The Elements and Principles of Art

Why should you know them?

• Visual grammar.

• Making choices.

• Recognizing how art was created.

• Arrangement can make or break.

• Applies to many parts of life.

Elements of Art

• Basic visual symbols in the language of art.– Building Materials

– Line, Value, Shape, Texture, Space, and Color.

Principles of Art

• Rules that govern how artists organize the elements of art.– Blueprints

– Variety, Balance, Proportion, Rhythm, Movement, and Emphasis

Elements• Line

• Value

• Shape

• Texture

• Space

• Color

Principles• Variety

• Balance

• Proportion

• Rhythm

• Movement

• Emphasis

Line

• In drawing, line is a mark drawn with a pointed, moving tool.

Line Direction

• Vertical

• Horizontal

• Diagonal

• Curved

Line Variation

• Lines can vary in – Length– Width– Texture– Direction– Degree of curve

Using Line

• Contour Line– Defines the edges and surface ridges of an

object.

Using Line

• Gesture Lines

–An expressive movement.

Using Line• Calligraphic Lines

– Usually made with brushstrokes that change from thin to thick in one stroke.

Variety

• The principle of design concerned with difference or contrast.

• Variety is achieved by adding something different to a design to provide a break in the repetition.

Variety

• Same subject repeated in a VARIETY of colors.

Variety

• VARIETY of shapes in a VARIETY of sizes.

Elements• Line

• Value

• Shape

• Texture

• Space

• Color

Principles• Variety

• Balance

• Proportion

• Rhythm

• Movement

• Emphasis

Value

• The art element that describes the darkness or lightness of an object.

Rembrandt and Value

Balance

• Is the principle of design concerned with equalizing visual forces, or elements, in a work of art.

Formal Balance

• Occurs when equal, or very similar, elements are placed on opposite sides of a central axis.

Symmetrical Balance

• A special type of formal balance in which two halves of a balanced composition are identical, mirror images of each other.

Radial Balance

• Occurs when the forces or elements of a design come out (radiate) from a central point.

Informal Balance

• A balance of unlike objects.

Elements• Line

• Value

• Shape

• Texture

• Space

• Color

Principles• Variety

• Balance

• Proportion

• Rhythm

• Movement

• Emphasis

Shape

• A two dimensional area that is defined in some way.

• Three types:– Geometric– Free-form– Organic

Geometric Shapes

• Precise shapes that can be described using mathematical formulas.

Free-form Shapes

• Irregular and uneven shapes.

Organic Shapes

• Shapes that resemble those found in nature.

Proportion

• The principle of art concerned with the size relationship of one part to another.

Proportion

• Foreshortening- is to shorten an object to make it look as if it extends backward into space.

Proportion

• Hierarchical Proportion- when figures are arranged in a work of art so scale indicates importance.

Proportion• Exaggeration and Distortion- deviations

from expected, normal proportions.

Elements• Line

• Value

• Shape

• Texture

• Space

• Color

Principles• Variety

• Balance

• Proportion

• Rhythm

• Movement

• Emphasis

Texture

• Texture is the element of art that refers to how things feel, or appear to feel.

How to Create Texture

• Rubbing-placing paper over the surface and rubbing the top of the paper with crayon or pencil to get the texture.

Rhythm

• The principle of design that indicates movement by the repetition of elements.

Pattern- decorative visual repetition.

Elements• Line

• Value

• Shape

• Texture

• Space

• Color

Principles• Variety

• Balance

• Proportion

• Rhythm

• Movement

• Emphasis

Space

• The element of art that refers to the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or within objects.

Space

• Positive Space- shapes or forms in a work of art.

• Negative Space- empty spaces surrounding shapes and forms.

Ways to Create SpacePerspective

Size

Placement

Detail

Color

Movement-the illusion of action or physical

change.

Elements• Line

• Value

• Shape

• Texture

• Space

• Color

Principles• Variety

• Balance

• Proportion

• Rhythm

• Movement

• Emphasis

Color

• Reflected light.

Color Wheel

• Primary Colors- red, yellow, blue

• Secondary Colors- orange, green, purple

Complementary Colors

• the colors opposite each other on the color wheel.

After Image

Emphasis

• Makes one part of a work dominant over the other parts.

Focal Point

Contrast

Isolation

Location

Light