The Elements

and Principles
of Art
The Elements of Art
The building blocks
or ingredients of art.
 LINE

A mark with length and direction.

A continuous mark made on a surface
by a moving point.

Ansel Adams Gustave Caillebotte

Pablo Picasso
 COLOR

Consists of Hue (another word for color),

Intensity (brightness) and Value (lightness
or darkness).

Alexander Calder

Henri Matisse
 Color
Color is the response of the eye to differing wavelengths of
radiation within the visible spectrum.
The visible spectrum is what we perceive as light. It is the
part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can see.
The typical human eye will respond to wavelengths
between 400-700 nanometers (nm), with red being at one
end (700 nm), violet at the other (400 nm) and every other
color in between these two.
 VALUE

The lightness or darkness of a color.

MC Escher Pablo Picasso

 Value
The degree of dark or light tones or colors.
A value scale shows the gradual changing
of a tone from the darkest to the lightest or
white.
Value may be created by simple shading,
hatch marks (small repeated lines in the
same direction), or crosshatching.
 SHAPE

An enclosed area defined and determined

by other art elements; 2-dimensional.

Joan
Miro
 Shape
A two-dimensional area defined by an outline or
change in color.
Examples of types of geometric shapes include
circle, square, rectangle, triangle, or oval.
Other shapes may be freeform such as natural
objects (i.e., leaves, flowers, clouds) or invented
freeform shapes that might be created by
doodling.
Gustave Caillebotte
 FORM
FORM

A 3-dimensional object; or something in a

2- dimensional artwork that appears to be
3 dimensional.

For example, a triangle, which is 2-dimensional, is a

shape, but a pyramid, which is 3-dimensional, is a form.
Jean Arp Lucien Freud
 Form
A three-dimensional object with the
qualities of length, width and depth.
Examples of geometric forms include a
cone, pyramid, cube, sphere, or cylinder.
 S PAC E
The distance or area between, around, above, below,
or within things.

Robert Mapplethorpe
Positive (filled with
something) and Negative
Claude Foreground,
Monet Middleground and
(empty areas).
Background (creates DEPTH)
 Space
Area within, around, between, above or below objects and
shapes.
Space or distance may be suggested in visual art by using
perspective or other strategies such as placement of objects
on the picture plane, overlapping of shapes, or objects
closer to the viewer are made to appear to have more
vibrant color and detail than objects further away.
Variation of size or value and the use of converging lines
are also used to suggest space.
Negative space is the space surrounding the object or
structure.
 TEXTURE

The surface quality or "feel" of an object, its

smoothness, roughness, softness, etc. Textures
may be actual or implied.
 Texture
The surface quality or feel of an object.
Texture may be actual (rough or smooth) or
implied visually.
Real textures can be felt; Implied textures
may be painted or drawn to look real.
Cecil
Buller
The Principles of Art
What we use to organize the
Elements of Art,
or the tools to make art.
 B A L AN C E

The way the elements are arranged to

create a feeling of stability in a work.

Alexander Calder
 Balance
The arrangement of the elements of art in a
composition. Basic types of balance are
symmetrical (mirror image), radial (from a
center point) and asymmetrical.
 Symmetrical Balance

The parts of an image are organized

so that one side mirrors the other.

Leonardo DaVinci
Asymmetrical Balance

When one side of a composition does

not reflect the design of the other.

James Whistler
 EMPHASIS

The focal point of an image,

or when one area or thing
stands out the most.
Jim Dine Gustav Klimt
 Center of Interest
The accent or important area used to attract
the viewers attention; i.e., emphasis, which
might be the largest, brightest or lightest
subject
 CONTRAST

A large difference between two

things to create interest and tension.

Salvador Dali
Ansel Adams
 Contrast
Significant degrees of difference between
lines, colors, shapes, values or textures.
Pale yellow against charcoal black has a
greater degree of contrast than yellow
against white, for example
 RHYTHM
RHYTHM
RHYTHM
RHYTHM
RHYTHM
A regular repetition
RHYTHM
of elements to
produce the look and and
feel of movement.
Marcel MOVEMENT
Duchamp
 Rhythm
Rhythm is the repeated use of similar
elements such as color, line, or shape the
smooth transition from one part to another.

Vincent VanGogh
PATTERN
and Repetition Gustav Klimt

Repetition of a design.
 Pattern & Repetition
Repeated use of an element such as color,
shape or line within a work of art.
Repetition creates pattern, which may be
found in manufactured or natural objects.
 UNITY

When all the

elements and
principles
work together
to create a
pleasing
image.
Johannes Vermeer
 Unity
Sense of oneness, of things belonging
together and making up a coherent whole.
 The use of
differences and
change to increase
the visual interest of
the work.

VA R IE T Y
Marc Chagall
 Variety
Variety consists of differences in scale,
surface, line, value and shape that give
interest to a composition.
 PROPORTIO N

The comparative
relationship of one part to
anotherGustave
with respect to size,
quantity, or degree; SCALE.
Caillebotte
 Identification/Enumeration
1. The way the elements are arranged to create a
feeling of stability
2. A regular repetition of elements to produce the
look and feel of movement.
3-4.Give 2 types of balance
5. The accent or important area used to attract the
viewers attention.
6. It consists of differences in scale, surface, line,
value and shape that give interest to a composition.
7. Another term for scale
8. Sense of oneness, of things belonging together and
making up a coherent whole.
9. Repeated use of an element such as color, shape or
line within a work of art.
10. Significant degrees of difference between lines,
colors, shapes, values or textures.
 Make-up Quiz in Elements of
Design
1. Another term for color
2. The surface quality or feel of an object
3. Area within, around, between, above or
below objects and shapes.
4. A two-dimensional area defined by an
outline or change in color.
5. The degree of dark or light tones or colors.
6. A continuous mark made on a surface by a
moving point.
7. A three-dimensional object with the
qualities of length, width and depth.
8. It can provide a powerful relation between
negative and positive space
9. Lines that show action , life and energy
10. in painting the most obvious technique in
creating space are the various types of _____
11. The line that runs across the canvas at the eye
level of the viewer.
12. It has to do with the changes in appearance due
to atmosphere. Object becomes lighter in color and
hazier in outline as they approach the horizon.
13. The intensity, or level of chroma, of a color.
14. In this type of movement we are not concerned with the
presence (or lack of) implied motion in the image. We are
concerned instead with how the viewer perceives the
composition-- how the components relate and lead the
viewer's attention.

15. It is characterized by movement of the eye that

flows smoothly from one area of the composition to another,
guided by continuations of line or form, and by gradations of
color or form.
 Principles of Design
Key to Corrections
1. Balance
2. rhythm
3. Symmetrical
4. Radial/asymmetrical
5. Center of interest
6. variety
7. Proportion
8. Unity
9. Pattern/repetition
10. contrast
 Elements of Design
Key to Corrections
1. Hue
2. Texture
3. Space
4. Shape
5. Value
6. Line
7. Form
8. point
9. Curved lines
10. perspective
11. Horizon line
12. Aerial perspective
13. saturation
14. Compositional movement
15. Dynamic movement