Elements of Art: This is a collection of terms that are useful in visual analysis.

Not ALL are relevant to what we do in class, but if you can apply some of them to your analysis, your precision
of analysis will improve. Give it a shot.

You may be looking at an entirely visual text and examining how the design conveys meaning.
The ad exudes sensuality through the use of lines and color…
The theme of environmental preservation is conveyed through the selected color scheme and the emphasis on…
The designer’s choice to back-light the man creates a sense of …
A visual hierarchy is created by establishing the primary focal point as _____ through isolation, and then using
vertical lines to create a path of movement and guide the audience’s eyes to the image of ___ at the bottom of the
page.
In LangLit class, you are often discussing how image or the aesthetics of a piece complement or further the
meaning of the written text.
The author’s claim that ____ __ is furthered through the use of the visuals…
The design and color of the webpage also work to highlight the idea of…
The mood of the piece is conveyed both through language and design…
The image(s) in the text directly relate(s) to the author’s statement “_________” The image shows…

The following is a list of the most common "Elements of Art" used today.

Balance: Emphasis: by or through

symmetrical
asymmetrical dominance
radial a focal point
a center of interest
Rhythm/Movement isolation
types size
regular contrast
alternating converging lines
progressive
flowing Space
dominant path of movement open – closed
vertical filled – empty
horizontal interior – exterior
diagonal
curving Light/Color/Value
shading
Proportion: contrast
life-size primary
monumental secondary
miniature neutral color
normal color schemes: warm, cool, neutral, monochromatic
exaggerated complementary
idealized intensity: bright – dull, high key – low key

Lines/path of movement: Shape/Form

active - passive solid - void
bold - delicate concave - convex
flowing - light ambiguous - complete
straight - curved organic - geometric - free-form
thick - thin circle - sphere-
dark - light square - cube –
broken - continuous triangle - pyramid- cone
geometric - organic
implied - actual
precise – irregular
RHYTHM: repetition of line, light, shape, etc.
PROPORTION: To put in proper relation with something else.
SHAPE: 2-Dimensional objects (circle, square, triangle)
FORM: 3-Dimensional objects ( cone, cube, cylinder, sphere)
LINE-OF-ACTION: designates the movement or action of a character in a drawing
POSITIVE SPACE: area an object occupies.
NEGATIVE SPACE: area around an object.
VALUE: lightness or darkness of an color
COMPOSITION: way of arranging a drawing or painting so it is interesting to look at and equally balanced.
GOLDEN RULE OF THIRDS: a way of breaking down a composition mathematically, focusing on thirds.
BACKGROUND: area within a composition that appears further away from the viewer. Objects appear smaller
with less detail.
MIDDLE GROUND: part of a composition that appear between the foreground and back ground.
FOREGROUND: in a scene or artwork , the part that seems closest to you. Objects appear larger and more
detailed.
HUE : common name of a color ( i.e. blue, green, etc)
PRIMARY COLOR : red, blue & yellow
SECONDARY COLOR : green, orange & violet ( mix primary colors)
TERTIARY (INTERMEDIATE) : red-orange, yellow-orange, blue-green, etc.
ADVANCING COLORS : colors that appear to come towards you (warm colors)
WARM COLORS : red, orange & yellow
COOL COLORS : blue, violet & green
RECEDING COLORS : colors that appear to be in the background (generally cool colors)
COMPLEMENTARY : colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel
INTENSITY : brightness or dullness of a color
SATURATION: intensity of a color—a bright color is highly saturated
OPAQUE : colors that you can't see through
TRANSPARENT : colors that you can see through
MONOCHROMATIC : a single color and it's tints and shades
VERTICAL : top - to - bottom. This can refer to the placement of objects within a composition or the
composition itself.
HORIZONTAL : left - to -right. This can refer to the placement of objects within a composition or the
composition itself.
LIGHT: the amount of light and dark, the source of light, back-lit, front-lit, top-lit, angle of light
TEXTURE: can be actual, like brushstrokes on canvas, or imitative of a textured surface
AESTHETICS: To experience a feeling or response to art.
DON’T IGNORE THE GAZE! Are we supposed to follow his/her eyeline to see an object they are looking at? Is
that object in the ad/artwork or is it out of the frame? Is the gaze direct or averted? Is there direct eye contact
with audience (a direct mode of address/direct appeal)? Remember that often the one watching has power and
the one being watched becomes an object, weaker. Are there two people in the ad? Are they looking at each
other, or is one watching the other? Is one being objectified?
Art Vocabulary

TOK Connect: Almost a hundred years ago, an American artist and teacher of art named Arthur Wesley Dow wanted his art students to
be able to see, describe and create visual qualities in a systematic way. Dow wrote about the “elements of art” in 1899. Over the years, it
has been changed and expanded by artists and experts. (Paraphrased from Art: Images and Ideas by Laura H. Chapman)

LANGUAGE AS A WOK:
How is this an example of shared knowledge?
Is there a need for a common language in the creation of shared knowledge?
What other AOK depend on systematic language, and is it to a greater or lesser extent than in the Arts?