Elements of Design

Variety in the thickness of lines creates surface interest. Some lines are thick; some are thin; and many are both thick and thin (organic or calligraphic). Line

Horizontal line suggests a feeling of rest or repose. Objects parallel to the earth are at rest in relation to gravity. Therefore compositions in which horizontal lines dominate tend to be quiet and restful in feeling.

Line Vertical lines communicate a feeling of loftiness and nobleness. They often dominate public architecture, from cathedrals to corporate headquarters. They can also indicate intimidation or power

Line Diagonal lines suggest a feeling of movement or direction. Since objects in a diagonal position are unstable in relation to gravity, being neither vertical nor horizontal, they are either about to fall, or are already in motion. If a feeling of movement or speed is desired, or a feeling of activity, diagonal lines can be used.

An enclosed space defined by a line or by contrast to its surroundings. Shapes are two- dimensional (flat): circle, square, triangle, organic blob, etc. Shape is 2D

Form A three-dimensional object: a defined volume of space.

Negative space is the space around an image. This basic and often overlooked principle of design gives the eye a "place to rest," increasing the appeal of a composition through subtle means

Texture – Matte – Semi-gloss – Glossy – Rough – Smooth

Texture

 Light / Color / Value ◦ visible color spectrum ◦ color wheel ◦ shading ◦ contrast ◦ tint ◦ hue ◦ neutral ◦ color interaction ◦ warm ◦ cool ◦ monochromatic ◦ intensity

Color

Value is present in all design. It is the lightness or darkness of an object, regardless of color. Value is relative to the background color and other items on the page. Value

December Afternoon by Grant Wood

Line – The red in this painting symbolizes the lines Wood used. He mainly used straight lines and a little bit of curvy lines. You can see the straight lines on the house and its roof. Most of the curvy lines were part of the sled.

Shape – The red in this painting shows the shapes Grant Wood used. He used some shapes but he also focused on form. Rectangles and squares are the most common shapes, but there are also a few triangles.

Color – Grant basically only used the colors black and white. However, there is some shades of grey throughout the painting.

Texture – In the blue circle, Wood implied that the side of the house was rough by using vertical lines and different shades of black and grey. In the red circle, the snow looks soft, fluffy, and light because it is pure white. The back of the sleigh in the green circle looks smooth because he started with white at the top of the sled and slowly painted darker until it was black.

Value – This artwork low key and high key because Wood uses black and white evenly throughout the painting.

Space – The sleigh in the blue square is an example of change in size because its bigger than the child and horse because it is closer. In the red rectangle, the child and horse overlap the house because they are closer. The green rectangles show aerial perspective because as the sky gets higher the darker it becomes.

Form – An example of implied form is the sleigh, child, and horse because they look 3-D even though they are 2-D. They are also an example of open form because they interact with each other, the snow, and the house.