ELEMENTS

OF ART
1. Line- it is a mark made upon a surface.
In order to be a line, the mark’s length must
be longer than its width. There are many
different types of lines, including horizontal,
vertical, wavy, diagonal, etc..
Line may be two or three- dimensional,
descriptive, implied, or abstract.
2. Shapes- These are areas of enclosed space that
are two- dimensional. Shapes are flat, and can
only have height and width. The two categories
of shapes are geometric and organic.
Geometric shapes are mathematical, like circles
and squares.
Organic shapes come from nature, like clouds
and leaves.
3. Space- it deals with the illusion of depth
on a flat surface. You might overlap shapes
to make some look closer, or make objects
in the distance smaller to look like they are
farther away. The element of space can be
used in three- dimensional art as well.
4. Value- This refers to the lightness and
darkness of areas in an art work. White
is the lightest value, while black is the
darkest. The value halfway between
these extremes is called middle gray.
5. Color- it is the most prominent
element of design and is one of the most
powerful and yet subjective elements in
art. Color is an element of art made up
of three properties: hue, value, and
intensity.
HUE- name of color

VALUE- hue’s lightness and darkness (a color’s

value changes when white and black is added)

INTENSITY- quality of brightness and purity

(high intensity= color is strong and bright; low
intensity= color is faint and dull).
6. Texture- an element of art that refers
to the way things feel, or look as if they
might feel it touched. The term texture
describes the surface quality of an
artwork. It is an important element of
design because it engages the sense of
touch as well as vision.
TWO MAIN APPROACHES
TO TEXTURE:
1. Actual texture- primarily though not
exclusively sculptural
2. Implied or simulated texture-
primarily used in two- dimensional
works of art.
7. Form- an element of art that is
three- dimensional and encloses
volume; includes height, width and
depth (as in cube, a sphere, a
pyramid, or a cylinder). Form may
also be free flowing.
PRINCIPL
ES OF
DESIGN
1. Balance- is the distribution of the
visual weight of objects, colors, texture,
and space. If a design was a scale, these
elements should be balanced to make
design feel stable.
2. Emphasis- it is the part of the design
that catches the viewer’s attention.
Usually the artist will make one area
stand out by contrasting it with other
areas. The area could be different in
size, color, texture, shape, etc.
3. Pattern- is the repeating
of an object or symbol all
over the work of art.
4. Repetition- works with
pattern to make the work of art
seem active. The repetition of
elements of design creates unity
within the work of art.
5. Proportion- is the feeling of
unity created when all parts
(sizes, amounts, or number)
relate well with each other.
6. Rhythm- is created when one or more
elements of design are used repeatedly to
create a feeling of organized movement.
Rhythm creates a mood like music or
dancing. To keep rhythm exciting and
active, variety is essential.
7. Variety- the use of several
elements of design to hold the
viewer’s attention and to guide
the viewer’s eye through and
around the work of art.
8. Unity- is the feeling of
harmony between all parts of
the work of art, which creates a
sense of completeness.