"Still Life with Palette" - Roy Lichtenstein

• Composition/Arrangement/Scale

  • Hanging/draped fabric in the background
  • Helps lead the eye from the background to the center of the composition, allowing the viewer to appreciate the focal point
• Composition/Arrangement/Scale

  • Objects centrally placed in the composition
  • Arranged in a very orderly manner, to ensure all objects are clearly seen within the large-scale canvas, creating a very controlled, neat composition
• Composition/Arrangement/Scale

  • Focal point of objects contained within center of composition
  • Elliptical arrangement used, because, the negative space of the background works as a frame around the objects in the center
• Composition/Arrangement/Scale

  • Artist's objects arranged in height order
  • Allows very neat, and orderly arrangement, with regards to the careful positioning of objects, according to their scale, allowing the viewer to clearly identify all objects
• Media Handling/Technique/Style

  • An array of Benday dots
  • Lichtenstein used a stencil to create these areas of tone, because, of the extremely precise uniform-like finish they have been given
• Media Handling/Technique/Style

  • Large areas of bold, flat colour
  • Artist used big, flat brush, when applying paint, because, there is no visible brushstrokes, and colour looks solid
• Media Handling/Technique/Style

  • Strong dark outlines
  • Creates powerful approach, and style, because objects have been given importance, and definition against the background
• Visual Elements - Colour

  • Limited colour palate used
  • Helps create comic book style/child-like mood, because the bold, primary colours appear playful
• Visual Elements - Colour

  • Few key yellow-coloured objects throughout composition
  • Helps creates importance, because they stand out against the darker colours used within the rest of the painting
• Visual Elements - Colour

  • Black and white used throughout the painting
  • Creates very stylised, and cold style, contrasting against the child-like primary colours used elsewhere within the painting
• Visual Elements - Line

  • Draped fabric in the background
  • Works as directional line, leading the eye from the background to the focal point of the art objects in the center
• Visual Elements - Line

  • Bold, heavy outlines around each object
  • Creates comic book style, because each object looks designed and purposely placed with an un-natural outline
• Visual Elements - Line

  • Soft, curved lines in the flowers
  • Contrasts against the geometric outlines of the man-made objects, helping the flowers in the background stand out
• Visual Elements - Tone

  • Very simplified, and stylised tone
  • Lichtenstein has used Benday dots to make each object look more 3D, and less flat, without creating a too realistic interpretation of tone
• Visual Elements - Tone

  • Light from the right-hand side, because the right-hand side of each object is left clean, and white
  • Indicating a strong beam of light, and the left-hand side has Benday dots, representing dark areas of shadow
• Visual Elements - Tone

  • Blue, and black Benday dots
  • Helps distinguishes between different areas of shadow, because, tone on each object is blue, and the shadows casts on the table top are in black
• Visual Elements - Texture

  • Large area of bold, primary colours
  • Artist worked with flat brush, to prevent any visible brushstrokes, creating a very smooth, polished texture
• Visual Elements - Texture

  • An array of blue, and black Benday dots within painting
  • Creates texture in an otherwise very flat painting, while helping to demonstrate areas of dark shadow on each object
• Visual Elements - Texture

  • Two different textures: Benday dots, and delicate flowers in the background
  • Creates contrast, and emphasises the delicacy of the organic, natural flowers, against the ordered structure of the dots
• Visual Elements - Shape

  • Very simplified shapes
  • Artist has drawn very precise, accurate shapes, however, used limited tone to create visual impact
• Visual Elements - Shape

  • Majority of the painting contains man-made shapes, however right-hand side has a collection of flowers
  • Creates contrast between the sharp geometric forms, and the soft, organic flowers, creating a dynamic within the painting
• Visual Elements - Shape

  • Half tone in the form of Benday dots
  • Creates a comic book style painting, because each form doesn't look completely lifelike, however has been given the look of being 3D
• Visual Elements - Pattern

  • Contrast in patterns, between ordered Benday dots, and soft flowers in the background
  • Helps to clearly distinguish the man-made objects, from the natural flowers, emphasising the texture of these objects
• Visual Elements - Pattern

  • Benday dots used throughout painting
  • Pattern used to create tone on each of the objects, however uniform alignment of dots work well with the cartoon-like feel of the painting
• Subject Matter/Imagery/Mood & Atmosphere

  • Collection of artist's studio objects
  • Painting represents Lichtenstein's life and works, because the objects he used everyday, form the basis of the theme of this painting
• Subject Matter/Imagery/Mood & Atmosphere

  • Traditional, everyday artist studio objects used
  • Use of bright, primary colours create playful approach, because, it adds interest, and a modern approach, towards very basic, simple objects
• Subject Matter/Imagery/Mood & Atmosphere

  • Collection of very organised looking artist objects
  • Painting arranged specifically, and not naturally set up, because all objects are in height order, helping the viewer see everything clearly
• Subject Matter/Imagery/Mood & Atmosphere

  • Playful mood within painting
  • Created through the use of bold, and bright primary colours, as these recreate the style of a comic book, and these colours are associated with childhood, and innocence