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Understanding Shape and Form in Design

Shape is defined as the outline or appearance of something that is two-dimensional, having height and width. Shapes can be geometric with smooth edges like squares and circles, or organic with more complicated edges often found in nature. Form is three-dimensional, having height, width and thickness, and occupies space rather than being flat. Both positive and negative shapes must be given equal consideration in a composition. Scale refers to the size of elements, while proportion is the relative size of objects to each other.

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52 views3 pages

Understanding Shape and Form in Design

Shape is defined as the outline or appearance of something that is two-dimensional, having height and width. Shapes can be geometric with smooth edges like squares and circles, or organic with more complicated edges often found in nature. Form is three-dimensional, having height, width and thickness, and occupies space rather than being flat. Both positive and negative shapes must be given equal consideration in a composition. Scale refers to the size of elements, while proportion is the relative size of objects to each other.

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skullarm6
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Lecture 3: Design elements: Shape and Form

Shape:

Shape is created when a line becomes connected and encloses space. It is the outline
or outward appearance of something. When lines meet, a shape is formed.

All shapes are flat, but some are geometric and others are irregular or freeform shapes.
Shapes are 2 Dimensional (2-D) which means there are 2 ways they can be measured.
You can measure its HEIGHT and its WIDTH.
Shapes can be all kinds of masses - even, irregular, round, square, rectangular, elliptical, fat, thin,
large, small, organic, geometric, solid, or "empty" shapes inside a continuous line, etc. Individual
objects have shapes, and also combine with other shapes to create larger shapes in the
composition.

Shape

• Implies a flat image


• Representations which have shape but not form are two dimensional
• Silhouettes, shadows and reflections are flat – have shape but no form
• Shape is the outline of an image or object

Geometric shapes
Have smooth even edges and are measurable. They include the square, the circle, the
ovals, the triangle and the rectangle.

Organic shapes
Have more complicated edges and are usually found in nature. Leaves, flowers,
ameba, etc.

Creative Awareness lecture 3 1


Both positive and negative shapes are equally important, and considered on the same
plane in space, and because positive and negative shapes are equally important, they
must both be given the same compositional consideration in a work of art, without
negative shapes (or "background") being neglected.

Form
Forms are three-dimensional. A form has height, width, and thickness. Unlike shapes,
forms are not flat, plus they take up space. Forms include cubes, spheres, cones,
pyramids, and cylinders.

• Objects and figures which have body or three dimensionality, are said to have form
• Forms are shaped by the space they occupy
• Objects and figures which have form occupy space in the world

Scale and Proportion


Scale : refers to refer to the size of elements in a composition.
Proportion : refers to the relative size of objects in relation to each other.
Size only takes on meaning when compared to other objects of different sizes.
Unexpected scale is often used in advertising in order to draw our attention to a
product.
Large and small scale forms can be combined together in a composition to create a
dramatic effect.
__________________________________________________________________
End of lecture 3

Creative Awareness lecture 3 2


Creative Awareness lecture 3 3

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