Lesson 4 Elements of Art and Principles of Design

Delving into the Foundations: Elements of Art and Principles of Design

What is art? What makes it art? What makes great art great? What makes valuable art
valuable? How do you know that you know what you know in critiquing an artwork? These
questions help you create artwork as well as assess a piece of art clearly and deeply. Relative
to this, it is impossible to create a work of art without using at least one of the elements of art
and principles of design. They follow a system of highly-developed devices and procedures to
create visually appealing, interesting, useful and functional art creations. Organization in the art
such as elements of art and principles of design is highly significant in understanding and
appreciating arts. Thus, it is necessary to understand the fundamentals in art to come to terms
in the pursuit of a rational basis for art appreciation.

Elements of Art

Elements of arts are building blocks and key components of a work of art. They are the
tools that artists use to make art. They are also the basic foundation of a good composition and
must be used as quality ingredients in an artwork. Creating good artwork is not just both a talent
and skill but also knowledge in the utilization of the elements of art. To come up with a good
composition, an artist must use intelligently and creatively the elements of art. The table below
shows how Filipino artists use the elements of art in their art creation.

1. Line. It is a connection between dots or points and the path that a point takes through
space. It can convey emotions. Horizontal line is relaxing and creates quiet, sleep,
inactivity, tranquillity or stillness. Vertical line is up, observant, stiff, firm, stable, strong,
self-restraint, and disciplined.

Cities of the Past- Arturo Luz

2. Shape. It is the outline or outward appearance of something created when a line

becomes connected. It is two dimensional (2-D) which you can measure its height and
width. Organic shapes have more complicated edges and are usually found in nature-
plants, leaves, flowers, etc. Geometric shapes have smooth and even edges and are
measurable.

Last Supper- Ang Kiukok

3. Form. It is a shape that has become three dimensional (3-D) because it has height,
width, and depth. A triangle becomes a cone or a pyramid. A square becomes a cube.

The Oblation- Guillermo Tolentino

4. Space. It is divided into 3 parts: foreground, middle ground, and background. The
background area is considered to be the upper 1/3 of the picture plane. The middle
ground area is considered to be the middle 1/3 of it while the foreground area is
considered to be the lower 1/3. Shallow space is used when the artist has objects very
 close to the viewer. Deep space may show objects up close but objects are shown far
away too.

Dalagang Bukid- Fernando Amorsolo

5. Texture. It is a way the surface of an object actually feels. Tactile (or real) texture is
the way the surface of an object actually feels. Implied texture is the way the surface of
an object looks like it feels.

Davao Fruits- Victorio Edades

6. Value. It refers to the visible lightness or darkness of a color. A tint is made by adding
white. A shade is made by adding black. Cross-hatching is the use of lines. The closer
together the lines are put together, the darker the value. Stippling is the use of dots. This
is done by placing dots very close together to create dark values and farther apart to
create lighter values.

Crisis in Humanity- Benedicto Cabrera

7. Color. It is the appearance of light reflected in an object and is the basic element in
painting. Warm colors are those that have yellows, reds, and oranges. They tend to
advance (or come forward) in an artwork. Cool colors are those that have greens, blues,
and violets. They tend to recede (or go back into) an artwork.

Katipunan- Carlos “Botong” Francisco

Principles of Design

If in language, writers have rules of grammar, composition, and style, then in art, artists
have their ways and methods on how to manipulate, control, and interact with their overall art
creation. Principles of design are guides to arranging the structure and form of art. They can be
the approaches used by the artists in order to achieve their desired effect for their compositions
and to make them both beautiful and functional at the same time. I They can be the approaches
used by the artists in order to achieve their desired effect for their compositions and to make
them both beautiful and functional at the same time.t is in the principles of design that elements
of art are laid out on composition and how artists are able to convey the meaning of their
artwork. The table below exemplifies how world-renowned artists apply the principles of design
in their masterpieces.

1.Harmony

It is achieved when all the elements of a thing are put together to come up with a
coherent whole. All elements go together in a pleasing way.

Fruit Displayed on a Stand- Gustave Caillebotte

2. Balance
 Known as physical equilibrium, it is stability produced by even distribution of weight
on each side of the thing.

The Last Supper - Leonardo da Vinci

3. Rhythm

It is the repetitive pattern of a succession of similar or identical items. Rhythm is

characterized as repetitive, continuous or flowing.

Fall Plowing- Grant Wood

4. Emphasis

It is giving proper importance to one or more parts of the thing or the whole thing itself.
Emphasis is the visual amplification of areas in a work to draw more of a viewer's attention.
Focal point is one area that has been emphasized to a greater extent than others in a work.

Impression, Sunrise- Claude Monet

5. Proportion

It is the comparative relationship of the different parts in relation to the whole.

The Hunters in the Snow- Pieter Brueghel the Elder

6. Movement

It is a particular rhythmic flow of an object or a mechanism that transmits a definite

motion.

The Starry Night- Vincent van Gogh

7. Contrast

It is used to differentiate between two things to create interest and tension.

Saint Jerome Writing- Caravaggio

8.Gradation

A way of combining elements by using a series of gradual changes in those

elements (large shapes to small shapes, dark hue to light hue, etc).

9. Variety

A principle of design concerned with diversity or contrast. Variety is achieved by

using different shapes, sizes, and/or colors in a work of art.
Photo Credits:

Cities of the Past- Arturo Luz - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?

q=Cities+of+the+Past-+Arturo+Luz
Crisis in Humanity- Benedicto Cabrera - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=Crisis+in+Humanity-+Benedicto+Cabrera
Dalagang Bukid- Fernando Amorsolo - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=Dalagang+Bukid-+Fernando+Amorsolo
Davao Fruits- Victorio Edades - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=Davao+Fruits-+Victorio+Edades
Fall Plowing- Grant Wood - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=Fall+Plowing-+Grant+Wood
Fruit Displayed on a Stand- Gustave Caillebotte - Zoeken. (n.d.).
https://www.bing.com/search?q=Fruit+Displayed+on+a+Stand-
+Gustave+Caillebotte
Impression, Sunrise- Claude Monet - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=Impression,+Sunrise-+Claude+Monet
Katipunan- Carlos Botong Francisco - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=Katipunan+Carlos+%E2%80%9CBotong%E2%80%9D+Francisco
Last Supper- Ang Kiukok - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?q=Last+Supper-
+Ang+Kiukok
Saint Jerome Writing- Caravaggio - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=Saint+Jerome+Writing-+Caravaggio
The Hunters in the Snow- Pieter Brueghel the Elder - Zoeken. (n.d.).
https://www.bing.com/search?
q=The+Hunters+in+the+Snow+Pieter+Brueghel+the+Elder
The Kiss- Gustav Klimt - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?q=The+Kiss-
+Gustav+Klimt
The Last Supper - Leonardo da Vinci - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=The+Last+Supper+-+Leonardo+da+Vinci
The Oblation- Guillermo Tolentino - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=The+Oblation-+Guillermo+Tolentino
The Starry Night- Vincent van Gogh - Zoeken. (n.d.). https://www.bing.com/search?
q=The+Starry+Night-+Vincent+van+Gogh
ACTIVITY 7
Section: __________ SCORE: ______
Last Name, First Name, M.I. _________________________________

Instructions: Match the following items to which they are being referred to. Write the letter of the
correct answer.

__I____1. It is a particular rhythmic flow of object or A. Background

a mechanism that transmits a definite motion. B. Balance
__H____2. It is a connection between dots or points and C. Color
can convey emotions. D. Contrast
__E____3. It is the focal point of an image or when area E. Emphasis
or thing stands out the most. F. Form
__B____4. It refers to the distribution of the visual elements G. Harmony
in view of their placement in relation to each other. H. Line
___K___5. It is created when an element is repeated I. Movement
creating implied movement. J. Proportion
___D___6. It is used to differentiate between two things K. Rhythm
to create interest and tension. L. Shape
__F____7. It is a shape that has become three-dimensional. M. Space
__M____8. It is divided into 3 parts such as foreground, N. Texture
middle ground, and background. O. Tint
______9. It is a connection between dots or points. P. Tone
___N___10. It is a way the surface of an object actually Q. Unity
feels. R. Value
ACTIVITY 8
Section: __________ SCORE: ______
Last Name, First Name, M.I. _________________________________

Instructions: Determine the elements of art and principles of design used in the following
artworks. Match the following items to which they are being referred to. Write the letter of the
correct answer.

__J____11. The Hunters in the Snow A. Balance

__H____12. The Starry Night B. Color
__A____13. The Last Supper (Da Vinci) C. Contrast
__F____14. Fruit Displayed on a Stand D. Emphasis
__C____15. Saint Jerome Writing E. Form
__O____16. The Kiss F. Harmony
__D____17. Impression-Sunrise G. Line
__K____18. Fall Plowing H. Movement
__E___ 19. The Oblation I. Pattern
__N____20. Davao Fruits J. Proportion
__G____21. Cities of the Past K. Rhythm
__I____22. Spoliarium L. Shape
__P____23. Crisis in Humanity M. Space
__B____24. Katipunan N. Texture
__L____25. The Last Supper (Ang Kiukok) O. Unity
P. Value
Performance Task 1- Art Profiling

Instructions:In this performance task, you will delve into the world of art history by selecting a
popular artwork from any period of art history. Your task is to thoroughly profile the chosen
artwork, gathering information about its genre, function, subject, content, way of presentation,
artist, creation date, museum display, physicality (size, dimension, etc.), and other significant
details. Once you have gathered the necessary information, you will create a one-minute
recorded video summarizing your findings. This video will be shared with the class, allowing
your peers to learn about the chosen artwork and its significance.

1. Choose a well-known artwork from any period of art history. Ensure that the artwork has
enough historical and artistic significance to be explored comprehensively.

2. Research and gather information about the chosen artwork. Find reliable sources that provide
insights into its genre, function, subject, content, the artist who created it, creation date,
museum where it is displayed, physical characteristics, and any additional relevant details.

3. Organize the collected information in a clear and structured manner. Create a document or
presentation to record your findings for easy reference.

4. Using any recording device, create a concise one-minute video in which you present the
profile of the chosen artwork. Ensure that your video covers all the essential aspects you've
gathered, including genre, function, subject, content, artist, creation date, museum display, and
physicality. Be concise yet informative in your presentation. In the video, you may do the voice
over while presenting the images of selected art.

5. Your recorded video will be played in the class for your peers to watch. This will allow them to
learn about the artwork you've chosen and its historical significance.

Rubric:
Criteria Excellent (4) Proficient (3) Developing (2) Limited (1)
 Thoroughly
collected and Collected and
Collected limited Gathered minimal
organized organized relevant
Information information about or inaccurate
comprehensive information about
Gathering some aspects of information about
information about most aspects of
the artwork. the artwork.
all aspects of the the artwork.
artwork.

Created a well- Presented a one-

Created a coherent Video lacked
structured, minute video with
one-minute video structure and
engaging one- limited
Video summarizing most failed to provide a
minute video that organization and
Presentation key details, though comprehensive
effectively coherence,
some clarity may summary of the
summarized all missing key
be lacking. artwork's profile.
key details. details.

Clearly
communicated Communicated Communication
Communication
information with information was difficult to
was somewhat
Clarity and enthusiasm and clearly, though follow, with
unclear, impacting
Communication confidence, some aspects may frequent confusion
audience
engaging the have been rushed or unclear
engagement.
audience or unclear. articulation.
effectively.

Demonstrated a
deep Showed a good Displayed a basic Demonstrated
understanding of understanding of understanding of limited
Content the artwork's the artwork's the artwork's understanding of
Understanding historical historical context significance and the artwork's
significance, and significance, context, with significance and
context, and with minor gaps. notable gaps. context.
artistic elements.

Presentation was
Presentation was
generally well- Presentation had Presentation was
polished, visually
prepared and some unpolished,
Overall appealing, and
visually inconsistencies or visually
Presentation effectively
presentable, visual distractions, unappealing, and
Quality captured the
though some areas affecting its failed to engage
audience's
may have needed overall quality. the audience.
attention.
improvement.
Note: The rubric provides guidelines for assessing your performance. Make sure to meet the
expectations of each criterion to achieve the highest score.

Performance Task 2: Expressive Art for "Sining ng Pag-asa"

Instructions: Welcome to the world of artistic expression! In this performance task, you have the exciting
opportunity to choose between three forms of visual art: painting, drawing, or staging a scene for
photography. Your goal is to create a visually captivating piece that embodies the theme "Sining ng Pag-
asa," emphasizing the role of arts as a source of hope during challenging times such as pandemics, natural
calamities, and social issues.

1. Begin by immersing yourself in the theme "Sining ng Pag-asa." Contemplate how art can symbolize
hope and resilience in the face of adversity. Consider how you can translate this concept into your chosen
art form.

2. Choose one of the following art forms:

Painting- Use colors, brushstrokes, and textures to create a visual masterpiece.

Drawing-Utilize lines, shading, and details to craft a captivating image.

Photography- Stage a scene that captures the essence of "Sining ng Pag-asa" through the lens of a camera.

3. Sketch out your initial ideas on paper. Visualize how you will bring your chosen art form to life while
effectively conveying the theme. Consider composition, colors (if applicable), and the mood you want to
evoke.

4. (For Painting and Drawing) Collect the necessary art supplies for your chosen art form. For painting,
ensure you have paints, brushes, and a canvas. For drawing, gather pencils, paper, and any additional
tools you may need.

5. Use your chosen art form to express the theme "Sining ng Pag-asa." Employ techniques, lines, colors,
and composition to effectively convey the essence of hope.

6. (For Photography) If you choose photography, plan and stage a scene that embodies the theme.
Consider props, lighting, angles, and composition to create a compelling visual narrative. Take a picture
of the scene.
7. Infuse your artwork with symbolic elements that represent hope, resilience, and positivity. Think about
how every element contributes to the overarching message.

8. Once your artwork is complete, take a moment to reflect on how well it captures the theme of "Sining
ng Pag-asa." Consider the emotions it evokes and the message it conveys.