Art - Elements Of Art

Front 1

Line

Back 1

A mark drawn by a tool (such as a pencil, pen, or paintbrush) as it moves across a surface.

They vary in length, width, color, direction, and degree of curve and can be 2-D (actual) or implied.

Front 2

Contour Line

Back 2

The outline of an object.

Front 3

Shape

Back 3

A line that ends where it begins and are considered to be a line that encloses a space.

They are flat and 2-D and can be geometric or organic.

Front 4

Color

Back 4

The visual appearance of an object (2-D or 3-D) and the quality of the light it reflects.

Black and White are not actually colors.

Front 5

Form

Back 5

3-D shapes defined by height, width, and depth.

Front 6

Texture

Back 6

The way something feels or looks like it feels. Actual or visual. These may be rough, smooth, shiny, or dull.

Front 7

Space

Back 7

The open or empty area around, above, between, inside, or below objects. Can be positive (something there) or negative (empty).

Front 8

Rhythm

Back 8

Repetition of one or more elements of art that creates a feeling of movement in an artwork.

These elements produce the look and feel of movement with a visual tempo or beat.

Front 9

Balance

Back 9

The way an artwork is arranged by giving a visual weight to the various parts. Can be Symmetrical or Asymmetrical.

Symmetrical means both sides are similar weight and mirror one another. The sense that the painting "feels right" and not heavier on one side.

Asymmetrical means both sides are similar weight, but not exactly the same.

Front 10

Proportion

Back 10

Relationship between the size, placement, or amount of one part of the artwork to another part OR to the whole artwork.

How things fit together and relate to each other in terms of size and scale; whether big or small, nearby or distant.

Front 11

Variety

Back 11

The use or combination of different elements of art to add interest in an artwork.

Front 12

Emphasis

Back 12

The area or object in an artwork to which the viewer's attention is drawn.

The important part(s) of an artwork created to draw attention. Usually done with contrast or a focal point. The viewer's eye wants to rest on the "most important" thing.

Front 13

Pattern

Back 13

The regular repetition of elements in an artwork.

A regular repetition of lines, shapes, colors, forms, or values in a composition (artwork).

Front 14

Hue

Back 14

Another name for color.

Front 15

Value

Back 15

The lightness or darkness of a color.

Front 16

Intensity

Back 16

The weight of a color.

Front 17

Contrast

Back 17

The difference between two unlike things such as a dark and light color.

Can be differences in shape, color, size, texture, type of line, etc.

Front 18

Primary Colors

Back 18

Red, Blue, and Yellow

Front 19

Secondary Colors

Back 19

Green, Orange, and Purple (Violet)

Front 20

Warm Colors

Back 20

Red, Orange, Yellow

Front 21

Cool Colors

Back 21

Blue, Green, and Purple (Violet)

Front 22

Unity

Back 22

A quality achieved when all parts of an artwork combine to create a sense of wholeness and completion.

Do all the parts of the composition feel as if they belong together, or does something feel stuck on, awkwardly out of place?

Front 23

Art Process

Back 23

The means for making art such as the 2-D techniques for Drawing and Painting or the 3-D techniques for Sculpting and Pottery.

Front 24

Expressive, Functional, and Narrative

Back 24

The three purposes behind art making.

Art Purposes.

Front 25

Media

Back 25

All of the materials used to make art, such as: Pencil, Paint, Clay, and Stone.

Front 26

Movement

Back 26

The path the viewer's eye takes through the artwork, often to a focal area.

For example: the arrangement of objects, the position of figures, the flow of a river, the lines of a fence or railroad, a row of trees, or curve of stones or circles.