I don't mean to sound like an idiot.But my professor was very vauge about what he expected. We have two assignments. Actually three but the first was line and that was understandable enough. But all I got from our lecture on shape and form is that you wouldn't want to shoot with shape in mind when there are deep shadows. I think I go tthat assignment. I took picutes of mushrooms ( I had to lay on the ground) and they came out very well. And there was just enough shadow on the overcast day I took them to actually show depth. I just can't quite figure out what would be an example of shape. It is only the outline of a subject you are interested in. He doesn't care if it is geometrical or natural. Thanks

-- martha goldsmith (oscar@unidial.com), October 01, 1999

Answers

Hey Martha, don't let your professor get away with being vague. Ask him to give you examples, or let him tell you that he is being vague on purpose. He is getting paid good money to teach!

chris

-- Chris Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), October 02, 1999.

It seems like when you enter the artistic or creative world, there's a tremendous reluctance to saying what one means. There's no mysticism involved in this stuff, and it's possible to define what one means by shape, form, weight, balance, etc. in succinct language, or with clear examples. Get your money's worth- make 'em tell you what they want, and why. I suffered through several years of that vague "never come out and say it" approach, and if I knew then what I know now... they probably would have thown me out sooner!

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), October 02, 1999.

Response to S&F

I'd have to agree with these other posts- But my first reaction to reading the question was that shape sounds quite mechanical objects have shape but people have form? perhaps I'm way off the track, I don't know, it was just a thought. Thanqs, Huw.

-- Huw "is still famous" Crosby (crosby@magna.com.au), October 02, 1999.

You should certainly ask him to explain. But if the three assignments are 'line', 'shape' and 'form', they sound like the progression: one dimension, two dimensions, and three dimensions.

The edge of a subject is a line. A table has lots of lines.

A shape has two dimensions: and area, but no depth. The surfaces of a table are shapes. The gaps between things can be shapes. The key word is 'flatness'.

A form has depth. This is most easily seen on round forms, like human bodies and faces. Shadows can emphasise form.

[I stress that this is my own interpretation. Your professor might be thinking of something else.]

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), October 03, 1999.

That should read "A shape has two dimensions: an area, but no depth."

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), October 03, 1999.

Alan's got it. It's not artspeak. "Shape" can be conveyed in only two dimensions, "form" needs to show an implied 3rd dimension. A circle is a shape, a ball is a form. Your instructor wants you to show a 3rd dimension with a 2 dimensional media (the print)...t

-- tom meyer (twm@mindspring.com), October 03, 1999.

Shape is a property of an object. Form is created by light.

-- Jay Arraich (jay@arraich.com), October 06, 1999.