture are
ACTUAL TEXTURE and IMPLIED TEXTURE.

(i) ACTUAL TEXTURE is the real texture that we experience by touching such as the texture
of a basket, tree bark, etc.

Fig. 1.0 Paste example of Actual texture here

 (ii) IMPLIED TEXTURE is the texture we experience by eyes and the artwork looks different
from the way it feels when you touch it. For example; the texture of the drawn wood
will look rough but the surface where it is drawn will feel smooth.

Fig. 1.1 Implied texture of the hair and skin Fig. 1.2 Experiment with texture rubbing to create texture

All natural and man-made objects have texture. Texture can be created through the use of colour,
lines, and shapes. It can be used in an artwork to define shape.

7. COLOUR

Colour is the way something looks like when light strikes on it. It is the reflection of an
object. Examples of colour are: yellow, orange, __________________, _______________,
____________, __________________. Colour can be used to attract the attention of the
viewers.

Primary Colours

These are the basic or pure colours. Examples of primary colours are yellow, red and blue. These
three basic colours are mixed to create other colours. Two primary colours are mixed to create a
secondary colour.

 Yellow + Red = Orange

 Red + Blue = Violet

 Blue + Yellow = Green

Activity 1: Complete the colour wheel by filling/shading in the correct placement of primary colours.
 Secondary Colours

These are the colours between the two primary colours in the colour wheel obtained by mixing
equal quantities of those two primary colours. Orange, Violet and Green are the three primary
colours

 Red + _____________ = Orange

 _____________ + Red = Violet

 Blue + Yellow = ____________

Activity: Shade or fill in the Secondary colours in their correct spaces.

Activity: in the colour wheel above fill or shade in both Primary and Secondary colour respectively

Tertiary colours are colour between a primary and a secondary colour and it is obtained by mixing
equal quantity of a primary and a secondary colour.
Activity: fill in the missing colours like the example given below

PRIMARY COLOURS SECONDARY COLOURS TERTIARY/INTERMEDIATE COLOURS

Red + Orange = Red-Orange

_____________________ + Violet = Red – Violet

yellow + Green = _____________________

______________________ + _______________________ = Yellow- Orange

Blue + Green = ______________________

_____________________ + Violet = _______________________

COLOUR SCHEMES

Scheme means a plan. Colour scheme means a plan of colours or a selection of colours
chosen for a design or composition.

1. MONOCHROMATIC COLOUR SCHEME:It is a colour scheme that uses one colour (hue),
together with its various values, tints and shades.

2. ANALOGOUS COLOUR SCHEME: Colours that lie side by side on the colour wheel and are
mixed from the same primary colour e.g. violet, red-violet, red-orange, and orange, all have red in
common.

3. COMPLIMENTARY COLOURS: are colours opposite each other on the colour wheel. These
colours are attractive and complement each other e.g.

 Yellow and violet

 Blue opposite orange
 Red opposite green

1. COLOUR TRIADS
It is a set of 3 colours spaced an equal
distance apart on the colour wheel e.g.
Orange, green, and purple/violet
2. SPLIT COMPLIMENTARY
It is a variation of complementary colours, consists of one colour and the 2 colours that lie
on either side of the complimentary.
3. RELATED COLOURS
Are colours that lie next to each other on the colour wheel
4. WARM COLOURS
Are colours that give a warm feeling like the sun, fire, etc. e.g. red, yellow and orange.
ART PRINCIPLES

These are guidelines used in creating a work of art. This includes; BALANCE, PROPORTION,
UNITY, CONTRAST, PATTERN, EMPHASIS, VISUAL MOVEMENT, RHYTHM and VARIETY.

1. BALANCE

Balance is an art principle that refers to the arrangement of art elements in a work of art
in such a way that both parts of the composition look equally important. The three types
of Balance are; FORMAL BALANCE, INFORMAL BALANCE and RADIAL BALANCE.

(i) FORMAL BALANCE (symmetrical balance) refers to arranging all objects or

shapes in a composition in such that they become mirror image of each other
when divided by a central line called the line of symmetry. Usually objects on
each side are similar to object on the other side.

Fig. 1.3 Formal Balance

Fig 1.4 draw an example of Formal Balance

(ii) INFORMAL BALANCE (Asymmetrical Balance) refers to the type of balance

where two parts of the composition are balanced by non-identical parts. For
example, a large shape located on one side of the central line and another
different one on the other. This means if you divide the artwork into two equal
halves, one part would not look similar to the other.
Fig. 1.5 informal balance

Figs 1.5b draw an example of informal balance and shade

(iii) RADIAL BALANCE

Radial Balance is a type of Balance where by elements of art radiate (spinning)

or come from the centre e.g. flowers, sun, traditional baskets

Fig. 1.6 Radial Balance

Fig. 1.6b draw an example of radial Balance.

2. PROPORTION

Proportion refers to the size relationship of one part to another. If you say an object is
too big, it means you are comparing it with something. There are three types of
proportion namely; ACCURATE, DISTORTED and EXAGGERATED.
 (i) Accurate proportion is when you show parts, or people, places and other objects
exactly as they are in real life situation e.g. a photograph

Fig. 1.7 Accurate Proportion

Fig 1.7b draw an example of Accurate Proportion

(ii) DISTORTED PROPORTION

Distorted proportion is when an object is totally changed from how it looks in

real life. A work of art showing this proportion will show a painting, drawing or
sculpture with for example the nose placed where the eyes should be and the
mouth on the forehead or taking different parts of different objects and make a
picture.

Fig. 1.8 distorted proportion

Fig. 1.8b draw a picture to show your understanding of Distorted Proportion

 (iii) EXAGGERATED PROPORTION

This is a type of proportion where one part of an object looks bigger or smaller
than the other parts e.g. cartoons

fig 1.9 Exaggerated Proportion

fig. 1.9b draw an example showing exaggerated proportion

3. UNITY

Unity refers to the sense of ones or wholeness in a work of art. In a painting or drawing
that has several things such as cars, buildings, streets and trees, these things must be
arranged so that they go well together. If these things do not hold together, the painting
or drawing does not have unity.

fig. 2.0b. draw a picture to show understanding of this concept, Unity

Fig. 2.0 unity shown in this sculpture of mother and child

4. CONTRAST

Contrast refers to a great difference between two things e.g. in value, shapes, sizes,
colours, textures, and other elements. Different contrast can be used in a single piece of
artwork.

Fig.2.1 Contrast in shapes and sizes fig.2.1b draw a picture showing contrast in any of the art elements

5. PATTERN

Pattern refers to a design created by repetition of art elements. There are different
types of pattern such as PLANNED PATTERN, RANDOM PATTERN and ALTERNATING
PATTERN.

(i) PLANNED PATTERN means carefully repeating shapes, values, colours and
texture with regular space between.

Fig. 3.0 Planned patterns

 Fig. 3.0b draw a design to show planned pattern

(ii) RANDOM PATTEN means repetition of art elements with no regular spaces in
between

Fig. 3.1 Random pattern

Fig. 3.1b draw a design to show random pattern

(iii) ALTERNATING PATTERN means repeating art elements by changing positions or

using different motifs.

Fig. 3.2 Alternating Pattern

Fig. 3.2b draw design showing alternating pattern using two motifs

A motif is a single unit used to create pattern. A pattern can have two or more motifs.
 Motif

Repeated motifs to create pattern

6. EMPHASIS

This refers to centre of interest in a work of art. In a work of art, opposing sizes of
shapes, contrasting colours or values are used to draw the viewer’s attention to a
certain areas. This art principle shows the importance of one object or area in an
artwork over other objects on a work of art.

Fig. 3.3 Lions are emphasis in this work

Fig. 3.3b draw a picture to show Emphasis

7. RHYTHM

This refers to regular and irregular effect created by repetition of art elements. There is
rhythm in music created by measure of time between musical sounds. In artworks
rhythm is created by use of art elements separated by negative spaces in a picture. This
type of rhythm controls the way the viewer look at a work of art.
Fig. 3.4 rhythm created by the stripes of a zebra fig. 3.4b draw a picture to show your understanding of the concept Rhythm

8. VISUAL MOVEMENT

Visual movement refers to the repeated elements that move the eyes through an
artwork. This is done by arranging elements of art in such a way that the viewer’s eye
move in a certain direction through an artwork.

Fig. 3.5 visual movement

Fig. 3.5b draw a picture showing visual movement

9. VARIETY

Variety is refers to differences of one thing in artwork e.g. using different colours, lines,
shapes and textures in an artwork.

Fig. 3.6 Variety of lines used to create a composition fig. 3.6b draw a picture using variety of lines to create a composition
 TERM 2
UNIT 3: INTRODUCTION TO SCULPTURE

1. What is a sculpture?
It is a three dimensional fine art work. It is three dimensional because it up space.
2. What is a sculptor?
It is a person who makes sculptures.
3. To sculpt is to make sculptures. A sculptor sculpts sculptures.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SCULPTURE

The earliest sculptures discovered in Africa date from 900BC to 200AD and were found and
buried in Nor village, Zaria, in Northern Nigeria. The sculptures found in many African
countries were usually created alongside the traditional culture and beliefs. Sculptures were
often used in ceremonies of a traditional nature.

Many pieces of sculpture in Africa were made using wood. However few of these have
survived for the simple reason that wood decomposes over time. These days artists
continue to make sculpture in Botswana, throughout Africa and the world.

MATERIALS (MEDIA)

NATURAL MATERIALS ARTIFICIAL /MAN-MADE MATERIALS

Stones(soap stone Papiermache

Bones or horns Cardboards, papers
Clay Plaster of paris
Wood Metals, wires
Plastics
Wax
soap

TYPES OF SCULTURE

There are two different types of sculpture namely;

 Relief sculpture
 Free-form standing sculpture

1. RELIEF SCULPTURE –
2. This is a type of sculpture that stands out from a
flat surface. It is a three dimensional form but it cannot
 be seen or viewed from all the sides. It is designed to be viewed or seen from one
side only e.g. a coin.

1. Relief sculpture can be low

relief – this means slightly sticking out from the
surface or not sticking out too much.
.

2. Relief sculpture can

be high relief – this means sticking out very
much from the surface

3. FREE – STANDING SCULPTURE

This is a type of sculpture that stands in space and can be viewed or seen from all the
sides.

APPROACHES TO SCULPTURE

Realistic Sculpture:

It is a sculpture that shows actual places, animals, people

and objects the way they are in real life.
Abstract Sculpture:

It is a sculpture that shows simplified figures or forms of animals,

people and objects.

Non-objective Sculpture:

It is a sculpture that has no base in visual reality or no

recognisable subject matter.

FORMS OF SCULPTURE

 A Bust :

Sculpture that shows the head and the chest of a

person or animals

 A Statue:

Sculpture showing a figure of a person or animal

  A Mobile:

Sculpture that hangs from a ceiling with balanced

arrangements on wire arms, moving freely by air
current.

 A Model:

A small 3 dimensional work that shows how a

larger one will look like.

 Action Sculpture:

Sculpture full of energy or showing movement.

METHODS OF SCULPTURE MAKING

There are two methods of sculpture making namely

 Additive method
 Subtractive method

ADDITIVE METHOD: It is a method of sculpture making where by materials are added or put
together to build up a desired form. There are four techniques of Additive method namely:

 Modelling technique
 Casting technique
 Construction technique
 Assemblage technique

1. MODELLING TECHINIQUE:

This is a technique whereby soft materials such as clay,

papier-mâché, wax, etc. are used to build up a desired form.

2. CASTING TECHNIQUE:

This is a technique where by a liquid substance

such a plaster of Paris, bronze, etc. is poured in to
a mould and let to set hard. A mould is a three
dimensional empty form.

3. CONSTRUCTION:
This technique involves the use of various
found materials or objects joined together
either by tying, welding, interlocking, gluing, to
create a desired form

4. ASSEMBLAGE:

It is a technique where objects are put together or

assembled to create a form without joining them.
SUBTRACTIVE METHOD: It is a method where by a sculptor keeps on removing the
unwanted parts to create a desired form. There are 3 techniques under subtractive method
namely:

 Carving
 Scorching
 Grinding

1. CARVING:

Means cutting away the unwanted parts from a hard block

of wood, stones, soap, etc.

2. SCORCHING:

Means burning away the unwanted parts

3. GRINDING:

Means rubbing away the unwanted parts

 TERM 3
UNIT 5 - CRAFTS

Crafts are handmade objects done for functional and decorative.

There are 2 types of crafts namely: 2 Dimensional and 3 Dimensional crafts.

Craft is divided in to FUNCTIONAL, DECORATIVE AND ENTERTAINMENT

TWO DIMENSIONAL CRAFTS

1. Mosaic – refer to work made up by sticking of small pieces of papers, seeds,

coloured stones, etc. this pieces used in making mosaic are called TESSERAI
2. Montage – it is cutting out pictures and sticking them together to create a new
composition.
3. Collage – artwork done by sticking various materials to create a composition usually
on board. Materials such as sticks, grass, soil and stones can be used and combined
with painting.

WEAVING

Weaving is a technique of making cloth. The other name for cloth is material, textile or
fabric. When weaving, threads are tied to a frame with threads running both horizontally
and vertically across it.

1. LOOM – It is a tool like framework that helps to weave

2. WARPS – These are threads running vertically across the loom and are held by the
loom
3. WEFTS – These threads interlace with the warps on the loom and they run
horizontally, usually held by hands.

TYPES OF WOVEN WORKS

 TAPESTRY –
 A picture on a woven cloth or a hand woven cloth having a signification picture or
design

 MACRAME –

A type of weaving using knot

WEAVING TECHNIQUES

1. Plain weave

Also known as TABBY WEAVE, is the simplest weave

structures where by wefts thread passes over one
warp thread and under the next one, again and again
continuing across the entire width and length of the
fabric.

2. Twill weave

This technique creates pattern of diagonal lines in the

fabric. The twill weave is also known as BALANCED
WEAVE.

3. Twining weave

It is a chaining technique in which two weft

threads cross each other whenever they pass
through the warp. The warps thus entwined by
the wefts. This technique is usually used in
basketry, rugs and carpets.
APPLIQUE

A type of fabric work made by stitching or sewing small pieces

of cloth together and applies them to a big one as a
background. It is usually done to patchwork out clothes.
Applique is an Italian word which means to apply.

STITCHERY/EMBROIDERY

Decorating a piece of cloth with stitches by sewing.

LEATHERWORK

Leather is the creation of useful objects such as belts, bags, wallets, shoes and hats out of
leather. Leather is made from animal skins, the skin is preserved by a process called tanning.
Tanning stops the skin from decomposing or drying out. Example of a tanned skin is a shoe.

TECHNIQUES AND METHODS OF PROCESSING LEATHER

VEGETABLE TANNING- Tanning where vegetables are used when processing the skin. Some
of the vegetables are oak bark, spruce and chestnuts. These vegetables make the leather to
resist harsh conditions.

OIL TANNING- Oil is used while tanning leather. It helps produce soft leather that can fold
easily without damage.

MINERAL TANNING- Minerals are used to preserve leather. The skin is soaked in a mixture
of salt and mud. This produces very fine and soft leather. Batswana commonly use wood
and salt while preserving leather.
QUALITIES OF GOOD LEATHER

 Strong and durable

 Attractive and uniform in colour
 Soft and flexible
 Having few spots and cuts

TECHNIQUES USED IN LEATHERWORK

1) Thonging- A thong is a narrow strip of leather used for joining pieces of leather. Thongs
can be used to:

a) To join pieces of leather

b) To make decoration on leather

2) Skiving- means to thin down the edges of leather so that joints do not appear huge or
bulky after gluing

3) Punching- Piercing leather with circular holes used for stitching, thonging and fastening

4) Scoring- means to cut a groove along a line on the leather where it later be folded.

WAYS OF DECORATING LEATHER

 Embossing- Stamping a design onto leather

 Stippling- Pressing small dots into leather to make patterns.
 Punching- Piercing leather with circular holes used for stitching, thonging and
fastening

UNIT 6 - ORNAMENTS

ORNAMENT – are objects that enhance the appearance of a person or object.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Ornaments were very popular in African culture as they were used during initiations, rituals,
wars and festivals. Large portions of ornaments were painted in contrasting colours as
decorations or to frighten enemy warriors. Ornaments are used for social, economic, ritual,
aesthetic and cultural purposes.

MATERIAL AND TOOLS

NATURAL MATERIAL ARTIFICIAL MATERIALS

Bones Wire
Seeds Found objects
Stones Wooden beads
Porcupine quills Plastic beads etc.
Ostrich egg shells Metals
Cork

UNIT 6.1 JEWELLERY

Jewellery is body ornament used to enhance someone’s appearance

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Jewellery has been used throughout the centuries to adorn and beautify the body in all the
parts of the world. Archaeological diggings have discovered many different types of
jewellery throughout Africa. The first pieces of jewellery were made from natural materials
such as bones, animal teeth, shells, wood and stones. Jewellery has been used for a number
of reasons. These are such as: functional use, i.e. pins and bangles, as a symbolism to show
group membership and artistic display.

In modern days jewellery exists in a vast variety of materials and styles. These are bangles,
bracelets, pendants, e.t.c.

UNIT 6.2 - BASKETRY

Basketry is the art and craft of making baskets.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

People produce baskets for different purpose e.g. for carrying items, storing grain or
trapping fish while others produce them as ritual or symbolic objects. In the past, basket
making was more functional than it is now. Today it is common for baskets to be both
functional and decorative.

TRADITIONAL AND MODERN FORM OF BASKETS

Traditional baskets have many uses and purposes; they include fish net, mats, beer baskets,
flat baskets and many more others. The weaver (the person weaving) decides the shape and
style for the intended purpose. A beer basket for example should be tight to avoid leakage.
Botswana baskets from the Ngamiland and Okavango regions are renowned world-wide for
their beauty and good craftsmanship.

BASKETS THEIR USES

FLAT BASKET Leselo – for winnowing

FLARED BASKET Tlatlana – for gathering and carrying items

GRAIN BASKET Sesigo – storage baskets after harvest

BEER BASKET Motlhotlho – for sierving traditional beer

FISH BASKET Letloa – for fishing

MODERN BASKETS

These include shopping baskets, bags, and purses. Other products include lampshades, glass
holders, travel bags and picnic baskets. Some baskets are made without any function at all;
they are only for decoration.

MATERIALS FOR BASKETS

In Botswana the most common material used for basketry is Palm reeds (mokolwane). It is
mostly found in Ngamiland and the Okavango regions. The root bark of Motlhakola is used
to dye the reeds.

NATURAL MATERIALS MAN – MADE MATERIALS

Grass Plastic

Reeds Ribbons

Cane Wool

Papyrus reeds Wire

TOOLS

1. Knife – to cut and shape materials

2. Needles/awls – to sew basket materials
3. Mallet – to flatten materials
4. Bowls/buckets – to soak materials

MASK MAKING

A mask is a three dimensional artwork that cover, protects or

hide the face. In many parts of Africa, masks were made and
used for harvest celebrations, initiation ceremonies and rituals
to control supernatural forces.

Nowadays film directors use masks when shooting movies

especially for disguising human features and for animations.
Also masks are used for pleasure.
MATERIALS FOR MASK MAKING

Wood, clay, wire, plastic, paper, fibreglass and many more.