LINESHAP

ECOLO

RVALU

ETEXTURE

SPACE

FORM

Design Elements

BALANCEVARIETY

MOVEMENTCONTRASTEMPHASIS

PROPORTIONUNITY

Design Principles

Elements of Design

Are the seven basic building blocks of art & design.

Without these building blocks the principles are meaningless. Without the principles the elements can not be used to their best ability.

LINESHAPECOLORVALUE

TEXTURESPACEFORM

Design Elements

A mark. Lines have thickness, direction, and movement; they can be interrupted and

can show emotion in an artwork.

Line

Line

Line

Contour lines- outline the edges of forms or shapes

Gestural lines- indicate action and physical movement

When line curves or corners around and crosses over itself it becomes a shape.

Shape

Shape

SHAPES CAN BE DESCRIBED AS:

GEOMETRICsquare, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, circle, cone

ORGANICfree form shapes, shapes in nature for example:

leaves, trees, clouds, animals

Color has three main properties:1. Hue

2. Value3. Intensity

Color

Color

Color has three properties:1. The first is HUE.

(this is the name of the colors)

2. The second property of color is

value, which refers to the

lightness or darkness of a hue.

3. The third property of color is

intensity, which refers to the purity

of the hue (called “chroma”)

Neutral Colors

These colors are made by adding a complimentary color (opposite on the color wheel) to a hue. Neutralized hues are called tones.

Tints and Shades

Tints-adding the color white.

Shades- adding the color black.

Warm and Cool Colors

The lightness or darkness of a hue.

Value

Value

Value contrasts help us

to see and understand a

two-dimensional work of art.

Value describes form and value defines space.

The quality of a surface: Smooth, rough, bumpy, hairy, etc.

Texture

Hatching and Cross Hatching

Line can be used to create value and textures

Hatching

Cross Hatching

Texture

Textures are all around us in our environment.

Actual texture – texture that you can feel with your sense of touch.

Implied texture – texture that has been simulated in drawing and painting on a smooth surface to appear as if it is textured.

The amount of depth in both 2D and 3D artworks.

Around, above, inside, outside, help describe space

Space

Space

The feeling of space in a drawing or painting is always an illusion. Artists combine the use of light and dark value with other techniques. Some of these are: simple overlapping, ladder perspective, linear perspective, and atmospheric perspective.

Linear perspective“Snow in New York”

In 3D artworks it is the quality of the shape. Ex. Cubes, spheres and cones

Form

Form

Form describes volume and mass, or the three-dimensional aspects of objects that take up space.

Forms can be realistic, abstract, geometric, organic etc…

Form is considered three-dimensional showing height, width and depth. It can be illustrated or constructed.

Principles of Design

The basic rules of aesthetics that guide in the organization of elements in a work of art.

BalanceEmphasis

VarietyMovementProportionContrast

Unity

Design Principles

An appearance of evenness in an artwork. There are two kinds: Symmetry &

Asymmetry

Balance

Balance

This is an example of symmetrical balance in which

the design is the same on both sides of the center axis.

This is an example of asymmetrical balance

because the object is not the same on both sides.

Balance refers to the distribution of visual weight in a work of art

An appearance of evenness in an artwork. There are two kinds: Symmetry &

Asymmetry

Balance

In composition it is an arrangement of elements using order or disorder.

Symmetry

A composition with identical or similar elements arranged on both the right and

left halves of an image.

Vertical symmetry

Vertical symmetry

A composition with identical or similar elements arranged on both the top and

bottom halves of an image.

Horizontal symmetry

Horizontal symmetry

A composition with a center point from which the arrangement of elements radiate around in a

circular format.

Imagine:Cut a piece of “pie” out of an empty circle. Create a

design on the piece of pie.Repeat the pie piece to finish off the “pie.”

Radial symmetry

Radial symmetry

A composition with a heavy and light amount of elements. Asymmetry uses disorder to create

balance.

Asymmetry

Asymmetrical

A large difference between elements. Green and Red, dark and light, large and small,

thin and thick, bright and dull.

Contrast

Contrast

Contrast refers to differences in values, colors textures, shapes and other elements.

Where an artist draws attention to one or more parts of a design.

Emphasis

Emphasis

Emphasis is used by artists to create dominance and focus in their work. Artists often use focal areas (centers of interest) to place emphasis on the most important aspect of art.

The path the viewer’s eye is directed to take by the artist’s choice of elements such as

line.

Movement

Movement

Visual movement is used by artists to direct viewer through their work, often to focal areas.

The differences in any element in a work of art give it variety.

Ex: A variety of shape sizes or a variety of the same hue

Variety

Rhythm

Rhythm is repetition of visual movement of the elements-colors shapes, lines, values, forms, spaces, and textures. Movement and rhythm work together to create the visual equivalent of a musical beat..

Pattern

Pattern uses the art elements in planned or random repetitions to enhance surfaces of paintings or sculptures.

A sense that all of the parts belong together as one piece of artwork.

Unity

Unity

Unity provides the cohesive quality that makes an art work feel complete and finished. All the principles work together to create unity and therefore a successful design.

Salvador Dali Andy Warhol

The relationships of size in artworks in relation to how they are normally viewed.

Ex. A perfectly drawn person in proportion or a perfectly drawn person with a tiny head

Proportion – aka – Scale

Proportion

This picture uses the idea of proportion to illustrate the size difference between the fish and the boat.

Proportion – aka – Scale