Art: Color and Contour Line Essay

Submitted By Yuan-Chao
Words: 665
Pages: 3

Gallery Critique
On October 30, 2013, I went to UWL gallery to see amazing works of art. I had a deep impression on a picture named No One Will Ever Know that is made by Izel Vargas.
1. Firstly, I would like to discuss the use of color in this picture. Wearing a dark green T-shirt, with two broken and bloody arms, holding a dark black gun, a policeman whose head is an arguing man and woman is in the picture. The hues of this artwork are red, green, orange and yellow, and each hue has a value. The artist uses a dark value of pure red, green and yellow, a light value of pure orange. Similarly, the tint of this picture is light orange, and shades of this picture are dark red, green and yellow. For example, the skin of the arms are light orange; the bloody arms are dark red; the T-shirt is dark green; the logos of the shirt are dark yellow. The artist also uses the neutral colors which are white, black, dark black and dull brown. For example, the gun and leather belt are dark black; the background of the arguing man and woman is white; the background of the whole picture is black. The artist used the color temperature. The dark red of the bloody arms and dark green of T-shirt are warm, because the background is black that is the cooler color.
2. Secondly, I want to describe the use of line in this picture. The processes used in this particular work are contour line, hatching and cross-hatching. The artist uses the contour line to draw the outer edge of the man, woman and house in the artwork. For example, the lines in the hair of the man and woman vary in thickness and regularity. The lines of the woman’s face express her emotion. The artist also uses the hatching and cross-hatching. For example, the bright white highlight of the man and woman’s hair uses no lines; the surrounding hatch lines of their hair express the transition from bright light to a dark value; the hatching lines cross over and over to make their hair become darker.
4. The familiar about what I see in this picture are the house, man, woman and policeman. I recognize them because the house, man and woman in this picture are exactly the shapes of houses and human figures. I recognize the policeman because the policeman in the picture wears a uniform and holds a gun. I have seen the familiar scene that my parents argued with each other at home. I have a deep impression