THE ELEMENTS OF ART

COLOR The color wheel was developed by Sir Isaac Newton by taking the color spectrum and bending it into a circle. Color is the element of art that refers to reflected light. Although complex, color theory can be broken down into three main components: the color wheel, color values, and color schemes.

The second part of color theory deals with color values The second part of color theory deals with color values.  Value is the darkness or lightness of a color.  When dealing with pure color (hue), value can be affected by adding white or black to a color.  Adding white to a color produces a tint... Adding black to a color produces a shade. When grays are added to the color, the intensity of the color is affected.  Intensity is related to value.

Monochromatic- literally means one (mono) color (chroma) Monochromatic- literally means one (mono) color (chroma).  So a monochromatic color scheme is made up of one color and it’s shades and tints.

Cool colors - colors that are usually associated with cool things. Ex Cool colors - colors that are usually associated with cool things.  Ex. Blue, purple, green Warm colors - colors that are usually associated with warm things.  Ex. Red, yellow, orange

Color - Element of art derived from reflected light Color - Element of art derived from reflected light.  We see color because light waves are reflected from objects to your eyes. Color wheel - color spectrum bent into a circle.  Primary colors - The most basic colors on the color wheel, red, yellow and blue.   These colors cannot be made by mixing Secondary colors - colors that are made by mixing two primary colors together.  Orange, green and violet (purple) Tertiary colors - colors that are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color Hue - the name of the color Intensity - the brightness or dullness of a color.  DO NOT CONFUSE INTENSITY  WITH VALUE. Color value - the darkness or lightness of a color. Ex pink is a tint of red Tints - are created by adding white to a color Shades - are created by adding black to a color Optical color - color that people actually perceive- also called local color. Arbitrary color - colors chosen by the artist to express feelings or mood.

LINE In terms of art, line is considered a moving dot or the path of a dot. Line can be used to define edges, add shading or value, and create the illusion of form.

SHAPE Shape is considered a closed contour or the area confined within a contour line. Shapes fall into two categories: geometric or organic. They can be defined as positive or negative and are essential in compositional design.

GEOMETRIC VS. ORGANIC

GEOMETRIC Math can be used to find information about these shapes and these shapes generally have a specific name associated with them. Examples include: circle, triangle, square, and trapezoid.

ORGANIC Organic or freeform shapes are shapes that seem to follow no rules. Organic shapes generally do not have a name associated with them and are typically not man-made.

POSITIVE VS. NEGATIVE Shapes defined by objects are positive shapes (space). Shapes defined around objects are negative shapes (space). We can learn to see the world around us as shapes. Recognizing the shapes that we see will lead to improved drawing and painting.

By organizing geometric and organic shapes, we can draw anything By organizing geometric and organic shapes, we can draw anything.  Even complicated objects become easy to draw when we isolate basic geometric and organic shapes.

FORM Form refers to three- dimensional objects (3D). The illusion of form in a drawing or painting is heavily dependent on the use and placement of values.

GEOMETRIC VS. ORGANIC

VALUE Value is also referred to as "tone". It is the darkness or lightness of a color and can be measured through the use of a value scale. Lighter values are referred to as "tints", while darker values are referred to as "shades". When it comes to drawing and painting, value is arguably the most important element of art.

LIGHT VS. DARK If we were to take out all color, we would still see this apple and recognize it as an apple.  In other words, we are just showing the values of the apple...

SPACE In terms of art, space is the area around, above, and within an object.  With consideration to drawings and paintings, our goal is to create the illusion of space. There are six ways that an artist can create the illusion of space in a drawing or painting.

Overlapping - occurs when objects that are closer to the viewer prevent the view of objects that are behind them. Placement on the paper - Objects placed higher within the picture plane will appear further away. Size - Objects that are smaller will appear further away from the viewer. Detail - Objects that are further away should have less detail than objects that are closer to the viewer. Color and Value - Objects that are further away are cooler in color temperature, while objects that are closer are warmer. Objects that are further away are lighter in value, while objects that are closer are typically darker in value. Perspective - Linear perspective is a drawing method that uses lines to create the illusion of space on a flat surface. There are three types of linear perspective. Two are displayed on this page. One point perspective uses one vanishing point to accomplish this illusion.

TEXTURE Texture refers to the way an object feels to the touch or looks as it may feel if it were touched. Texture created in drawings or paintings can be "simulated" or "invented". The illusion of texture is heavily dependent on the use of value.