The Elements of Design

Elements and Principles

Much like in fine art, the world of
Graphic Design, Graphic Art, or
Digital Media has its own set of
concepts that help artists arrange
the objects within a given
composition. We would refer to these
as the building blocks of Design.
These concepts can be broken down
into two categories

Elements

Lines
Shapes
Value
Color
Texture
Size
Space

Lines
Line is probably the most fundamental
of all the elements of design. It is the
starting place for most artistic creation
whether one is starting a fine drawing
or painting or even sketching ideas for
a sculpture. most design begins with
line. So what is line?

Lines
A line often suggests movement in a
drawing or painting.

Three types of Lines

The three types of lines are actual, implied, and
psychic.
Actual are real lines that may vary greatly in
weight, character, and other qualities.
Implied are created by positioning a series of points
so that the eye automatically connect them.
Psychic are not real lines, we sense these lines. It is
the mental connections that occur when something
points or looks in a certain direction.

Actual Lines

Implied

Psychic Lines

Four directions of Lines

The four directions of lines are
horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and
curved.

Horizontal represents a feeling of rest,

Vertical a feeling of stability,
Diagonal a feeling of motion,
Curved varies depending on the
wavelength.

Types Of Lines
Vertical lines: are straight up and
down and perpendicular to horizontal
lines

Types Of Lines
Horizontal lines: are straight left
and right and perpendicular to
vertical lines

Types Of Lines
Diagonal lines: are lines that
straight in any direction except
vertical or horizontal

Types Of Lines
Zigzag lines: are a series of
diagonal lines joined end to end

Types Of Lines
Curved lines: are lines that bend in
any amount of degree; they may be
gently wavy to tightly wound spirals

Variations Of Lines
be long, short or anything in between
be thick, thin
be smooth or rough be continuous,
implied, dotted, dashed
change direction change in degree of
curve (curved Lines)
be any of the above combined

Assignment
Look at ads, magazines, brochures, logos, and
other printed projects and try to find as many
different types of lines as possible including
straight, curved, and freeform lines. Look for
blunt and curved line endings, solid and dashed
lines and lines with variable widths.
Write a paragraph about how many different
kinds you see and describe what kind of feeling
they give you and how their form
communicates that to you.

Assignments #2
Using lines only Create Line art.