Elements and

Principles of Art
Elements of Art: Visual
Elements of Art: Auditory
Principles of Art

Francisco; Orlido; Tobias

BSABE 1B
Elements of
Visual Art
Elements of Visual Art: LINE
Refers to a point moving at an identifiable path—has length and
direction. It also has width.
It is one-dimensional, however, it has the capacity to either define
the perimeters of the artwork (edges) and/or become a
substantial component of the composition.
Although a line is “simple”, it has variations in view of its
orientation/direction, shape, thickness. These variations import
not only the visual elements into the artwork, suggest meaning or
message being conveyed by the artist.
 Elements of Visual Art: LINE
a. Horizontal and vertical lines
Refers to the orientation of the line. Horizontal lines are normally associated with
rest or calm. Landscapes often contain these elements as works like these often
connote a visual sense of being parallel to the ground. It also alludes to position of
the reclined body at rest. Vertical lines, on the other hand, connote elevation or
height, which is usually taken to mean exaltation or aspiration for action. Together,
these lines communicate stability and firmness.

b. Diagonal and crooked lines

Diagonal lines convey movement and instability, although the progression can
be seen. Crooked or jagged lines, on the other hand, are reminiscent of violence
conflict, or struggle.

c. Curved lines
These are lines that bend or coil. They allude to softness, grace, flexibility, or
even sensuality.
Elements of Visual Art:
SHAPE & FORM

Shapes refers to two dimensions: height and width; while form

refers to three dimensions: height, width and depth.
Even if shapes are part of a bigger picture, each can be identified
by breaking the visual components apart and making distinctions
based on what we know and what we have seen.
Elements of Visual Art:
SHAPE & FORM
Two categories can be used as a broad distinction:
a. Geometric
These shapes find origin in mathematical propositions. As such, its
translation and use are often man-made. These include shapes such as
squares, triangles, cubes, circles, spheres, and cones, among others.

b. Organic
Organic shapes are those readily occurring in nature, often irregular and
asymmetrical.
Elements of Visual Art:
SPACE
It is usually inferred from a sense of depth, whether it is real or
simulated. Real space is three-dimensional. Like what has been
previously mentioned, sculptures are a perfect example of
artworks that bear this element.
However, this can only be manifested in two-dimensional
artworks through the use of different techniques, or the use (or
non-use) of area around the drawing or a picture.
Elements of Visual Art:
SPACE
a. Positive and Negative Space
Usually identified with the white space is the negative space. The positive
space, on the other hand, is the space where shadow is heavily used.

b. Three-Dimensional Space
Can be simulated through a variety of techniques such as shading. An
illusion of three-dimensional can be achieved in a two-dimensional work.
Elements of Visual Art:
COLOR
Color is perhaps one of the elements that enhances the appeal of
an artwork. Its effect has range, allowing the viewer to make
responses based on memory, emotion, and instinct, among others.
This element is a property of light, as it is reflected off the object.
Color is not intrinsic to an object and without light, one cannot
perceive color much of what we know about color begins with the
notion of a Color Theory that was first unraveled by the
experiments undertaken by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666.
A ray of sunlight passing through a prism reveals an array of
colors akin to that of a rainbow.
Elements of Visual Art:
COLOR
1. Hue – this dimension of color gives its name. It can be
subdivided into:

a. Primary colors – red, yellow, and blue

b. Secondary colors – green, orange, and violet.

c. Tertiary colors – six in total, these hues are achieved when primary and
secondary colors are mixed.
 Elements of Visual Art:
COLOR
2. Value – this refers to the brightness or darkness of color. Often, this is
used by artists to create the illusion of depth and solidity, a particular
mood, communicate a feeling, or in establishing a scene (e.g., a day and
night).
 Light colors – taken as the source of light in composition
 Dark colors – the lack or even absence of light

However, we can identify the color even when a range is presented to us.
Expectations are also established on the notion that yellow is within the
light value; whereas, violet is in the dark. Each primary color has a range
of values based on the addition and diminishing quantity and quality of
light.
 Tint – this is a lighter color than the normal value (e.g., pink for red)
 Shade- this is darker color than the normal value (e.g., maroon for red)
Elements of Visual Art:
COLOR
3. Intensity – this is the color’s brightness or dullness. It is
identified as the strength of color, whether it is vivid or muted. To
achieve a specific intensity of a color, one may add either gray or
its complementary color.
 Bright or Warm Colors – positive energy
 Dull or Cool Colors – sedate/soothing, seriousness or calm

To better understand intensity of color, color harmonies are to be

considered. In interior design, we often hear designers refer to
color schemes- a guide for selecting not only wall paint but also
furniture and decor.
 Elements of Visual Art:
COLOR
However, color harmonies are also integral considerations not only for
pictorial arts but also for other art forms.
a. Monochromatic Harmonies – use the variations of a hue. An example is Claud
Monet’s “Houses of Parliament”
b. Complementary Harmonies – involve two colors opposite each other in the color
wheel. Since they are at contrary positions, the reaction is most intense.
c. Analogous Harmonies – make use of two colors beside each other in the color
wheel.

Other harmonies have emerged such as triadic harmonies, which make

use of three colors from equidistant sites within the color wheel. This,
however, does not mean that artists will limit themselves to these kinds of
harmonies. These are but jump-off points that artists and other creatives
use.
 Elements of Visual Art:
TEXTURE
Like space, texture can be either real or implied. This element in an
artwork is experienced through the sense of touch (and sight). This
element renders the art object tactile.
a. Textures in the Two-dimensional Plane – texture can be implied using one
technique or a combination of other elements of art. By creating this visual
quality in the artwork, one can imagine how the surface will feel if it was to be
touched.
Some of the words used to describe texture are the following: rough or smooth,
hard or soft, hairy, leathery, sharp or dull, etc. to be able to simulate the
texture of a surface in a flat, two-dimensional plan is one important skill that
an artist must be familiar with, especially if his idea or concept necessitates it.
b. Surface Texture – refers to the texture of the three-dimensional art object.
 Elements of Visual Art:
PLANES AND PERSPECTIVE
Picture plane is the actual surface of the painting or drawing, where no illusion of a third
dimension exists. Hence, the elements lay flat, as if one was looking through a window into
what lies on the other side of the glass.
During the Renaissance, specifically in the fifteenth century, chiaroscuro was developed. It
made use of light and dark contrasts and tones in which paintings not only looked three-
dimensional, but also more dramatic.
Aside from this technique, linear perspective changed the way pictorial presentation was
done. Its use was based on the following observations:
a. As forms and objects recede, the smaller they become
b. We were taught that parallel lines never meet. However, when they, too, seem to
converge when they recede into a distance, at a point, they both disappear. This point
of disappearance is called the vanishing point.
 Elements of Visual Art:
PLANES AND PERSPECTIVE
A viewpoint may also be construed as normal (view standing up), low (view from a lower
angle), or high (view looking down on a scene) depending on the position the viewer takes.
There are three types of perspective, grounded on the number of vanishing points used by
the artist:
a. One-point Perspective – often used in depicting roads, tracks, hallways, or rows of
trees; this type of perspective shows parallel lines that seem to converge at a specific
and lone vanishing point, along the horizon.
b. Two-point Perspective – pertains to a painting or drawing that makes use of two
vanishing points, which can be placed anywhere along the horizon line. It is used in
depicting structures such as houses or buildings in the landscape that are viewed from
a specific corner.
c. Three-point Perspective – in this type of perspective, the viewer is looking at a scene
from above or below. As the name suggests, it makes use of the three vanishing points,
each corresponding to each axis of the scene.
Elements of
Auditory Art
Elements of Auditory Art
Perhaps one of the most widespread forms of art, whose
intersection in daily life is most perceptible, is music. Music is
sound organized in a specific time. It is considered an implement
to cultural activities, answering a specific role or function.
If there is an important quality that music has, it is having
the capacity to transcend barriers, even that of differences in
language or conventions in sound. Different demographics,
groups, and individuals may have specific preferences as to the
genre of music.
 Elements of Auditory Art:
RHYTHM
Often associated to the terms beat, meter, and tempo, rhythm is the
element of music that situates it in time. It is the pulse of the music. Beat
is the basic unit of music while tempo refers to its speed (beats/second).
Beats can be organized into a recognizable recurrent pattern, which is
called the meter.
Classical terms are used to refer to the variations in tempo, some of which
are:
 Largo – slowly and broadly
 Andante – walking pace
 Moderato – at moderate speed
 Allegro – fast
 Vivace – lively
 Accelerando – gradually speeding up
 Rallentado – gradually slowing down
 Allargando – getting slower, broadening
Elements of Auditory Art:
DYNAMICS
 Dynamics – the element of music that refers to the loudness or
quietness of music is dynamics. Classical terms are used to refer to the
different levels pertaining to this:
a. Pianissimo (pp) – very quiet
b. Piano (p) – quiet
c. Mezzo-piano (mp) – moderate quiet
d. Mezzo-forte (mf) – moderately loud
e. Forte (f) – loud
f. Fortissimo (ff) – very loud

 When composers indicate an increase or decrease in loudness, they

use the terms crescendo for the former; and decrescendo or diminuendo
for the latter.
Elements of Auditory Art:
MELODY
Melody refers to the linear presentation (horizontal) of pitch.
By horizontal, it means that in musical notation, it is read in
succession from left to right. Pitch is the highness or lowness of
musical sound.
Elements of Auditory Art:
HARMONY
If melody is horizontal, harmony is vertical. It arises when pitches are
combined to form chords. When several notes are simultaneously
played, this refers to a chord.
Harmony can be described in terms of its “harshness”: dissonance is
the harsh-sounding combination while consonance is the smooth-
sounding combination.
 Elements of Auditory Art:
TIMBRE
Timbre is often likened to the color of music. It is a quality that
distinguishes a voice or an instrument from another. Dependent on
the technique, the timbre may give a certain tone or characteristic
to music, much like how a painter evokes different effects or
impressions onto the canvas.
Elements of Auditory Art:
TIMBRE
The number of melodies, the type of layers, and their relatedness
in a composition is the texture of music.
It may be:
a. Monophonic – single melodic line
b. Polyphonic – two or more melodic lines
c. Homophonic – main melody accompanied by chords
Principles of
Art
Principles of Art: BALANCE
This principle refers to the distribution of the visual elements in
view of their placement in relation to each other.
There are three forms of balance:
 Symmetrical – the elements used on one side are reflected to the other.
This offers the most stable visual sense to any artwork.
 Asymmetrical – the elements are not the same (or of the sane weight) on
each side, putting the heaviness on one side.
 Radial – there is a central point in the composition, around which
elements and objects are distributed.
 Principles of Art:
SCALE AND PROPORTION
Scale pertains to the size in relation to what is normal for the figure or object in question.
Proportion, on the other hand, is the size of the components, or of objects in relation to
one another when taken as a composition or a unit. This can also refer to values such as
amounts or number of elements or objects in the composition.
Proportions can be:
a. Natural- relates to the realistic size of the visual elements in the artwork, especially for
figurative artworks. When it is the accuracy in relation to the real world that the artist is
after, this is now referred to as the principle of scale.
b. Exaggerated- refers to the unusual size relations of visual elements, deliberately exaggerating
the immensity or minuteness of an object.
c. In relation to this, there are notions in scale that differentiate when an element is smaller
than expected (diminutive), and when something appears to be larger than what is presumed
(monumental).
d. Idealized- most common to those that follow canons of perfection, the size-relations of
elements or objects, which achieve the most ideal size-relations.
 Principles of Art:
EMPHASIS AND CONTRAST
Emphasis allows the attention of the viewer to a focal point(s),
accentuating or drawing attention to these elements or objects. This can
be done through the manipulation of the elements or through the
assistance of other principles, especially that of contrast.
Contrast is the disparity between the elements that figure into the
composition. One object may be made stronger compared to other
objects (hence, emphasis). This can be done in many ways using the
elements of art. For instance, space, specifically the use of negative and
positive space, is an example of contrast. Another example is the use of
contemporary colors in a work of art.
Principles of Art:
UNITY AND VARIETY
Unless intended to be otherwise, compositions are intended to
imbue a sense of accord or completeness from the artwork. This
is unity.
Variety, on the other hand, is the principle that aims to retain
the interest by allowing patches or areas that both excite and
allow the eye to rest.
Principles of Art: HARMONY
Like what is hinted above, unity and variety is related to the
principle of harmony, in which the elements or objects achieve a
sense of flow and interconnectedness.
Principles of Art:
MOVEMENT
This refers to the direction of the viewing eye as it goes through
the artwork, often guided by areas or elements that are
emphasized. These focal points can be lines, edges, shape, and
color within the work of art, among others.
Principles of Art: RHYTHM
This is created when an element is repeated, creating implied
movement. Variety of repetition helps invigorate rhythm as
depicted in the artwork.
Principles of Art:
REPETITION AND PATTERN
Lines, shapes, colors, and other elements may appear in an
artwork in a recurring manner. This is called repetition.
In addition, the image created out of repetition is called pattern.
With repetition, there is a sense of predictability that is conveyed,
which in turn imbues the feelings of security and calmness.
 COMBINED OR HYBRID ART
One of the buzzwords at the tail end of the twentieth century is interdisciplinarity.
Rooted on the realization that solutions become innovative, wherein alternative routes
to what is familiar, common, and customary are given premium. It was also a direct
upshot of portmodernist ideas in which barriers were more porous—strict delineation of
art forms was overthrown to make way for collaborations and partnership between
field, professionals, and creatives. The idea of single-medium-based art seems like a
strange past that no longer holds in an interdisciplinary reality we live in.
In contemporary art, these developments were mirrored in the multifaceted
nature of artworks that were created. It is not surprising that themes, subjects, and the
problematique addressed shaped and produced new kinds of articulation in which two
or more art forms and styles are combined.
Some examples of combined arts include dance, theater, installation art, film,
video art, documentary, photography, puppetry, design, and other forms of production.
A clear example of combined is a theatrical performance that taps into many art
forms such as music, 2D and 3D art, literature, lighting and set design, among others.
 COMBINED OR HYBRID ART
Another movement that is reminiscent of the motivations of the
Renaissance, and whose emergence is hinged on the frontiers of science
and technology, is called hybrid arts.
Referencing and tapping into the fields of robotics, artificial
intelligence, biotechnology, natural and computer sciences,
telecommunications, information, digital and interface technologies
(software programs, speech and face recognition, social media and online
platforms, among many other emergent developments).
Artists whose works tread under this movement disrupt the norms
in terms of what is considered as art, and even the way people envisage
artistic production.
Hybrid arts are driven by the expansion of the imagination and
what is possible through the “blistering pace of scientific and