Ornament is not the last place in our life. For artists, it is a means of self-expression, a source of inspiration, a field for the manifestation of fantasy. For people directly or indirectly related to science - a source of knowledge. Ornaments are a common way of decorating, decorating elements in many industries. It is used in construction, textile industry, architecture, arts and crafts, etc.
What is an ornament?
In the narrow sense of the word, ornaments are repeating patterns, most often geometric or ornate patterns that serve to decorate objects, clothes, utensils, buildings, etc. Most often they are located at the base, that is, they serve as a border or frame. In a broad sense, an ornament is understood as a rhythmically repeating pattern that expresses the worldview of a particular people, plays the role of ethnicity.
Types of Ornaments
Ornaments are the most diverse images. Therefore, they are classified in different ways. On the one hand, there are 2 main groups: author's and classical drawings. The first group reflects all the individual ideas of artists, and the second includes historically established forms. On the other hand, it is more appropriate to distribute the ornament according to the value of the pattern in it. Thus, the following types of ornament are distinguished:
- A geometric that consists of lines, dots, and shapes.
- Vegetable - composed of stylized flowers, leaves, branches, fruits, etc.
- Zoomorphic - includes stylized drawings of real or fantastic animals.
- Anthropomorphic, where female and male stylized figures, and sometimes individual parts of the human body, are used as patterns.
- Heraldic - uses symbolic images: signs, trophies, emblems.
- Grotesque - combines decorative and graphic motifs.
- Arabesque - in oriental style, combines floral and geometric images.
Widespread classification by ethnicity: Russian, Ukrainian, Celtic, Tuvan and so on. Consider one of the types of such decorations in more detail.
Russian ornament
Ornaments, patterns, compositions in the Russian style have their own specific features. The first such ornament was recorded in South Slavic books. Byzantine features were traced here, the images looked like dragons, griffins. In the future, this style was called monstrous. It was a quadrangle, in the center of which a fantastic animal is drawn, with various branches, lines. Subsequently, motifs with floral, floral images spread; they were used in the first printed books. At a later time, a traditional Russian ornament was formed, widely used to decorate clothes and household utensils.
Common types of Russian ornament:
- Branch with berries and leaves of strawberries, raspberries or cranberries.
- A combination of plant and animal motifs: poppy flowers with birds, traditionally on a black background.
- Geometric patterns - rhombuses, triangles with a cross inside, 3 colors are usually used: red, yellow and black.
- Stylized images of animals and people: bears, birds, roosters and so on.
- Floral motifs: red poppies, yellow-red wildflowers.
A striking example of Russian ornamentation is the famous Khokhloma painting, used to decorate dishes. Any ornaments are a reason for inspiration, because they are so easy to learn to draw. And with new knowledge, you can easily master the technique of painting in ethnic style.
Glossary of Important Terms
- Arabesque is an oriental ornament with ligature and floral, animal motifs.
- Griffin is a mystical bird with an eagle's beak and a lion's body.
- Motive is a key element of composition in an ornament.
- Stylization - submission of a realistic image to ornamental, conditional, schematic forms.