Elements and Principles of Art
(& Design)
The Building Blocks of a Work of Art
The Elements of Art (Design)
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(Point)
Line
Shape
Form
Space
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Value
Texture
Color
Point
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A point is a basic
element in art
It can serve as the
focus, like a bull's-eye
A series of points can
attract attention. In
large numbers they
can reflect value
and/or texture
Jasper Johns’ Target with Four Faces
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Point
Pointillism is an
extreme example of
what can be
accomplished with
points. It uses varied
color dots on a surface
to create a larger
image.
An Afternoon at La Grande Jatte by George Seurat
Line
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Line can be viewed
as the path of a point
Line is movement
It can be used to
separate space
A line’s thickness and
shape can express
complex ideas
Line
Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock
Form and Shape
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A shape is an
enclosed object
Shapes can be
created by line, or by
color and value
changes which define
their edges
Positive and negative
space
Reptiles by M.C. Escher
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Form and Shape
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Geometric shapes
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Squares, triangles,
circles
Organic shapes
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Unsymmetrical,
natural, non-distinct
points
Form and Shape
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Positive space is the
subject or object
Negative space is the
ground or background
Sometimes the
difference of the two
can be unclear or
interchanged
Value
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The lightness or darkness of an object, form, or
color
White is the lightest
Black is the darkest
Gray scale can be broken down into 8 distinct
values
Value
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There are 4 main
techniques for
creating value:
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Flower Still Life by Rachel Ruysch
Hatching
Cross-hatching
Stippling
Blending
Value
Melancholia by Albrecht Durer
Color
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Claude Monet’s Sunset
The visual quality of
objects caused by the
amount of light
reflected by them
Also called Hue
Color has value and
intensity
Color
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Various colors evoke
different emotions or
symbolisms
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Reds
Oranges
Yellows
Greens
Blues
Purples
**We will delve deeper into color when we focus on color theory
Pattern (A principle of design)
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Death of Sarpedon by Euphoronios
Repeated colors,
lines, shapes, forms,
or textures in an
artwork
Can represent the
surface of object or
the objects
themselves or the
overall composition
Pattern
Francis I by Jean Clouet
Hyacinthe Rigaud’s Louis XIV
Pattern
Emperor Justinian and His Attendants uknown artist
Texture
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The tactile quality of
a surface or the
representation or
invention of the
appearance of such
a surface quality
Texture on a surface
affects the values
Texture
Texture can be formed in various ways
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Working 3-D
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The actual textures of
the object can be
imprinted onto the
sculpture
A tactile pattern can
be cut or added to the
surface to mimic the
original
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Working 2-D
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you can create the
illusion of texture with
pattern and value
The actual surface of
your piece can be alter
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Decoupage
Thick paint layers
Gluing real texture
Texture
Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
Principles of Design
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Balance
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Proportion
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Rhythm
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Movement
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Variety (includes
repetition & pattern)
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Emphasis
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Unity & Harmony
Principles of Design
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When elements of design are successfully
used together, the principles are met
The principles all interconnect and parallel
each other. For example:
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Good contrast aids in emphasis as well as
balancing a piece
Rhythm lends to the movement
All the elements and principles help form the
composition
Balance
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Arrangement of parts
achieving a state of
equilibrium between
opposing forces or
influences
Not just shape and
size of objects
Balance
Artist unknown: Dying Warrior
Edward Munch’s The Scream
Balance
Balance
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Asymmetrical (formal)
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Varied or different forms or compositions on
opposite sides of a central axis
Symmetrical (informal)
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Identical or nearly identical forms or
composition on opposite sides of a central
axis
Edouard Manet’s Abar at the Folies-Bergere
Balance
Teresa of Avila in Ecstasy by Gianlorenzo Bernini
Balance
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Balance can be achieved
by:
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Countering dark values
with light values
Warm colors with cool
colors
One larger shape with
many smaller ones
Jan Van Eyck’s “Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife
Proportion
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Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci
The size relationship
of parts to a whole
and to one another
Crucial in accurate
depictions of the
human body
Can be manipulated
or altered as part of
the content
John Singleton Copley’s Samuel Adams
Aphrodite of Melos unknown artist
Proportion
Examples of manipulated
Proportion
Michelangelo's Pieta
Michelangelo’s David
Contrast
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It is a technique for
defining shapes and
creating emphasis:
The elements can be
used in different ways to
create contrast
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color
value
Direction
Intensity
Juxtaposing opposite
elements
Joseph the Carpenter and the Child Jesus
by Georges de la Tour
Rhythm
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The regular or ordered repetition of
dominant and subordinate elements or
units in a design
Can be as simple as a series of points or
as complicated as numerous well-placed
human figures or buildings
Relates closely to pattern
Rhythm
Piet Mondrian’s Nike Dunk
The Robert Shaw Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Rhythm
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humans rely on a universal sense of
timing, like the change of seasons or the
rising and setting of the sun
Intentionally upsetting the rhythm of a
piece can create a sense of unease or
discomfort in the viewer
Rhythm in visual art is achieved through
the creating a sense of movement
Movement
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The sense of motion
or action created in
an artwork
Action within the story
of the piece, it’s
subject
can also be created
with points, lines, and
contrasts to move the
viewer's eye
Emphasis
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Importance given to certain objects or areas in
an artwork
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To emphasize a sentence, you enlarge it or capitalize
it
In art you use the elements of design
Size and scale can also be altered for emphasis
Dominant and subordinate
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Dominance is given to the most important part
Other parts should be subordinate
Emphasis
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Oath of the Horatii by Jacques Louis David
Directional lines as
well as points and
color can be used to
draw attention to a
specific point
Placement of
elements and the
movement work
almost like an arrow
to direct you
Emphasis
Cupid and Psyche by Antonio Canova
Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith and maidservant
with head of Holofernes
Unity
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The bringing together of parts or elements
to form a whole
Seeming whole and complete, with all
parts looking right together
All the elements and principles sum up to
successful unity
Unity
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Unity can be
achieved by:
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Repetition
Proximity
Continuation
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Lines
edges
directions
Calling of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio
Unity
■The
unity of a piece can be disturbed
intentionally as part of the overall statement
Object by Meret Oppenheim
Jean Francois Millet’s The Gleaners