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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11. 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

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

13. Symmetry is often found in architectural design

14. Tlingit “Chilikat” Robe

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

16. Radial Balance
Elements of a design radiate from a central point

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

18. 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

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

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

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

22. Contrast creates clarity

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

24. Contrasting colors create a pattern
African Kente cloth

25. 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

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

27. Vincent Van Gogh ~ Starry Night, 1889

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

29. 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

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

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

32. 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.

33. 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.

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

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

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

37. 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

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

39. Edgar Degas, Ballet Rehearsal, 1873-78
Isolation

40. Jan Vermeer The Music Lesson, 1662-65
Placement

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

42. 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

43. 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

44. Gustave Caillebotte ~ Paris, A Rainy Day, 1877

45. Bibliography
St. Ignatius High School Graphics Lab. 23 June
Nicolas Pioch. The Web Museum, Paris. 4 August
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