ELEMENTS OF ART

MODULE 4

Introduction
The element of art is the fundamental pieces that make up an artwork. Most works of art will
make use of many or all of the elements and principles of art. We often judge art by how effectively
the artist used these design fundamentals even before we learn about them.

The elements of art are the building blocks of an artwork:

color, line, shape, form, value, texture, and
space. They are the tools artists use when
creating an art.

Below you’ll find an explanation of each of the

elements of art, including artwork examples and links to
helpful materials for teaching the individual concepts.

THE ELEMENT OF THE POINT

The Element of the Point A point is the visual element upon which all others are based. It can
be defined as a singularity in space or, in geometric terms, the area where two coordinates meet.
When an artist marks a simple point on a surface, (also
referred to as the ground), they immediately create a
figure-ground relationship. That is, they divide the work
between its surface and anything added to it. Our eyes
differentiate between the two, and their arrangement
has everything to do with how we see a final
composition.
Image showing elements of point

Dots or points working together can form an endless variety of arrangement and complexity.
Then can become lines and curves. They can form complex shapes, patterns, textures, and any other
structure imaginable. Dots in combination can even imply direction and movement, bringing us to
lines.
THE ELEMENT OF THE LINE
The element of line is when you put two or more points together, you create a line. A line can
be lyrically defined as a point in motion. There
are many different types of lines, all
characterized by their length being greater
than their width. Lines can be static or dynamic
depending on how the artist chooses to use
them. They help determine the motion,
direction and energy in a work of art. We see
line all around us in our daily lives.
  If a line or lines is added a series of lines at an angle and allowed to cross several lines, this
sense of depth is increased. It creates perspective.
 Thick lines placed close together create a thin line in the negative space between them.
 This negative space line can often become the positive element and the original
 Lines are seen as the new negative space.
 Lines working together and in rhythm can form patterns and textures

CATEGORIES OF LINES

 Actual lines are those that are

physically present.

 Implied lines are those created by visually connecting

two or more
areas together.

 Straight or classic lines provide

structure to a composition. They can be
oriented to the horizontal, vertical or diagonal axis
of a surface. Straight lines are by nature
visually stable, while still giving direction to a
composition.

 Expressive lines are curved,

adding an organic, more dynamic
character to a work of art.
Expressive lines are often rounded
and follow undetermined paths.
ELEMENT OF SHAPE
A shape is defined as an enclosed area in two dimensions. By definition shapes are always
implied and flat in nature. They can be created in many ways, the simplest by enclosing an area with
an outline. They can also be made by surrounding an area with other shapes or the placement of
different textures next to each other.

There are two categories of shapes: geometric and free-form. Free form shapes are also
referred to as organic.

 Geometric shapes are defined by name,

through the contours that make up that
shape. These shapes are classified by name
like circle, square, rectangle, triangle, and so on.
What makes geometric shapes unique is that
their contours can be described mathematically.

 Free-form shapes are generally irregular and

uneven. One of the reasons free-form shapes are
considered organic is because these types of
shapes can be found in nature. Plant life, rock
formations, clouds, animals, and the human
body are all considered to be free-form
shapes.

Free Form Shapes

Static Shapes - Shapes that appear stable and
resting.

Dynamic Shapes - Shapes that appear to be moving and

active.

ELEMENT OF FORM
The element of form refers to a shape or three-dimensional volume that has or gives the
illusion of having weight, density or bulk. Notice the distinction between two and three dimensional
objects: a shape is by definition flat, but takes on the illusion of form through shading with the
elements of value or color. In three dimensions a mass is an actual object that takes up space.
This element portrays the act or process of changing place or direction, orientation, and/or
position through the visual illustration of starting or stopping points, blurring of
action, etc. Form is the physical volume of a shape and the space that it occupies.
  Form can be representational or abstract.

 Form generally refers to sculpture, 3D design and architecture but

may also relate to the illusion of 3D on a 2D surface.

Images showing mass in artwork

ELEMENT OF SPACE
Space is one of the basic elements of art. It refers to the distance between or the area around
and within shapes, forms, colors and lines. Space can be positive or negative. It includes the
background, foreground and middle ground.

It is important to creating and understanding in either two dimensional or three dimensional

works of art. With three dimensional arts the space things occupy is real as is the space around
object.

There are two types of space that exist within

art — positive space and negative space. Positive
space is the actual objects or shapes within an artwork and
negative space is the space around and between those
objects.

ELEMENT OF VALUE
Value is the relative lightness or darkness of a shape in relation to
another. The value scale, bounded on one end by pure white and on the
other by black, and in between a series of progressively darker shades of
grey, gives an artist the tools to make these transformations.
Categories of Values
 Tint is adding white to color paint to create lighter values such as
light blue or pink.
 Shade is adding black to a paint color to create dark values such as dark blue or dark red.
 High-key is a picture with all light value
 Low-key is a picture with all dark values.
 Value Contrast is light values placed next to
dark values to create contrast or strong
differences.

Element of Color
Color is an element consisting of hues, of which there are three properties: hue, chroma or
intensity, and value. Color is present when light strikes an object and it is reflected back into the eye,
a reaction to a hue arising in the optic nerve.
Color is fundamental to many forms of art. Its relevance, use and function in a given work
depend on the medium of that work.
 THE THEORY OF COLOR

- The study of color in art and design often starts with color theory. Color theory splits up colors into
three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The basic tool used is a color wheel, developed by
Isaac Newton 1966.

- Traditional Model Traditional Color Theory is a qualitative attempt to organize colors and their
relationships. It is based on Newton's color wheel, and continues to be the most common system
used by

- The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. You find them equidistant from each other on the
color wheel. These are the "elemental" colors; not produced by mixing any other colors, and all other
colors are derived from some combination of these three. ·

- The secondary colors are orange (mix of red and yellow), green (mix of blue and yellow), and
violet (mix of blue and red). ·

- The tertiary colors are obtained by mixing one primary color and one secondary color. Depending on
amount of color used, different hues can be obtained such as red orange or yellow-green. Neutral
colors (browns and grays) can be mixed using the three primary colors together.

Color Theory

ELEMENT OF TEXTURE
The element of texture is the tactile sense we get from the surface of a shape or volume.
Smooth, rough, velvety and prickly are examples of texture. Texture comes in two forms: Actual, the
real surface qualities we perceive by running a hand over an object and Visual, an implied sense of
texture created by the artist through the manipulation of their materials.

Texture in Three-Dimensional Art

Three-dimensional artwork relies on texture
and you cannot find a piece of sculpture or pottery
that does not include it. Fundamentally, the materials used give a piece
of art texture. That may be marble, bronze, clay, metal, or wood,
but this sets the foundation for the work feels if it were
touched.

Texture in Two-Dimensional Art

 Artists working in a two-dimensional
medium also work with texture and the
texture may either be real or implied.
Photographers, for instance, almost always
work with the reality of texture when creating
art. Yet, they can enhance or downplay that
through the manipulation of light and angle.

Categories of Texture

 Real Texture is the actual texture of an object. Artists may create real
textures in art to give it visual interest or evoke a feeling
 Some things look like they are rough but are actually smooth.

 Implied Texture in two-dimensional art is made to look

like a certain texture but in fact is just a smooth piece of
paper. Like a drawing of a tree trunk may look rough but
in fact it is just a smooth piece of paper.