Everything you ever wanted to know about Form a form is a combination of any or all of the elements of art (line, shape, value, texture, color, and space). All forms have length, height, and width.

How can we create a form? Here’s a simple example: First we start with a line, a simple connection between two points

How can we create a form? Here’s a simple example: When we close off the line (and straighten it out a bit) we now have a shape.

How can we create a form? Here’s a simple example: Now we can add a bit of texture to make it more elaborate.

How can we create a form? Here’s a simple example: Next we add value and shading to make it look more 3-dimensional.

How can we create a form? Here’s a simple example: Then we could add color to give it more interest, and associate it with emotion.

How can we create a form? Here’s a simple example: To create a sense of space and depth, we could add more of these forms and overlap them. So, to create this form, we used all of the elements of art.

If you remember from our discussion on value, there are 4 basic forms that every thing can be broken down into. They are a sphere, cone, cylinder, and cube. ConeCube Cylinder Sphere

When we look at Paul Cezanne’s still life, we can break the objects into the 4 basic forms…

Like this… Sphere fruit Sphere Cylinder (for the opening) Water jug

Then there is the concept of foreshortening, where the form appears to be distorted. Foreshortening is what happens when an object is seen at angle, so that one or more of its dimensions appear to be shortened, like in these two works: “Preacher, “ by Charles White “Dead Christ,” by Andrea Mantegna

Foreshortening can be achieve by using perspective as well, when applied to these simple objects found in Dirk Bout’s painting (notice how foreshortening occurs when 1-point perspective is used…hmmm…) Foreshortening therefore creates a sense of depth.

Rendering forms is not limited to viewing things at one angle. Thanks to Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, the two artists who pioneered Cubism, we could now see forms that looked like they were broken into different parts and views, and then rearranged creatively by the artists. This helped to imagine an object being viewed at several angles at once, on a two- dimensional surface. “Violin, “ by Georges Braque “Table, dog, and rooster, “ by Pablo Picasso