Elements and Principles of Design

The elements (the parts and how they work) and principles (ideas that incorporate the elements) of design apply to all artwork, whether it is two-dimensional or three-dimensional. They work together to create a unified whole and a visually exciting piece of artwork.

Line - A line connects two points and may be 2-D as drawn on paper, 3-D as in a wire sculpture, or imply movement. Line describes contours (edges) or gestures, shows structure, or may be decorative. There are infinite varieties of line. They may be thick, thin, fast, slow, playful, or aggressive.

Shape – A shape encloses an area Shape – A shape encloses an area. There are two basic categories: geometric shapes are mathematical constructions such as squares, triangles and circles, and organic shapes which have an irregular outline.

Value – Value is the range between lightness and darkness because of light reflected from a surface. Value gives volume and depth to shapes.

Color –Color is the most direct way we see all the other elements Color –Color is the most direct way we see all the other elements. It is the most expressive and causes the most emotional response to an artworks. Colors are formed by reflections of different wavelengths of light and change according to their surroundings.

Texture – is the surface quality that describes how something feels Texture – is the surface quality that describes how something feels. Texture can be actual as in a surface you can touch or implied as in a painting.

Emphasis / Focal Point – A focal point draws your eye to something that is dominant and the other principles to lead your eye back around to the starting point. This makes a work interesting and not confusing. It is sometimes called the center of interest.

Unity – means that the elements in a composition look as though they belong together. There is a visual connection that is not created by chance. The whole is more important than the parts.

Balance – Balance is an equal arrangement of objects, colors or light/dark areas in a work of art.

Symmetrical or formal balance is a mirror image on each side.

Asymmetrical balance is different on each side, but has the same visual weight.

Radial balance uses lines or shapes that radiate from a central point.

Scale / Proportion – Scale compares objects to each other in terms of size. Scale is used to create the illusion of the correct size or incorrectly to attract attention or be purposely disorienting.

Contrast – creates excitement and draws attention by creating tension between opposites. Contrast usually refers to light and dark, but can also be other opposites like big and small.

Rhythm – Rhythm is based on repetition Rhythm – Rhythm is based on repetition. It creates a flow and helps move the viewer’s eye around the page.

Pattern – Pattern is achieved by repetition of lines, shapes, or colors. Pattern can be used to decorate objects or to make things recognizable.

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Composition is the pleasing arrangements of objects on the page.

The Rule of Thirds mentally divides photos into thirds like a tic-tac-toe board. Important compositional elements and are placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect.

The S Curve leads the viewer’s eye through all parts of the picture

Framing uses natural surroundings to add more meaning to your subject.

Depth of Field is the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears to be in focus.

The in-focus or sharp part of the photograph is the Depth of Field. Having a larger field of depth means more is in focus and having a smaller field of depth means less is in focus. The depth of field is completely controlled by using your lens, focus, and aperture.

Limited Depth of Field

Total Depth of field

High Key

Low Key

Silhouette

Backlighting

Bird’s Eye / Worm’s Eye

Shadows as the subject matter