Elements of Art and Principles of Design in Painting and Drawing
Line: A mark left in the path of a moving point. A mark with length and direction(s) • Lines can be: vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight, curved, angular or bent, thick or wide, thin, blurred, fuzzy, controlled, or meandering. • Lines can create an outline or contour. • Lines are often used to define space or direct the movement of your eyes.
Shape/Form: An enclosed space defined and determined by other art elements such as line, color, value and texture. • Shape refers to a closed space made when a line connects to itself. • Form refers to a shape that is or appears to be three dimensional, having weight, width, and depth.
Texture: a surface quality that can be seen (simulated texture) or felt (actual texture)
Color: The visible spectrum of reflected light • It has the 3 attributes of: ---hue(it’s the unique color name) ---value (lightness or darkness) ---intensity or saturation (purity and strength) • When the spectrum is organized as a color wheel, the colors are divided into: --- primary (red, blue, yellow), secondary (orange, green, violet) and intermediate (or tertiary) colors (orange-red, blue-green, etc.) ---analogous (next to each other) or complementary (opposites) --warm or color colors (warm colors move forward, cool colors recede)
Space: The area around, above, below and within an artwork. • It can be described as: ---two-dimensional (2D) or three dimensional (3D) ---flat, shallow, or deep ---open or closed ---positive (subject) or negative (background) • The illusion of space can be created with perspective, shading, overlapping, or relative scale. • The perception of space can be created or distorted with optical illusions.
Value: The lightness or darkness of a color. • A value scale or grayscale shows steps or gradations of lightness and darkness. • When values that appear next to each other are very different, it’s called contrast. Artists use contrast to draw your attention to things. • Value changes in color are called: ---tints when they are lighter than the original color ---shades when they are darker than the original color)
Principles of Design
Design: The composition of an artwork. Intentionally arranging the elements of art (listed above) using
the principles of organization to create a unified artwork.Balance: Parts of a composition can be described as having weight or dominance. The arrangement of these elements to create a sense of visual stability or tension is called balance. This is sometimes also referred to as symmetry. • Balance can be symmetrical (or formal), asymmetrical (informal), or radial (around a central point, like a flower)
Emphasis/Dominance: The importance given to certain objects in an artwork. Where your eye goes first. The center of attention. • The “center of attention is also called the focal point. A painting can have a main focal point with secondary focal points. • Contrast creates emphasis and determines the focal point. This can be the contrast in color, value, texture, shape, space or line.
Proportion: The relationship of the parts of an artwork to the whole, or of one part to another. Related to size or scale. (Can also refer to quantity or degree.)
Repetition/Pattern: An element that is repeated in a planned way to create rhythm or unity.
Variety: Using the art elements to create differences in artwork that add visual interest.
Harmony/Unity: The accentuating of similarities within an artwork to create unity. The opposite of variety. Components that share common traits. A successful combination of art elements that creates a sense of wholeness and visual completion in an artwork. How the artwork functions as a whole, unified piece.
Color
Line
Shape and Form
Shape and Form
Texture
Style
