HUMANITIES

Etymologically, the term “Humanities” is from a Latin word humanus which means
educated. It refers to the learning of arts such as architecture, dance, literature, music,
painting, theatre, and sculpture (Sanches, 2011). It is a branch of knowledge that
focuses on human opinions, and relationships (Machlis, 2003). As a branch of learning,
the artwork is considered as the material object while its creativity and appreciation are
the formal objects (Menoy, 2009 & Marcos, et al., 2010).

Likewise, Humanities is more concerned about how a person expresses his/her

feelings. These feelings can be in facial manifestations or body movements. Laughing,
crying, clenching our fists, curling our toes, stretching out our fingers, and crossing our
arms are representations of humanities (Menoy, 2009).

As a branch of knowledge, Humanities explores human conditions through the use of

analytical, critical, or theoretical methods. These methods are in the form of ideas and
words that help makes our life more meaningful. Moreover, Humanities can also be a
study on how an individual documented and processed his/her experiences particularly
in connecting to others (Stanford University, 2016). Imparting humanities as an
academic science is designed to let our learners (particularly the new generations)
become creative and artistic individuals. Humanities help the students to connect with
the community through art exposure like museum outings, concerts, theatre
performances, etc. (Marcos, 2010).
ARTS

In our life, we experience so much fragmentation of our thoughts and feelings. But, by
creating arts, it brings things back together. We merely make art because of so many
reasons, and we enjoy the process of it.

But, how would we define ‘art’?

The word “art” is from a Latin arti, which means craftsmanship, inventiveness, mastery
of form, skill. It includes literature, music, paintings, photography, sculpture, etc. It
serves as an original record of human needs and achievements. It usually refers to the
so-called “fine arts” (e.g., graphics, plastic, and building) and to the so-called “minor
arts” (everyday, useful, applied, and decorative arts). It is the process of using our
senses and emotions in making creative activities (Marcos, 2010). It is a human
capability to make things beautiful (e.g., buildings, illustration, designing, painting,
sculpture, and Photography) through the production of his/her imagination depending on
the preparation, theme, medium, and values used.

For many people art is a specific thing; a painting, sculpture or photograph, a dance, a
poem, or a play. It is all of these things, and more. They are mediums of artistic
expression. Webster’s New Collegiate dictionary defines art as “The conscious use of
skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” Yet art is
much more than a medium, or words on a page. It is the expression of our experience.
Joseph Brodsky hints at a definition of art in his poem “New Life”:

“Ultimately, one’s unbound

curiosity about these empty zones,

about these objectless vistas,

is what art seems to be all about.”

Art is uniquely human and tied directly to culture. It takes the ordinary and makes it
extraordinary. It asks questions about who we are, what we value, the meaning of
beauty, and the human condition. As an expressive medium, it allows us to experience
sublime joy, deep sorrow, confusion, and clarity. It tests our strengths, vulnerabilities,
and resolve. It gives voice to ideas and feelings, connects us to the past, reflects the
present, and anticipates the future. Along these lines, art history, combined with
anthropology and literature, are three main sources in observing, recording, and
interpreting our human past. Visual art is a rich and complex subject whose definition is
in flux as the culture around it changes. Because of this, how we define art is in essence
a question of agreement. In this respect, we can look again to the dictionary’s definition
for an understanding of exactly what to look for when we proclaim something as ‘art’.

Significantly, the word artist comes from the French word artiste and the Spanish artista,
which means “performer.” It is someone who creates art that is merely trades and
professions by which different people make their livings (Goines, 2004).

Artist is most often refers to those who create within a context of the fine arts such as
acting, dancing, drawing, filmmaking, painting, sculpture, writing, photography, and
music. They are those who use imagination, and a skill to construct works that may be
judged to have aesthetic importance. Creativity is a characteristic of an artist that
progressed to the extent of his/her life to express feelings. These are all processed in
three significant phases namely: Creation of Forms; Creation of Ideas; and Creation of
the Materials (Sanchez, 2011).

1. The Creations of Ideas. Artists are usually impressionable persons. They

used their experiences as their basis in the making of dance, picture, a poem,
or a play or a song. For example, a composer may write a song on the
developing romance between a man and a woman, or on the pains of a
broken-hearted.
2. The Creations of the Materials. The artist uses different materials or mediums
to give form to an idea. For example, a painter uses pigments; a sculptor
uses wood, metal, or stone; an author uses words; and a composer who uses
musical sounds to determine the notes.
3. The Creations of Forms. There are diverse forms used by the artists in
expressing their ideas. It is a medium of artistic expression recognized as fine
art. This form is used to explain the physical nature of the artwork like in
metal sculpture, an oil painting, etc.
ART APPRECIATION

When we look around, we see a lot of things that relate to art. Art is present wherever
we are. We do not need to look far. Art can come in the form of many items such as
posters, paintings, portraits, covers, accessories we use, like a watch, bracelet,
necklace, among others, speak of the artistry of their creator; likewise, the color and
design of our clothes, designs of buildings and vehicles, interior designs, landscapes,
music from the radio – all of these are art.

People look at art in different ideas that they want to know more about or maybe
studying. Art can shows ideas about the past, what is currently happening, and what
may happen in the future. It can also show meaning, love, boredom, and creativity
(Ramos, 2012). Art can be meaningful because of the colors, shapes, and depictions it
can create.

Art is made by man. It is the product of the artist’s trained ability or mastery of his
medium. Works of masters, like Van Gogh, da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Mozart, Beethoven,
Shakespeare, Marlowe, Edgar Allan Poe, Abueva, Amorsolo, and Tolentino, are
monuments of great men who lived their lives to fulfill their vision. Their art lives for our
generations to study, enjoy, and appreciate.

Art Appreciation is a way to motivate ideas and allows individuals to illustrate their
feelings when they viewed an artwork. It helps develops critical and innovative skills in
thinking and teaches essential qualities in listening, observing, and responding to
multiple viewpoints. It also requires an ability to differentiate what is apparent and what
is not (Gargaro & Jilg, 2016, and Sanger, 2012).
FUNCTIONS OF ARTS

From the very beginning, arts have been part of human history. It described, defined,
and deepened the human experience. In the Prehistoric period, for example, people
performed songs and dances to gratify their ancestors. Likewise, hunters brushed
different figures on the walls of caves to depict their day to day experiences. Arts also
serve several functions which are item outcome to its purpose (Menoy, 2009), namely:

1. Individual Function - The artists perform arts because of the passion of their
respective art forms. A singer presents a concert for free because of his
advocacy and the love of singing. For example, Regine Velaquez (Asia’s
Songbird) is well-known for possessing an extensive vocal range.
2. Social Function - Man associates with others through his art performance that
arouses social consciousness. Examples of this association are choral
singing, group dancing, public art exhibits, and other practices.
3. Economic Functions - Arts are emerging as a potent force in the economic life
of people assumes an essential role as a direct and indirect contributor to
state economies. An example of this is by generating economic vitality in
under-performing regions through crafts, tourism, and cultural attractions.
4. Political Functions - Art provides a forum for ideas that will lead to
employment, prestige, status, and power. During the election period, for
example, the candidates created their artworks (poster) which expresses their
propaganda, agendas, and political views about making a stable society.
5. Historical Functions - Art is an essential technique for information to be
recorded and preserved. It serves to document or reconstruct historical
figures and events. Most arts that are in Museums, for example, are filled with
amazing stories about the world's most excellent and most creative people
who brought us the treasures. By looking at a work of art’s colors, materials,
and symbolism, we can learn about the story and culture that produced it in
the past.
6. Cultural Functions - Art is an articulation and transmission of new information
and values. For example, when you think of Manila, you probably think of Fort
Santiago, Luneta Park, and its world-renowned churches, or the famous
Intramuros.
7. Physical Functions - Buildings are artistically designed and constructed to
protect their occupants and make their life inside more meaningful. Architects,
Industrial and Graphic Designers, and Interior Decorators share responsibility
in building an environment that balances forms and functions.
8. Aesthetic Functions - Any artwork means beauty. It is a visual spice for
gracefully adorned interiors and can bring out the most elegant features of
different décor elements. It reasonably reproduced visual images that
communicate through fantastic persuasions and meaningful words.
PURPOSES OF ARTS

Creativity or imagination is the primary basis of art. Art is created when an artist
produces a stimulating experience that is considered by his audience to have artistic
merit. The artwork is the visual expression of an idea or experience of an artist, through
the use of a medium (Frank, 2011). It allows the expression of the individuality of the
artist. Through artistic endeavors, we can share what is important to us with others and
can learn about the values of feelings of those sharing art with us. Some purposes of art
are the following (Marcos et al., 2011).
1. Create Beauty - Art is an expression of our thoughts, emotions, and intuitions.
It is the communication of concepts that cannot be faithfully portrayed by
words alone. The Artist has considered nature as the standard of beauty. The
example of beauty can be in a snowy mountain scene, and the art is the
photograph of it shown to the family.
2. Provide Decoration - Artworks are used to create a pleasing environment. It is
intended to beautify things to please and amuse the viewers through its
colors and patterns.
3. Reveal Truth - Artwork helped to pursue truth and attempted to reveal about
how the world works. It is a kind of language that allows artists to send a
message to the souls of the recipients that help change their attitudes, their
sensibility, and their ethics.
4. Express Values - Arts can illuminate our inner lives and enrich our emotional
world. Through arts, the artist will be encouraged to develop their creativity,
challenge, and communication skills. It also promotes self-esteem and
wellness.
5. Commemorate Experience - Art serves to convey the personal experiences of
an artist and record his impression in his work.
6. Create Harmony - An artist makes use of the composition to put an order in
the diverse content of his work.
FORMS OF ARTS

Many changes in the arts took place during the early modern period. Its forms can be on
many characteristics, including shape, function, use, or social context. Works of art are
classified in many different forms, namely:

1. Visual Arts - These arts are those forms that create works which are primarily
visual (forms perceived by the eyes). The man can take the beauty of nature
through a piece of paper so that other people may take time appreciating the
captured image. Examples of these arts include:

1. Drawing - This form of art enhances the way we see the world
around and conditions us to capture its details in a two-dimensional
medium. This has been a critical element of art throughout history
and in the contemporary art world.
2. Painting - This form of visual art aims to evoke an emotion from the
viewers. It is the practice by applying colors or other media to a
surface with a brush or other objects.
3. Sculpture - This form of visual arts characterized as the art of
representing an imagined or observed object in hard materials
such as glass, metals, or wood in three dimensions.
4. Photography- This form of art is a process of creating portraits by
recording radiation on a radiation-sensitive medium, such as
electronic image sensors or photographic films.
5. Installation Art - The fundamental nature of this form of art is the
participation of the spectators. In this work of art, viewers become
active and navigate the work in an environment that they can
experience visually. It also has the capacity of passing on particular
information about any significant event around the world and
interactively represents documentary issues.
2. Cinema/Film - This form of art allows us to explore the complexities of the
human situation. This is used to work out our emotions, to make history
comes alive, science is explained, and literary works are brought into life.
3. Literary Arts - These arts centered on creative writing and other composition
processes which intended to read. These include prose and poetry (e.g.,
novels, short stories, sonnet, ballad, epic, and essay).
4. Music - This form of art helps to express our mood and feel the way through
our emotions and ideas. Based on a study, different types of music may be
suitable for different moods through classical music is still recommended as
the most calming music option.
5. Dance - This form of art is expressed through body movement which entails
social interaction, or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.
6. Theatre - This form of art uses performers to present the experience of a real
or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place and time.
1. Opera - This form of art helps to tell stories through music. This is
also performed with a full orchestra composed of the various
musical instrument sections. In this art form, singers and musicians
perform a dramatic work by combining text (called a libretto) and
musical score.
2. Stagecraft - This form of art is a technical aspect of theatrical
production. This includes constructing and arranging scenery,
hanging and focusing of lighting, the design of costumes, makeup,
and procurement of props, stage management, and recording and
mixing of sound.
7. Architecture - This form of art provides us the physical structure we lived in. It
is a profound expression of human culture in a particular period, and it will
endure and outlive us in forms of monuments that future generations will
study and strive to understand.
THE VALUE OF ARTS IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Knowing and practicing the arts disciplines are fundamental to the development of the
minds and spirits of the students (National Art Education Association, 1994). Arts are
inseparable from education. When early humans drew images on the walls of the caves,
the artworks have been the means of recording human experiences and of making
sense of the world. It educates us on how early people lived and survived. Thus, without
the skills in the arts, no one can claim that he/she is professionally trained.

There are several reasons for the arts to be included in an educational system. It is
evident that involvement in the arts has been shown to help students in their academic,
personal, and social development. Listed below are other details for this assertion.

1. Arts are worth studying because they served to connect our imaginations with
the most profound questions of human existence.
2. Arts are always used because it helps to present issues and ideas to teach,
persuade, and entertain people.
3. Arts are integral to every person’s daily life because it helps shape our
spiritual, political, economic, cultural, and social environments.
4. Arts are refreshing because it offers unique sources of enjoyment and it
investigates relationships between thought and actions.
5. Arts develop students attitudes because it teaches self-discipline, reinforces
self-esteem, fosters thinking skills and creativity, and values the importance of
teamwork and cooperation.

Lesson 1: Western Art History

THE WESTERN ARTS HISTORY

Historically speaking, the human instinct to create art is universal. Art is an approach of
a human being to communicate his/her beliefs and express ideas about his/her
experiences. It also provides valuable insights into the past and existing cultures. It
helps us to understand how others have lived and what they valued (Annenberg
Foundation, 2017).

The history of art reflects the remnant of civilization, the study of artworks, and the lives
of artists illuminate much about our shared past. It helps us to discover, authenticate
who made a particular art object (Meyer, 2009). It also helped us to appreciate the
stylistic and recognized development of artistic practices on a large scale and within a
broad historical viewpoint.

The history of art also covers the entire history of humankind since prehistoric times. Art
is a product of man’s emotional and intellectual connection with the world. It also aimed
to produce a message which will either provoke an unexplainable consciousness within
the hearts of its viewers or incite wisdom among inquisitive minds. Leroi-Gourhan
(1967) lists three primary domains of the expression of feeling associated with the first
periods of humanity that may add to our understanding of the beginnings of art such as
Psycho-physiological impressions; Magic- religious; and techno-economic.
ART IN PREHISTORIC CIVILIZATION

The term “prehistoric” relates to the time before written history. Specifically, the writing
developed in ancient Mesopotamia before 3000 B.C.E., so this period includes visual
culture (paintings, sculpture, and architecture) made before that date (Zucker, 2015).
The oldest recognized decorative art forms come from Africa date back to 100,000
BC.E.

Prehistoric art has four main periods: Stone Age, Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age.
The remaining artifacts of this period are small sculptures and cave paintings. During
these early times, different forms of art were created and performed as a sign of
communication or adoration to the deity. This practice shows how cultural and religious
factors played little to the development of the art forms that made the ancient society so
famous until now.

Ancient people often represented their worldviews and beliefs through visual images.
Art emerged with the appearance and the dispersal of entirely modern people through
Africa, Asia, Australia, America, and Europe. Paintings, sculptures, engravings, and
potteries are expressions of beauty and complex social and spiritual systems.
Prehistoric art like animals is the favorite subject of hunters, herdsmen, and breeders.

Prehistoric art is a symbolic system that is an integral part of the culture that creates it
(Honour et al., 2005). Many archaeologists have identified Stone Age art, namely:
petroglyphs (rock carvings and engravings); pictographs (graphic imagery, symbols);
ancient sculpture (totemic statues, ivory carvings); and megalithic arts (performs or any
other works associated with the formation of stones).

The oldest European cave art is the El Castillo Cave (Cave of the Castle) in Spain. This
cave was discovered in 1903 by Hermilio Alcalde del Río, a Spanish archaeologist.
Some Archaeologists argue that artwork inside this cave is probably a creation of Homo
neanderthalensis. Hand stencils, claviforms (club shapes), and disks made by blowing
paint onto the wall in El Castillo cave found that date back at least 40,800 years, making
them older than those of the Chauvet Cave in central France, which dated to around
39,000 years (Kwong, 2012). Other old cave painting sites in France include Lascaux,
Grotte de Cussac, Pech Merle, Cave of Niaux, and Font-de-Gaume.
STONE TOOLS FOR ART MAKING

Stone is formed based on the composition of minerals on it. It is classified as Mineral

growth, Sedimentary, Metamorphic, and Volcanic. Sedimentary rocks shaped through
the deposition and compression of particulate matter. On the other hand, Metamorphic
rocks changed as a result of extreme temperature and pressure. Volcanic rocks are
from molten igneous magma (Prindle, 1994).

The tools made of stone were the instruments by which early man developed and
progressed. All human culture founded on the ingenuity and brainpower of our early
ancestors in creating sophisticated tools that enable them to survive. The first stone
tools (eoliths- which are now believed to be naturally produced by geological processes
such as glaciation) and other types of organic materials (wood, bone, ivory, and antler)
were about two million years ago. The oldest human tools were a simple stone chopper,
such as those unearth at Olduvai George in Tanzania. Many Paleoanthropologists
(people who study the origins and predecessors of the present human species)
confirmed that the Palaeolithic Man produced four types of tools in creating an art
namely: pebble tools (with a single sharpened edge for cutting or chopping): Bifacial
tools (hand axes); Flake tools; and Blade tools.

1. Pebble Tools (Pebble chopper). It is the first cutting device and considered
the oldest type of tool made by humans. The tool contains a rounded stone
struck some blows with a similar stone used as a pounder, which created a
serrated crest that served as a chopping blade.
2. Bifacial tools. It is a hand ax prehistoric stone tool flake with two faces or
sides. These tools may be oval, triangular, or almond-shaped in form and
characterized by axial symmetry. The cutting edge could be straight or jagged
and is used as a knife, pick, scraper, or weapon. The technique was
distinctive of the hand-ax tradition of the Lower Palaeolithic period and the
Acheulian culture.
3. Flake tools. These are hand tools used during the Stone Age. They are
usually formed by crushing off a small or large fragment then used as the
tool. Both cores and flakes could be as stone tools. New flakes were very
sharp, but quickly became blunt during use and had to be sharpened again
by further flaking, a process called “retouch.”
4. Blade tools. These are a stone tool created by striking a long narrow flake
from a stone core. This procedure of cutting the stone and creating the blades
is called lithic reduction. After chipping the blades, they integrated into larger
tools, such as spears.

MEDIEVAL ARTS IN EUROPE

The primitive art of the Western world covers an extensive range of time and
place over 1000 years. Specifically, Medieval art in Europe grew out of the artistic
culture of the Roman Empire and the iconographic practices in the church of the
early Christian (Oliquiano, 2012).
These sources were mixed with the influential "barbarian" artistic culture of
Northern Europe to make an extraordinary creative legacy. Medieval art
portrayed in Pietistic painting (religious art) displayed in Ceramics, fresco and
mosaic paintings, Goldsmith and Silversmith, Stained Glass, illuminated
manuscripts, metalwork, Tapestry, and Heraldry in churches.
1. Illuminated Manuscripts (Illumination) - They were colorful religious
texts which often use gold and silver as its main feature. The term
illuminate is the Latin word “illuminate” which means to adorn or to
enlighten. It is the embellishment of a manuscript with bright colors.
The artist who produced the impressive artwork on illuminated
manuscripts was called Illuminators.
2. Metalwork - Metalworkers were very skilled in creating religious
objects for church decorations. Experts in Bronze art produced
beautiful jewels, sculptures, and even church doors.
3. Silversmith and Goldsmith - They were excellent artists who
created new shapes of jewelry. The Medieval church demanded to
employed silversmiths and goldsmiths in the church to produce
e2222 with small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials.
The early Christians used ceiling and wall mosaics in their
churches and cathedrals.
4. Fresco and Panel Paintings - Artists who were skillful in
Iconography uses Fresco and panel painting with the religious
theme during the medieval period. Fresco is performed mostly on
wall covers or ceilings. Likewise, Panels is a painting that showed
on several pieces of wood that joined together. It is also for the
Icons of Byzantine art.
5. Bayeux Tapestry - It is embroidery in colored wool. It is consists of
eight long strips of unbleached linen, sewn together to form a
continuous panel of 230 feet long and 20 inches high.
6. Ceramics - They were hand-shaped cooking pots, jars, and
pitchers.
7. Stained Glass - It is usually applied exclusively to the windows of
medieval churches, castles, and cathedrals. It creates the primary
form of art where small pieces of glass are arranged to form
pictures or patterns which are held together by strips of lead and
supported by a hard fram
8. Heraldry - It is the manner of designing coats of arms and insignia.
Specimens of coats of arms were worked using embroidery, paper,
painted wood, stonework, and stained glass.
5. COMMON PAINTINGS IN CLASSICAL GREEK
During the classical era, most paintings were discovered in panels, tombs,
and vases. It portrays natural symbols with dynamic masterpieces about
battle scenes, mythological figures, and everyday scenes. It also discloses a
grasp of linear perspective and naturalist illustration (Rayos, 2018). Familiar
paintings in classical Greek are as follows:
1. Kerch Vase Painting. Kerch Vase is red-figured pottery named after
the place where it discovered. The most common motifs were
scenes from the life of women, mythological beings, or mythical
stories or events. This type of painting used a technique known as
polychromy which combined different colors especially the brilliant
one in an artistic manner. The shapes commonly found are:
1. Krater (it is a bowl used for mixing wine and water)
2. lebesgamikos (a container with high handles and lid use
to carry bridal bath)
3. lekanis (a low bowl with two horizontal handles and a
small, broad foot)
4. pelike (a wine container)
2. Panel Painting. Panel Painting was especially famous for making
beautiful altarpieces. This type of paintings executed on flat panels
of wood or metals which can be either a small, single piece or
several boards that are together. The earliest known old panel
painting is the Pitsa Panel (dated between 540 and 530 B.C.E.).
3. Tomb/Wall Painting. Popular Tomb or wall painting during the
classical period uses either tempera (water-based) or encaustic
(wax) as a method of fresco. Colors in this type are made with
grind powder stains in pure water, dry, and set with the plaster to
become a lasting part of the wall.

Aesthetics and Arts

The Arts and Crafts

The Difference between Aesthetic Arts and Crafts

Aesthetics is from the Greek word eisthesis which means “perception.” It is a

branch of philosophy devoted to the study of art and beauty used during the 18th
century by Alexander Baumgarten, a German philosopher. This term also refers to
the principles governing the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in visual
art (Rader, 1979).

On the other hand, the term “craft” comes from a German word kraft which means
“power” or “ability.” It usually employed in branches of the decorative arts or
associated artistic practice. It also implies the application of human skills through
the use of a hand. It tends to produce things for various human purposes, and tend
to exhibit their prettiness around a goal external to the object itself (Dutton, 1990).

Arts and Crafts started during the 19th century in Europe as design reform and as
a social movement motivated by William Morris. It involves activities related to
making things that require a combination of skill, speed, and patience.

William Morris who was born on March 24, 1834, in Walthamstow, England was
known for his pattern designs, particularly on fabrics, and wallpapers. As a
proponent of socialist ideals, Morris believed that a designer should have the skill
of any media in producing designs that intricate intertwining fruit, flower, and
foliage pattern. He died on October 3, 1896, at the age of 62 years old in London,
England.
Types of Arts and Crafts

Artists may have unique skills and perceptive abilities, but they are also people
with needs and the motivation to meet those needs. Creating different works of art
that are accepted by one’s audience can lead to an artist’s social acceptance and
recognition. Their works of art have been used to create pleasing environments.
Arts and crafts have different types, namely: textile wood, metal, paper or canvass,
and plant crafts.

1. Textile Crafts. The word textile is from a Latin phrase texere which
means “to braid" or "to construct." These also refer to any craft where
you work with fabric, yarn, or surface design. It uses plant or any
synthetic fibers in creating practical or decorative objects. These include
the following:
○ Cross-stitch - Stitching can also be a form of natural pain
relief. It is a popular form of counted thread embroidery in
which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used
to form a picture.
○ Crochet - It is a process of creating fabric from yarn, thread,
or other material strands using a crochet hook.
○ Sewing - It is the crafts of fastening or attaching objects using
stitches made with a needle and thread.
○ Weaving - It is a fabric production method in which yarns are
interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.
○ Tatting - It is a technique for handcrafting particularly in
making durable lace which is constructed by a series of knots
and loops.
○ Shoemaking - It is the process of making footwear.
○ Lace - It is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in
the work, made by machine or by hand.
○ Macramé - It is a form of textile-making which requires very
few tools and just some pure knowledge of basic knotting.
○ Millinery - It is the designing and manufacture of hats.
○ String Art - It is an arrangement of colored thread strung
between points to form an abstract geometric design.
2. Wood Crafts. These refer to a skill that pertains to the woods, especially
in making one's way through the woods or in hunting, trapping, etc. It
also relates to subsistence lifestyles with implications of
hunting-gathering (Horace, 1906). These include the following:
○ Carpentry - It is a skilled trade in the cutting, shaping, and
installation of building materials during the construction of
buildings.
○ Marquetry - It is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer
(thin slices of wood) to a structure to form decorative designs.
○ Woodturning - It is a form of woodworking that is used to
create wooden objects.
○ Wood carving - It is a form of woodworking to form a wooden
figure or objects by using a knife or a chisel.
○ Cabinetry - It is a skill in making a box-shaped piece of
furniture with doors and drawers for keeping various objects.
○ Upholstery - It is the work of building cushion and cover
furniture.
3. Metal Crafts. These refer to the art of executing artistic designs in metal
for both practical and aesthetic purposes. These arts are designed for
decorative items or functional objects that are beneficial and useful to us
all. These works are of bronze, silver, gold, tin, copper, lead, brass, and
iron. These include the following:
○ Jewelry - It is a form of personal adornments, such as
brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
○ Metal Casting - It is a process by which a liquid material
(bronze, copper, glass, aluminum, and iron) is poured into a
mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape,
and then allowed to solidify.
○ Welded Sculpture - It is an art form in which the statue is
made using welding techniques.
4. Paper or Canvas Crafts. It refers to an extremely durable plain-woven
fabric used for making backpacks, tents, marquees, and other
sustainable items. These include the following:
○ Bookbinding - It is the process of physically assembling a
book from some folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other
material.
○ Card Making - It is a hand-made technique for producing
greeting cards.
○ Collage - It is a technique where the artwork is made from an
assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole.
○ Origami - It is a Japanese cultural art of paper folding.
○ Paper-Mache - It is a composite material consisting of paper
pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with
an adhesive.
○ Scrapbooking - It refers to a method of arranging, preserving,
and presenting personal and family history in a book form.
○ Rubber Stamping - It is a craft in which some type of ink made
of dye or pigment applied to an image or pattern that carved,
molded, laser engraved or vulcanized, onto a sheet of rubber.
5. Plants Crafts - These refer to skills using plant parts as the medium.
These include the following:
○ Corn Dolly Making - It relates to the making of shapes and
figures (known as ‘dollies’) from straw (such as barley, oats,
and wheat).
○ Floral Design - It is the art of using plant materials and flowers
to create a pleasing and balanced composition.
○ Pressed Flower Craft - consists of drying flower petals and
leaves in a flower press to flatten and exclude light and
moisture.
Principles of Understanding Artistic Design and Composition
Art principles are created by combining art elements. Artists utilize organizing
principles to develop forms that inform. Among the fundamental principle of art are
harmony, variety, balance, movement, emphasis, proportion, and rhythm. Whether
analyzing or composing artwork, one must have a complete understanding of how
art principles are created (Elsen, 1981).

1. The Principles of Harmony. When all of the elements of art interact well
in an artwork, visual harmony is attained. This is accomplished by using
similar types of geometric shapes, lines, or colors within a work of art to
create a unified composition. Likewise, using various cool or warm
colors would help to produce a harmonious work of art.
2. The Principles of Variety. A stable composition will also demonstrate the
principle of variety. It is accomplished by using differing colors, lines, and
shapes within an artwork to make key areas stand out. Artists can use
this idea to direct a viewer’s eye to a place within the art that he or she
wants to emphasize.
3. The Principles of Balance. It refers to the symmetry of opposing visual
forces. It is created in a work of art when colors, forms, shapes, or
textures are combined harmoniously.
4. The Principles of Movement. It is the way that an eye moves throughout
a work of art. In this work of art, our eye moves up through the pattern in
the rippling surface of the water to the two paddlers. An artist creates a
visual movement to drive the eye to the focal point of the artwork.
5. The Principles of Emphasis. It refers to the need for an artist to create a
focal point within an artwork. This artistic point is an essential part of a
work of art, and the viewer’s eye should be drawn to that area.
6. The Principles of Proportion. This principle is created when the sizes of
elements in an artwork art are combined harmoniously. The artist usually
tries to make all of the parts in a composition relate logically to each
other to depict the human form within the proper proportion.
7. The Principle of Rhythm. It refers to the use of visual pattern within a
work of art. Models within an artwork are created by repeating certain
colors, lines, or shapes in specific areas. It can also be used to form a
variety of texture within a work of art.
Composition of Arts

To appreciate art, we need to study it. We need to understand the basic concepts
of art so as to know its essence.

1. Subject Matter. Anything could ignite an artist’s imagination, prompting him to

create. The artist’s subject matter is an object, a person a scene, or an event that
the work of art depicts. An art that has a subject matter is called representational or
objective art. An art that has no subject matter is called non-representational or
non-objective art.

In representational art, we see recognizable figures or objects. Appearances of

objects are represented as faithfully as possible. Abstract art, likewise, depicts
recognizable objects. However, in abstract art, the appearance of objects in not
realistically presented. Certain aspects of the object are either simplified or
exaggerated.

Subjects of art could be:

Interesting Person(s) Commemorative Events

Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa Manohar’s Painting of Jahangir Receives a Cup
from Khusrau

Juan Luna’s Blood Compact

“Song to Celia” by Ben Jonson

The Human Form

Interesting Animals
Venus de Milo The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Michaelangelo’s David Brancusi’s Bird in Space

Activities of Man Common Objects

Amorsolo’s Planting of Rice Still Life

Edward Weston’s Cabbage Nature

Leaf Claude Monet’s A Field of Poppies

Deity
Armida Nyoria (Japanese
Buddhism

On the other hand, non-representational or non-objective art does not depict

recognizable objects. It does not give descriptions or stories about a subject. An
example of this is music. Through the creative arrangements of sounds, tones, and
pitches, a musical composition is created, not representing anything, yet able to
move us deeply. For the non-representational artists, art’s power to communicate
rests on the language of art itself, in the elements of colors, line, shape, and
figures.

2. Form. The specific quality or shape of artistic expression is its form. It includes
all the visual aspects of the work that can be isolated and described. It is also the
shape by which the artist projects his subject matter.

3. Content. What the artist is trying to express or communicate is the content of his
work. It tells the work of art is all about, the artist’s subject matter. It is the meaning
or the theme expressed by the artist. Through the content, the artist’s attitude
toward his subject is revealed. The artistic value of the substance or the content of
an artwork can be measured by its originality, its imaginative quality, its sincerity,
and its truth.

4. Medium is a means by which an artist translates his feelings and thoughts into
form. It could also refer to the substance the artistic work is made from. The
creative arts are classified according to more specific categories that are related to
their medium or technique.

5. Technique. How well an artist knows and uses his medium in achieving what he
wants is his technique. It is how he selects and arranges his materials to achieve a
specific effect. It is mixing or putting together the substance into the form. This is
what makes one artist’s work different from another. Artists working on similar
subjects using the same medium accomplish different effects because they employ
their techniques.
Motivated Functions of Arts

The motivated purposes of art are intentional and conscious actions on the part of
the artist. Art may bring political change or comment on life in a society. It may also
convey specific propaganda, or just as a form of communication (Holly, 2002). The
primary motivated functions of arts are as follows:

1. Art for Acting. Art may pursue to bring about a certain emotion, to relax,
or to entertain the viewer.
2. Art for Healing. Art is utilized by art therapists, psychotherapists, and
clinical psychologists as art therapy. The end product is a method of
curing, through creative acts.
3. Art for Political Change. One of the essential functions of the art of the
early twentieth century has been to use visual images to bring about
legislative modification.
4. Art for Propaganda (Commercialism). Art is utilized to influence popular
ideas or moods delicately.
5. Art for Communication. Art has a goal, directed toward another
individual. For example, a graphic is a form of art for communication in
which the artist expresses his/her emotions, feelings, and moods.