Elements of Art Principles of Design

The Basic Building Blocks of Art Elements of Art The Basic Building Blocks of Art Line Shape Form Color Value Space Texture

Line An element of art that is used to define space, contours, and outlines, or suggest mass and volume. It may be a continuous mark made on a surface with a pointed tool or implied by the edges of shapes and forms

Line A continuous mark made on some surface by a moving point A point that went for a walk

Line

Shape An enclosed space defined by other Elements of Art such as Line, Color, and Texture

Shape

Form An Element of Art that appears three-dimensional and encloses volume such as a cube, sphere, pyramid, or cylinder The three-dimensional representation of an object

Form

Color An art element with three properties Hue Value Intensity Also, the character of surfaces created by the response of vision to wave lengths of reflected light

Color

Value An art element concerned with the degree of lightness of colors Darker colors are lower in Value The lightness or darkness of a color

Value

Space An art element that indicates areas between, around, above, below, or within something

Space

Texture The surface quality of an artwork usually perceived through the sense of touch Texture can also be implied, perceived visually though not felt through touch

Texture

The basis for how the Elements of Art are arranged in an artwork Principles of Design The basis for how the Elements of Art are arranged in an artwork Unity *Variety Emphasis Rhythm Movement Balance Pattern *Proportion Contrast

Unity A Principle of Design related to the sense of wholeness that results from the successful combination of the component elements of an artwork The overall sense that an artwork is seen as a whole

Unity

Variety Goes along with Unity A principle concerned with the inclusion of differences in the elements of a composition to offset unity and add interest to an artwork

Variety

Emphasis A Principle of Design in which one element, or combination of elements, create more attention than anything else in a composition The dominant element is usually a focal point in a composition and contributes to unity by suggesting that other elements are subordinate to it

Emphasis Developing the points of interest to pull the viewer’s eye to important parts of the artwork

Emphasis

Rhythm A Principle of Design that refers to ways of combining elements to produce the appearance of movement in an artwork It may be achieved through repetition, alteration, or progression of an element

Rhythm

Movement A Principle of Design associated with Rhythm, referring to the arrangement of parts in an artwork to create a sense of motion to the viewer’s eye throughout the work

Movement

Balance A Principle of Design referring to the arrangement of visual elements to create stability in an artwork The overall sense of stability throughout a work of art

Balance

Pattern The repetition of elements or combinations of elements in a recognizable organization

Pattern

Proportion The scale that refers to the relationships of sizes of objects in the body of an artwork

Proportion

Contrast The differences between elements such as Color, Shape, or Texture

Contrast

Take all Elements of Art and Principles of Design into account when creating your artwork Some will be more evident than others

Follow these 3 Basic Rules IF ALL ELSE FAILS Follow these 3 Basic Rules Limit to Control Repeat to Unite Vary to Add Interest