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 There is an expression "Variety is the spice of life!" We enjoy variety in our lives. Think of how boring life would be if we ate the same food every meal, wore the same clothes as everyone else and had the same eye, skin and hair color as the rest of the world. Variety in art refers to the use of contrasting or different types of Elements in a work of art. An artist knows that adding contrast to a work of art adds interest. Sometimes an artist wants the viewer to look particularly close at a specific area of the work. The artist will manipulate the Elements of Art so that your eye is drawn to a particular area. How is this done? Let's see some works that show good use Emphasis and Variety.

Francesco Goya (Spanish) 1746-1828, The Shootings of May Third 1808, 1814, Oil on canvas, 104 3/4 x 136 in; Museo del Prado, Madrid

Goya uses which Elements Of Art to draw your eyes to the man raising his arms? Why does he emphasize the area he wants you to look at? Goya "lights" up the painting in much the same way a spotlight lights up the actors on a stage. Goya creates a very light value around the area he wants you to see. The man in the white shirt is the Focal Point of the painting. He uses value contrast to emphasize this area.
Notice the color of the shirt the man raising his arms is wearing. Why did Goya choose white? White symbolizes truth and purity, innocence. Also the color white appears to jump out at the viewer.

Wassily Kandinsky (Russian)1866-1944, Composition VII, 1913
Oil on canvas

This is an example of an abstract work. The picture does not seem to represent a realistic scene or image. Works such as these are considered Non-Objective.
Kandinsky uses a Variety of lines, shapes and colors to give this painting interest. He also overlaps some of these Elements. Look at this painting carefully. What area is your eye drawn to? Why? Kandinsky emphasized the large black circle in the upper left corner of his work. The object is different from everything else in the painting and therefore it "stands out".

Kandinsky created thirty preparatory drawings and watercolors before he began the
creation of the final painting showing a planned and organized study. Once the studies
were done, it took Kandinsky only four days to complete this work. Kandinsky has obliterated almost all pictorial representation. The viewer sees lines, shapes, colors and patterns only, but nothing one could identify as something recognizable.


Artist Unknown, Commemorative plaque, bronze, Kingdom of Benin, Nigeria. 1550 -1650 A.D.

This African door plaque was created by a master Benin artisan. The artist has emphasized one character over all the others. How was this done?

You will note that the central character is much larger than all the others. What does this tell you?

This is an example of Hierarchical Balance. The central figure is the largest because he is the chief or king of the Benin. Size translates into importance. The more important the figure, the larger the scale.

Can you think of other great civilizations other than the Benin that also expressed importance in scale and size?
(Egyptian, Mayan, and Chinese artists also used Hierarchical Balance to emphasize importance.)

Artist Unknown, Moghul Dynasty, Illuminated Manuscript,		 This is an illustration from the beautiful manuscript The Ramayana. The Ramayana is one of the two great Indian epics. This epic poem provides insights into many aspects of Indian culture. TheRamayana tells about life in India around 1000 BC. The hero, Rama, lived his whole life by the rules of dharma; in fact, that was why Indians consider him heroic. When Rama was a young boy, he was the perfect son. Later he was an ideal husband to his faithful wife, Sita, and a responsible ruler of Aydohya. "Be as Rama," young Indians have been taught for 2,000 years; "Be as Sita."

Look at the variety of information painted on this vellum. This is a visual narrative. The picture conveys a story through illustration. Notice the beautiful border that frames this manuscript. Does this tell you that this book was treasured?


Asteus (Greek), Red Figure Calyx Krater, c. 340 B.C., Terracotta

Vases were created by potters in Greece and around the world to hold oils, liquids and fruits. The Greeks developed these beautiful red on black vases usually decorated with scenes from Mythological stories or images of great leaders, warriors and artists. Even thousands of years later, these vases are still considered beautiful. What makes them special?

How does the artist use Emphasis? What did he emphasize and why?The contrast of the red and white figures against the black background draws the eye to the images. To accent the images, he decorated around the vase using the same colors. These patterns accent the figures.

These vases are a form of pottery or ceramics in which clay is used to create the work and it is fired in a kiln to make it hard and permanent.Why did Greek artists draw so much from mythology?
To see short movies how Greek vases were made: Click Here

Klee Doodles (Computer Activity)
Greek Vase Designs (Studio Activity)
The Emphasis Is On? (Online Activity)