The Elements & Principles of

Art(information taken from www.artlex.com, photos from www.artchive.com)

The Elements:The basic components used by the artist when producing works of ART. Those elements are COLOUR, VALUE, LINE, SHAPE, FORM, TEXTURE, and SPACE.(Hint: remember CFL and TVS)

COLOUR: An Element of art with three properties:

(1) Hue or Tint(2) Intensity(3) Value

Hue - The name of any colour as

found in its pure state in the spectrum or

rainbow

Chagall, MarcI and The Village1911Oil on canvas

Intensity: the purity

and strength of a color,

e.g., Bright red or dull

redCezanne, PaulMont Sainte-Victoire1885-1887

Oil on canvas

Value in colour: the lightness or

darkness of a colour.

Harris, LawrenLighthouse, Father Point1930

Oil on canvas

Value: An element of art that refers to luminance or

luminosity — the lightness or

darkness of a colour.

A value scale employing a smoothly nuanced gradation of values.

Hiroshige, AndoPlum Estate, KameidoFrom "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo"1857Woodblock print

Line - A mark with length and direction:

An element of art which refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by a moving point. Types of line include: vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight or ruled, curved, bent, angular, thin, thick or wide, interrupted (dotted, dashed, broken, etc.), blurred or fuzzy, controlled, freehand, parallel, hatching, meandering, and spiraling. It may be two-dimensional (as with pencil on paper) three-dimensional (as with wire) or implied (the edge of a shape or form).

Van Gogh, VincentVillage Street and Stairs with Figures1890

Oil on canvas

How many types of line can you see in this painting?

Shape - is an enclosed space defined and determined by other art elements such as line, colour, value,

and texture.

In painting and drawing, shapes may take on the appearance of solid 3-D object even though they are limited to two dimensions — length and width. This 2-D character of shape distinguishes it from form which has depth as well as length and width.

Mondrian, PietComposition with Large Blue Plane,Red, Black, Yellow, and Gray1921

Oil on canvas

Klee, Paul Dream City1921Watercolor and oil

Form also refers to an element of art that is 3-D (height, width, and depth)

and encloses volume. For example, a triangle, which is 2-D, is a shape, but a pyramid, which is three-dimensional, is a form. Cubes, spheres, ovoids, pyramids, cones, and cylinders are examples of various forms.

                    Greek Column with

Ionic capital

King Menkaure and a QueenFourth Dynasty, reign of MenkaureGraywacke with faint remains of paintHeight: 139 cm (54 3/4 in)Width: 57 cm (22 1/2 in)Depth: 54 cm (21 1/4 in)

Texture - An element of art, texture is the surface

quality or "feel" of an object, its smoothness,

roughness, softness, etc. Textures may be actual or simulated. Actual textures can be felt with the fingers, while simulated textures are suggested by an artist in the painting of different areas of a picture — often in representing drapery, metals, rocks, hair, etc.

Oppenheim, MeretObject (Swiss, 1913-1985)http://www.moma.org/

Thomson, TomThe West Wind1917

Oil on canvas

Space - refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or

within things. It can be described as 2-D or 3-D; as flat, shallow, or deep; as open or closed; as positive or negative

Violet shapes occupy positive spaces, but a negative space between them forms a square.

3-D space represented on a 2-D surface

Green Stripe (Madame Matisse)1905Oil and tempera on canvas

Piero della FrancescaMontefeltro Altarpiece1465Oil on panel

Principles of art - Certain qualities inherent in the choice and arrangement of elements of art in the production of a work of

art. Artists “design" their works to varying degrees

by controlling and ordering the elements of

art.

In other words, the Principles are the

blueprint artist uses to put the elements (building blocks)

together…

There are varying lists of what the principles are, but these are

common:UnityVarietyRhythmEmphasis (Dominance)MovementBalanceProportion

(ok, to help remember I made up this ridiculous sentence:U V Rays Damage Mostly Blondes)

UnityThe quality of wholeness or oneness that is achieved through the effective use of the elements and principles of design. A totality that combines all of its parts into one complete, cohesive whole.

How has the artist created a sense of unity in this painting?

Seurat, GeorgesA Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte1884-86

Oil on canvas

VarietyA principle of design that refers to a way of combining elements in involved ways to achieve intricate and complex relationships. Variety is often obtained through the use of diversity and change by artists who wish to increase the visual interest of their work. An artwork which makes use of many different hues, values, lines, textures, and shapes would reflect the artist's desire for variety.

In what ways does this painting

represent variety?

Matisse, HenriInterior with an Egyptian Curtain1948

Oil on canvas

RhythmA visual tempo or beat. The principle of design that refers to a regular repetition of elements of art to produce the look and feel of movement. It is often achieved through the careful placement of repeated components which invite the viewer's eye to jump rapidly or glide smoothly from one to the next.

What elements contribute to a sense of rhythm in this sculpture?

Gaudi, AntonioPark GüellAlchemic salamander

1900-1914

Emphasis (Dominance)

Any forcefulness that gives importance or weight to some feature or features of an artwork…often, emphasized elements are used to direct and focus attention on the most important parts of a composition — its focal point.

What is the focal point of this piece?

How is your eye drawn there?

Kahlo, FridaSelf-Portrait1926

Oil on canvas

MovementThe arrangement of the parts of an image to create a sense of motion by using lines, shapes, forms, and textures that cause the eye to move over the work.

What elements create a sense of movement in this

piece?

Degas, EdgarEcole de danse1873

Oil on canvas

BalanceThe way the elements of art are arranged to create a feeling of stability in a work; a pleasing or harmonious arrangement or proportion of parts or areas in a design or composition.

Balance can be symmetrical, or formal; or it can be asymmetrical, or informal. It can also be

radial.

Can you tell which is which?

Leonardo da VinciThe Last Supperafter cleaning1498Tempera on plaster

Rose WindowNotre Dame Cathedral1345www.artlex.com

James Abbott McNeill WhistlerArrangement in Grey and Black No. 1: Portrait of the Artist’s Mother1871, oil on canvaswww.artlex.com