7 Elements of Art
The Elements Of Art are the building
blocks of art creation. They can be analyzed,
organized, and manipulated by artists. They
are the VISUAL LANGUAGE of art. Each of the
Elements is important. When looking at a work
of art, see if you can identify which Elements
of Art the artist stressed, organized or used to
express a message or to create a mood.
Ben Shahn “Supermarket”
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Songya People “kifwebe mask”
Kathe Kollwitz “Self-Portrait”
Kenneth Snelson “ Needle Tower”
A line is a basic element of art,
referring to a continuous mark,
made on a surface, by a moving
point.
Line
How many types of lines can you make? How
important are lines to our environment? The
artist recognizes the power of the "Line" when
he or she creates a work of art.
What element catches your eye?
Piet Mondrian “Broadway Boogie-Woogie”
“MerryGoRound”
Color
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Many people would argue that the
Element of "Color" has the most effect
on a work of art. Consider what our
world would look like if everything was
black, white and shades of gray? The
effects of "Color" on humans has been
studied many times. Artists have
known that "Color" has a powerful
effect on their works and on the
impressions of the viewers.
Color wheel
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Primary colors
Secondary colors
Tertiary colors
Complimentary colors
Hue:
purest form of a color
Shanon Fitzpatrick “Coral Study”
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Gustav Klimt
“Emilie Floge”
Paul Klee “Ad Parnassem”
Texture
An element of art which refers to the surface
quality or "feel" of an object, its smoothness,
roughness, softness, etc. Textures may be
actual or simulated. Actual textures can be
felt with the fingers (tactile), while simulated
textures (visual) are suggested by the way
the artist has painted certain areas of a
picture.
Louise Nevelson “Sky Cathedral”
Korean Nok masks
Joan Miro “The Policeman”
Cut Paper Collage
Henri Matisse
Shapes
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Shapes are everywhere. More common
ones are given names such as circle or
square. There are an infinite amount of
shape possibilities and combinations.
Two Types: (2-D)
Organic
Geometric
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Specifically, it is an enclosed space, the
boundaries of which are defined by other
elements of art (i.e.: lines, colors, values,
textures, etc.).
Shapes are limited to two dimensions: length
and width. Geometric shapes - circles,
rectangles, squares, triangles and so on - have
the clear edges one achieves when using tools
to create such shapes. Organic shapes have
natural, less well-defined edges (think: an
amoeba, or a cloud).
Sandy Skoglund “Radioactive Cats”
Michelangelo Buonoratti “David”
Frank Gehry
Alexander Calder “Mobile”
Form
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Forms are often called the "threedimensional shapes". Unlike flat, twodimensional areas, Forms are
represented as "three-dimensional". The
great illustrators and sculptors of the world
of art have mastered the Element Form.
Henry Moore “Reclining Figure”
Paul Cezanne “The basket of Apples”
Andrew Wyeth “Christina’s World”
Salvador Dali “The Deterioration of The Persistence Of
Memory”
Space
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Often we do not consider Space when we
create a work of art. It often just seems to
happen. Space creates interest in an
artwork.
Two Types:
Positive (+)
Negative (-)
Ferdinand Leger
Marc Chagall
Value
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Value refers to the lightness or darkness
of a color. It also refers to how artists use
other Elements Of Art to create a sense of
light or dark.
Different Values:
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Tint
Tone
Shade
Review:
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Line
Shape
Space
Form
Texture
Color
Value