Art Elements

Technology

Element – Line

An element of art which refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by a moving point. It may be two-dimensional (pencil on paper), three-dimensional (wire), or implied (the edge of a shape or form). Often, it is an outline, contour, or silhouette.

Element – Shape

An element of art, it is an enclosed space defined and determined by other art elements such as line, color, value, and texture. In painting and drawing, shapes may take on the appearance of solid three-dimensional objects even though they are limited to two dimensions—length and width. This two-dimensional character of shape distinguishes it from form, which has depth as well as length and width.

Element – Form

An element of art that is three-dimensional (height, width, and depth) and encloses volume. Cubes, spheres, pyramids, and cylinders are examples of various forms.

Element – Color

An element of art with three properties: 1. hue, the color name, e.g., red, yellow, blue, etc.; 2. intensity, the purity and strength of a color, e.g., bright red or dull red; 3. value, the lightness of darkness of a color

Element – Texture

An element of art which refers to the surface quality or “feel” of an object, its smoothness, roughness, softness. Textures may be actual or simulated. Actual textures can be felt with the fingers, while simulated textures are suggested by the way an artist has painted certain areas of a picture.

Element – Space

An element of art that refers to the distance between, around, above, below, or within things. It can be described as either three-dimensional or two-dimensional.

>>Perspective

A method for representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface.

Element – Value An element of art that

describes the lightness or darkness of a color. Often, value is found to be an important element in works of art even though color is absent. This is true with drawings, woodcuts, lithographs, and photographs. It is also true with most sculpture and architecture. Sudden or gradual changes in value can add greatly to the visual impact of these art forms. Changes in value can also be used to help the artist express an idea.

Bibliography

Mittler, Gene A. Art in Focus. Mission Hills, CA: Glencoe, 1989.