The Elements and Principles of Design

Vocabulary and Example Art Review

Mrs. Olinde Rm. 243West Ouachita High School

Elements of Design

Line TextureValueShapeForm SpaceColor

Elements of Art

The Elements and Principles of Design are the building blocks used to create a work of art. The Elements of Design can be thought of as the things that make up a painting, drawing, design etc. Good or bad - all paintings will contain most if not all, the seven Elements of Design.

ElementLine: Continuous Mark made on some surface by a moving point or the edge created when two shapes meet.

Kinds of LineHorizontal

Vertical

Diagonal

Zig zag

Curved

Variations of LineLength

Width

Texture

Direction

Degree of curve

Variations of LIne

Kinds and Variations of line

Two Main Categories for LineLines may be described in two main categories. Kinds: (5) horizontal, vertical, zigzag, curved and diagonal.Variations (5) width, direction, length, texture and degree of curve

ElementTexture: refers to the way things feel, or look as if they might feel if touched.

Ingres

Princesse de Broglie

1853

Element Value: Describes the lightness or darkness of an object or hue.

Georgia O’ Keefe

Flower

1900’s

ElementShape: A Two dimensional area clearly defined by one or more of the other visual elements

Henri Matisse

Fall of Icarus

1900’s

ElementForm: An object with Three Dimensions-

Michelangelo

Moses

1515

LengthWidth Depth

Element Space : The distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things.

Element Color= three distinct qualities of hue, intensity, and value

Principles of DesignThe different ways the elements can be used in a work of art

BalanceEmphasisHarmonyVariety

GradationMovement

RhythmProportion

Balance

Radial balance means lines or shapes grow from a center

point

Asymmetrical (informal)

balance means each side of an imaginary line

are different yet equal.

Symmetrical (formal) balance means both sides of an imaginary line are the same

Principle Balance = A way of combining elements to add a feeling of equilibrium or stability

Symmetrical Balance- Formal balance in which two halves

of work are identical

Radial Balance- Objects are positioned around a

central point

Asymmetrical Balance- More informal and takes in account

qualities such as hue, intensity, and value, in addition to size and shape to a achieve a “felt” balance.

Careful selections and placement will balance your design.

Grant Wood used near-formal balance in his painting American Gothic to emphasize a kind of formal, iconic presentation. Everything here is solid, grounded, carefully balanced (boring?)–the epitome of solid American values

Principle Emphasis = A way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements….a Contrast

Vermeer

Girl with the Pearl Earring.

1665

What area is your eye drawn to? Why?

Emphasis

Kandinsky emphasized the large black circle in the upper left corner of his work.

The object is different from everything else in the painting and therefore it "stands out".

PrincipleHarmony= A way of combining similar elements in an artwork to accent their similarities

Henri Matisse

Harmony in Red/La desserte

Spring 1908

What has been repeated in this painting of Sunflowers?

Variety

Variety occurs when an artist creates something that looks different from the rest of the artwork.

Changing a color or size is a variation.

Artists create variety to make artwork more interesting.

Principle Variety = A way of combining elements in involved ways to create intricate and complicated relationships

Kandinsky uses a Variety of lines,

shapes and colors to give this painting interest. He also

overlaps some of these Elements.

Principle Gradation = A way of combining elements by using a series of gradual changes in those elements such as a change from small shapes to large or dark hue to light hue

Georgia O’ Keefe

Flower

1900’s

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

Movement and RhythmMovement is used to create the

look and feeling of action and to guide the viewer’s eye through out the work of art.

Visual rhythm makes you think of the rhythms you hear in music or dance. Artists create visual rhythm by repeating art elements and creating patterns.

Artists create pattern by repeating a line, shape or color over and over again.

Principle Movement = The principle of art used to create the look and feeling of action and to guide the viewer’s eye throughout the work of art

Edvard Munch

The Scream

1890’s

Principle Rhythm = The careful placement of repeated elements in a work of art to cause a visual tempo or beat

Roy Lichtenstein

1960’s

How is visual rhythm created here?.

Principle Proportion = The principle of art concerned with the relationship of certain elements to the whole and to each other

Proportion is concerned with the relationship of certain elements to the whole and to each other.

While the scale of the painting works because of the perspective of the image, the proportion of the woman is vastly different in size than that of the little boy on the left.