Elements Of Art

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Line/Point

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An element of art defined by a point moving in space. Line may be two-or three dimensional, descriptive, implied, or abstract.

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Shape

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An Element of art that is two-dimensional, flat, or limited to height and width.

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Color

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An element of art made up of three properties: hue, value, and intensity.

Hue: name of color

Value: hue's lightness and darkness (a color's value changes when white or black is added)

Intensity: quality of brightness and purity

(high intensity= color is strong and bright; low intensity= color is faint and dull)

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Value

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The lightness or darkness of tones or colors. White is the lightest value; black is the darkest. The value halfway between these extremes is called middle gray. Helps define the form objects being drawn or painted. All colors have natural value.

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Space

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An element of art by which positive and negative areas are defined or a sense of depth achieved in a work of art.

An element of art, space refers to distances or areas around, between or within components of a piece. Space can be positive (white or light) or negative (black or dark), open or closed, shallow or deep and two-dimensional or three-dimensional.

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Texture

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Is the perceived surface quality of a work of art. It is an element of two dimensional and three-dimensional designs and is distinguished by its perceived visual and physical properties.

Is used to describe either the way a three-dimensional work actually feels when touched, or the visual "feel" of a two-dimensional work.

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Movement

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A principle of design used to create the look and feeling of action and to guide the viewer's eye throughout the work of art. Is the design element that operates in the fourth dimension-time.

-Is the process of relocation of objects in space over time. We can speak of movement as literal or compositional.

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Unity

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Is the relationship among the elements of a visual that helps all the elements function together. Unity gives a sense of oneness to a visual image. In other words, the words and the images work together to create meaning.

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Balance

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In art refers to the sense of distribution perceived visual weights that offset one another. We feel more comfortable-therefore find it more pleasing--when the parts of an artwork seem to balance each other. A way of combining elements to add a feeling of equilibrium or stability to a work of art. Major types are symmetrical and asymmetrical.

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Variety

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A principle of design concerned with diversity or contrast. Variety is achieved by using different shapes, sizes, and/colors in work of art.

- Is the complement to unity and harmony, and is needed to create visual interest. Without unity and harmony, an image is chaotic and “unreadable;” without variety it is dull and uninteresting.

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Harmony

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A way of combining similar elements in an artwork to accent their similarities (achieved through use of repetitions and subtle gradual changes). All parts of the visual image relate to and complement each other.

is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar, related elements. For instance: adjacent colors on the color wheel, similar shapes etc.

- It pulls the pieces of a visual image together.

-Can be achieved through repetition and rhythm.

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Dissonance

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A contrast lacking in agreement, consistency, or harmony. A harsh, conflicting, and disagreeable combination of sounds; discord. In music, a combination of tones conventionally considered to suggest unrelieved tension and require resolution.

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Emphasis

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A way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements. As an area or object within the artwork that draws attention and becomes a focal point. S

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Dominance

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An object or color stands our in relation to the painting, picture, etc. colors that contrast or large objects tend to dominate the picture, and therefore is what your eye is naturally drawn to. An example would be a yellow square surrounded by a larger purple square.

The principle of visual organization that suggests that certain elements should assume more importance than others in the same composition. It contributes to organic unity by emphasizing the fact that there is one main feature and that other elements are subordinate to it.

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Subordination

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-Minimizing or toning down other compositional elements in order to bring attention to the focal point.

Focal point refers to an area in the composition that has the most significance, an area that the artist wants to draw attention to as the most important aspect.

-As minimizing or toning down other compositional elements in order to bring attention to the focal point. Focal point refers to an area in the composition that has the most significance, an area that the artist wants to draw attention to as the most important aspect.

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Scale and Proportion

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Are both connected with size. Scale refers to the size of an object (a whole) in relationship to another object (another whole). In art the size relationship between an object and the human body is significant.

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Rhythm

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A principle of design that indicates movement, created by the careful placement of repeated elements in a work of art to cause a visual tempo or beat.

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SYMMETRICAL BALANCE

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As having equal "weight" on equal sides of a centrally placed fulcrum. It may also be referred to as formal balance. When the elements are arranged equally on either side of a central axis, the result is Bilateral symmetry.

-Balance that is achieved by arranging elements on either side of the center of a composition in an equally weighted manner

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INFORMAL BALANCE

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-Involves different elements that have equal visual weight; the weight is equal but the elements are not identical.

-The objects have nearly the same "visual weight" on either side of the vertical center of the photograph composition, but are different in size, shape, texture, or value.

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FORMAL SYMMETRY

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-Where elements are given equal "weight" from an imaginary line in the middle of a piece. For the most basic example of symmetry, think of your eyes in relation to either side of your nose.

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INFORMAL SYMMETRY

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-Occurs when elements are placed unevenly in a piece, but work together to produce harmony overall.

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Proportion

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Is the comparison of dimensions or distribution of forms. It is the relationship in scale between one element and another, or between a whole object and one of its parts. Differing proportions within a composition can relate to different kinds of balance or symmetry, and can help establish visual weight and depth.