Creating (or talking about) a work of art is similar to following a recipe for baking. You might have many of the same ingredients (or elements) in cookies as you do in cake but the tools and measurements used will give you two different outcomes... cookies or cake?
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A typical recipe for cooking has these five parts...
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A typical recipe for making a work of art has the same five parts...
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Elements of Art and Design
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Principles of Art and Design
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LINE:
A line is a path of a moving point. Line is a mark on a surface that can describe a shape or outline. A Line can create texture and a line can be thick or thin. Types of line can include actual, Implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and contour lines. Lines can be grouped into two categories; geometric and organic. ~A line is a dot that went for a walk. Paul Klee Click here for examples SHAPE:
A shape is when a line begins and ends in the same place. A shape is a 2-Dimensional line with no form or thickness. Shapes are flat and can be grouped into two categories; geometric and organic. ~I paint with shapes. Alexander Calder Click here for examples |
BALANCE:
Balance is the comfortable or pleasing arrangement of things in art. The three different kinds of balance are Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, and Radial. Symmetrical Balance - things on either side of center line are almost alike. Asymmetrical Balance - a large shape is balanced by a smaller shape. Radial Balance - all lines and shapes lead to a focal point in the center of a work of art. CONTRAST:
Contrast happens when opposites are placed next to each other. Contrast creates visual excitement and adds interest to the artwork. |
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FORM:
Form is a 3-dimensional object having volume and thickness. It is the illusion of a 3-D effect that can be implied with the use of light. ~The marble not yet carved can hold the form of every thought the greatest artist has. Michelangelo Click here for examples |
RHYTHM / MOVEMENT:
Rhythm refers to a repetition of element of art to produce the look and feel of movement. It is often achieved through the careful placement of repeated components. |
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VALUE:
Value is the degree of light and dark in a drawing. It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between. Value can be used with color as well as black and white. Click here for examples |
PATTERN:
Pattern refers to the repetition or re-occurrence of a design element, exact or varied, which establishes a visual beat... how a surface space is decorated / filled. Polka-dot, plaid and stripes are examples of a repetition of the elements, line or shape, to create patterns. |
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TEXTURE:
Texture is the surface quality of an object that we sense through touch. All objects have a physical texture. Artists can also convey texture visually in two dimensions as implied texture. ~I search for the realness, the real feeling of a subject, all the texture around it... I always want to see the third dimension of something... I want to come alive with the object. Andrew Wyeth Click here for examples |
EMPHASIS:
Emphasis refers to the created center of interest, the place in an artwork where your eye first lands. Emphasis is created when you make on part more important or dominate than another. |
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SPACE:
Space is the area around, within, or between images or elements. Positive space refers to the subject and the negative space refers to the background or surrounding area. Click here for examples |
PROPORTION / SCALE
Proportion is the size relationship of parts to a whole and to one another. Scale refers to relating size to a constant, such as a human body. |
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COLOR:
Color is made up of three properties: hue, value, and intensity. Hue is the color's name. Value is the hue's lightness and darkness. Intensity is the quality of brightness and purity of a color. ~Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment. Claude Monet Click here for examples |
UNITY:
Unity is achieved when the components of a work of art are perceived as harmonious, giving the work a sense of completion. |
