Elements and Principles

ofArt

They are languages that all people speak that cut across racial, cultural, social, educational, and economic barriers and enhance cultural appreciation and awareness.

They are symbol systems as important as letters and numbers.

They integrate mind, body, and spirit. They provide opportunities for self-expression, bringing

the inner world into the outer world of concrete reality. They offer the avenue to "flow states" and peak

experiences. They create a seamless connection between motivation,

instruction, assessment, and practical application--leading to deep understanding.

They are an opportunity to experience processes from beginning to end.

Why are the arts important?

They develop both independence and collaboration. They provide immediate feedback and opportunities for

reflection. They make it possible to use personal strengths in meaningful

ways and to bridge into understanding sometimes difficult abstractions through these strengths.

They merge the learning of process and content. They improve academic achievement -- enhancing test scores,

attitudes, social skills, critical and creative thinking. They exercise and develop higher order thinking skills including

analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and "problem-finding." They are essential components of any alternative assessment

program. They provide the means for every student to learnBy Dee Dickinson

Why are the arts…

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 of if not all, the seven elements of design.

The Principles of design can be thought of as what we do to the elements of design. How we apply the Principles of design determines how successful we are in creating a work of art.

What are Elements and Principles of Art?

Line Color Texture Shape Form Space Value

Elements of art

is an element of art which refers to the continuous 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 a outline, contour or silhouette.  

For many art students as well as professional artists, Line seems to be one of the important Elements of Art.

Imagine creating a painting, sculpture or design without drawing lines to divide the paper or canvas into recognizable shapes and forms.

Think about how important a role Line plays in the creation process. Lines can communicate an idea or express a feeling.

They can appear static or active. Lines define objects. We will take a look at how artists use line expressively.

Line

This large tapa cloth, from the Polynesian island of Tonga, is made of strips of mulberry bark fiber that have been pounded to softened them and make a paper-like textile for ritual use. It is stamped and hand painted. Bark cloth, or tapa, has been produced throughout the islands of the South Pacific--in both Polynesia and Melanesia. Look at the beautiful variety of lines. Repeated lines form patterns and designs. Can you find the repeated patterns? Why do artists repeat particular elements?

Look at this stirring portrait. This is a self-portrait of the German artist Kathe Kollwitz. To learn of her art, you must first learn about her life. She experienced WW I married to a doctor. She lost her son in that war. She later lost her grandson in WW II. She saw the pain and suffering of the mothers, wives and children of the people lost in the war. Look again at this work. Do you view it differently?Notice the lines carved into this woodcut proof to create the texture of this print. The direction of the lines follow the contour of her face. What impact do the lines have on the overall quality of this print?Why do you think Kollwitz chose to integrate these heavy lines into her portrait?

Color   Is an element of art with three properties1) 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

What would our world look like without Color. There have been many studies into the psychological effects of Color.

Artists have used Color in such ways as to create a mood or feeling of a piece of work. This is done by using colors realistically and by using colors "creatively".

Color is also a very important Element Of Art. Many people would argue that the Element of "Color" has

the most effect on a work of art. Consider what our world would look like if everything was black, white and shades of gray? The effects of "Color" on humans has been studied many times. Artists have known that "Color" has a powerful effect on their works and on the impressions of the viewers. Let's see what "Color" is and just how it is used in the visual arts.

COLOR

The Primary colors of red, yellow, and blue are shown as rectangles and are connected by a solid line triangle.

The Secondary colors, orange, green, and violet are circles and are connected by a dotted line triangle.

The Tertiary (inter-mediate) colors are triangle shapes. They are red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, and red-orange.

It is easy to see that orange is made by mixing red and yellow, violet is made by mixing red and blue, and green is made by mixing yellow and blue. In fact, that is why the secondary colors are placed midway between the primary colors.

The intermediate colors are placed between the primary and secondary colors, indicating which colors are mixed together to make them.

Look at this wonderful painting. What strikes you at first glance? Chances are you notice the colors used first. Why do you think this is so?

The artist's use of complementary colors, or colors opposite on the color wheel, creates an exciting painting. The colors appear very intense together.

Has the artist done this intentionally? What does he want you to "feel" about the message within this work?

Notice how the horses and clouds are expressed in whites, violets and blues. The people and the carousel are reds, golds and oranges. What parts of this painting do you notice first

Visual Texture is the illusion of a three-dimensional surface. We use our hands to feel real Texture. Think about what you feel when you run your hands over the bark of a tree. Now think about what the surface of a piece of sandpaper feels like. These objects have real Texture, texture you can feel as well as see.

Artists strive very hard to imitate the look and feel of real Texture in works of art. Perhaps an artist can't "make" the bark of a tree in his landscape "feel" like real bark, but the viewer will "see" the Texture and be able to associate it with the rough feel of actual bark.

Artists are masters of deception. In some works, the viewer is tempted to actually reach out and touch a work of art because it looks like it has a Texture. They are surprised to feel only brushstrokes or a flat surface. The eye is tricked into seeing a "real" Texture. Other artist purposefully add a "felt" texture to the surface of their work. This allows the viewer to see actual Texture and appreciate the interest Texture gives to a piece of art. Let's explore Texture and see how artists create visual Texture.

Texture

This is a self-portrait. That means that the artist painted a picture of him/her self. The thick application of the paint and the use of many colors to accent the paint strokes gives this painting a Textured quality. What was the artist trying to say by applying the paint and colors in such a way?

If you look around you, you will notice that almost everything we see is made up of a Shape or combination of Shapes.

Some of the more common ones we have given names to, i.e.: circle, square and rectangle. Others are so unique we call them freeform shapes. Lines are used to draw Shapes.

Artists draw Shapes when they are making preliminary sketches for a drawing, painting or sculpture. In the artroom it is often said "if you can draw the shapes, you can draw anything".

Shapes are categorized as Geometric or Organic. Geometric shapes are usually angular and appear frequently in man-made objects. Organic shapes are usually more rounded and appear most often in nature. Now we'll see why Shape is an important Element Of Art.

Shape

This jaguar mask from Mexico also emphasizes Shape. What shapes do you see? Are they Geometric, Organic or both?Are the shapes arranged symmetrically or asymmetrically?What shape did the artist use to accent the nose? How about the eyes?What did the artist do to the yellow shapes that make up the skin of the jaguar?

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

Form refers to three-dimensional shapes that have length, width and depth. In fact, Forms are three-dimensional.

They take up space. You can hold them, and walk around them. A sculptor uses Form three-dimensionally. However, a painter or illustrator has to create the 'illusion' of Form in their works. Let's explore just how Form is created and manipulated in art.

Form

Seurat creates the illusion of three-dimensional form by adding value to his colors. The darker areas emphasize the shaded shaping of the figures in this painting. This tricks the viewer's eye into seeing Form. The figures look three-dimensional.

One of the most difficult Elements Of Art to teach art students about is Space. Often students look up and ask what Space has to do with anything. How an artists uses Space or chooses NOT to use Space adds a great deal to a work of art.

Space is so important, that we have names for the types of Space in a work of art, Positive Space and Negative Space.

Positive Space is the space created by an image or a sculpture.

Negative Space is the Space around and between parts of an image or a sculpture. Let's see how Space is used in a work of art.

Space

This poster provides us with an interesting example of how artists use Space. The carver, including his head, arms and tools represent the Positive Space. The rest of the space becomes the Negative Space. Shahn chooses not to leave the Negative Space empty. Instead he fills a large portion of it with words. This Negative Space becomes a very important part of Shahn's message. The words speak to us about what ideals we, as humans, should live by. Shahn mentions ideas such as the Right To Be Safe and Justice For All.Note how the arms of the carver encircle the words. Why did Shahn do that?Here the man appears to be "embracing the ideals" carved into the Negative Space.

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. The benefits of knowing how to manage

Value are very important to artists who work two-dimensional striving to make their subjects, or the objects in their work, "look" three-dimensional. Light effects a true three-dimensional object in unique ways.

Artists work hard to reproduce these light effects in their works, even though the drawing or painting is actually flat, two-dimensional. How many times have you been tempted to reach into a painting to grab an apple from the still life that looks so real you would think it was actually there!

The masteryof representing or imitating true Value has been one Element Of Art that many artists devote years of study. Young artists who apprenticed with the great artists of Europe, spent months and years learning how to control Value. The study of drapery, or how to make folded cloth look real in a painting or drawings was a required exercise. Once mastered, the viewer would look at the work and be tricked into thinking that the picture actually had folded drapery. Let's see just how Value is achieved. We'll look at some examples of how artists use Value in their works.

If you look carefully at this drawing, you will begin to see recognizable objects. This is a still life, a group of inanimate objects arranged together. What items do you recognize?The wide range of white, gray and black values of shading, give this work a realistic sense of form. Using values in drawings is a good way of showing light reflection and shadows. Adding these will make two-dimensional objects "look" like they are three-dimensional.

Rhythm and movement Balance Proportion Variety and Emphasis Harmony and Unity

PRINCIPLES OF ART

Rhythm is a word we are familiar with when we think of subjects such as music and dance. You might think of it as the drum beat to a song, the clapping of hands or even the tapping noise created by dancers on the floor.

Words such as beat, tempo or pulsing may come to mind. These are examples of rhythms we hear. Now think of what rhythm means to a visual artist.

Rhythm is one of the Principles of Design. To an artist, rhythm shows movement through the artists'

repetition of certain Elements Of Art. Just as in music when a beat is repeated over and over, an artist will use an Element of Art such as Color and repeat it over and over in a work of art. Let's look at an example.

RHYTHM &MOVEMENT

Here is an example of a cut paper tessellation design. What is used to create the appearance of Rhythm in this work?

Possible answers could be:a) the fish design is repeated over and over.b) the colors white and orange appear as a pattern. Do you see anything else that is repeated in this artwork? How about the lines that form the scales of the fish. Or the black triangles that decorate the backbone of the fish

Movement is another very important Principle of Design. Perhaps you are thinking that artworks as a rule do not actually move. You are correct, but we are talking about visual movement.

Artists know that if certain Elements Of Art are used to create a Rhythm, there will be visual movement. The viewer's eye is drawn from one object to the next as they appear over and over in a piece of work. Let's take a look at an example.

In Starry Night, famed artist Vincent Van Gogh creates Movement in his sky. How does he show us this?Possible answers could be:a) the swirling motion of the colors in the sky showing the artist's interpretation of windb) the repetition of the brushstrokes and paint dabs Can you find anything else that appears to give this painting a sense of Movement? Look at the stars. They are all yellow and round, vary in size and placement, and they have "halos" of light encircling them. Look at the painting and concentrate on how your eyes bounce from one star to another. This is an example of how an artist can create Movement in a work of art.

Another Principle of Design is Balance. We use Balance as a way of controlling gravity. When we walk, our body changes our weight from foot to foot. If we were to loose our balance, what would happen? Artists also recognize the importance of Balance in works of art. There are different types of visual Balance and artists use these types to create works that convey a particular message or idea to a viewer. Formal Balance usually is achieved by the artist placing objects in the work in a symmetrical or equal-sided arrangement. Informal Balance is created when an asymmetrical layout is used. There is also Radial Balance. Let's take a look at the different types of Balance.

BALANCE

Here is an example of a painting demonstrating Formal Balance. Note that you could visually divide the paper in half. There would be a poppy on both sides. No one side dominates the pictures. Neither poppy appears to be more important than the other. Formal Balance pictures will have an imaginary "line of symmetry". Be aware that in evaluating works of art, the symmetry does NOT have to illustrate an exact mirror image.

When looking at this abstract painting in the round, also known as a tondo, see if you can find how this piece was balanced.

This is an example of Informal Balance. No matter how you turn it, there is no line of symmetry.

Can you spot the Center Of Interest? Commonly called the Focal Point of a work, the center of interest is the area your eye is drawn to in a work of art. Note how this young artist adds lines and triangles that point to the focal point of her work.

The checkered area is the center of interest in this piece.

This is an example of Radial Balance. Consider looking for a spiral or spinning effect of the pattern. The axis is the center point and the design or pattern appears to "radiate" from that point. Nature contains many examples of radial designs as does manufactured objects that are usually round in shape, i.e.. wheels, plates, and fans.This is known as a rose window. It is made up of pieces of stained glass held together by lead. The ornate dark areas are made of concrete and are called a tracery.

Proportion is the next Principle of Design we will look at. Proportion refers to one piece of an object in relation to the rest of the object. In ancient Greece, mathematicians sought the perfect proportional measurement. It became known as the "Golden Mean" or "Golden Rectangle". Today many artists feel that there is not necessarily one perfect means of proportion. Artists learned that distorting or exaggerating proportion could alter the effect of a work on the viewer. Let's take a look at some examples together.

PROPORTION

Sometimes an artist deliberately changes the Proportion for unique reasons. Look at this family portrait painted by Columbian artist Fernando Botero. Why do you think the family members are painted with such large volume and size?He introduced inflated forms. These "puffed up forms" exaggerate the size of people. This larger than life size celebrates the life within, and sometimes mocks their role in the world. Not without humor, the symbols of power and authority everywhere - presidents, soldiers and churchmen - are targeted in his attacks on a society still unable to deal intelligently with social issues..When you look at this family portrait, what strikes you as unusual about the placement of the family members? Why is the children's nurse painted so much smaller than the other adult figures in the painting?

There is an expression "Variety is the spice of life!" We enjoy variety in our lives. Think of how boring life would be if we ate the same food every meal, wore the same clothes as everyone else and had the same eye, skin and hair color as the rest of the world.

Variety in art refers to the use of contrasting or different types of Elements in a work of art. An artist knows that adding contrast to a work of art adds interest.

Sometimes an artist wants the viewer to look particularly close at a specific area of the work. The artist will manipulate the Elements of Art so that your eye is drawn to a particular area. How is this done? Let's see some works that show good use Emphasis and

VARIETY & EMPHASIS

This is an example of an abstract work. The picture does not seem to represent a realistic scene or image. Works such as these are considered Non-Objective.Kandinsky uses a Variety of lines, shapes and colors to give this painting interest. He also overlaps some of these Elements. Look at this painting carefully. What area is your eye drawn to? Why? 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".

The Principles of Harmony and Unity are very important to works of art. The artist would like the viewer to see the completed work as "finished".

The Elements Of Art used to create the artwork should appear to create a "whole" image, not just a series of independent Elements.

Artists use certain Elements Of Art over again and again to create a sense of Harmony. Using related colors, repeating lines and shapes and themes will also make the work appear Harmonious. When you look at a work and sense that the piece is complete, you can appreciate the importance of Unity.

HARMONY & UNITY

Why is this piece an excellent example of a work of art that illustrates Harmony and Unity?

Look at this detail of a single section. Note the details of the embroidered images, designs and words. Eight earthen colors were used to create this marvel. The use of related colors, stitchery textures, two parallel borders, and a similar theme throughout make this piece harmonious