Elements of Art

Visual Elements
• The ‘raw materials’ that make up an
artwork
• Line
• Texture
• Shape
• Form
• Color
• Value/Tone
• Space
Line
Leads our eye into a
direction

3 types of straight lines:

horizontally, vertically
& diagonally
Organic line - natural & flows
Geometric line

Angular &
sharp edged
Contour Line drawing
Only outlines of object
Expressive line

Shows emotion
Construction line
Planning lines
Calligraphic line
A line that varies in thickness

Like writing with a calligraphy pen

 Stylised line
Simplest form of an object but yet still recognisable
Gestural line Showing movement
Abstract line
Unplanned & expressive

Jackson pollock - artist

makes use of abstract line
 Texture

•The feeling of an
object
•Discover texture =
sense of touch
Texture ‘activates’ a
surface
 Illusion of
Texture
Visual texture
 Actual
Texture

Invites the
viewer to touch/
feel surface
 Shape

Outlining silhouette of an object

Flat & two-dimensional
Organic = rounded, natural &
curvy Organic shapes
Angular and sharp edged Geometric Shapes
 = shape
2D

Form =
3D
Form

= Actual 3D object
Consist of height, width &
depth
 Illusion of
form

Created on 2D surface = using tonal

variation and/or perspective
Illusion of form using
perspective

Illusion of
Form using
Tone
 Colour

Primary colours = Red, Yellow & Blue

Secondary colours = equal quantities of 2 primary colours mixed
Tertiary colours = primary colour mixed with secondary
 -3 pairs lie opposite each
Complementary other in colour wheel
Colours
-One of the two
complementary colours =
primary
-The other a secondary
made from the remaining
primaries

-They enhance each other

-Stand out more next to

each other
 Relative colours
-Colours that are similar

-Placed near each other

on colour wheel

-Belong to one colour

family = related

-If a Design include

relative colours =
harmonious & unified
Colour & temperature
Cool / cold Colours

Warm Colours
 Value & Tone
Tints & Tones

-Tint = adding white to

color = high value

-Tone is adding black = low

value
 Space

- To create a 3D illusion
on 2D surface
Positive & Negative space
Positive = the object / subject
Negative = The space in the background and around the object or
subject
Positive space define the
negative space

Negative space cannot exist

without the positive