Lesson 1: Elements and Principles of Visual Art well as length, but usually, it is the length that occupies

more space than its width.

LESSON CONTENT o Horizontal Lines are parallel to the
horizon. They express feelings of rest,
peace, quiet and stability, permanence or
Visual Arts solidarity. They make you feel relaxed and
The visual arts are those that we perceive with our eyes. They may calm.
be classified into two groups; graphic (flat, or two-dimensional surface), and
o Vertical Lines move up and down. They
plastic arts (three-dimensional).
express stability and show dignity, poise,
stiffness, formality and upward mobility.
The kinds of graphic arts are as follows:
o Curved lines slowly change direction and
 Drawing form wiggly curves, spirals or circles.
 Painting
 Graphic Processes/Print-making o Diagonal Lines slant, as if they are either
 Commercial Art rising or falling. Diagonal lines suggest
 Photography action and movement. They convey
dynamism, vitality, and animation.
The kinds of plastic arts are as follows:
o Organic Lines are the types of lines found
 Architecture in nature. They are irregular, curved, and
 Sculpture often fluid. They convey a sense of
 Urban Planning and Development gracefulness, dynamism, and spontaneity.
 Industrial Design
 Fashion Technology
 Stagecraft and Theater Design

Elements of Visual Art

The following are the different elements of visual art:

 Lines
Line is used to lead the viewer’s eyes throughout the
artwork. It can lead your eyes into, around, and out of the
visual images within the artistic frame. A line has width as

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 Shapes and Forms
Shapes are two-dimensional area that shows the
form of an object and how it is laid out in space. Dimension
refers to the amount of shape an object takes up in one
direction. A shape may be geometric or free-form.
o Geometric Shapes possess sides and
angles. Some examples of this are circle,
square, triangle, oval, rectangle, etc.
o Free-form / Organic Shapes have outlines
that are unpredictably curved or angular or
are a combination of different lines and
forms.
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 Space
Space refers to both outer and inner space, the
emptiness and area between, around, above, below or within
objects. It may be flat or two-dimensional, such as in
painting, or three-dimensional, such as in monumental
sculpture.
o Positive space is the area occupied by
shapes or forms.
o Negative spaces are the empty spaces
between the shapes or forms.
 Texture
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  Color
Texture refers to how things feel when touched.
Tactile texture is experienced when you touch something to Color is an element of art that results from the light
feel its texture. Visual texture is felt when you look at a waves reflected from objects to your eyes.
photograph or an image that has texture, and it reminds you
how those objects actually feel. Visual texture is the illusion o Hue is the name of a specific color in the
of a three-dimensional surface. color spectrum or the bands of color that are
present in a color wheel.
Roughness or smoothness of a visual texture is
determined by the light or dark values it has. A rough texture
 Primary Colors / Hues
is characterized by a surface that reflects light unevenly.
1. Red
Smooth surface, on the other hand, reflects light evenly.
2. Yellow
3. Blue

 Secondary Colors / Hues are made

by mixing two primary hues.
1. Red and yellow make orange,
2. Red and blue make violet,
3. Blue and yellow make green.

 Intermediate / Tertiary Colors are

made by mixing a primary color
with its secondary color. For
example, red (primary color) and
orange (secondary color) make red-
orange.

 Neutrals
1. Black
2. White
3. Gray

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  Shade is the dark value of a hue
 Intensity is the brightness or
dullness of a hue.

o Value is indicated through the lightness or

darkness of a color. The amount of light in a
color determines the color value. When a
pencil is pressed hard to draw a line, it
produces dark value. When it is used lightly,
it makes a line of light value. You can
change the value of any hue by adding black
or white.
 Tint is the light value of a hue

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 o Color Harmonies The principles of art are ways to arrange and organize the different
elements of art.
 Monochromatic uses only one hue. White
The different principles of art are as follows:
and black added in varying degrees to show
the different shades and tints of the hue.  Harmony / Unity
 Analogous are found side by side within the
color wheel. For example, red. Red-orange: Harmony creates unity by showing similarities of
red and orange are close to one another in separate but realted parts. Unity is oneness that is
the color wheel. They are different hues but achieved through the effective use of the elements of art
they are related in color. and principles of organization. It guides the viewer’s eye
 Complimentary Colors are colors opposite to focus on a visual image. Artists arrange the elements
each other. Example, red and green are within the frame in a way that they relate to each other
located opposite each other in the color and to the whole network.
wheel in the chart. 
 Split Complimentary is the combination of
one hue and the hues on each side of its
complement. For example, red-orange, blue
and green from a split-complementary
scheme.

Principles of Design or Organization

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  Balance

Balance is concerned with equalizing visual

elements in an artwork.
o Formal Balance is where equal elements are placed
on opposite sides of a central axis. The central axis
is the dividing line located at the center of a frame. It
may not be visible but imaginary.

 Symmetry is a kind of formal balance in

which two halves of a balanced composition
is identical. Artworks in perfect symmetry
express dignity, endurance and stability.

 Radial Balance is a variation of symmetry

in which the elements of a design come out
from the central point of the circle.

o Informal Balance/Asymmetry is the opposite of

formal balance. Here, there is a balance of unlike
objects and there are no elements that appear to be
equal halves or sides. Balance, in this case, relies on
the arrangement of objects.

 Rhythm

Rhythm is the repetition of design, line or other elements

within the frame. Visual rhythm indicates movement and suggests
unity of form by the repetition of elements.

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  Variety  Proportion

Proportion has to do with the comparative size of the parts of

Variety is when several elements of art are used to get the
a single work. It is the relative relationship of shapes to other shapes
attention of the audience and guide the audience’s focus through and
within the artistic frame in terms of size, degree, number, etc. When
around the artwork. Variety is used to keep the rhythm exiting and
it comes to the human figure, proportion can refer to the size of the
active in a work of art.
head compared to the rest of the body.

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  Emphasis
 Movement
Emphasis is how the artist catches the attention of the
audience by making a specific area in the work stand out by Movement is the direction that the audience’s eye
contrasting it with other areas. The artist can do this by making goes through the artwork, often to focal areas. This is done
the area different in size, color, texture, shape, etc. by directing the audience’s eyes along lines, edges, shape,
and color.

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  Pattern

Pattern is when an object or symbol is repeated all over

the artwork.

 Repetition

Repetition is used to make the artwork seem active.

Repeating elements creates unity within the artwork.

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