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Elements of Design
The Elements and Principles are essential to understanding, interpreting,
and talking about art.
As you read the following definitions and view examples of how they are
used in art work, pack your suitcase by remembering what each of the Elements
and Principles contribute to a work of art.
As you travel along your journey through Artline, you can refer back to
your suitcase at any time by clicking on Elements in the Contents
column at the right of your screen.
The Elements of Design ... or the Sensory Properties are the building
blocks of art. Artists use the elements to express their ideas, just as
a writer uses words to express ideas. The Elements of Design
are sometimes called Sensory Properties because the viewer can
see and touch them with their senses.
Use these Elements of Design to interpret a piece of art.
Line
- a mark, or stroke that is longer than it is wide. It is the path
of a point moving in space. Objects and things are perceived by
the line that describes them.
Characteristics of line include:
- Width - thick, thin, tapering, uneven
- Length - long, short, continuous, broken
- Direction - horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curving,
perpendicular, oblique, parallel, radial, zig-zag
- Focus - sharp, blurry, fuzzy, choppy
- Feeling - sharp, jagged, graceful, smooth ... can you
think of others?
Lines describe many things ... Can you choose words to describe
the line drawing at the right? |
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Color
- the sensation resulting from reflection or absorption of light
by a surface. Hue is another name for color.
Primary colors are hues from which all other colors can be made:
red, yellow, blue. Secondary colors are made from mixing equal parts
of the primary colors: orange, green, violet.
Tertiary colors are those colors between primary and secondary
colors: yellow-orange, red-orange, etc.
Complementary colors are colors that are opposite each other
on the color wheel: red-green, orange-blue, yellow-violet.
Locate all of these on the color wheel at the right.
Analogous colors are colors that are adjacent (side by side)
to each other on the color wheel. |
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Monochromatic
colors are variations in value of one color by adding either
white to make tints or black to make shades. Tints are made
when white is added to a pure hue to make light values. A shade
is when black is added to a pure hue to make dark values.
Where are the tints and the shades in the painting
on the left?
Intensity refers to the brightness or dullness of a color.
- Descriptors: brilliant, medium, dull.
- Colors have degrees of transparency: A color is transparent
if the viewer can see clearly through it.
- A color is translucent if it admits light but the image
is diffused and cannot be seen clearly.
- A color is opaque if it can't be seen through.
Look around you ... Can you find something transparent?
Something that is translucent?
Something that is opaque? |
Neutral colors are black, white, brown and grays mixed from black
and white. Usually artists use 3 to 5 side by side colors in an analogous
composition.
Value - refers to the degree of lightness
or darkness and can refer to the way color is used.
light__________________medium____________________dark
Highlight
is the lightest value. Shadow is dark value.
The light color of a value is a tint.
The dark color of a value is a shade. |
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Texture
- the surface quality or appearance of an object. Visual texture
is a quality of the surface that you can "see," but not
necessarily "feel." Actual texture is a quality
of the surface that you can both "see" and "feel."
- Descriptors are: rough/smooth, wet/dry, hard/soft,
shiny/matte (dull), slick/sticky, slippery/abrasive, coarse/porous
... can you think of more?
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Shape/Form
- Shape is the external outline of an object. It is two-dimensional.
Form is a shape that is three-dimensional.
Various types and characteristics of shape include:
- Organic - natural, living form
- Inorganic or geometric - man-made, non-living forms
- Open-Form - a form that can be looked into
- Closed-Form - self-contained
- Geometric Shape - circle, square, rectangle, triangle,
pentagon, octagon, other polygons
- Geometric Form - sphere, cube, pyramid, cone, cylinder
- Free-Form - any non-geometric shape: irregular, amorphic
Can you guess which types of SHAPES these to the right are? |
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Space
- the distance or area between shapes.
- Shapes can be arranged in space in many ways: in
rows, overlapping, by size to show distance, ... can you
think of other ways?
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- Positive Space is created by objects that are seen
as a main element appearing to be in front of the background.
- Negative Space is the area that surrounds the shapes.
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...off to Principles of Design or return
to Orientation to meet Your Trip Guide
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