Elements

and Principles
of Design
Essentials to understanding,
interpreting and talking
about art.
Elements of Design
Line, Color, Value, Texture, Shape & Form
Line - A mark or stroke that is longer than it is wide. It is the path of a
point moving in space. Objects and things are perceived by the line
that describes them.

Characteristics of line include:

• Width - thick, thin, uneven
• Length - long, short, continuous, broken
• Direction - horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curving,
perpendicular, oblique, parallel, zigzag
Shape is the external outline of an object. It is two-dimensional .

• Organic – natural, irregular

• Geometric - circle, square, rectangle, triangle, pentagon,

octagon, etc
 The Color Wheel

Color - the sensation

resulting
from reflection or absorption
of light by a surface.

Hue is another
name for color.
Primary colors are hues from
which all other colors can be made:
red, yellow, blue.

Secondary colors are made from

mixing equal parts of the Primary colors:
orange, green, violet.

Tertiary colors are those colors

between Primary and Secondary colors:
yellow-orange, red-orange, etc.
Neutral colors are black, white, and grays mixed from black and
white. They are not classified as warm or cool.
Monochromatic colors
are variations in value of one color.

Analogous colors are colors that are

adjacent (side by side) to each other on the
color wheel.

Complementary colors are colors that

are opposite each other on the color wheel:
red-green, orange-blue, yellow-violet.
Value refers to the degree of lightness or darkness and can
refer to the way color is used.

Highlight is the lightest value.

Shadow is dark value.
Texture is the surface quality or appearance of an object.
Form is a shape that is three-dimensional.

sphere, cube, pyramid, cone, cylinder

Principles of Design
Unity, Repetition, Balance, Rhythm, Dominance, Contrast
Unity is created when objects
seem to belong to each other
so that each contributes
something to the whole
composition. Nothing can be
left out without changing the
composition.
Balance is created when there is equilibrium of elements that
need each other and together they create Unity.

Symmetry is created when the

balancing elements seem to carry the
same visual weight or shape on each
side of the composition. Asymmetry is
unlike sides.
Dominance is created when one part is given more importance
than any other part of the work.
Repetition is created when
one of the Elements of
Design are repeated at regular
intervals.
Rhythm is
created when there is a
regular repetition of particular
forms; it shows a pattern of
Movement.
Contrast is created when opposites are used such as light and
dark colors, or large and small shapes.