Elements and Principles
of Art/Design
* * * You will use these to personalize * * *
each side of your portfolio
Be sure that your name is on your portfolio also!
Elements of Art
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Line
Shape
Form
Value
Color
Texture
Space
Line
• connects two points, usually longer than it is wide.
• a mark on a surface that describes a shape or outline. It may be the path made
by a pencil or the stroke of a paintbrush, created by the wires of a mobile or
carvings in a stone sculpture, or formed when two objects meet or overlap.
• Lines can be thin, thick, continuous, interrupted, curved, zigzag, straight, etc.
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Structural Lines:
lines that hold a design together
fluidity
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Outline: outer edge of a silhouette
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Contour: describe the shape of an object
and include interior detail
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Gesture: movement lines
emphasize direction and
More about Line - Line Personality
• direction or movement (vertical, horizontal, diagonal), quality, or weight
• general characteristics of a line, to convey a specific mood or feeling
• A thick line with sharp edges can produce a very different feeling than a thin,
flowing line
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Vertical Lines convey height, stability,
and dignity.
Horizontal Lines suggest calmness, repose, balance.
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Diagonal Lines express action, movement,
tension; they are dramatic and dynamic.
Shape
• Shape:
an element of design
that is twodimensional and
encloses area; has
height and width
but no depth
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Shape can geometric or organic.
Form
• Form:
an element of design
that is threedimensional and
encloses volume; has
length, width, and
depth; usually has
weight and solidity
Form can be real
or implied.
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Value
• an element of design that refers to the lightness or darkness of grays and colors
• can be used to create contrast and interest, as well as a sense of depth, form,
temperature, or mood
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artists can create value through…
• blending / shading
• hatching
• cross-hatching
• stippling
• and other mark-making
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Color
• refers to specific hues
• has 3 properties, Chroma (Hue), Intensity (Saturation) and Value.
• produced by
• can be used
the way our
to express
vision responds
emotion or to
to different
suggest
wavelengths
temperature
of light
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Texture
a feature of surface quality
the physical surface structure of a material
in art, this structure may be real or implied
Artists may use texture to convey or express meaning, to create a particular
experience, or for realistic representation
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Real Texture
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Implied Texture
Space
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can be positive or negative
can flow in, around, and through art
can be represented in both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional art
may be used to create a sense of depth in realism or an emotional response
in abstract art
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Positive Space:
what is there
Negative Space:
what isn’t there
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Compare the use of space does the way the artist used space evoke a particular feeling or emotion?
Principles of Art
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Balance
Unity / Harmony
Contrast / Variety
Emphasis
Movement
Rhythm
Pattern / Repetition
Balance
• how various parts of a design relate to one another
• in art, balance can be created using elements of design
such as space, shape, and color
• balance may be actual or visual
• type of visual balance are…
Symmetrical Balance
• Symmetrical Balance
• Approximate Symmetry
• Asymmetrical Balance
• Radial Balance
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Asymmetrical Balance
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Approximate Symmetry
Radial Balance
Unity / Harmony
• displayed when parts combine to
create a sense of oneness
• in art - when all of the parts of
a design work together to create
a feeling of wholeness
• can be achieved (in art) through
use of color, texture, and
repetition of shapes or forms
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How does the artist create a sense of unity/harmony in this painting?
Contrast / Variety
• Contrast: describes larger differences in the elements of a design
• Variety: describes smaller differences within a design
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Contrast/Variety to create interest.
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Contrast to direct attention.
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Can you identify the contrast? Variety?
• artists use contrast and variety to add interest, change the pace,
or develop/underscore a mood
Emphasis
• significance or importance that is given to something; a focal point or center of interest
• artists use a variety of methods to achieve emphasis which include relying on a single
element of design, simplifying the overall composition, and using special placement
• Artists use elements and principles of design to answer the questions,
“What is my work about?” and “What am I trying to say?”
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What is the focal point in these paintings? How is the artist emphasizing these areas?
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How is the artist emphasizing
her message of the strength and
dignity of the female form here?
Movement
• visual movement creates a path for the viewer’s eyes to follow
across a composition
• movement can be actual, recorded, or compositional (compares the positions of
stationary objects or spaces within a design)
• movement can set a mood or create a feeling in a work of art
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Actual Movement
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Recorded Movement
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Compositional Movement
Rhythm
• visual rhythm: produced by repeating one or several units of a design (such as
a shape or color) in a certain order or pattern
• rhythms can be regular, flowing, or alternating
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Regular Rhythm
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Flowing Rhythm
Alternating Rhythm
Pattern / Repetition
• visual pattern: the repetition of one or more elements (usually in a
regular, organized, and recognizable way)
• repetition: replication or copying of an element
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How has the artist used pattern and repetition here?
• pattern is used to help organize or unify an area or object,
and to provide visual enrichment and interest