Drawing Decorative Patterns (DDP)

In Chapter 2, students are expected to be able to appreciate and create fine arts, namely:

Explaining the diversity of Indonesian decorative arts,
Identifying the uniqueness of Indonesian decorative diversity,
Explore the variety of floral, faunal and geometric ornaments in the form of images, and
Communicating the results of decorative works both verbally and in writing.
Drawing Decorative Patterns

The diversity of flora and fauna in Indonesia is very rich and diverse. Each region has this wealth and becomes a characteristic or symbol of a region. The wealth of flora and fauna is then immortalized by the community in the form of decorative motifs. These decorative motifs can be found in buildings or architecture of traditional regional houses as symbols that have local wisdom values. Decorative motifs of flora and fauna use different materials and techniques. There are decorative motifs made on wood, cloth, leather, and copper. Observe some of the decorative motif images below.

After you observe the picture above, answer the questions below:

Explain what factors can support the beauty of the following decorative motifs.
What conclusion can you draw from the decorative motif image above?

You can observe decorative motifs from other sources such as the internet, watching performances via VCD, and other learning sources. You can observe decorative motifs that develop in your area, but you can also observe decorative motifs from other areas.

Discussion Sheet Format

After you have filled in the columns about the decorative motifs, then discuss it with your friends and fill in the columns below.

Decorative Motif Observation Results Discussion Format

Member's name
Name of the decorative variety observed
Observation day/date

A. Definition of Decorative Motifs

Understanding Decorative Motifs

Decorative motifs or ornaments are a form of fine art that has developed since prehistoric times. Indonesia as an archipelagic country has many decorative motifs. Decorative motifs in Indonesia are influenced by natural environmental factors, flora and fauna, and the culture of each region. The desire to decorate is a human instinct. In addition, the creation of decorative motifs is also based on the needs of the community, both practical and related to beliefs or religion. There are decorative motifs that have symbolic meaning because they contain cultural values found in the supporting community. Drawing decorative motifs can be done with stylization (style) by simplifying the shape of the object that is the source with consideration of beauty. In addition, decorative images must also be adjusted to their function.

B. Decorative Motifs

Decorative motifs are works of art taken from the forms of flora (vegetal), fauna (animal), figural (human), and geometric shapes. These decorative motifs can be applied to two- and three-dimensional media.

1. Decorative Flora Variety

Flora as a source of decorative motif objects can be found almost on all islands in Indonesia. Decorative motifs with floral (vegetal) motifs are easily found on art objects, such as batik, carvings, embroidered cloth, woven cloth, and embroidery.

2. Fauna (Animal) Decorative Variety

Animal motifs can be made based on various types of animals, such as birds, elephants, lizards, fish, and chickens. In making decorative motifs, animal decorative motifs can be combined with vegetal decorative motifs or geometric motifs. For example, to draw decorative motifs with bird motifs, the following steps are taken.

Make a contour image of a bird with a certain style as a decorative pattern.
Create additional lines or motif shapes (e.g. vegetal motifs) to fill in the pattern.
Finish the image by filling in the areas with interesting colors.

Regional decorative motifs in Indonesia often use animals as decorative objects. These regions include Yogyakarta, Bali, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. These fauna decorative motifs can be found in batik, carvings, embroidery, weaving, and embroidered fabrics.

Fauna-shaped decorative motifs can be used as a means to introduce local wisdom from certain regions in Indonesia, such as birds of paradise in Papua, Komodo dragons in East Nusa Tenggara, and elephants in Lampung.

3. Geometric Decorative Varieties

Geometric decorative motifs are decorative motifs developed from geometric shapes and then styled according to the taste and imagination of the maker. Geometric decorative motifs can be found throughout Indonesia, such as Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. Geometric decorative motifs can be made by combining geometric shapes into one decorative motif.

4. Figurative Decorative Varieties

The form of figurative decoration is in the form of human objects drawn by getting stylized shapes. Figurative decoration is usually found on textile materials and wooden materials, the manufacturing process of which can be done by drawing.

C. Decorative Patterns

Decorative motifs generally have patterns or arrangements that are repeated. In other decorative motifs, the patterns displayed can be regular, measured and balanced decorative motifs. Geometric decorative motifs can be identified by their shapes such as squares, zigzags, crosses, triangles, and circles. These plane patterns are geometric patterns that are regular in shape. Another form of geometric pattern is to change the arrangement of decorative motif patterns into irregular decorative motifs and still pay attention to the aspect of beauty.

D. Decorative Drawing Techniques

Decorative motifs are very varied, some are taken from flora, fauna, humans, and geometric shapes. The shape of the decorative motif can be repetition or tendrils. When you want to draw decorative motifs, there are several rules that must be considered, as follows.

Pay attention to the pattern of the decorative motif that will be drawn.
Prepare drawing tools and media.
Determine the size of the image pattern to be created.
Make a sketch in one of the boxes/areas that have been created previously.
Make the same shape (can be traced) on another plane.
Coloring the picture.

After reading the concept of decorative images, answer the questions below:

What form is this stylization taken from?
What are the steps to make it?
Explain how the motif is placed.

1. Drawing Flora (vegetal) Decorative Motifs

You can see floral ornaments on various objects or goods. Floral ornaments have various shapes and patterns. Each region in Indonesia has floral ornaments with their own characteristics. Now you can draw ornaments easily. You can use repeating patterns or tendrils. Ornaments can be taken from single leaf objects which can then be stylized according to your imagination and creativity. Drawing single leaf objects can be done in several stages as a stylization of Figure 2.11.

Exploring Decorative Arts Activity - Activity 1

You can draw floral ornaments.
You can draw by looking for examples from various learning sources.
The purpose of conducting exploration in Activity 1 is so that you have good drawing technique skills.

2. Drawing Fauna Ornamental Varieties

The form of fauna decorative motifs has the same beauty and uniqueness as flora decorative motifs. The types of fauna that are usually taken as decorative image objects are birds, elephants, lizards, fish, and chickens. Fauna decorative motifs can be combined with flora decorative motifs or just one type.

Several stages in drawing fauna decorative motifs are as follows.

Determine the type of fauna whose decorative image will be created.
Make a pattern for the decorative pattern.
Give color to the resulting decorative image.

Exploring Decorative Arts Activity - Activity 2

You can draw floral decorations by looking for examples from various learning sources.
The purpose of exploring activity 2 is so that you can get to know the character of flora so that the pictures you make are better.
Draw large and small circles for the bird's body and head.
Complete the picture with the shapes of the wings, tail, legs, crest, eyes and beak.
Add lines to decorate the tail and wings.
Finish by filling in the fields with attractive colors.

3. Drawing Geometric Decorative Patterns

Geometric decoration is a decorative motif developed from geometric shapes, such as triangles, rectangles and circles. The use of geometric motifs can be found in various regions in Indonesia such as Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. Geometric decoration can be made by combining geometric shapes

Exploring Decorative Arts Activity - Activity 3

You can draw geometric ornaments by looking for examples from various learning sources.
The purpose of conducting exploration in activity 3 is to provide you with knowledge about geometric decorative pattern formation.

4. Drawing human decorative motifs (figurative)

Figurative decorative motifs use human motifs drawn with a certain style. For example, this decorative motif is used in textile works and wooden works, which are made using drawing or carving techniques. For example, human motifs are found in Java, Bali and Papua.

Exploring Decorative Arts Activity - Activity 4

You can draw geometric ornaments by looking for examples from various learning sources.
The purpose of conducting exploration in activity 3 is so that you can create stylizations and defominations of figurative decorative forms well.

E. Competency Test

Knowledge

Explain what is meant by decorative variety?
Why does each region have different decorative patterns?

Skills

Make geometric decorations on textile materials measuring 25 cm x 30 cm.

F. Summary

Drawing decorative motifs has regular picture patterns and irregular picture patterns. Regular picture patterns have the same pattern size. Several regions in Indonesia such as Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, Madura, and Papua have decorative motif patterns using regular patterns. In irregular decorative motif patterns, the decorative motifs are made more expressive and dynamic.

Drawing decorative motifs for some Indonesian people aims to honor the spirits of ancestors or seek safety in life, for example in decorative motifs in the form of humans. Drawing decorative motifs in the form of humans can be colored green, blue, and made in their entirety or taken only certain body parts such as the face.

Decorative images can be made by simplifying or exaggerating. Decorative images can be found on the edges of traditional regional houses, batik cloth, or other craft objects. The colors used usually have distinctive characteristics and have symbolic meanings.

The procedure that must be done in drawing decorative motifs is that the image must follow the form of the existing decorative motif pattern, such as regular or irregular decorative motif patterns. Drawing decorative motifs must also pay attention to composition, proportion, balance, and harmony.

G. Reflection

Drawing decorative motifs of flora, fauna, geometric and human beings provides knowledge about the diversity of visual culture and local wisdom about the lives of the communities that use them.

The diversity of decorative forms shows us that Indonesia has a priceless cultural wealth.

The activity of drawing decorative motifs can foster an attitude of appreciation, appreciation, and at the same time foster a sense of responsibility towards the preservation of regional culture, especially decorative motifs.

By knowing the decorative varieties from various regions, we can be wiser and more prudent in maintaining social and environmental relationships. Next, do a self-assessment by giving a check mark (P) in columns 1, 2, 3, and 4 according to your opinion.

Communicating Activities

You have carried out learning activities to draw vegetal, animal, figural, and geometric decorative motifs.
Make a specification table for each decorative pattern.
Provide an explanation for each decorative pattern.

Source

Arts and Culture / Ministry of Education and Culture. Revised Edition. Jakarta: Ministry of Education and Culture, 2014. viii pp., 132 pp.; illus. 17.6 x 25cm