CHAPTER

THE VISUAL ARTS

2

Visual arts are the arts that meet the eye and evoke an emotion through an expression of skill and
imagination. They include the most ancient forms such as painting and drawing, and the arts that were born
due to the development of technology, like sculpture, printmaking, photography and installation art. Though
beauty is in the eye of the beholder, different eras in art history have had their own principles to define beauty,
from the richly ornamental taste of the Baroque to the simple utilitarian style of the Prairie School.
Visual arts technically are human’s creative activity that can be seen and delight the eyes. Most of the
time, they are categorized as fine arts. It is the kind of art that maximizes the potent quality of lines, forms,
colors, shadows, lights and texture to represent realities in either distorted, abstract or realist form.
This chapter tackles the different elements and principles of art applied in the visual arts. Historical
background of these kind of art with emphasis on characteristics and medium used in each era was presented
on the last part of the unit for the students to truly appreciate and understand the changes that happen and
how those eras contributed to what we call now art.
 LESSON
ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ART
1
“Mystery is the basic element of all works of art.”
- Luis Bunuel
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Learning Outcome:
At the end of the chapter, the students shall be able to:
 Explain the role of elements in the visual art;
 Enumerate the different elements of visual art;
 Determine the characteristics and psychological effects of line, color, texture, shape and other elements
in visual arts; and
 Understand the ways by which visual elements are utilized for creation of meanings.
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Art is a powerful language. Through it, artists communicate thoughts, ideas and feelings. Like most
languages, the language of arts has its own special vocabulary. Unlike other vocabularies, however, the
vocabulary of art is not made of words. Rather, it is made up of visual elements.

ELEMENTS OF ART
 The elements of art are the tools that artist use to make an art. They are the basic foundation of a good
composition.
 The elements can be thought of as the things that make up an artwork. It includes line, color, shape,
space, texture and form.

LINE
 A line is defined as the path of a moving point through space.
 It is the foundation of all drawing. It is the first and most versatile of the visual elements of art. Line in an
artwork can be used in many different ways. It can be used to suggest shape, pattern, form, structure,
growth, depth, distance, rhythm, movement and a range of emotions.
 They can make straight movements, zig-zags, waves or curls

There are two classifications of line:

 Straight line is the basic framework of many forms, but it lacks softness and flexibility. It is a line which
moves in one direction only. It can be either vertical, horizontal or diagonal
 Curved Lines can be either circle, lunette, oblong, ellipse, crooked or jagged

Man has learned that certain emotional states find expression in definite positions.
 Horizontal lines are lines of repose and serenity. They express ideas of calmness and quiescence.
These are found in reclining persons, in landscape, calm bodies of water and in the distant meeting of the
earth and sky which is called horizon.
 Application of Horizontal Line in Arts

 Vertical lines are lines that denote action. They suggest poise, balance, force, aspiration, exaltation and
dynamism. It also suggests respectability as seen on the statues of saints and heroes which give an
impression of dignity, endurance and alertness. These lines also tend to express as well as arouse
emotions of exaltation and inquietude. The Gothic Cathedrals express the aforementioned sentiments
that possessed the soul of northern Europe-Middle Ages.

Application of Vertical Line in Arts

 Diagonal lines suggest action, life and movement. They give animation
to any composition in which they appear. Almost every object in action
assume diagonal line. A running person makes a diagonal line with his
body and legs. The degree of action is shown by the angle of the
diagonal.

 Curved lines express rhythm and movement. It suggests grace,

subtleness, direction, instability, movement, flexibility, joyousness and
grace. The restrained curved lines exemplified in the woman’s body and
the bamboo stem where according to Philippine legend, man and
woman sprang by Carlos “Botong” Francisco.

Application of Curved Line

 Crooked or jagged lines express energy, violence, conflict and struggle.

 Zigzag lines show excitement and action. They are very eye-catching.
The way we draw a line can convey different expressive
qualities:
 Freehand lines can express the personal energy and mood
of the artist
 Mechanical lines can express a rigid control
 Continuous lines can lead the eye in certain directions
 Broken lines can express the ephemeral or the
insubstantial
 Thick lines can express strength
 Thin lines can express delicacy
LEONARDO DA VINCI (1452-1519)
A Study for an Equestrian Monument, 1488

 In painting, there should be an organic unity of lines to produce balance and symmetry, proportion of lengths
and widths and rhythm.

Examples of Line in Painting, Sculpture and Architecture

SPACE
The basic art element that refers to the distance between the area around and within shapes, forms,
colors, and lines. Space can be positive or negative. It includes the background, foreground, and middle
ground. Both positive and negative space can play essential roles in the overall success of a work of art.

Two types of space exist within art:

Positive space is the actual objects or shapes within an
artwork, and negative space is the space around and between
those objects. Positive space is the area or part of the
composition that an object or subject occupies. It is usually the
main focus of the painting, such as a vase of flowers, fruit, or
candle in a still life, a person’s face in a portrait, or an animal in
a wildlife painting, or a building, trees, and hills in a landscape.
When used skillfully, positive space will add interest by
enhancing and balancing the negative space in a composition.
Negative space is by utilizing Rubin’s vase. (Refer to
illustration.) As you can see, the vase occupies what would be referred to as positive space, and the space
surrounding the vase is negative space. Notice how the negative space is forming silhouettes of two faces in
profile. Negative space is that empty or open space that surrounds an object. It helps define the object, gives
it some breathing room to prevent the painting from being too crowded, and significantly impacts how the art
piece is perceived.
An interesting thing about negative space is that it can prompt viewers to seek out subtly hidden
images within the negative space, causing your design to get more attention and be remembered while other
less interesting works aren’t.

Why is negative space so important?

1. It can add interest and is an excellent way to draw attention to your works of art. A good balance
between great negative space and intrigue will cause the viewer to desire more time to look at your
work of art.
2. It can draw the viewer in, giving them a sense of inclusion because they discovered a subtle, hidden
message or image in the composition. Even though it may be a simple composition, great negative
space reveals there is more to the piece than first meets the eye, making it a more rewarding
experience for the viewer.
3. It gives the eye a “place to rest,” thereby adding to the subtle appeal of the composition. The equal
amounts of both negative and positive are considered by many to be good design.

COLOR
Color is a basic element of art that involves light. It is produced when light waves
(wavelength) strike an object and are reflected into our eyes. Each light wave has a distinct
color. Objects appear to be different colors because some wavelengths are absorbed while
others are reflected or transmitted. The wavelengths that are reflected back to our eyes give
us the colors we see.
The visual element that has the strongest effect on our emotions. We use color to
create the mood or atmosphere of an artwork.

There are many different approaches to the use of color:

‫ﻩ‬ Color as light
‫ﻩ‬ Color as tone
‫ﻩ‬ Color as pattern
‫ﻩ‬ Color as form
‫ﻩ‬ Color as symbol
‫ﻩ‬ Color as movement
‫ﻩ‬ Color as harmony
‫ﻩ‬ Color as contrast
‫ﻩ‬ Color as mood
The Color Wheel
 The color wheel is a useful visual aid used by artists and interior
designers to understand the relationship between colors. Sir Isaac
Newton developed the color wheel in 1666 when he took the color
spectrum and bent it into a circle. The color wheel is a circular chart
divided into 12 sections, with each sector showing a distinct color. There
are three categories of colors in it: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The
term “tertiary” means third.

 Primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. These hues are equally spaced
apart on the color wheel. There only three primary colors, and they are the
most basic colors on the wheel. They can only be made from natural pigments
and cannot be made by mixing other hues. These three primary colors can be
blended to create any other color on the color wheel.

 Secondary colors are orange, green, and purple (or violet). These
colors are created by mixing equal parts of any two primary colors.
o Red + yellow = orange
o Yellow + blue = green
o Blue + red = violet (purple)

 Tertiary colors are red-purple, red-orange, blue-green, blue-purple, yellow-green, and yellow-orange.
There are six tertiary colors, and they are the result of mixing equal parts of a primary color with a
secondary color. The proper way to refer to tertiary colors is by listing the primary color first and then
the secondary color. Tertiary colors are called by their two-word name.
o Red + violet (purple) = red-violet (red-purple)
o Red + orange = red-orange
o Blue + green = blue-green
o Blue + violet (purple) = blue-violet (blue-purple)
o Yellow + orange = yellow-orange
o Yellow + green = yellow-green

Color Values
Color also has value. A color’s value is a measurement that describes how light or dark it is. It is
defined by the color’s proximity to white. For instance, lighter colors such as yellow will have lighter values
than darker colors like navy blue.
A good way to see the difference in the values of colors is to look at the greyscale. White is the lightest
value, while black is the darkest. Middle gray is the value halfway between these two extremes.
 A color’s value can be changed by simply adding white or black to it. When you add white to a hue,
you get a lighter value. “Tints” are the lighter values. When you add black to a color, the value darkens, creating
a “shade” of that color. See the example below.

Color Temperature
The temperature of color is how we perceive a particular color, either warm or cool. Warm colors range
from red to yellow on the color wheel, whereas cool colors range from blue to green and violet. Each
temperature takes up one-half of the color wheel (see images below). Somewhere in the green and violet
spectrums, the temperature changes between warm and cool.
The characteristics of warm and cool colors include:
Warm Colors

 are made with red, orange, or yellow, and combinations of them

 tend to feel warm, reminding us of heat and sunshine
 tend to advance into the foreground, i.e., come toward the viewer
 may feel more energetic, attention-grabbing, and aggressive

Cool Colors

 are made with blue, green, or violet, and combinations of them

 tend to feel cool, reminding us of water and sky

 tend to recede into the background, i.e., move away from the viewer
 are more calming and soothing

Neutral Colors
Neutral colors do not appear on the color chart and are neither warm nor cool. They are called neutral
because they lack color and are derived by mixing equal parts of color opposites (i.e., red + green, blue +
orange, or yellow + purple), resulting in drab-looking grays.
Black and white are also considered neutral because they are neither warm nor cool and do not change
color.

Color Harmony
Color harmony is the relationship of colors that work well together. It can be a simple relationship
involving only one color with several shades (monochromatic) or two complementary colors, or it can be a
more complex relationship involving multiple colors. There are many ideas for achieving harmony in our color
palettes. These harmonies are based on the color wheel. A color wheel is a handy tool to have around as it
helps the artist understand which colors work well together. Following are some illustrations and descriptions
introducing some of the more popular color harmonies.

Color Relationships
Monochromatic
Monochromatic refers to the use of a single color from the color wheel. A monochromatic color scheme
can be made using this single color.
A monochromatic color scheme is created by using that single color along with its various tints, shades,
and tones. All the variances of the single-color work well together to produce a harmonizing and soothing
effect.
An example of a monochromatic family.

Complementary
Complementary colors (a.k.a. color opposites) are located directly opposite each other on the color
wheel. For example, violet is complementary to yellow because it is located opposite yellow on the color wheel

*The complementary or color opposites are:

 Red and green

 Yellow and violet
 Blue and orange
 Yellow-green and red-purple
 Yellow-orange and blue-violet
 Red-orange and blue-green
 Red-violet and yellow-green
 Red-orange and blue-green
 Blue-violet and yellow-orange

Painting tips regarding color opposites:

1. When equal amounts of color opposites are mixed, they will cancel each
other out, resulting in a drab neutral gray.
2. When color opposites are placed next to each other, especially when fully
saturated, they create the strongest contrast between them. They will even
create the optical illusion of appearing to vibrate. This illusion is most
evident between red and green.
Split-Complementary
A variation on the complementary color scheme is the split-
complementary color scheme. Split-complementary takes the two colors directly
on either side of the complementary color, rather than the color opposite the key
color on the wheel. So, for example, if your main color is yellow, you would select
the two colors on either side of violet instead of violet to make up this harmony of
colors.
This scheme allows for a wider range of colors while remaining true to the
basic harmony between the key and complementary colors. It has the same visual
appeal as the complementary color scheme but with less contrast and tension.
Split-complementary color schemes are a safe choice for almost any design
because they are nearly impossible to mess up and always look good.

Analogous
Analogous colors are groups of three colors that sit next to one another on
the color wheel. One is the dominant color and two supporting colors. The effect
of this color scheme can be pretty dramatic as these hues usually work very well
together in creating a sense of unity or harmony within the composition.
Using this color scheme, choose one as the dominant color (usually a
primary or secondary color), a second color to support, and a third as an accent.

Accented Analogous
An accented analogous scheme (also called analogous complementary)
combines analogous and complementary color schemes. It consists of colors next to
each other on the color wheel and the color directly opposite these. The direct
complement then becomes the accent color to create a dynamic contrast against the
dominant color grouping. This is a great way to add warmth to a cool analogous color
pallet or a cool accent color to an otherwise warm color scheme.

Painting tips using this color scheme:

1. This color scheme works best when the number of colors used is limited to four.
2. A good time to use this scheme is when three closely related colors dominate a design. Then, adding
the contrasting color provides a surprising accent for the composition.

Triadic
 A triadic color scheme comprises three colors that are equally spaced from one another on the color
wheel, forming an equilateral triangle. Thus, every fourth color on the color wheel
will make up part of a triad.
Some examples of triadic color schemes could be:
 Red / Yellow / Blue
 Orange / Green / Violet
 Yellow-Orange / Blue-Green / Red-Violet
 Yellow-Green / Blue-Violet / Red-Orange
Painting tips for mixing triad colors:
1. Work with only the three selected colors in your triad and their mixes.
2. Make one of your colors dominant, with the other two acting as subordinates.
3. Add variety to your design by including different shades, tints, and tones of your triad color.

Texture
Texture is the surface quality of an artwork - the roughness or smoothness of the material from which it is
made. We experience texture in two ways: optically (through sight) and physically (through touch).
Optical Texture: An artist may use his/her skillful painting technique to create the illusion of texture. For
example, in the detail from a traditional Dutch still life above you can see remarkable verisimilitude (the
appearance of being real) in the painted insects and drops of moisture on the silky surface of the flower petals.
Physical Texture: An artist may paint with expressive brushstrokes whose
texture conveys the physical and emotional energy of both the artist and
his/her subject. They may also use the natural texture of their materials to
suggest their own unique qualities such as the grain of wood, the grittiness
of sand, the flaking of rust, the coarseness of cloth and the smear of paint.
Ephemeral Texture: This is a third category of textures whose fleeting
forms are subject to change like clouds, smoke, flames, bubbles and
liquids.
1. Visual appearance of things
2. Characteristics of the surface of the artwork
3. Sense perception
4. Significant in artworks like sculpture and painting. JAN VAN HUYSUM (1682-1747)
Detail of Bouquet of Flowers in an
5. Commercially important in skin, clothes, jewelry, and other Urn, 1724 (oil on canvas)
objects.

3-D Texture - refers to the way an object feels to the touch 2-D
Texture- refers to the way an object looks as it may feel
 Visual texture - the illusion of a 3-D surface Simulated- imitate real
textures

Invented - 2-D patterns created by the repetition of lines of shapes

Rough textures - reflect light unevenly

Smooth textures - reflect light evenly

Matte - surface that reflects a soft, dull light. Shiny surfaces are the
opposite of matte.

Impasto - a painting technique in which the paint is built up on the

surface to create a texture.
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References:
 Regadio, C., Mendoza J..(2013). Art appreciation: introduction to reading on humanities focus on
Philippine art scene. Mandaluyong City: Book Atbp. Publishing Corp.
 Bernard T., (2016). Basic art element. Retrieved from: http://teresabernardart.com/
 Fussel M., (2011). The element of art – “texture”. Retrieved from: https://thevirtualinstructor.com
 https://www.artyfactory.com/
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STUDENT ACTIVITY

Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________

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ACTIVITY 1:
Matching Type: Match category A to Category B and write the letter of the correct answer before the number.
A B
___1. Combination of different lines and curves a. Texture
___2. Property of light b. Color
___3. Disagreements of Hues: c. Curve lines
___4. The color itself d. Straight lines
___5. Lightness or darkness of color e. Value
___6. Emotion expresses by colors f. Intensity
___7. Surface of an artwork g. Hue
___8. Distance and depth h. Perspective
___9. Circle and Lunette i. Forms
___10. Vertical, Horizontal, and diagonal lines j. Contrast

ACTIVITY 2:
“Place I Miss the Most”
Instructions:
1. Think of a place you really want to go, but can’t due to pandemic.
2. Draw it in a long bond paper where the Elements of Visual Art are present.
3. State why you wanted to go to that certain place.

Criteria:
50% - Completeness of Elements
25% - Cleanliness
25% - Overall Impact