ELEMENTS OF ART The basic visual symbols that artists use to create works of visual art.

Line The element of art that is the path of a moving point through space. A mark that is longer than it is wide

Shape The element of art that is two-dimensional and encloses space.

Form The element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses space.

Color The element of art that is derived from reflected light.

Value The element of art that refers to darkness or lightness.

Space The element of art referring to the emptiness, or area, between, around, or within objects.

Texture The element of art that refers to the surface quality of a form or shape and how that surface is represented.

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN Guidelines for using the elements of art to produce certain visual effects in a work of art

Balance The principle of design concerned with the equal distribution of visual weight 2 types of balance ~ formal and informal

Formal Balance When equal, or very similar objects are placed on opposite sides of a central axis 3 types of formal balance ~ symmetrical, approximate symmetry and radial

Symmetrical Balance Two halves of a composition are identical, mirror images of each other

Symmetry is often found in architectural design

Tlingit “Chilikat” Robe

Approximate Symmetry Slight differences on either side of the axis add interest. Diego Rivera Día de las flores 1925

Radial Balance Elements of a design radiate from a central point

Rose Window Notre Dame Cathedral Radial balance is often found in decorative designs Rose Window Notre Dame Cathedral

Informal Balance Asymmetrical balance – unlike objects are balanced by giving them equal visual weight Appears more natural and unplanned but is more intricate and complex

Jan Vermeer ~ The Concert, 1665-66 Asymmetry in a two-dimensional painting

Asymmetry in a three-dimensional sculpture Henry Moore ~ Reclining Figure, Angles, 1979 Asymmetry in a three-dimensional sculpture

Contrast The principle of design concerned with the juxtaposition of opposing elements A dark value contrasts with a light value.

Contrast creates clarity

The smooth texture at the top of the vessel contrasts with the rough texture at the bottom Contrast adds interest and variety

Contrasting colors create a pattern African Kente cloth

Rhythm & Repetition Visual rhythm indicates movement by the repetition of elements Moves the viewer’s eye around and/or through a work of art Creates a pattern

Pattern and movement are established by the repetition of line Bridget Riley ~ Descending, 1965 Pattern and movement are established by the repetition of line

Vincent Van Gogh ~ Starry Night, 1889

Proportion & Scale Proportion: the relationship of one part to another Scale: size as measured against a standard reference

Distorted proportions James Abbott McNeill Whistler ~ Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl , 1862 Amedeo Modigliani The Servant Girl 1918 Accurate proportions Distorted proportions

The size of the trees and the people indicate the scale of the sculpture. Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen ~ Spoonbridge & Cherry, 1988

Renee Magritte ~ Personal Values, 1952 Magritte intentionally distorted scale and proportion to give the piece a surreal quality.

Figure/Ground Relationship The figure refers to the shape or shapes in a work of art. The ground refers to the background or space around the shape(s). The figure is the positive space The ground is the negative space Figures and grounds have their own characteristics, and play different, but equally important, roles in a composition.

Figures (shapes) seem to float aimlessly within the picture plane Figures (shapes) seem to float aimlessly within the picture plane. The design is rather uninteresting. The figures and ground are integrated and makes for a more interesting design.

The figures and ground are well integrated in Edgar Degas’, Portraits in a New Orleans Cotton Office, 1873.

Mary Cassatt ~ Mother & Child, 1888 Where shapes/objects are placed within the picture plane also effects the figure/ground relationship.

Barbara Hepworth ~ Square with Two Circles, 1963 Three-dimensional design must also consider the figure/ground relationship (negative & positive space).

Emphasis (Focal Point) One part of a design or composition dominant over another Focal point is the part of a design or composition that attracts the viewer’s attention The techniques that artists use to create a focal point include: contrast, isolation, placement

John Singer Sargent ~ Paul Helleu Sketching with His Wife, 1889 Contrast

Edgar Degas, Ballet Rehearsal, 1873-78 Isolation

Jan Vermeer The Music Lesson, 1662-65 Placement

Some artists design their compositions without a focal point. Jasper Johns Grey Alphabets, 1956 Some artists design their compositions without a focal point.

Unity/Variety Work together Unity refers to agreement/harmony among the visual elements of a design ~ Variety adds interest Helps the viewer concentrate on visual images. Brings order to variety Both are planned & controlled by the artist

Techniques for creating unity Simplicity ~ limited figures, color Repetition ~ of an element or form (repetition can be varied to add interest) Proximity ~ placing figures/forms closer together Continuation ~ shapes, forms share edges, direction

Gustave Caillebotte ~ Paris, A Rainy Day, 1877

Bibliography St. Ignatius High School Graphics Lab. 23 June 2006 http://ignatius.edu/flash_pages/figure_ground.shtml Nicolas Pioch. The Web Museum, Paris. 4 August 2006 http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/ David A. Lauer & Stephen Pentak. Design Basics, Multimedia Edition, Sixth Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson, 2007 Rosalind Ragans. ArtTalk. Mission Hills, CA: Glencoe, Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 1988 www.dailyepiphany.net/2004/may/6.htm