7Elements of ArtSpaceForm

ShapeTextureValue

ColorLine

Space refers to the distance or area between, around, above or within things. It can be a description for both 2- and 3- dimensional portrayals. 

CompositionPerspective

PlaneVanishing Point

PositiveNegative

2-dimensional3-dimensional

Mediterranean Landscape Pablo Picasso

Space

The Son of Man 1964 Rene Magritte

Space

Improvisation No 31, Sea Battle Wassily Kandinsky

Space

Form is an element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume. Cubes, spheres,and cylinders are examples of various forms.

Words to describe: long, short, wide, skinny, deep, shallow… 

The word form describes something with three dimensions: length, width, and depth. Forms usually have weight and solidity. They may have only one continuous surface, like a Ping-Pong ball. Or they may have many surfaces, like a fish tank or pinecone.

Mediterranean Landscape Pablo Picasso

Form

The Son of Man 1964 Rene Magritte

Form

Improvisation No 31, Sea Battle Wassily Kandinsky

Form

Line is an element of art which refers to the continuuos mark made on some surface by a moving point. It may be two dimensional, like a pencil mark on a paper or it may be three-dimensional (wire) or implied (the edge of a shape or form). Often it is an outline, a contour, or a silhouette.  

Words to describe:  2-d, 3-d, implied, contour, silhouette, outline, straight, curvy, diagonal, zig-zag, round, angle…

What is Line?Artists use line to lead your eyes through a work of art. This is because it takes movement to make a line. When you see a line, your eyes usually follow its movement. Lines can lead your eyes into, around, and out of visualimages, as in the painting below. Notice how the artist uses the line of the highway to pull your eyes into the artwork. A line is an element of art that is the path of a moving point through space.

Mediterranean Landscape Pablo Picasso

Line

The Son of Man 1964 Rene Magritte

Line

Improvisation No 31, Sea Battle Wassily Kandinsky

Line

Shape is an enclosed space defined by other elements of art.

Words to describe:  tall, short, wide, skinny, round, angular, square, organic, geometric… 

When a line curves around and crosses itself or intersects other lines to enclose a space, it creates a shape. Similar to a silhouette or an outline, a shape is two-dimensional. It has height and width, but no depth.Geometric shapes are precise and sharply defined. Many of them are easy to recognize, such as circles, squares, and triangles.Organic shapes reflect the free-flowing aspect of growth.

Mediterranean Landscape Pablo Picasso

Shape

The Son of Man 1964 Rene Magritte

Shape

Improvisation No 31, Sea Battle Wassily Kandinsky

Shape

Color Is an element of art with three properties 1) Hue, the name of the color, e.g. red, yellow, etc., 2) Intensity or the purity and strength of the color such as brightness or dullness, and 3) Value, or the lightness or darkness of the color.

Hue

Intensity

Value

Mediterranean Landscape Pablo Picasso

Color

The Son of Man 1964 Rene Magritte

Color

Improvisation No 31, Sea Battle Wassily Kandinsky

Color

Texture refers to the surface quality or "feel" of an object, such as roughness, smoothness, or softness. Actual texture can be felt while simulated textures are implied by the way the artist renders areas of the picture. Space refers to the distance or area between, around, above or within things. It can be a description for both 2 and 3 dimensional portrayals. 

Words to Describe:  soft, hard, rough, smooth, spiky, wavy, shiny, flat…

Surface Quality Whether you are the viewer or the artist, you experience two kinds of textures: real and implied. Real textures are those that can actually be touched, such as the smooth surface of a bronze sculpture or the spiky surface of a cactus. Implied textures are those that are simulated, or invented. They include the roughness of a rock seen in a photograph or the fluffiness of a cloud as depicted by an artist. real textures offer both look and feel; implied ones provide only the appearance of texture.

Mediterranean Landscape Pablo Picasso

Texture

The Son of Man 1964 Rene Magritte

Texture

Improvisation No 31, Sea Battle Wassily Kandinsky

Texture

Value describes the lightness or darkness of a color. Value is needed to express Volume.

Words to describe:  light, dark, contrast…

Mediterranean Landscape Pablo Picasso

Value

The Son of Man 1964 Rene Magritte

Value

Improvisation No 31, Sea Battle Wassily Kandinsky

Value