________________________________________________

Saint Mary’s University

School of Teacher Education and Humanities
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
__________________________________________

CATEGORIES, ELEMENTS AND

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

PREPARED BY: DOMINGO T. GUNTALILIB JR.

Organization of Visual Arts
The Principles of
Art
What we use to organize the
Elements of Art,
or the tools to make art.
UNITY and
HARMONY
When all the
elements and
principles work
together to create a
pleasing image.

Johannes Vermeer
 BALANCE

The way the elements are arranged to

create a feeling of stability in a work:
Symmetrical, Approximately
Symmetrical, Asymmetrical and
Radial

Alexander Calder
 SYMMETRICAL BALANCE
• A balance arrangement in which the parts of a
composition are organized so that one side
duplicates or mirrors the other.
• It can be very stiff and formal.
Used to express dignity, endurance, and stability.

Each side is identical

 Approximate symmetry
❑Approximate symmetry is an arrangement where
the parts of a composition are similar yet different,
on either side of a vertical axis.
 Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452-1519), The Last Supper,
1498, modified fresco, 15 x 29 feet ,Convent of Santa Maria
delle Grazie (Refectory), Milan.
(It shows approximate symmetry)

Central Focal
axis point

There are 6 men on each side of Christ-each are

painted differently.
 ASYMMETRICAL
BALANCE
A feeling of balance when the visual parts
on either side of a vertical axis are
actually different but are placed in the
composition to create a “felt” balance of
the total artwork.
Asymmetrical balance is a balance
of unlike objects.
 Weight factor #1
SIZE AND CONTOUR
o A large shape or form appears to be
heavier (having more visual weight)
than a small shape.
o Several small shapes or forms can
balance one large shape.
o An object with a complicated
contour is more interesting and
appears to be heavier than one with
a simple contour.
o A small, complex object can
balance a large, simple object.
 Weight factor #2
COLOR
➢ A high-intensity color has more visual
weight than a low-intensity color.
➢ The viewer’s eyes are drawn to the area
of bright color. Warm colors carry more
visual weight than cool colors.
 Weight factor #3
Value
➢ The stronger the contrast in value
between an object and the
background, the more visual weight
the object has. Dark values appear
heavier than light values.
 Weight factor #4
POSITION
➢ A large object close to the
dominant area of the
work can be balanced by a
smaller object placed
farther away from the
dominant area.
➢ A large, positive shape
and a small, negative
space can be balanced
against a small, positive
shape and a large,
negative space.
RADIAL BALANCE

Radial a kind of balance in which

lines or shapes spread out
from a center point.
Christoph
Hormann
(German,
1979-) Star,
2001-02,
digital image
produced by
combining
several
spiral and
radial
patterns,
using
Persistence
of Vision
Raytracer
(POV Ray)
software.
 Scale is like proportion but it
PROPORTION compares an object to a
standard reference.
Proportion: The
comparative
relationship of
one part to
another with. It
is concerned
with the size
relationship of
one part to
another or one
object to
another (a ratio).
Gustave
Caillebotte
Spoonbridge and Cherry

Is the spoon out of scale or out of proportion to the

buildings?
Is the cherry in scale to the spoon?
 RHYTHM
A regular repetition of
elements to produce the and
look and feel of MOVEMENT
movement.

Marcel
Duchamp
Vincent VanGogh
 The use of
differences and
change to increase
the visual interest of
the work.

VA R IE T Y
Marc Chagall
 CONTRAST

A large difference between two

things to create interest and tension.

Salvador Dali
AnselAdams
 EMPH A SIS

The focal point of an

image, or when one
area or thing stand
out the most.

Jim Dine Gustav Klimt

Robert Minor (American, 1884-1952), Pittsburgh, 1916, lithographic
crayon and India ink, published in The Masses, no. 8, August 1916.
Robert Minor produced this drawing as an editorial cartoon, commenting
on a 1916 steel workers' strike. He emphasized the thrust of the
soldier's bayonet by drawing its direction as the counterpoint to that of
the worker's body.
CATEGORIES OF ARTS
• Painting
Visual Arts • Sculpture
• Architecture

• Music
Auditory and • Dance
Performing Arts • Theater
• Cinema
• Short Stories
• Novels
Literary Arts • Essays
• Poetry
Graffiti Art
 Digital Art
Traditional Art
Performance Art
 Translation
Transcreation

Translation is the process of translating what is being said in one language

into another (London Translations Limited, 2014).
Transcreation is the process of adapting a message from language into
another while maintaining its intent, style, tone and context; hence, it is the
process of ‘translating and ‘recreating’ the original text while making sure it is
still appropriate in the context for which it is intended (London Translations
Limited, 2014).

Hence, music can be transcreated into text, a text into dance, and dance into visual.
ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ARTS

The building blocks

or ingredients of the art.
 Lines
Line. The shape of a work of art is defined by a line (De Bogart, 1968). A line is the
simplest, most ancient, and most universal means of creating visual art. The path of a
line through space suggests meaning. It symbolizes emotional expressions.

The different kinds of lines are horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and curved lines. Each line
suggests different meanings. Horizontal lines imply width, quietude, and
simplest contemplation, and they give a sense of infinity. They also suggest the concept of
horizon and project a sense of security. Vertical lines signify poise, aspirations, dignity,
solemnity, and height and suggest strength, exaltation, and uplift. Diagonal lines
suggest action or movement. When these diagonal lines meet at sharp angles, they
suggest confusion, disturbance, quick motion, conflict, violence, lightning, battle, war,
and sudden death. They also signify energy, impulse, will power, passion as well as
emotion. Curved lines are graceful and show life and energy. They are never harsh
and stern (Zulueta, 2007).
MORANDI,
GIORGIO
STILL LIFE
(THE BLUE VASE)
1920
OIL ON CANVAS

The blue
lines point
out . . .

IMPLIED
LINES
Shape

2-
dimensional Shape. It refers to the area that is clearly set off by one or
more of the other elements of art. Shapes are two dimensional
which means they can be measured in two ways: length and
width. Shapes can be open or closed. It can also be geometric
and biomorphic or organic. Geometric shapes are shapes
made with a ruler or drawing tool. Squares, circles, triangles,
and rectangles are examples of geometric shapes. Organic
shapes are also called as free form shapes. They are not regular
or even. Their outlines may be curved or angular or may be a
combination of both.
 Form. Form is like shapes that have length and width. Forms
Form
are used to describe simple objects and determine the
structure of these objects. For mechanical purposes, forms
show masses that are solid, have volume and are three-
3-
dimensional dimensional; its third dimension is depth.

Space
Space. Space refers to the distance between, around,
above, below and within things or objects. Space exists as
an ‘illusion’ in the graph presentation while space in
Distance sculpture and architecture is present.
 Color. Color is a decorative element in visual arts. Color refers not only to
hue but also to value (De Bogart, 1968), and intensity (Maguigad, 2007).

Hue. Hue is the attribute by which one is distinguished from another. They can
Color be classified into primary, secondary, complementary, and intermediate colors. It
is the particular identity of a color. The principal or primary hues are red, yellow,
and blue and the secondary hues are green, violet, and orange. Complementary
colors are those that are opposite in the scale of colors and intermediate colors
Most
decorative are those adjacent in the wheel.

Value. This term is applied to denote the lightness and darkness of a color. It is
the property of color which makes it seem light and dark. The first one is the
object itself and the second one is the creation of value through shadows or
reflection of light. Colors can be made darker by making the pigments thicker,
adding black, or adding a little of its complement. Colors can be made lighter by
adding water, oil or white.

Intensity. This refers to the brightness and dullness of a color. Intensity

connotes purity of color. Two colors may both be violet, one just as dark as the
other, but one may be more intense than the other. This is so because colors
differ in intensity or vividness.
Color Harmony Groups

1. Monochrome. In this color harmony, there is the use of only one color. Colors
are monochromatic when there is one color with different shades.

2. Analogous Colors. Three to four colors “next-door neighbors” to each other

create analogous colors; two or more colors between primaries, except both
primaries.

3. Complementary Colors. Two colors that are directly opposite each other create
a complementary color scheme.

4. Split-Complementary Color. It is a complementary color and two colors on

either side of its complement.

5. Triadic Colors. These include colors that are equally spaced in the color wheel.
Texture

Surface
treatment

Texture. Texture is the surface treatment of an artistic work in order

to give variety and beauty to any work of art. The senses of sight and
touch are involved. Variations in texture of objects, buildings and
structures help avoid a monotonous effect. Tactile or real texture is the
way the surface of an object actually feels. Implied texture, on the other
hand, is the way the surface of an object looks like it feels.
ELEMENTS OF AUDITORY AND
PERFORMING ARTS
ELEMENTS OF DANCE
a. Content. Dances usually attempt to tell a story, convey, or evoke an emotion, or express an
attitude. It uses a language which attempts to communicate. The theme or the idea of the dance
provides a unifying element to the movement of the dancers (Ortiz et al., 1976).

b. Movement. Movement is the fundamental element of the dance. It is the means by which the
dancers can externalize an inner state or condition and thus communicate with an audience. Dance
movement must convey a kind of quality –purposive or emotional – otherwise it will be devoid of
any human association (Maguigad, 2007). Dance movements are given form and structure by a
choreographer, which are then performed and executed by dancers (Maguigad, 2007).

c. Music. Music is closely related to the particular dance for which it was created (Ortiz et al.,
1976). It motivates and synchronizes the movement of the dancers (Maguigad, 2007).

d. Spectacle. The scenery and costumes play an important role in the creation of that spell.
Scenery creates or reinforces the mood and atmosphere and provides the background for the
unfolding of the events. Costumes and props enhance visual effects of the dance. These are the
elements reflective of the customs, beliefs, and environment of the people (Ortiz et al
e. The Dancer. It is through the body of the dancer that the art of dancing is portrayed. The
physical, emotional, and natural characteristics of the dancer determine the quality and the
nature of the dance. Trained dancers bring their bodies to a high state of flexibility, control, and
alertness, which make them better and expressive dancers than the untrained ones. The trained
dancers’ bodies are more erect so that they can achieve the harmony of movement which is
essential in the art of dance (Estolas, 2007).

f. The Choreographer. Choreographers are arrangers of dances, either for a soloist or for a
group and are the most important figure of the dance history. They have creative minds that
invent the order and combination of steps, the pattern of group dance, and the extension of
dance techniques by using familiar actions in new and more complex ways. With trained
dancers, choreographers can set them into motion in an almost unlimited number of ways
(Estolas, 2007).

These elements of dance work together, along with the technical skill and expressive power of
the dancers, to captivate the audience in the manner that all theater art does (Ortiz et al.,
1976).
ELEMENTS OF CINEMA
a. Time. It is the most important element of the cinema. The time element of the cinema includes the physical,
psychological, and dramatic time (Ortiz et al., 1976). Physical time is the time taken by an action as it is being filmed and
projected on the screen. It can be distorted through slow motion, accelerated motion, reversed motion, and stopped
motion (Maguigad et al., 2007). Psychological time is the viewers’ emotional impression of the duration of the action that
they experience as they watch a film. This aspect of time affects the mental state. Rapid action or loud and lively music
makes time go quickly and induces among viewers a feeling of exhilaration and excitement, while slow pace can induce a
melancholic mood or grief and slow down time. Dramatic time refers to the time taken up by the events which are
depicted in the film. The cinema may use a story-line that covers a single day in the life of a character or the whole history
of a civilization.

b. Space. Space on the screen is flat and the perception of depth is just an illusion. The cinema uses three-dimensionality.
The three dimensionality and “realness” are achieved through the use of scale, shooting angle, and lighting. Three different
sizes of shots may be taken: long shot, medium shot, and close-up.

c. Sound. The director is free to select only those sounds that he deems useful and relevant to the unraveling of his
thoughts and ideas. Just as he limits the focus of his camera to only those scenes that he finds significant, he can also select
sounds that he feels are equally significant and purposive. The intensity, pitch, volume and texture of these sounds are
recorded in their optical equivalent on the strip of negatives parallel to the images (Ortiz et al., 1976).
ELEMENTS OF THEATER
a. The Actor. The actor is the chief medium of the director. Being an actor requires essential qualities. These include
imagination, fluent emotional nature, and mobility of inner constitution.

b. The Director. The director is the pivotal element in theater. Directors, like the actors, should also possess
essential qualities inasmuch as they have to make the presentation of the show successful and maintain a better
working relationship among the members.

c. The Audience. In the way the subject or story of the theatrical presentation is being conveyed, the interaction
between the stage actors and the audience arises. It will not be possible for a theatrical presentation if there is no
audience. Furthermore, without the desired interaction between the stage actors and the audience, the theater
presentation is considered a failure.
d. The Text or Script. The script does not serve only as a copy of the whole story of the play but also a guide for
the whole team of the presentation to make the theatrical presentation organized. It is in the script that an actor
knows what character he has to carry and enliven. It is in accordance to the script or text that he knows what to do.
The staff, including the soundman, stage managers and lights director, also use the script as their cue.

e. Theater Space. The theater space is commonly called as the set. It is the place where the performers and
audience come together. It includes any space that can be turned into an acting area so that the theater presentation
would be made conducive for a logical interaction between the audience and the actor

f. Design. The theatrical design is dependent on what the script is all about. In this case, the design includes the
costume, make-up, props and properties, and lights and sounds.
ELEMENTS OF SHORT STORY
A short story is a prose fiction which has its early beginnings in parables, fables, tales, allegory, and folklores. It is a work of
fiction short enough to be read in a single setting (Estolas et al., 2007). The elements of a short story are the plot, character,
setting, theme, and point of view.

a. Plot. It is the artistic arrangement of actions. This refers to the sequence of events from the beginning to an end. The
basis of the plot is the struggle with an opposing force. A fully developed plot has exposition, development, turning point,
climax, and denouement.

b. Characters. These are the persons who display moral, emotional and intellectual qualities (Estolas, 2007). According to
Arroyo and David (1985), as quoted by Estolas (2007), the characters may be persons, abstract ideas or other natural
objects. The principal character is called the protagonist. The protagonist undergoes the conflict and meets with the
antagonist.
c. Setting. It refers to the place and time of the short story. It may be used to create an atmosphere that is symbolic to
enhance the meaning of the story.The setting can also be used to describe the characters in the story.

d. Theme. It sums up the meaning of the story. The theme is not directly stated but revealed in the totality of the
literary piece. It is a vision of life conveyed to the reader by the elements that make up the story.

e. Point of View. It affects in varying degrees the reader’s feeling of involvement in the action. It contributes to the
significance and to the meaning of the story. Writers, therefore, choose the point of view or may shift to another point of
view they think appropriate for the story.
ELEMENTS OF NARRATIVE POETRY
Poetry is the art of rhythmic composition written or spoken. It is written in metrical or patterned composition. It is a poetic
composition in verse that is characterized by highly developed artistic form, the use of rhythm and the employment of
heightened language to express an imaginative interpretation of a situation or idea. Poetry is usually divided into epic, lyric,
ballad and dramatic poetry (Estolas et al., 2007). The elements of poetry are meaning, imagery, figurative language, rhythm,
and meter.

a. Meaning of technical terms, idioms, slang and provincialism, allusion, or denotation and connotation produce aesthetic
feelings.

b. Imagery is the representation of basic experience through language. Images are formed as they are seen, heard of, tasted,
smelled, and touched. According to Dudley, the image is the mental duplication or associated meaning. The most common
type of imagery is visual. However, according to Estolas (2007), imagery is not all visual, that is, other senses may be
duplicated by means of images.

c. Figurative language quickens the imagination and also stimulates the emotions of readers. The common figures of
speech are simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, oxymoron, irony, and metonymy.

d. Meter in language refers to the number of accented syllables in a line of poetry that occur at apparently equal intervals
of time.

e. Rhythm is the movement or space in poetry which is achieved through the regular accentuation of syllables in a line. It is
the regular succession of sounds or motion (Estolas et al., 2007).
ELEMENTS OF ESSAY
An essay is a piece of prose writing. Essay may be an expression of personal thoughts, attitudes, opinions, or
observations on a subject matter. It also introduces new ways of looking at things or perhaps at life. Essay has
two types – formal and informal essay. The formal essay is serious, informative, and intellectually stimulating.
Its mood is serious, descriptive, argumentative, and expository. In addition, the style in a formal essay is
impersonal. The informal essay, on the other hand, is light, humorous and entertaining. Humorous, witty, and
satirical are the predominant mood in an informal essay. It can be fanciful and conversational (Estolas, 2007).

According to Estolas (1995), there are three elements of an essay.These are:

a. The writer’s purpose in introducing the issue. He may either inform the readers of new things or ideas
or he may persuade his readers of what has to be done regarding certain things or phenomena.
b. The writer’s view point or stand on the issue he has presented. Estolas stated that if the essay is
supported adequately by facts and reflects clear and unbiased thinking, the readers tend to respond and feel
with the writer.
c. The relevance of the theme of the issue to the lives of the readers. The essayist writes not solely to
inform. Although there are essays that are light and humorous, those essays are still read because of the
theme.
ELEMENTS OF NOVEL
The novel is a long prose fiction which deals with characters’ situations and scenes that may represent real
life. It involves a series of actions and characters which show why a character does certain things and
accomplishes them through the choices he makes (Estolas et al., 2007).

According to Estolas (2007), the important elements of novels are:

a. Plot. Just like in other literary types, it is the skeleton or framework of the novel. It can be the story
itself, the actual event or happenings.

b. Setting. It is the time, place, and background of the story. It includes geography and the beliefs, habits,
and values of a particular place.

c. Characters. They are those who show the moral, emotional and intellectual qualities endowed to them
by the writer.

d. Theme. It refers to the main idea or topic and is the universal truth found in the novel. It differs from
the moral lesson that teaches the readers.

e. Moral lesson. It is the part of the story that tells whether they are bad or good.
D. ORGANIZATION OF VISUAL ARTS

The different elements of the visual arts should be used accordingly in order to
form combinations that are correct and beautiful. This is the function of organization. The
organization of the different elements of the visual arts should be governed by the different
principles of design. These principles aid the artist in producing a pleasing and interesting
pattern (Sanchez, Abad Jao and Sanchez, 2012). More so, the design is the overall
organizational visual structure of the formal elements in a work of art (Zulueta, 2007).
Principles of Design
1. Unity and Harmony. It is said to be the most essential of all the principles of design. It is the art principle
which gives an impression of unity and so the “Law of Order” is always followed. Applying harmony in the visual
arts refers to the adaptation of the visual elements to each other and the agreement between the parts of a
composition which results in unity. Some of the possible ways to achieve harmony are repetition, contrast, and
transition (Zulueta, 2007).
2. Balance. It is a feeling of equality in weight, attention, or attraction of the various elements of design. It is
the quality of two contrasting forces having two opposite directions. In this principle, the “Law of Rest” is always
applied. It suggests stability, security, rest, and peace (Zulueta, 2007). The different types of balance include
symmetrical balance, approximately symmetrical balance, asymmetrical balance, and radial balance.
3. Proportion. In this principle, the “Law of Relationships” is applied. It is determined by a comparison of the
size of the different parts of an object or of an arrangement. It deals with the proper or significant relation
between two things or parts.This is expressed in size, number, and position (Zulueta, 2007).
4. Rhythm. Rhythm in visual arts is achieved by the regular or harmonious recurrence of lines, forms,
and colors (Sanchez et al., 1982). It means an easy connected path along which the eye may travel in any
arrangement of lines, forms or colors. Rhythm is obtained through the repetition of shapes, through the
progression of sizes, and through an easily connected or continuous line movement (Zulueta, 2007).
5. Emphasis and Subordination. This quality of design is also called subordination. It is produced by the
design or form that catches attention while the rest are subordinated. It may also be defined as giving
proper importance to the parts or to the whole (Sanchez et al., 1982).
6. Contrast and Variety. This principle of design offers some variation in value that produces or creates
a “visual discord in a composition”. It may be about differences between shapes and colors or other
elements of the arts. This principle of design can also be used to create an area of emphasis (Bartel, 2012).
Hence, variety and contrast are considered so that visual interest of the work is increased.
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is referenced more often in videography,
photography or graphic design. It is a set of guidelines displayed
visually with a grid pattern laid over the image, showing two
vertical lines that break the image into thirds vertically and two
horizontal lines that break the image into thirds horizontally
(Thurston and Grigonis, 2018). Moreover, the use of the rule of
thirds allows the artist to place the subject not in the center of
the image so that the main focal point is somehow placed at one
side.
 E. MEDIUM AND TECHNIQUE

• The Artist and his Medium. The artist thinks, feels and gives shape to his vision in terms of the medium
he uses. The artist chooses his medium which he believes can best express the idea he wants to convey. An
artist most often employs more than one medium to give meaning to his creative production. Oftentimes,
the manner of selecting the medium depends entirely on the subject since this is a part of the artistic
inspiration (Zulueta, 2007).

The distinctive characteristic of the medium determines the way it can be worked on and turned
into a work of art. Hence, each medium has its own characteristics which determine the appearance of the
finished work of art (Zulueta, 2007).
• The Artist and His Technique. Technique is the manner in which
artists control their medium to achieve the desired effect. It is the
ability with which they fulfill the technical requirements of their
particular work of art. It is the way they manipulate the work of art
and the medium to express their ideas. Apparently, artists differ from
one another in technique even if they use the same medium.
Technique differs in various arts. An artist’s technique in one medium
will be quite different from the technique in another (Zulueta, 2007).
 REQUIRED ACTIVITY:
Find a partner in class. Share (a) personal stories or some other personal
information with each other or (b) the place where you came from. After
sharing, think of a metaphor that would illustrate him/her or the place
where he/she came from. Use the space in the next page for your
illustration. Choose one medium to be used for the following:
• Analog drawing
• Soil/coffee art
• Illustration
• Scribbling souls
THANK YOU!!!