Unit 4 - Elements and Principles of The Arts

UNIT 4 - ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE ARTS
Lesson 1 - Line and Kinds of Line
Lines - A line can be defined in several ways: It is a path made by a moving point; a
series of dots; a prolongation of points or according to Paul Klee is a dot that went for
a walk. One definition of a line, however, that capture its essence in the visual arts is
it being an intended mark made by the artist to convey meaning beyond its physical
description.
Kinds of lines
 Straight lines- are geometric, impersonal and differ in the direction that
they take. The straight lines may move from left to right, start from the top
going down, slant or move up and down forming angles. Whatever is the
direction, each kind indicates a specific type of emotion.
 Horizontal lines - move from left to right or vice versa. It is a line that
appears to be laying down.
 Vertical Line - start from bottom to top or vice versa. It is a line that
appears to be standing.
 Diagonal lines - are slanting lines. In the visual art, diagonals suggest
two meanings, a positive and a negative one. On the positive diagonals
indicate action and movement i.e. to move forward and act. On the
negative, it conveys a feeling of uncertainty, stress and defeat.
 Zigzag lines - Are angular lines that resulted in abrupt change in the
direction of a straight line thus forming angles. The lines are unpleasant
and harsh which portrays tension, conflict, chaos, or violence.
 Curved lines - are technically curvilinear lines. Curve lines suggest grace,
movement and flexibility indicative of life and energy. When a curve line moves
continuously in opposite directions, it forms a wavy line which shows fluidity because
of the gradual change in direction.
GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

Architecture, Interior Design and Fine Arts
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Lines can possess a variety of characteristics, depending on shape,
density,rhythm, angularity, and the material that have produced them. Lines may be
short or long, fine or thick, heavy or light, wavy or jagged, straight or curved. As
shown in the diagram below (alphabet of lines). No matter what type of line it is, it
always has direction.
ALPHABET OF LINES
Lesson 2 - Properties of Color and How Colors Relate and Light and Shadow
 Color - The significance of color as an element of the visual arts cannot be over
emphasized. People see and perceive the world as a multitude of colors. Also the
materials used by the artists possess characteristics of color. Color add beauty and
meaning to all forms of art. The world would be a gloomy place if it is devoid of
color.

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Color is the property of light. So when light goes out, color goes with it. Color
is composed of a series of wave lengths which strike the retina of the eyes. A ray of
light contains all the colors of the visible spectrum- red orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo and violet (ROYGBIV). The visible spectrum was discovered by sir Isaac
Newton when light was allowed to pass through a glass prism. Passing white light
through a prism breaks it into a band of the visible colors (just like a rainbow).
Properties of Color
 Hue - It is the name given to the color, for example; red, green, violet
and blue.
 For pigments, RED, YELLOW and BLUE are called primary
hues. They are considered primary because these hues cannot be
produced from combining any hues.
 When two primary hues are mixed in equal amounts, secondary
hues are produced. These are ORANGE, GREEN and VIOLET.
 Mixing equal amounts of the primary and secondary hues produces
intermediate hues which are RED ORANGE, BLUE GREEN and
BLUE VIOLET.
 Combining in equal mixture any two secondary hues produces the
tertiary hues.

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 Value - refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. The value of any
hues can be changed by adding a neutral such as black or white. This
results in changing the quantity of light the hue reflects.
 Shade - When black is combined with hue.
 Tint - When white is added with hue.
 Intensity - denotes the brightness or dullness of a color. It gives color its

strength. Colors differ in intensity or vividness.
 Hues become less intense (dull) when white is added because color
becomes lighter in value.
 The hues’ intensity diminishes when black is added and as the

value darkens.
 If gray is added, the result will be a variation in intensity without

any change in value.
How Colors Relate
Color harmony is one method of establishing color quality in a

composition. There are several ways of creating harmony that an artist can
use. The most common are the following:
 Monochromatic harmony - When a single color in the

composition is varied in intensity and value by adding white or black.
 Complementary Harmony - results when two colors that are

opposite each other in the color wheel are place side by side.
 Analogous harmony - results when hues that are adjacent or beside
each other in the color wheel is used in a composition.
 Color temperature - refers to the relative warmth or coolness of a

color. Warm colors are colors that have YELLOW as its dominant
component white cool colors have blue as their dominant component.

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Light and Shadow (Value)
Light and shadow focuses on what is known as achromatic value. This refers
to the changes in the amount of reflected light which ranges from black to gray to
white and vice versa. An artist who has mastered the manipulation of achromatic
value in a composition gives his work the illusion of depth and form.
Chiaroscuro - the technique of manipulating light and shadow in painting.

Masters who have perfected the use of this technique are Da Vinci, Michelangelo,
Rembrandt, and Caravaggio.
Rembrandt and Caravaggio went a step further and exaggerated the use of
shadows to an extreme called tenebrism or “dark manner”.
In the local scene, Fernando Amorsolo, also mastered chiaroscuro, but his
focus was more on the manipulation of light rather than shadow.

Department
Lesson 3 - Shape and Classification of Shapes
Shapes - In visual arts, a shape is formed when two ends of a line meet to enclose an
area. The area may stand out from the surface because of a difference in color, value
or texture. They may also present themselves as flat or two-dimensional and solid or
three-dimensional on a picture plane.
Picture plane - any flat surface onto which the artwork is created.
Negative shapes - these are between the shapes that are not occupied by any form. In
painting, these spaces can be as important as the shaped themselves. In sculpture and
architecture, the shape of the artwork can be determined by viewing the work against
its background (Marquarot&Eskilson, 2005).
Classification of Shapes
 Natural or organic shapes - those are seen on nature like the shape of
leaves, animals, mountains, flowers and seashells.
 Abstract shapes - those that have little or no resemblance to natural

objects.
 Non-objective or biomorphic shapes - seldom have reference to

recognizable objects, but most often show a similarity to some organic
forms.

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 Geometric shapes - these are triangles, rectangles, squares, cylinders,
cubes.
Sculpture and architecture are three-dimensional forms, which are identified

either by mass or volume. When mass is structured or has a definite shape, it is said to
have volume. The sculptor is concerned with volume because sculpture occupies
space. Single volume is the fundamental unit in sculpture.
Lesson 4 - Texture, Methods of creating Space and Movement
Texture - refers to the feel or tactile quality of the surface of an object. It has to do
with the characteristic of surface, whether it is rough or smooth, fine or coarse,
polished or dull, plain or irregular. They also add richness and vitality in paintings.
Visual texture - in such cases where touching the artwork is not allowed, textured
can be perceived by the eyes.
Space
An illusion in the graphic arts. It is created by techniques that adds depth and
distance to two-dimensional art. In sculpture and architecture, however, space is
actually present.
Methods of Creating Space
 Overlapping planes (interposition) - create space when an object

covers a part of another object which is behind it.
 Relative size - objects that appear large/big indicate nearness and small-
sized objects as distant. Aside from creating illusion of space, this can
also be interpreted as power and import.
 Position on the picture plane (relative height) - In some paintings,

spacial representation is based upon the position of objects relative to the
bottom of the frame. Those objects found at the bottom of the frame will
appear closer to the viewer. Farther distances are indicated by the
positions of the objects higher on the picture plane. The point of
reference is the horizon line which is the line at the eye level. A picture
plane can be divided into three parts;
 Foreground - the bottom part.
 Middle ground - where the horizon is.
 Background - the topmost part.
Color is also used to give the illusion of distance. Warm colors

advance and make objects look closer while cool colors recede making objects
look farther away.

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 Perspective - deals with effect of distance on the appearance of objects. It

enables the viewer to perceive distance and to see the position of objects in space.
 Linear perspective - give the perception distance by means

of converging lines. It has to do with the direction of lines
and with the size of objects.
 Aerial perspective (gradient) - the effect of haze, mist or

atmosphere on the object. Near objects are seen in detail
with the full intensity of color and as objects recede, details
are loss and objects appear grayer.
Space in sculpture may be viewed in two ways: it may be considered a single solid
object or an assemblage of solids that exhibits space; or space may be perceived as it
enters into relations with its surroundings－extending into it, enveloping it, or relating
across it.
Space in architecture is created and defined by the shape, position, and the materials
employed by the architect.

Department
Movement
Over the years, artists of the visual arts have manipulated the medium and
elements in order to portray motion in their artworks. They have also experimented on
which techniques to employ to be able to incorporate in their works the perception of
movement.
Two ways to present motion or movement in their art
 Actual movement - in art, specifically in sculptures results in kinetic art.

Actual movements may be achieved naturally using wind and water or mechanically
through some energy source (batteries or electricity).
 Implied movement - results when a variety of lines are used together,

repeated, changed in position, or decreased/increased in size. This gives
the impression of movement in a stationary two dimensional art.
Lesson 5 - Elements of the Combined Arts
Lesson 6 - Elements of Music
 Rhythm - is a move ment or pattern with uniform recurrence of accented

and accented beat
 Melody - is the succession of tones arranged in such a way as to give it a
musical sense. It may also refer to the rising and falling of the tune in
time.
 Harmony - is the sounding of a series of group of tones in the same
time. It may also refer to the pleasing sound that is produced when two
or more notes are played together. Concordance results when the

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combination of sounds are in agreement which makes it sound good
while dissonance results when the combination is not pleasant to hear.
 Timbre - is tonal quality or the character of the tone that is produced by
an instrument or by the human voice. Timbre allows the listener to
distinguish the sound between a guitar and a violin for example. In the
same way, people can be identified by their voices. A man’s voice
sounds different from a woman’s voice and an old person’s voice is
different from that of a child.
 Form - is the structure or the framework of a composition
Vocal Forms
 Opera is a drama set to music complete with actions, costumes
and scenery
 Cantata is a religious story told in music without actions
 Moro-moro is a Philippine drama set to music which depicts the
conflict between the Christians and the Muslims.
Instrumental Forms
 Sonata is a long composition for solo instruments (piano,
Violin)
 Symphony is a sonata for the orchestra
 Dynamics - is the loudness and softness of the sound in music indicated

by symbols to regulate the volume of the sound.
 pp pianissimo - very soft
 p piano - soft
 mp mezo piano - half soft
 ff fortissimo - very loud
 crescendo - gradually becoming louder
 decrescendo - gradually becoming softer
Elements of Dance
 Music plays an important role in the dance to which it is closely related.

It should be melodic and harmonious and fits into the movements of the
dance. Music motivates the dancers to move in tune with its rhythm. The
background music of the dance functions to captivate the interest and
awe of the audience.
 Movement is how the dancers use their bodies to move and create
organized patterns. Dancers also use gestures which express specific
emotions or ideas in sign language.
 Choreography refers to how the steps and movements are connected for
it to be performed in an organized manner. The choreography guides the
dancers’ movements for them to perform the movement, convey the
message and tell the story through body language.
 Technique is the skill of the dancer in executing the movements. A good
dancer has complete control over the muscles of the body thus creating
grace and fluidity of movements.

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 Theme is the content or the main ingredient of the dance. It tells what
the dance is trying to convey. It has something to do with the message of
the dance.
 Design is the planned organization or patterns of movement in time and
space. Pattern in time, is provided by rhythm to be executed in space on
a stage or dance floor.
 Costume. The type of dance performed and the costumes worn relate
closely to the customs, beliefs, and environment of the people. Costumes
enhance the effect of the dance.
Lesson 7 - Elements of Drama
Drama is basically one of the genres of literature that is written primarily to

be performed. The performance is done by actors on stage before a live audience.
 Plot is the over-all structure of the play. It is concerned about what the
story is all about. Traditional plots have a beginning, a middle, and an
ending.The Plot progresses through the following:
Exposition is the part that familiarizes the audience with the
characters and the situation they are in.
Complication happens in the middle part of the play which develops
the conflict that was started in the exposition.
Resolution is also called the anticlimax or the part where conditions

in the story are normalized and the situation becomes stable.
 Setting is the locale and period in which the story takes place. It includes
the scenery, props and costumes used in staging. It is the background of
the play that informs the audience where and when the story will take
place.
 Characters are the persons involved in the story. They may seem real to
the audience depending on how the playwright structures the dialogues
to make the characters come to life. Characters can be the protagonist or
the antagonist. Protagonist is the character from which the story revolves
around while the antagonist is the person who challenges the role of the
protagonist.

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 Dialogue refers to the words uttered by the characters in the story. It
what the characters use when conversing with each other or when
expressing his thoughts and emotions. Dialogues let the audience know
the kind of character that the actor is portraying. There are, however,
plays with no dialogues. Pantomimes rely heavily on actions, gestures,
facial expression and sound effects.
 Theme is what the story means. It is how the individual elements are put
together to give the story significance and perspective. It relates
something about life that is presented in its totality. The theme may be
directly or indirectly stated.
Lesson 8 - Elements of Theater
Theater art is performed live. Its performence is immediate and once performed
cannot be undone. Its magic begins when the curtains are raised and the stage lights
go on.
 The Playwright’s role is to work out the plot in terms of the actual
actions to be performed and dialogue to be spoken by actors within the
limited facilities of the stage.
 The Performers are the ones who portray the characters in a play.
 The Director works with the the playwright to present which is

interpreted and translated into dramatic action.
 Production Design includes the scenery, props, make-up, costumes,

lights, music, sound and all other special effects used in a theater
production.

Department
Lesson 9 - Elements of Cinema (Motion Picture)
 Acting and the Stars.Acting is the art of portraying or impersonating a

character in the story. A performer during filming should embody the
character he is portraying. The actor’s portrayal must be perfect and
complete.
 Set and Directors should know the setting of the story and build
artificial sets.
 Music and Musical Director. Music is indispensable in motion picture.

The musical director is in charge of selecting, composing new songs,
writing orchestration, preparing background music, creating musical
scores and supervising all recording.
 Color in the movies is an innovation in cinematography. It costs twice as

much as the black and white films. Most fils are now shown in high
definition (HD) color.
 Make-up, Hair and Costume Design. These people are responsible for
applyingthe specific type of make-up, hairstyle and costume to the actors
before they face the camera.
 Sound, Camera and Special Effects Technicians. Sound technicians

are responsible for making the dialogue clear and music of fine quality.
They make sure that there is no background noise. The use of camera
and the functions of the special effects technician is indispensable in
cinematography. They decide on the use of masking, the choice of lens,
the camera angle and the control of camera movements.

Department
Lesson 10 - Principles of Art
Generally, the visual arts are made-up of three key elements that are independent
of each of their specific elements. In the appreciation of the visual arts, these three
elements present themselves as:
 Form refers to how specific elements in the artwork are organized to

produce a unified whole. Form is further classified into:
 Primary Features. This is how the artwork appears to the
viewers.Its physical attributes in terms of medium, color, texture and
size.
 Secondary Features. This is how the primary features of the
artwork relate to one another. Particularly, this refers to balance,
proportion, unity and harmony that are used to create the whole
composition.
 Content refers to the message the artists wants to convey through his art.
The levels of content are:
 Factual is the literal interpretation of the work, its images,
attributes, actions and poses.
 Conventional level takes into consideration the basic genres and the
figurative meanings usually indicated by familiar signs and symbols
and the quality of work.
 Subjective level takes into consideration the effect of form and
content on the viewers of the art.
 Context refers to the various circumstances that influence how a work of

art was produced and interpreted. The two types of context are:
 Primary context pertains to the characteristic of the artist, his
personality, beliefs, interests and values.
 Secondary context pertains to the setting. The historical period,
time in which the work was produced. Included here are the
functions served by the art work, its religious and philosophical
conviction, sociopolitical and economical undertones, climate and
geography.
Lesson 11 - Principles of Design
The principles of design describe the ways in which an artist had used or can
use the elements of art to create beautiful compositions. (Grieder 1996)
 Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, color, texture

and space. The use of these elements should be balanced to make the
viewers see and feel design as stable. Three types of balance:

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 Symmetrical balance results when the elements used on one side of
the design are similar to those on the other side.
 Asymmetrical balance is when the sides of the composition are

different but still looked balanced.
 Radial balance is achieved when the elements are arranged around

a central point. Elements may exhibit similarities as they spread
around the central point.
 Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewers attention. The
artist will usually make one area stand out by contrasting it with other
areas.
 Movement is the path the viewers eye takes when looking through the
work of art. Such movement can be implied along lines edges, shape,
and color within the work of art.
 Pattern is the repetition of objects, shapes lines, or symbol all over the
space or picture plane.
 Proportion is the feeling of unity created when all parts relate well with
each other.
 Repetition works with patterns to make the work seem active. The
repetition of elements of design creates unity within the artwork.
 Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used

repeatedly to produce a feeling of organized, continuous, sometimes
flowing movement. To keep rhythm exciting and active, variety is
important.
 Variety is the use of several elements of design that adds interest in

order to hold the viewers attention and guide the viewer’s eye through
and around the work of art.
 Unity is the feeling of harmony between and among the parts of the
work of art, which creates a feeling of completeness in the composition.

Department
Lesson 12 - The Rule of Thirds and the Seven Da Vincian Principles
The rule of thirds is used by visual artists (painters, digital artists, and
photographers) to create compositions that meet the requirements for a good
design. Most artists today, however, do not use this rule, they opt for free flowing
composition that is more of their individual expression rather that of works
limited or bounded by basic rules. The point of this discussion is to encourage
would be artists to first be aware of the basic rules before they start venturing to
unorthodox techniques in expressing their art.
The Rule of Thirds
 The surface with two equally spaced vertical lines and two equally spaced
horizontal lines.
 These lines divide the picture plane into nine equal parts with four
intersecting points.
 Based on studies, placing an object in one of the intersecting point results in
a pleasing composition.
 Balance is achieved by placing another object at the point opposite the first
one.
The major function of the Rule of Thirds is to serve as a guide for visual
artists on the proper placement of their subjects on the picture plane to achieve a more
interesting composition. Placing the subject at the center does not provide enough
interest for viewers to be able to appreciate the work.
The Seven Da Vincian Principles
Leonardo da Vinci was more than an artist. He was also an architect, scientist,
inventor, anatomist, geologist, historian and writer. Through the centuries, Da Vinci
influenced various areas in many disciplines. Based on the research conducted by
Michael J. Gleb (born 1952), specifically, in his book “How to Think like Leonardo

Department
da Vinci” (1998), da Vinci’s genius was based on 7 principles which he called the
seven da Vincian Principles.
1. Curiosita is approaching life with a heightened level of wonder and continuous

search to know and learn more.
2. Dimostrazione is the commitment to test knowledge and to persist in this task,
which includes experiencing both success and failures in undertaking.
3. Sensazione is experiencing life through refinement of the senses. For example, the
eyes should do more than see, it should be able todistinguish between the beauty of
various colors, note minute details and savor the physicality of everything the world
has to offer.
4. Sfumato literally translate to “going up in smoke”. It is accepting life’s paradoxes
and uncertainties. It is knowing and realizing that not everything is cause and effect
and that events happen that even logic can explain.
5. Arte/Scienza is finding a balance between art and science or logic and imagination.
This relates to the concept of a whole brain thinking (not just the left and right brain).
6. Corporalita is taking care of one’s body. Ensuring that healthy habits are practiced
and sustained. A sound mind is usually the product of a sound body and vice versa.
7. Connessione is realizing that all things are interconnected. It is discovering
patterns in the way things work and how things and lives work out.
Interconnectedness is seeing how events in the past led to the present state of affairs.
A closer study of history would make one realize how events in the past explains the
present.

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UNIT 4 - ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE ARTS

Lesson 1 - Line and Kinds of Line

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

 Shade - When black is combined with hue.

 Tint - When white is added with hue.

 Intensity - denotes the brightness or dullness of a color. It gives color its

 The hues’ intensity diminishes when black is added and as the

 If gray is added, the result will be a variation in intensity without

How Colors Relate

Color harmony is one method of establishing color quality in a

 Monochromatic harmony - When a single color in the

 Complementary Harmony - results when two colors that are

 Color temperature - refers to the relative warmth or coolness of a

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

Light and Shadow (Value)

Chiaroscuro - the technique of manipulating light and shadow in painting.

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

 Abstract shapes - those that have little or no resemblance to natural

 Non-objective or biomorphic shapes - seldom have reference to

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

Sculpture and architecture are three-dimensional forms, which are identified

Lesson 4 - Texture, Methods of creating Space and Movement

Methods of Creating Space

 Overlapping planes (interposition) - create space when an object

 Position on the picture plane (relative height) - In some paintings,

Color is also used to give the illusion of distance. Warm colors

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

 Perspective - deals with effect of distance on the appearance of objects. It

 Linear perspective - give the perception distance by means

 Aerial perspective (gradient) - the effect of haze, mist or

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

Two ways to present motion or movement in their art

 Actual movement - in art, specifically in sculptures results in kinetic art.

 Implied movement - results when a variety of lines are used together,

Lesson 5 - Elements of the Combined Arts

Lesson 6 - Elements of Music

 Rhythm - is a move ment or pattern with uniform recurrence of accented

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

 Dynamics - is the loudness and softness of the sound in music indicated

 Music plays an important role in the dance to which it is closely related.

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

Lesson 7 - Elements of Drama

Drama is basically one of the genres of literature that is written primarily to

Resolution is also called the anticlimax or the part where conditions

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

Lesson 8 - Elements of Theater

 The Director works with the the playwright to present which is

 Production Design includes the scenery, props, make-up, costumes,

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

 Acting and the Stars.Acting is the art of portraying or impersonating a

 Music and Musical Director. Music is indispensable in motion picture.

 Color in the movies is an innovation in cinematography. It costs twice as

 Sound, Camera and Special Effects Technicians. Sound technicians

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

 Form refers to how specific elements in the artwork are organized to

 Context refers to the various circumstances that influence how a work of

Lesson 11 - Principles of Design

 Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, color, texture

GED 108 - ART APPRECIATION

 Asymmetrical balance is when the sides of the composition are

 Radial balance is achieved when the elements are arranged around