Introduction of Arts, Line art and Color

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10.1 Introduction to Art

What is Art?
Art is creating something that shows our feelings through images or sounds. It includes paintings, sculptures, music, dancing, acting, and buildings. Art helps us express emotions, thoughts, and feelings.

Forms of Art: Visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture) · Performing art (music, dance, drama) · Literature · Architecture

Good art inspires across generations — temples, sculptures, and carvings are examples of timeless fine art.

Visual art: canvas & palette

📜 History of Art in Different Periods

Stone Age

Art as magic; caves used for hunting & religious rituals

Egyptian

Afterlife focus; grand paintings & sculptures in temples/tombs

Greek

Celebrating victories, ideal beauty & perfection

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10.2 Nepali Art

Nepali art is ancient, beginning from the Licchavi period (430–879 CE). It reflects culture, religion and skilled craftsmanship across sculpture, metal work, wood carving, and painting.

🗿 Stone Sculpture
Budhanilkantha style

✨ Metal Sculpture
Malla period mastery

🪵 Wood Carving
Peacock Window style

🎨 Paubha Painting
Religious cloth art

🏺 Ancient Sculptures & Metal Art

Famous works: Virupakshya, Vishnuvikrant, Budhanilkantha, Garuda Narayan, Peacock Window
Metal sculpture peaked in 13th century; artist Araniko was invited to Tibet & China
Malla period (12–18th c.) brought extraordinary metal idols & intricate wood carvings

📜 Painting & Manuscripts

Palm-leaf manuscripts (12–18 inches) — religious texts with painted covers
Paubha paintings on cloth showing gods & religious stories

🎭 Modern Nepali Art

Western influence during Rana era: Rajman Singh Chitrakar, Bhajuman Chitrakar
First art school opened in 1934 CE; today artists blend traditional & modern styles
Lain Singh Bangdel spread Nepali art internationally; Nepali works displayed in Cambridge Museum

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10.3 Fundamentals of Art

To create good art, we must follow key rules: Balance, Proportion, Composition, Harmony, Rhythm, Perspective.

⚖️ Balance

Formal (Symmetrical): Both sides identical — gives a calm, traditional, stable feeling.

Informal (Asymmetrical): Different elements balance each other (e.g. a big object on one side balanced by several small objects on the other).

Symmetrical vs Asymmetrical Balance

📏 Proportion

Correct sizing makes art realistic. The adult human figure is approximately 7.5 heads tall. Children are 4–6 heads depending on age. Scale creates emphasis or depth.

Proportion: Adult 7.5 heads · Child ~5 heads

🖌️ Composition, Harmony & Rhythm

Composition: The arrangement of elements. Common types: diagonal, triangular, central, and open.

Harmony: All elements work together pleasantly — colours, shapes, and sizes relate to each other.

Rhythm: Repetition of shapes, lines or colours creates visual movement and flow.

Composition types, harmony & rhythm

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10.4 Drawing Objects with Drapery

Drapery (cloth) adds beauty, rhythm, and light & shadow effects to a drawing. Folds show 3-dimensional realism.

1

Draw the outline of the hanging cloth

2

Draw folds with soft, flowing lines

3

Add shading gradually from light to dark

4

Use an eraser for highlights (brightest lit areas)

5

Great for still life: fruits & pots with cloth background

Drapery with folds, shading & still life

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10.5 Drawing the Human Figure

Drawing the human figure is one of the most difficult but rewarding skills. Understanding proportions is vital before adding details.

📏 Proportion Guide

Adults: approximately 7.5 heads tall
Babies: approximately 4 heads tall (large head)
Children (age 6–10): 5–6 heads tall
Not all bodies are the same — practice different body types

✍️ Quick Sketching

Draw people in markets, parks, bus stops
Start with sitting poses, then move to moving figures
Builds confidence and natural flow in the hand

Steps: Light stick figure first → add volume (ovals/cylinders) → refine details → shading. Practice eyes, ears, nose, hands & feet separately before the full figure.

Adult · Child · Baby — proportional comparison

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Expressing Emotions through Colour & Composition

Colours carry powerful emotional meanings. Choosing the right colour helps your artwork communicate a feeling to the viewer without words.

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Joy / Happiness

Yellow, Orange, warm tones

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Sadness

Blue, deep cool tones

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Anger / Passion

Red, crimson, deep red

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Peace / Calm

Green, light blue, soft tones

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Exercise Questions & Answers

1 What is art? Which aspects are included in art?

Art is the expression of feelings and ideas through images or sounds. It includes painting, sculpture, literature, performing art (music, dance, drama), architecture, photography, and drawing.

2 Mention the characteristics of Nepali art.

Nepali art is very old (from the Licchavi period), focuses on religious themes, shows mastery in metal sculpture, intricate wood carving, palm-leaf manuscripts, and Paubha paintings. It features rich decoration and skilled craftsmanship, and blends traditional with Western influences.

3 Nepali art has gained fame internationally. Explain.

Ancient sculptures like Budhanilkantha and Changunarayan are world-famous. The metal art of the 13th century is considered perfection — artist Araniko was invited to Tibet and China. Wood carvings and Paubha paintings are unique to Nepal. Nepali artworks are displayed in the Cambridge Museum and Lain Singh Bangdel spread Nepali art globally.

4 Briefly explain the basic rules of art.

Balance (symmetrical/asymmetrical) · Proportion (correct size relations) · Composition (arrangement of elements) · Harmony (unity and pleasing combination) · Rhythm (repetition creating movement) · Perspective (depth and distance) · Emphasis (focal point)

5 Why are balance and proportion considered important aspects in art?

Balance gives visual stability — without it, a picture feels uncomfortable or unfinished. Proportion makes drawings realistic and believable; incorrect sizes make figures look odd. Together they form the foundation of strong, attractive artwork.

6 Make a drawing of an object using the basic rules of art.

Choose an object (fruit/vase). Apply proportion (correct relative sizes). Plan composition (placement on page). Draw a light outline, add details, apply shading for balance and depth, and add highlights. Verify the visual weight is balanced.

Fig. 6 — Still life drawing using proportion, composition, drapery & shading

7 Draw a human figure.

Draw head (oval), torso (~3 heads long), arms (reaching to mid-thigh), legs (~4 heads). Maintain the 7.5 heads adult proportion. Add facial features, refine lines, and add shading. Practice quick gesture sketches from real life to build naturalness.

Fig. 7 — Human figure drawing: stick frame → volumes → outline → clothing → final with shading

8 Paint a picture expressing human emotions with suitable colours.

Choose an emotion: Happiness → yellow/orange; Sadness → blue/gray; Anger → red; Peace → green/light blue. Plan composition, sketch the subject, apply the dominant colour, add supporting shades and highlights. Refer to the illustration below to see how colour and emotion can work together in a painting.

Fig. 8 — Asahara Kiyotaka, This World of Emotions (1939), Wikimedia Commons.