Elements and

Principles of
Arts
Art-the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination,
typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be
appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
Line-A mark made by a pointed tool such as brush, pen or
stick;a moving point

Shape-A flat, enclosed area that has 2 dimensions, length

and width. Artists use both geometric and organic shape.
Space- is used to create the illusion of
depth. Space can be two dimensional, 3
dimensional, negative and/or positive.

Texture- describes the feel of an actual

surface. The suface quality of an object;
can be real or implied.
Form- objects that are 3 dimensional having length, width
and height. They can be viewed from many sides. Forms
take up space and volume.

Value- degrees of lightness or darkness. That difference

between values is called value contrast

Color- is one of the most dominant elements. It is created by

light. There are three properties of color; hue(name) Value
(shades and lints) and intensity ( brightness).
Principles in Art

Balance- The sense of stability achieved through

implied weight of an object. There are 3 different
types of balance

Symmetrical Balance-when one mirrored on the other

side to repeat itself.
Asymmetrical balance-when different types of
elements create a visual balance.
Radial balance-The distribution of elements around a
central point in all directions.
Proportion: The ratio of one art element to
another. It is important to keep in mind the
relationship between different elements of
the composition so that the scale of your
artwork always makes visual sense. For
example, if you were drawing your best
friend sitting in a chair, the size of the chair
should be in proportion to the size of your
friend. The image below shows the different
size proportions of a variety of fruits.

Emphasis: When one element of an artwork

stands out more than another. This creates a
sense of importance and is intentionally used
to communicate a message or feeling.
Emphasis creates variety in your artwork.
This image of one lone, yellow pear among a
bowl of red apples demonstrates the
principles of emphasis.
Variety: The counterweight to harmony and
creates visual interest by slightly changing or
using different elements together in a
composition. It can be created with contrast,
change, elaboration, or diversifying elements.
With variety, it is important to consider how the
elements are working together so that you still
have harmony and unity within a composition.
This image of different fruits and vegetables is an
example of variety.

Movement-is the path our eyes follow when we

look at a work of art, and it is generally very
important to keep a viewer’s eyes engaged in
the work. Without movement, artwork becomes
stagnant. A few good strategies to evoke a
sense of movement (among many others) are
using diagonal lines, placing shapes so that the
extend beyond the boundaries of the picture
plane, and using changing values.
Unity- A principle of art, unity occurs when all of the
elements of a piece combine to make a balanced,
harmonious, complete whole. Unity is another of those
hard-to-describe art terms but, when it's present, your
eye and brain are pleased to see it.

Rhythm can be described as timed movement through

space; an easy, connected path along which the eye
follows a regular arrangement of motifs. The presence of
rhythm creates predictability and order in a composition.
Visual rhythm may be best understood by relating it
to rhythm in sound.
THANK YOU 