ART AND DESIGN

The Formal Elements

Workbook
MISS HUGHES

Name:

Class:
 The Formal Elements
The Formal Elements are the parts used to make a piece of artwork. The art elements are
line, shape, space, form, tone, texture, pattern, colour and composition. They are often used
together, and how they are organised in a piece of art determines what the finished piece
will look like.

LINE

SHAPE AND FORM

COLOUR

TEXTURE

SPACE

TONE
 Date: ___________________

LINE
A line is a connection between two points.

Line is one of the most important elements of art.

Imagine trying to draw, design or paint without using
lines!

Line is essential to the creative process, it can

communicate a thought, an idea and even a feeling.

A line can vary in width, length and direction.

Lines can also be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, straight,

curved, thick or thin.

Line is used to sketch, draw and outline, they help you

develop the composition of your artwork.

Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, 3-dimensional, contour lines,

continuous, expressive line.

There are several different types of lines that artists can use within their artworks,
Contour, Continuous and Expressive Lines are some to name a few.

Contour Lines Continuous Line Expressive Line

Outlines of an Unbroken line from Can be used to
object, shape or the beginning to show expression or
form. the end. feeling.

Mark Making
Mark making is a term used for the creation of different patterns, lines, textures and
shapes.
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

LINE
Your first activity is to experiment and test a variety of mark making using pencil.
Equipment you will need for this task:
HB pencil
Rubber
Sharpener
Ruler
Can do-attitude!
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

LINE
Your next task is to use a variety of line, layers and cross-hatching to add light,
medium and dark areas to the outline of the hand. You should continue to look at
the image you are drawing, looking up at least three times a minute.

Equipment you will need for this task:

HB pencil
Rubber
Sharpener
Ruler
Can do-attitude!
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

LINE
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

LINE
What have you learnt today?

Line is a connection _______________________________________________

Name five different types of line you have used:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Where and when is line used when creating a piece of artwork?

What are contour lines?

What is expressive line?

How is 3-dimensional line used when drawing?

Self Assessment:
WWW:

EBI:
 Date: ___________________

Tone
Artists use tone to create observational
drawings. An observational drawing could be a
portrait, architecture (buildings) or still life (bowl
of fruit).

Artists use layers of shading to achieve light,

medium and dark tones. You may also use
cross-hatching to achieve tone. Cross-hatching
is when an artists uses layers of line to create
highlights and shadows within a drawing.

You achieve a light tone with a light pressure

on the pencil, so you achieve a darker tone with
a heavier pressure.

tone, light, medium, dark, shadow, highlight, shade

Artists use a variety of pencils when drawing. There are harder pencils and softer
pencils, which can help you blend light, medium and dark tones.

It is also essential to have a good quality eraser and sharpener to hand. A eraser can
be used to create highlights in a drawing.

The most important tool for an artist to use is their eyes. You should look up at what
you are drawing at least three times every minute!

You should also think about the direction of your lines and draw in the same
direction when using tone. When you start to draw objects, your lines should follow
the shape of what you are drawing.

Tonal Shading:

heavy shadow light source

reflected light highlight

cast shadow light shadow

Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

Tone
Remember to have the following equipment ready for this task:
HB pencil, eraser and a sharpener

Using an HB pencil, shade each box with the required tone, copying the box above.

Think about the pressure you apply with the pencil and the direction of your lines. You can
also make your shading appear smoother by blending the pencil with your finger or the
edge of an eraser.

Now try to use cross-hatching to achieve tone. Copy the direction of lines in each box using
a pencil.

Now give three tops tips you would tell another aspiring artist when they are learning how to
use tone successfully:
1.

2.

3.
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

Tone
Using tone on a 3D object:

Your next task is to use tone to make an object appear 3D:

Remember to shade in the direction of the shape.
Use an eraser to achieve a highlight and a heavier pressure to achieve a shadow
beneath the sphere.
Think about where the light is shining on your object and where the shadow needs to
be.

Example of a tonal shaded cube: Now copy the image of the shaded cube in
the blank example below:

Example of a tonal shaded sphere: Now copy the image of the shaded sphere
in the blank example below:

Peer assessment:

At the end of the lesson, swap your workbook with another learner. You need to look at
their work and think about how they have met the lesson’s success criteria. Remember to
be nice, clear and specific.

WWW:

EBI:
 Date: ___________________

SHAPE AND FORM

In visual arts, shape and form are defined by other
elements of art.

Shape and form can be defined by line.

Line and shape almost always work together.

They can also be defined by value - by making an area

lighter or darker than the surroundings.
Shape
Shapes and forms play important roles in the creation
of `Art.

They help to create Art work in its traditional forms -

painting. drawing, sculpture, decorative art,
architecture, photography.

Because everything we see around us is made of

shapes and forms, we use shapes to depict what we
see or what we want to convey by interpreting,
modifying or just copying the shapes in front of us.. Form

Shape, Form, Three Dimensional, Two Dimensional, Shade,

Value, Line, Sculpture, Architecture, Photography, Drawing.

Shape can also be defined as a two-dimensional area that is defined by a change in value or
some other form of contrast.

All shapes are two-dimensional, meaning that they have only length and width.

Form, another element of art, differs from shape in that forms have length, width, and height.

All forms are three-dimensional.

Geometric Shapes:

Geometric shapes or regular shapes are easy to recognise. Usually,

math can be used to find information about these shapes.
Geometric shapes generally have a specific name associated with
them. Examples include: circle, triangle, square, and trapezoid.

Organic (or Freeform) Shapes:

Organic or freeform shapes are shapes that seem to follow no

rules. Organic shapes generally do not have a name associated
with them and are typically not man-made. Organic shapes can
resemble things that we find in nature.
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

SHAPE AND FORM

Remember to have the following equipment ready for this task:
HB pencil, eraser and a sharpener

Demonstrate your understandings form by transforming the shape of the human figure into
the human form by using shade and tone.

light source

Use your finger to soften

your blending of tones
for a lighter look.

Peer assessment:

At the end of the lesson, swap your workbook with another learner. You need to look at their
work and think about how they have met the lesson’s success criteria. Remember to be nice,
clear and specific.

WWW:

EBI:
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

SHAPE AND FORM

Remember to have the following equipment ready for this task:
HB pencil, eraser and a sharpener

Through the use of tone, transform the organic shape below into a natural form. You may
use shade, highlight, shadows and mark making to demonstrate your understanding of 3d
forms.

Using good quality of written literacy, explain the difference between shape and form on
the lines below.
 Date: ___________________

COLOUR
Colour, as a fundamental element, is made up of
three properties: hue, value, and saturation.

Hue is the name of the colour, such as red or

green.

Value is the lightness or darkness of the colour,

achieved through the addition of black or white.
Dark and light would be values of red or green.

Saturation is the quality of the brightness and

purity of a colour. A colour with high saturation is
strong and bright. A colour with low saturation is
faint and dull.

Colour, hue, value, saturation, primary, secondary, tertiary,

warm, cool, neutral, analogous

Primary Colours:
Red, yellow and blue are primary colours, which means
they can’t be mixed using any other colours. In theory, RED BLUE YELLOW
all other colours can be mixed from these three colours.

Secondary Colours:
Two primary colours mixed together make a secondary
colour. Secondary Colours include green, orange and GREEN PURPLE ORANGE
purple.

PRIMARY PRIMARY SECONDARY

RED BLUE PURPLE

YELLOW BLUE GREEN

RED YELLOW ORANGE

Tertiary Colours:
Tertiary colours are created by mixing a primary colour and the secondary colour next to it
on the colour wheel.
 Date: ___________________

COLOUR
Colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel are called harmonious.

Complementary colours are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel.

When complementary colours are used together they create contrast. Adding a colour’s
complimentary colour will usually make a darker shade. This is often preferable to adding
black.

Warm colours are colours on the red side of the wheel. These are red and include orange,
yellow, browns and tans.

Cool colours are colours on the blue side of the wheel. These are blue and include green,
violet and most greys.

Black, white and grey are called neutral colours.

Purple
(Secondary)
Red Purple Purple Blue
(Tertiary) (Tertiary)

Red
Blue
(Primary)
(Primary)

Orange Red Blue Green

(Tertiary) (Tertiary)

Orange Green
(Secondary) (Secondary)

Yellow Orange Green Yellow

(Tertiary) (Tertiary)

Yellow
(Primary)

Monochrome means one colour. Artwork can be created that explores the tone and
intensity of a selected colour.

You can change the tone of a colour by adding its complementary colour or by adding
black or white to it. Adding white to a colour creates a tint, and adding black creates a tone.

You can also alter the tone of a colour with saturation techniques. This means adding either
more paint or more water. The more water that is added the lighter the tone and the more
paint the darker.
 Date: ___________________

COLOUR
What are cool colours?

Cool colours are all of the colours and tones on one side of the colour
wheel.

These colours are described as ‘cool’ because they evoke the colours of
water, sky, ice and snow.

Cool colours are used in art because they evoke a feeling of calm and a
soothing quality. Cool colours are perceived as further away from the
viewer and are used by artists to show distance.

Because they appear to recede, they can also make things seem bigger.
Cool colours can be difficult to use, because while some tones are
peaceful and comforting, others can be cold, impersonal and clinical.

What are warm colours?

Warm colours are all of the colours and tones on one side of the colour
wheel. These colours are described as ‘warm’ because they evoke the
colours of fire and the sun.

Warm colours are used in art pieces to give a sense of warmth, happiness
and energy.

Warm colours can seem closer to the viewer and some artists and
designers use them for this reason.

While warm colours are a popular choice, they can sometimes be difficult
to use and can be overpowering when used together

What are analogous colours?

In art, analogous colours are a group of colours that

are next to each other on the colour wheel. It could
be a group of three or four colours that are close to
each other.

The colours all share a colour, usually a primary

colour as the base for mixing. Why use analogous
colours? Analogous colours are often used in
paintings because the colours match very well.

When used together they often give a calming and

soothing effect to the painting.

Analogous colours are often used best in paintings

of nature.
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

COLOUR
Remember to have the following equipment ready for this task:
Red, Blue and Yellow coloured pencils, HB Pencil, Eraser and a Sharpener

Using your Red, Blue and Yellow coloured pencils, colour in the colour wheel below to
accurately demonstrate your understanding of colour mixing, primary, secondary of tertiary
colours. When you finish, label what colours are primary, secondary and tertiary colours.

Red

Blue

Yellow
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

COLOUR
Remember to have the following equipment ready for this task:
Coloured pencils, HB Pencil, Eraser and a Sharpener

Demonstrate your understandings of warm and cool colours by completing the artwork
below. Design a warm colour scheme for the sun and a cool colour scheme for the moon.
 Date: ___________________

TEXTURE
Texture means how the surface of something
looks or feels.

Artists use their skills to create the illusion of an

object's texture.

A still life may have a bottle, fruit and drapery. An

artist will use their materials and media in a way
which will try and make the bottle look shiny, the
fruit look bumpy or grooved and the drapery
soft, flowing and delicate.

By using different mark making techniques,

artists can make similar shaped objects look like
very different textures. They use their skills of
mark making to create the illusion of different
surfaces.

Texture, smooth, rough, soft, hard, shiny, spiky, depth,

illusion, tactile, tangible, implied, line, shape, colour, tone.

Just like three-dimensional forms, texture can be

real or implied.

Real Texture:
Real, tangible texture can be created through
endless tactile possibilities: cutting, building, tearing
or layering of materials, for example.

Implied Texture:
Implied texture is created using other elements of
art, including form, line, shape and colour.
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

TEXTURE
Remember to have the following equipment ready for this task:
Coloured pencils, HB Pencil, Eraser and a Sharpener

Practise drawing a texture with a pencil by copying these textured squares. Demonstrate
the textures through line and tone.
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

TEXTURE
Remember to have the following equipment ready for this task:
Coloured pencils, HB Pencil, Eraser and a Sharpener

Find objects or materials within the room with an interesting texture. Feel them and
describe them and then have a go at drawing a textured square. Use tone and line to
demonstrate the textures.

Object Description of Texture Drawing of Texture

example:
The texture of my sequinned pencil case
My is shiny but rough. The sequinned scales
Sequinned reflect the light at interesting angles and
Pencil Case casts shadows onto the table below.
Am I understanding this topic?
Date: ___________________

Literacy Task
Read the statement below and answer question A, B or C. You should only answer one
question. Use the PEEL (point, evidence, explanation, link) format to answer your question

"The Formal Elements of Art are the parts used to make a piece of artwork. The formal
elements are line, shape, form, tone, texture, colour, pattern and composition. They are
often used together, and how they are organised in a piece of art determines what the
finished piece will look like".

A) Do you accept this statement? Or do you accept a part of it?

B) Do you challenge this statement? Or do you challenge a part of it?

C) Based on you knowledge and understanding of the formal elements, please

extend on this statement.
 Date: ___________________

Test Your Knowledge

1. The degree of lightness or darkness in a work of art is _____________________.

A. Colour

B. Shape

C. Value

D. Form

2. The response of vision to wavelengths of light is _______________________.

A. Colour

B. Line

C. Shape

D. Space

3. A symbol of direction: the boundaries of shape is ______________________.

A. Form

B. Line

C. Texture

D. Value

4. A 2-D area enclosed by a line that establishes contour is __________________.

A. Space

B. Form

C. Colour

D. Shape

5. A shape that has or appears to have volume or looks 3-D is ___________________.

A. Line

B. Form

C. Shape

D. Space
 Date: ___________________

Test Your Knowledge

6. The degree of lightness or darkness in a work of art is _____________________.

A. Colour

B. Shape

C. Value

D. Form

7. The response of vision to wavelengths of light is _______________________.

A. Colour

B. Line

C. Shape

D. Space

8. A symbol of direction: the boundaries of shape is ______________________.

A. Form

B. Line

C. Texture

D. Value

9. A 2-D area enclosed by a line that establishes contour is __________________.

A. Space

B. Form

C. Colour

D. Shape

10. A shape that has or appears to have volume or looks 3-D is ___________________.

A. Line

B. Form

C. Shape

D. Space
 Date: ___________________

Test Your Knowledge

Total:

Self Assessment:

WWW:

EBI:

Teacher Assessment:

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EBI:
 TEACHER WRITTEN
FEEDBACK
Reflect on this feedback in order to grow your learning!

Date of feedback: Developing Securing Extending

Creative Skills

Demonstrates understanding of Line

Demonstrates understanding of Shape & Form

Demonstrates understanding of Colour

Demonstrates understanding of Texture

Demonstrates understanding of Space

Demonstrates understanding of Tone

Literacy Skills

Quality of Written English

Use of Key Terms in written and verbal communication

Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar

Behaviour for Learning

Effort in Class

Organisation/Presentation

Respect for others

Completes all tasks and homework

Developing: You have begun to show an understanding of this skill set.

Securing: You are successful demonstrating your understanding of this skill set.
Extending: You have gone above and beyond to demonstrate your understanding of this skill set.