Elements
of Art
Line
a dot that moves.
Straight, curved,
vertical, horizontal,
jagged, dotted
Vincent van Gogh Cottage Garden 1888
reed pen, quill, and ink over graphite on wove paper, 24 x 191/4 inches
Private Collection, Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art
Shape
An enclosed space defined
by other art elements such
as line, color and texture.
May be geometric or
organic
Cycle, MC ESCHER,
Form
Appears 3dimensional and
encloses volume
such as a cube,
sphere, pyramid or
cylinder.
CLOUD GATE, Chicago ,Anish Kapoor
Color
has 3 properties:
Hue
Value
Intensity
Yellow and blue accentuate each
other in van Goghs Caf Terrace on
the Place du Forum, Arles, 1888
Hue The name of a
color starts by
identifying which of
the twelve colors on
the color wheel
corresponds most
closely to it,
regardless of how
light or dark, or bright
or dull it is.
Value refers to
the light and dark
areas of an art
work. Also known
as Chiaroscuro
If a color is made
lighter by adding
white, the result is
called a tint. If black is
added, the darker
version is called a
shade. And if gray is
added, the result is a
different tone.
Saturation - brightness
and dullness of color.
The brightest intensity
would be the pure color
from the color wheel
while the dullest would
be where you can't
even discern what the
color is other then it
looks like gray.
Texture - The
surface quality of
an artwork usually
perceived through
the sense of touch.
Texture may also
be implied.
Piet, Michelangelo, 1499
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 18531890)
Oil on canvas 17 x 24 in. (43.2 x 61 cm) Sunflowers 1887
Space - includes the
background, foreground
and middle ground, and
refers to the distances or
area(s) around, between,
and within things.
Negative spaces are spaces outside the
subject or the absence of an object. Positive
spaces are spaces occupied by an object.
Crowded by John Chehak
The
Principles
of Design
Balance Equal
distribution of visual
weight on either side
of a compositions
center
Used to create a sense of stability - can be
asymmetrical, symmetrical or radial
Lips Sofa by Salvador Dali
Harmony
achieved in a body of
work by using similar
elements throughout
the work, harmony
gives an
uncomplicated look to
your work.
Unity is seen in a
painting or drawing
when all the parts
equal a whole.
Your work should
not appear
disjointed or
confusing.
Variety refers to the
differences in the
work, you can
achieve variety by
using difference
shapes, textures,
colors and values in
your work.
Contrast Combining
elements to
point out their
differences
Proportion refers to
the relationships of the
size of objects in a
body of work.
Proportions give a
sense of size seen as a
relationship of objects.
Such as smallness or
largeness.
Movement
Combines
elements in an art
work to create the
illusion of action
The Scream, Edvard Munch, 1893, oil
Rhythm - a type of
movement in drawing
and painting. It is seen
in repeating of shapes
and colors. Alternating
lights and darks also
give a sense of rhythm.
Vega-Nor, 1969 by Victor Vasarely (Hungarian, born 1908)
Oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 78 3/4 Gift of Seymour H. Knox, 1969 Albright
Edward Hopper
American, 1882-1967
Emphasis focus in an
artwork
Repetition combinations of
elements in a
recognizable
organization.