Before you sit down…
Get your binder
 Also get red, blue, yellow, green, purple,
and orange crayons or coloring pencils
(you may need to share)
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ELEMENTS OF ART
Line
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An element of art that is the path of a moving point
through space.
Van Gogh – Thatched Cottage in Cordeville
What types of lines do you see? What do the lines do?
Piet Mondrian – Kompositsioon A
Describe the lines in this work. How are they different from the lines Van Gogh
used?
Shape

A defined two dimensional area. Has height and
width. May be geometric or free form.
Ellsworth Kelly – White Black
Shape is used in this work to make a striking statement. How do you think people
reacted to this sort of art when it was new?
Georgia O’Keefe Describe how shape is used in the work of art.
Form

An object with three dimensions. Has height, width,
and depth. May be geometric or free form.
Richard Sweeney – Paper Sculpture
What kind of form would you describe this as? Geometrical or free form?
Richard Deacon – Between Fiction and Fact
This sculpture uses a mixture of both Geometrical and Free Forms. Why do you
think the artist gave it this title?
Texture

The element of art that refers to how things feel, or
look as if they might feel if touched. Objects can
have rough or smooth textures and matte or shiny
surfaces.
Rough
Smooth
Matte
Shiny
Anselm Kiefer – The Unknown Painter
What do you think this painting would look like in person?
Space

The elements of arts that refers to the emptiness or
area between, around, above, below, or within
objects. Shapes and forms are defined by space
around and within them.
Value

The element of art that describes the darkness or
lightness of an object.
Francisco de Goya – Saturn Devouring his Son
What do you notice about the value of the light in this painting? Does it help set
the mood or the work?
Color

An element of art that is derived from reflected
light. The sensation of color is aroused in the brain
by response of the eyes to different wavelengths of
light.
Color Terms
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Primary – Red, Yellow, Blue
Secondary – Orange, Green, Purple (Violet)
Intermediate (Tertiary) – Mixed colors of Primary and Secondary
Intensity – Hue is full intensity
Hue – Pure color
Shade – Pure + Black - Duller
Tint – Pure + White - Brighter
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary/Intermediate
Color Harmony
Use of Analogous or complementary colors
 Analogous – Next to each other on the wheel
 Complementary /Contrasting– Across the
wheel

Analogous

Colors next to each other on the wheel
Complementary

Across the color wheel
Triadic

Triadic colors are high-energy colors that are found
by choosing three colors that are separated by 120
degrees on the color wheel. The primary (red, blue,
and yellow) and secondary (purple, orange, green)
colors are examples of triadic colors
Andy Warhol – Shot Orange Marilyn
How would you describe the color in this print?
Art Criticism
Look at the painting to the
right (The Old Guitarist by
Pablo Picasso). Think
about what you see and
make some notes about
subject/object, use of
color, the mood/meaning,
and your judgment of the
work. As a class we’ll
discuss it using the steps
of art criticism.