Elements

of Art

Line

a dot that moves.

Straight, curved,
vertical, horizontal,
jagged, dotted

Vincent van Gogh Cottage Garden 1888

reed pen, quill, and ink over graphite on wove paper, 24 x 191/4 inches
Private Collection, Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art

Shape
An enclosed space defined
by other art elements such
as line, color and texture.
May be geometric or
organic
Cycle, MC ESCHER,

Form

Appears 3dimensional and

encloses volume
such as a cube,
sphere, pyramid or
cylinder.
CLOUD GATE, Chicago ,Anish Kapoor

Color
has 3 properties:

Hue
Value
Intensity

Yellow and blue accentuate each

other in van Goghs Caf Terrace on
the Place du Forum, Arles, 1888

Hue The name of a

color starts by
identifying which of
the twelve colors on
the color wheel
corresponds most
closely to it,
regardless of how
light or dark, or bright
or dull it is.

Value refers to
the light and dark
areas of an art
work. Also known
as Chiaroscuro

If a color is made
lighter by adding
white, the result is
called a tint. If black is
added, the darker
version is called a
shade. And if gray is
added, the result is a
different tone.

Saturation - brightness
and dullness of color.
The brightest intensity
would be the pure color
from the color wheel
while the dullest would
be where you can't
even discern what the
color is other then it
looks like gray.

Texture - The
surface quality of
an artwork usually
perceived through
the sense of touch.
Texture may also
be implied.
Piet, Michelangelo, 1499

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 18531890)

Oil on canvas 17 x 24 in. (43.2 x 61 cm) Sunflowers 1887

Space - includes the

background, foreground
and middle ground, and
refers to the distances or
area(s) around, between,
and within things.
Negative spaces are spaces outside the
subject or the absence of an object. Positive
spaces are spaces occupied by an object.

Crowded by John Chehak

The
Principles
of Design

Balance Equal
distribution of visual
weight on either side
of a compositions
center
Used to create a sense of stability - can be
asymmetrical, symmetrical or radial

Lips Sofa by Salvador Dali

Harmony

achieved in a body of
work by using similar
elements throughout
the work, harmony
gives an
uncomplicated look to
your work.

Unity is seen in a
painting or drawing
when all the parts
equal a whole.
Your work should
not appear
disjointed or
confusing.

Variety refers to the

differences in the
work, you can
achieve variety by
using difference
shapes, textures,
colors and values in
your work.

Contrast Combining
elements to
point out their
differences

Proportion refers to

the relationships of the

size of objects in a
body of work.
Proportions give a
sense of size seen as a
relationship of objects.
Such as smallness or
largeness.

Movement
Combines
elements in an art
work to create the
illusion of action
The Scream, Edvard Munch, 1893, oil

Rhythm - a type of
movement in drawing
and painting. It is seen
in repeating of shapes
and colors. Alternating
lights and darks also
give a sense of rhythm.
Vega-Nor, 1969 by Victor Vasarely (Hungarian, born 1908)
Oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 78 3/4 Gift of Seymour H. Knox, 1969 Albright

Edward Hopper
American, 1882-1967

Emphasis focus in an
artwork

Repetition combinations of
elements in a
recognizable
organization.