Ornaments are not only an ornament! This means of ethnic self-expression and a source of inspiration

Ornament takes in our lives is not the last place. For artists, it is a means of self-expression, a source of inspiration, a field for the manifestation of fantasy. For people who are directly or indirectly associated with science - a source of knowledge. Ornaments are a common way of decorating, decorating items in many industries. It is used in construction, textile industry, architecture, applied arts, etc.

What is an ornament?

In the narrow sense, ornaments are repetitive drawings, most often geometric or ornate patterns that serve as decoration for objects, clothes, utensils, buildings, etc. Most often they are located at the base, that is, they serve as a border or a frame. In the broad sense, the term "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 a variety of images. Therefore, they are classified in different ways. On the one hand, there are 2 main groups: author's and classic drawings. The first group reflects all individual ideas of artists, and the second includes historically developed forms. On the other hand, it is more appropriate to distribute the ornament according to the value of the drawing in it. Thus, the following varieties of ornament are distinguished:

• Geometric, which consists of lines, dots and shapes.
• Vegetable - is made up of stylized flowers, leaves, branches, fruits, etc.
• Zoomorphic - includes stylized drawings of real or fantastic animals.
• Anthropomorphic, where female and male stylized figures are used as patterns, and sometimes individual parts of the human body.
• Heraldic - uses symbolic images: signs, trophies, emblems.
• Grotesque - combines decorative and visual motifs.
• Arabesque - in oriental style, combines vegetative and geometric images.

Widely distributed classification by ethnicity: Russian, Ukrainian, Celtic, Tuvan and so on. Let us consider one of the types of such decoration in more detail.

Russian ornament

Ornaments, patterns, compositions in the Russian style have their own specific features. The first such ornament was recorded in the South Slavic books. Here the Byzantine features were traced, the images looked like dragons, griffins. Later this style was called monstrous. It was a quadrangle, in the center of which a fantastic animal was drawn , with various branches and lines. Later, motifs spread with floral, floral images, they were used in the first printed books. At a later time, a traditional Russian ornament was formed, widely used for decorating clothes and household utensils.

Common types of Russian ornament:

• Branch with berries and leaves of strawberries, raspberries or cranberries.
• Combination of plant and animal motifs: poppy flowers with birds, traditionally on a black background.
• Geometric patterns - rhombuses, triangles with a cross inside, usually use 3 colors: red, yellow and black.
• Stylized images of animals and people: bears, birds, roosters and so on.
• Flower motifs: red poppies, yellow-red wildflowers.

A striking example of Russian ornamentation is the famous Khokhloma painting, used to decorate dishes. Any ornaments are an occasion for inspiration, because they are so easy to learn how 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 a pattern and plant, animal motifs.
• Gryphon is a mystic bird with an eagle's beak and a lion's body.
• The motif is the key element of the composition in the ornament.
• Stylization - submission of a realistic image to ornamental, conditional, schematic forms.