UNIT 4: Elements and Principles of Art Lesson 2 - Properties of Color and How Colors Relate and
Light and Shadow
This unit presents the importance of the different elements of
the art mediums that make up the holistic character and
qualities of the art work. The discussions will focus on how the
elements and the different basic principles can merge and
effectively create a particularly organized art piece.
Lesson 1 - Line and Kinds of Line
A line can be defined in several ways: It is a path made by a
moving point; a series of dots; a prolongation of points or
according to Paul Klee is a dot that went for a walk. One
definition of a line, however, that captures its essence in the
visual arts is it being an intended mark made by the artist to
convey meaning beyond its physical description.
Kinds of lines
 Straight lines are geometric, impersonal and differ in the
direction that they take. The straight lines may move from
left to right, start from the top going down, slant or move
up and down forming angles. Whatever is the direction,
each kind indicates a specific type of emotion.
 Horizontal lines - move from left to right or vice versa. It
is a line that appears to be laying down.
 Vertical Line - start from bottom to top or vice versa. It is
a line that appears to be standing.
 Diagonal lines - are slanting lines. In the visual art,
diagonals suggest two meanings, a positive and a negative
one. On the positive diagonals indicate action and
movement i.e. to move forward and act. On the negative,
it conveys a feeling of uncertainty, stress and defeat.
 Zigzag lines - Are angular lines that resulted in abrupt
change in the direction of a straight line thus forming
angles. The lines are unpleasant and harsh which portrays
tension, conflict, chaos, or violence.
 Curved lines - are technically curvilinear lines. Curve lines
suggest grace, movement and flexibility indicative of life
and energy. When a curve line moves continuously in
opposite directions, it forms a wavy line which shows
fluidity because of the gradual change in direction.
Lines can possess a variety of characteristics, depending on
shape, density, rhythm, angularity, and the material that have
produced them. Lines may be short or long, fine or thick, heavy
or light, wavy or jagged, straight or curved. As shown in the
diagram below (alphabet of lines). No matter what type of line
it is, it always has direction.
 Color - The significance of color as an element of the visual
arts cannot be over emphasized. People see and perceive
the world as a multitude of colors. Also the materials used
by the artists possess characteristics of color. Color adds
beauty and meaning to all forms of art. The world would
be a gloomy place if it is devoid of color.
Color is the property of light. So when light goes out, color
goes with it. Color is composed of a series of wavelengths
which strike the retina of the eyes. A ray of light contains
all the colors of the visible spectrum- red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo and violet (ROYGBIV). The visible
spectrum was discovered by Sir Isaac Newton when light
was allowed to pass through a glass prism. Passing white
light through a prism breaks it into a band of the visible
colors (just like a rainbow).
Properties of Color
 Hue - It is the name given to the color, for example; red,
green, violet and blue.
 For pigments, RED, YELLOW and BLUE are called
primary hues. They are considered primary because
these hues cannot be produced from combining any
hues.
 When two primary hues are mixed in equal amounts,
secondary hues are produced. These are ORANGE,
GREEN and VIOLET.
 Mixing equal amounts of the primary and secondary
hues produces intermediate hues which are RED
ORANGE, BLUE GREEN and BLUE VIOLET.
 Combining in equal mixture any two secondary hues
produces the tertiary hues.
 Value - refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. The
value of any hues can be changed by adding a neutral such
as black or white. This results in changing the quantity of
light the hue reflects.
 Shade - When black is combined with hue.
 Tint - When white is added with hue.
 Intensity - denotes the brightness or dullness of a
color. It gives color its strength. Colors differ in
intensity or vividness.
  Hues become less intense (dull) when white is added
because color becomes lighter in value.
 The hues’ intensity diminishes when black is added
and as the value darkens.
 If gray is added, the result will be a variation in
intensity without any change in value.
Chiaroscuro
How Colors Relate

Color harmony is one method of establishing color quality in a

composition. There are several ways of creating harmony that
an artist can use. The most common are the following:
 Monochromatic harmony - When a single color in the
composition is varied in intensity and value by adding
white or black.
 Complementary Harmony - results when two colors that
are opposite each other in the color wheel are placed side
by side.
 Analogous harmony - results when hues that are adjacent
or beside each other in the color wheel is used in a
composition.
 Color temperature - refers to the relative warmth or
coolness of a color. Warm colors are colors that have
YELLOW as its dominant component white cool colors
have blue as their dominant component.
Lesson 3 - Shape and Classification of Shapes
Shapes - In visual arts, a shape is formed when two ends of a
line meet to enclose an area. The area may stand out from the
surface because of a difference in color, value or texture. They
may also present themselves as flat or two-dimensional and
solid or three-dimensional on a picture plane.
Picture plane - any flat surface onto which the artwork is
created. Negative shapes - these are between the shapes that
are not occupied by any form. In painting, these spaces can be
as important as the shapes themselves. In sculpture and
architecture, the shape of the artwork can be determined by
viewing the work against its background (Marquardt &
Eskilson, 2005).
Classification of Shapes

 Natural or organic shapes - those are seen in nature like

Light and Shadow (Value) - Light and shadow focuses on what
is known as achromatic value. This refers to the changes in the
amount of reflected light which ranges from black to gray to
white and vice versa. An artist who has mastered the
manipulation of achromatic value in a composition gives his
work the illusion of depth and form.
Chiaroscuro is the technique of manipulating light and shadow
in painting. Masters who have perfected the use of this
technique are Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and
Caravaggio. Rembrandt and Caravaggio went a step further
and exaggerated the use of shadows to an extreme called
tenebrism or “dark manner”.
In the local scene, Fernando Amorsolo, also mastered
chiaroscuro, but his focus was more on the manipulation of
light rather than shadow.
the shape of leaves, animals, mountains, flowers and
seashells.
 Abstract shapes - those that have little or no resemblance
to natural objects.
 Non-objective or biomorphic shapes - seldom have
reference to recognizable objects, but most often show a
similarity to some organic forms.
 Geometric shapes - these are triangles, rectangles,
squares, cylinders, and cubes.
Sculpture and architecture are three-dimensional forms,
which are identified either by mass or volume. When mass is
structured or has a definite shape, it is said to have volume.
The sculptor is concerned with volume because sculpture
occupies space.
Single volume is the fundamental unit in sculpture.
Lesson 4 - Texture, Methods of creating Space and
Movement
Texture - refers to the feel or tactile quality of the surface of
an object. It has to do with the characteristic of the surface,
whether it is rough or smooth, fine or coarse, polished or dull,
plain or irregular. They also add richness and vitality in
paintings.
Visual texture - in such cases where touching the artwork is
not allowed, textured can be perceived by the eyes.
Space - An illusion in the graphic arts. It is created by
techniques that add depth and distance to two-dimensional
art. In sculpture and architecture, however, space is actually
present.
Methods of Creating Space
 Overlapping planes (interposition) - create space when
an object covers a part of another object which is behind
it.
 Relative size - objects that appear large/big indicate
nearness and small-sized objects as distant. Aside from
creating the illusion of space, this can also be interpreted
as power and import.
 Position on the picture plane (relative height) - In some
paintings, spatial representation is based upon the
position of objects relative to the bottom of the frame.
Those objects found at the bottom of the frame will
appear closer to the viewer. Farther distances are
indicated by the positions of the objects higher on the
picture plane. The point of reference is the horizon line
which is the line at the eye level. A picture plane can be
divided into three parts;
 Foreground - the bottom part.
 Middle ground - where the horizon is.
 Background - the topmost part.
Color is also used to give the illusion of distance. Warm colors
advance and make objects look closer while cool colors recede
making objects look farther away.
 Perspective - deals with the effect of distance on the
appearance of objects. It enables the viewer to perceive
distance and to see the position of objects in space.
 Linear perspective - give the perception distance by
means of converging lines. It has to do with the
direction of lines and with the size of objects.
 Aerial perspective (gradient) - the effect of haze, mist
or atmosphere on the object. Near objects are seen in
detail with the full intensity of color and as objects
recede, details are lost and objects appear grayer.
Space in sculpture may be viewed in two ways: it may be
considered a single solid object or an assemblage of solids that
exhibits space; or space may be perceived as it enters into
relations with its surroundings-extending into it, enveloping it,
or relating across it.
Space in architecture is created and defined by the shape,
position, and the materials employed by the architect.
Movement Over the years, artists of the visual arts have
manipulated the medium and elements in order to portray
motion in their artworks. They have also experimented on
which techniques to employ to be able to incorporate in their
works the perception of movement.
Two ways to present motion or movement in their art
 Actual movement - in art, specifically in sculptures results
in kinetic art. Actual movements may be achieved
naturally using wind and water or mechanically through
some energy source (batteries or electricity).
 Implied movement - results when a variety of lines are
used together, repeated, change in position, or
decreased/increased in size. This gives the impression of
movement in a stationary two dimensional art.
Elements of the Combined Arts
Lesson 5 - Elements of Music
 Rhythm - is a movement or pattern with uniform
recurrence of accented and accented beat
 Melody - is the succession of tones arranged in such a way
as to give it a musical sense. It may also refer to the rising
and falling of the tune in time.
 Harmony - is the sounding of a series of groups of tones in
the same time. It may also refer to the pleasing sound that
is produced when two or more notes are played together.
Concordance results when the combination of sounds are
 in agreement which makes it sound good while
dissonance results when the combination is not pleasant
to hear.
 Timbre - is tonal quality or the character of the tone that
is produced by an instrument or by the human voice.
Timbre allows the listener to distinguish the sound
between a guitar and a violin for example. In the same
way, people can be identified by their voices. A man’s
voice sounds different from a woman’s voice and an old
person’s voice is different from that of a child.
 Form - is the structure or the framework of a composition
 Vocal Forms
o Opera is a drama set to music complete with
actions, costumes and scenery
o Cantata is a religious story told in music
without actions
o Moro-moro is a Philippine drama set to music
which depicts the conflict between the
Christians and the Muslims.
 Instrumental Forms
o Sonata is a long composition for solo
instruments (piano, Violin)
o Symphony is a sonata for the orchestra
 Dynamics - is the loudness and softness of the sound in
music indicated by symbols to regulate the volume of the
sound.
o pp pianissimo - very soft
o p piano – soft
o mp mezo piano - half soft
o ff fortissimo - very loud
o crescendo - gradually becoming louder
o decrescendo - gradually becoming softer
Elements of Dance
 Music plays an important role in the dance to which it is
closely related. It should be melodic and harmonious and
fits into the movements of the dance. Music motivates the
dancers to move in tune with its rhythm. The background
music of the dance functions to captivate the interest and
awe of the audience.
 Movement is how the dancers use their bodies to move
and create organized patterns. Dancers also use gestures
which express specific emotions or ideas in sign language.
 Choreography refers to how the steps and movements are
connected for it to be performed in an organized manner.
The choreography guides the dancers’ movements for
them to perform the movement, convey the message and
tell the story through body language.
 Technique is the skill of the dancer in executing the
movements. A good dancer has complete control over the
muscles of the body thus creating grace and fluidity of
movements.
 Theme is the content or the main ingredient of the dance.
It tells what the dance is trying to convey. It has something
to do with the message of the dance.
 Design is the planned organization or patterns of
movement in time and space. Pattern in time, is provided
by rhythm to be executed in space on a stage or dance
floor.
 Costume. The type of dance performed and the costumes
worn relate closely to the customs, beliefs, and
environment of the people. Costumes enhance the effect
of the dance.
Lesson 6 - Elements of Drama
Drama is basically one of the genres of literature that is written
primarily to be performed. The performance is done by actors
on stage before a live audience.
 Plot is the overall structure of the play. It is concerned
about what the story is all about. Traditional plots have a
beginning, a middle, and an ending. The Plot progresses
through the following:
 Exposition is the part that familiarizes the audience
with the characters and the situation they are in.
 Complication happens in the middle part of the play
which develops the conflict that was started in the
exposition.
 Resolution is also called the anticlimax or the part
where conditions in the story are normalized and the
situation becomes stable.
 Setting is the locale and period in which the story takes
place. It includes the scenery, props and costumes used in
staging. It is the background of the play that informs the
audience where and when the story will take place.
 Characters are the persons involved in the story. They may
seem real to the audience depending on how the
playwright structures the dialogues to make the
characters come to life. Characters can be the protagonist
or the antagonist. Protagonist is the character from which
the story revolves around while the antagonist is the
person who challenges the role of the protagonist.
 Dialogue refers to the words uttered by the characters in
the story. It what the characters use when conversing with
each other or when expressing his thoughts and emotions.
Dialogues let the audience know the kind of character that
 the actor is portraying. There are, however, plays with no
dialogues. Pantomimes rely heavily on actions, gestures,
facial expression and sound effects.
 Theme is what the story means. It is how the individual
elements are put together to give the story significance
and perspective. It relates something about life that is
presented in its totality. The theme may be directly or
indirectly stated.
Lesson 7 - Elements of Theater
Theater art is performed live. Its performance is immediate
and once performed cannot be undone. Its magic begins when
the curtains are raised and the stage lights go on.
 The Playwright’s role is to work out the plot in terms of
the actual actions to be performed and dialogue to be
spoken by actors within the limited facilities of the stage.
 The Performers are the ones who portray the characters
in a play.
 The Director works with the playwright to present which
is interpreted and translated into dramatic action.
 Production Design includes the scenery, props, make-up,
costumes, lights, music, sound and all other special effects
used in a theater production.
Lesson 8 - Elements of Cinema (Motion Picture)
 Acting and the Stars. Acting is the art of portraying or
impersonating a character in the story. A performer during
filming should embody the character he is portraying. The
actor’s portrayal must be perfect and complete.
 Set and Directors should know the setting of the story and
build artificial sets.
 Music and Musical Director. Music is indispensable in
motion pictures. The musical director is in charge of
selecting, composing new songs, writing orchestration,
preparing background music, creating musical scores and
supervising all recording.
 Color in the movies is an innovation in cinematography. It
costs twice as much as the black and white films. Most
films are now shown in high definition (HD) color.
 Make-up, Hair and Costume Design. These people are
responsible for applying the specific type of make-up,
hairstyle and costume to the actors before they face the
camera.
 Sound, Camera and Special Effects Technicians. Sound
technicians are responsible for making the dialogue clear
and music of fine quality. They make sure that there is no
background noise. The use of cameras and the functions
of the special effects technician is indispensable in
cinematography. They decide on the use of masking, the
choice of lens, the camera angle and the control of camera
movements.
Lesson 9 - Principles of Art
Generally, the visual arts are made-up of three key elements
that are independent of each of their specific elements. In the
appreciation of the visual arts, these three elements present
themselves as:
 Form refers to how specific elements in the artwork are
organized to produce a unified whole. Form is further
classified into:
 Primary Features. This is how the artwork appears to
the viewers. Its physical attributes in terms of
medium, color, texture and size.
 Secondary Features. This is how the primary
features of the artwork relate to one another.
Particularly, this refers to balance, proportion, unity
and harmony that are used to create the whole
composition.
 Content refers to the message the artist wants to convey
through his art. The levels of content are:
 Factual is the literal interpretation of the work, its
images, attributes, actions and poses.
 Conventional level takes into consideration the basic
genres and the figurative meanings usually indicated
by familiar signs and symbols and the quality of work.
 Subjective level takes into consideration the effect
of form and content on the viewers of the art.
 Context refers to the various circumstances that influence
how a work of art was produced and interpreted. The two
types of context are:
 Primary context pertains to the characteristic of the
artist, his personality, beliefs, interests and values.
 Secondary context pertains to the setting. The
historical period, time in which the work was
produced. Included here are the functions served by
the art work, its religious and philosophical
conviction, socio political and economic undertones,
climate and geography.
Lesson 10 - Principles of Design
The principles of design describe the ways in which an artist
has used or can use the elements of art to create beautiful
compositions. (Grieder 1996)
 Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects,
color, texture and space. The use of these elements should
 be balanced to make the viewers see and feel design as Lesson 11 - The Rule of Thirds and the Seven Da Vincian
stable. Three types of balance: Principles
 Symmetrical balance results when the elements
The Rule of Thirds is used by visual artists (painters, digital
used on one side of the design are similar to those
artists, and photographers) to create compositions that meet
on the other side.
the requirements for a good design. Most artists today,
 Asymmetrical balance is when the sides of the
however, do not use this rule, they opt for free flowing
composition are different but still looked balanced.
composition that is more of their individual expression rather
 Radial balance is achieved when the elements are
than of works limited or bounded by basic rules. The point of
arranged around a central point. Elements may
this discussion is to encourage artists to first be aware of the
exhibit similarities as they spread around the
basic rules before they start venturing to unorthodox
central point.
techniques in expressing their art.
 Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the
viewer's attention. The artist will usually make one area
stand out by contrasting it with other areas.
 Movement is the path the viewer's eye takes when
looking through the work of art. Such movement can be
implied along lines edges, shape, and color within the
work of art.
 Pattern is the repetition of objects, shapes, lines, or
symbols all over the space or picture plane.
 Proportion is the feeling of unity created when all parts
relate well with each other.  The surface with two equally spaced vertical lines and two
 Repetition works with patterns to make the work seem equally spaced horizontal lines.
active. The repetition of elements of design creates unity  These lines divide the picture plane into nine equal parts
within the artwork. with four intersecting points.
 Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design  Based on studies, placing an object in one of the
are used repeatedly to produce a feeling of organized, intersecting point results in a pleasing composition.
continuous, sometimes flowing movement. To keep  Balance is achieved by placing another object at the point
rhythm exciting and active, variety is important. opposite the first one.
 Variety is the use of several elements of design that adds The major function of the Rule of Thirds is to serve as a guide
interest in order to hold the viewer's attention and guide for visual artists on the proper placement of their subjects on
the viewer’s eye through and around the work of art. the picture plane to achieve a more interesting composition.
 Unity is the feeling of harmony between and among the Placing the subject at the center does not provide enough
parts of the work of art, which creates a feeling of interest for viewers to be able to appreciate the work.
completeness in the composition.

The Seven Da Vincian Principles

Leonardo da Vinci was more than an artist. He was also an

architect, scientist, inventor, anatomist, geologist, historian
and writer. Through the centuries, Da Vinci influenced various
areas in many disciplines. Based on the research conducted by
Michael J. Gleb (born 1952), specifically, in his book “How to
Think like Leonardo da Vinci” (1998), da Vinci’s genius was
based on 7 principles which he called the seven da Vincian
Principles.
1. Curiosita is approaching life with a heightened level of
wonder and continuous search to know and learn more.
2. Dimostrazione is the commitment to test knowledge and
to persist in this task, which includes experiencing both
success and failures in undertaking.
3. Sensazione is experiencing life through refinement of the
senses. For example, the eyes should do more than see, it
should be able to distinguish between the beauty of
various colors, note minute details and savor the
physicality of everything the world has to offer.
4. Sfumato literally translates to “going up in smoke”. It is
accepting life’s paradoxes and uncertainties. It is knowing
and realizing that not everything is cause and effect and
that events happen that even logic can explain.
5. Arte/Scienza is finding a balance between art and science
or logic and imagination. This relates to the concept of a
whole brain thinking (not just the left and right brain).
6. Corporalita is taking care of one’s body. Ensuring that
healthy habits are practiced and sustained. A sound mind
is usually the product of a sound body and vice versa.
7. Connessione is realizing that all things are interconnected.
It is discovering patterns in the way things work and how
things and lives work out. Interconnectedness is seeing
how events in the past led to the present state of affairs.
A closer study of history would make one realize how
events in the past explains the present.