Elements and Principles of Art

• Line• Color• Texture• Value• Shape• Form• Space

• Balance• Movement• Emphasis• Pattern (repetition)• Unity (compare)• Variety (contrast)• Rhythm

Elements• Line

• Color

• Texture

• Value

• Shape

• Form

• Space

LineI. a continuous mark, made by a moving point, on

a surface, or in space A. Actual - Fully drawn lines or Implied - Lines that are ‘hinted’ at B. Directional

Vertical – Up and down Horizontal – Side to side, like the horizon

Diagonal – Any line that is not vertical or horizontal. C. Descriptive

Adjectives and Adverbs

The Obvious

STRAIGHT

HORIZONTAL

VERTICAL

DIAGONAL

Barnett Newman, Dionysius, 1944, 67x49in.

Barnett Newman, Yellow Painting, 1949

Diego Rivera, The Flower Carrier, 1935, 48x48 in.

Note lines implied by

directional gazes

Hokusai, KatsushikaThe Great Wave Off KanagawaFrom "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji"1823-29Color woodcut10 x 15 in.

Clyfford Still, 1957, No.1

THE UPSTAIRSCharles Sheeler (American, b.1883, d.1965)1938oil on canvas19 1/2 x 12 3/4 in. (49.5 x 32.4 cm)

Lines create planes; planes suggest volume

ColorI. produced when light, striking an object, is

reflected back to the eye.

II. All hues on the color spectrum, even hues not on the spectrum such as black and white.

A. Hue - the name we give to a color (red, yellow, etc.).

B. Intensity - the strength and vividness of the color. Describe the color blue as (bright, rich, vibrant) or "dull" (grayed).

C. Value-light or darkness of a color

PRIMARY & secondary

RED

BLUE

YELLOW

PURPLE

GREEN

ORANGE

COLOR WHEEL

HUE

Robert Delaunay, Circular Forms, c. 1912

Texture

Actual texture- the way something actually feels

Implied texture- the way something appears to feel visually

Meret Oppenheim, Fur covered cup, saucer, and spoon, 1936 (a.k.a. The

Object)

VAN GOGH, VincentThe Starry Night1889, Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1/4 in

p. 383

ValueIV. The lightness or darkness

of a color. The terms shade and tint are in reference to value changes in colors

A. Tint - when white is added to a pure hue

B. Shade - when black is added to a pure hue

C. Tone – when white AND black are added to a color

ShapeA. Space that is contained within edges

B. Organic-irregular – An irregular 2D enclosed area, like that which might be found in nature.

B. Geometric-has a strict

pattern – 2D enclosed area

created by exact mathematical law.

Geometric Shapes:

Organic Shapes

FormA. A 3D space

B. Organic – An irregular 3D enclosed

area, like that which might be found in nature.

C. Geometric – 3D enclosed area that has a strict pattern

Organic Forms

VOLUME

Implied in painting; actual in sculpture

LINE SHAPE VOLUME

What is the form of this can of soup by Andy Warhol?

SpaceA. The appearance of depth in artB. Actual – the real distance between or around areas or components within of a piece.C. Implied/illusionary - the appearance of space or depth within a work of art.

D. Positive – Solid areas or objectsE. Negative – ‘air’ around solid objects, space where other things are not present

Space

Principles• Balance

• Movement

• Emphasis

• Pattern (repetition)

• Unity (compare)

• Variety (contrast)

• Rhythm

Balancethe ways in which the elements (lines, shapes, etc.) of a piece are arranged

Symmetrical - elements are given equal "weight" from an imaginary line in the middle of a piece.Near symmetry- same weight…not the same stuff. Asymmetrical - occurs when elements are placed unevenly in a piece, but work together to produce harmony overall.

How is this photograph balanced? Is it symmetrical, near symmetrical, or asymmetrical?

Movementa visual flow through the composition as you move from object to object by way of placement and position

Actual – an object that has true motion.

Implied - the suggestion of motion in a design.

Toulouse Lautrec, Marcelle Lender Dancing the Bolero

Emphasis• What stands out in

the art and what draws the viewer’s attention in.

Pattern(Repetition)the repetition of an element (or elements) in a work

Unity(Compare)• How an artworks are similar or alike or

how they go together.

Variety(Contrast)• How things are different. This creates

visual interest.

High contrast= VERY different

Low contrast= a little different

Rhythm• Rhythm, in art, is a visual beat.

Bibliography

• http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/Files/elements2.htm• http://arthistory.about.com/od/glossary/Art_History_Glossary.htm• http://www.sculpture-painting.co.uk/art_terms.htm