Elements of Art
The basic parts of an
artwork.
Elements of art
• Line
• Shape
• Form
• Color
• Texture
• Value
• Space
Line
The path of an object through
space or a mark made by an
object.
Use three words to describe a
line
Type
Direction
Size, color,
etc
Straight
Vertical
Thick
Wavy
Horizontal
Thin
Zig Zag
Diagonal
Short
Curved
Long
Broken
Green
Describe the Lines in this
work!
Shape
• Shape is a 2-dimensional
enclosed space.
• It has width and height.
Shapes can be organic or
geometric.
GeometricMan-made shapes that have set rules,
ex.- square, circle, etc…
OrganicShapes that are found in nature that
have no set rules.
Describe the shapes in this
artwork.
Form
• Form is a 3-dimensional enclosed space.
It has width, height, and depth.
• Form can also be geometric or organic.
• When describing form tell what the form
is and how the artist made it look three
dimensional.
For every geometric shape there is
a corresponding geometric form.
Shape
Form
Square
Triangle
Cube
Cone, pyramid, triangular prism
Circle
Rectangle
Oval
Diamond
Heart
Sphere or Cylinder
Rectangular prism
Egg
Diamond or Prism
Heart
Describe the forms in this
artwork.
Texture
• Texture is the way something
feels or looks like it feels.
• When describing texture you
explain how it looks like it feels
and what the artist did to make it
look that way.
Two Types of Texture
• Visual texture is the way
something looks like it feels- used
in 2-D artworks.
• Actual/Tactile texture is the way
something actually feels- used in
3-D artworks.
Describe the texture in this
artwork
Space
Definition oneThe area around, above, between,
below and within things.
Positive Space is area within what
artist creates!
(black area)
Negative Space is the area left over.
(white area)
Definition Two
Creating the illusion of depth in an
artwork.
Depth is making an object appear to be
3-d.
This is what you should focus on when
you describe space in an artwork!
• Foreground- the objects at the front
of the artwork.
• Middle ground- the objects in the
middle area of the artwork.
• Background- the objects farthest
way in the artwork.
Two Types of
Perspective
• Atmospheric Perspective- blurring
objects, making them darker, or
changing their size to make them look
farther away.
• 1-Point Perspective- Using diagonal
lines to make objects appear to go
back into space.
One- Point Perspective
3 Parts to 1- Point
Perspective
• Horizon Line- Line where earth meets
the sky.
• Vanishing Point- point on the horizon
line where all lines meet.
• Orthogonal- Diagonal lines that meet
at vanishing point.
How did the artist create
space?
Value
• Value is the lightness and
darkness of a color.
• Value is actually a property of
color. When you discuss value
you also should discuss color.
Value
Tints are created when you add white to a color
For example- red + white= pink.
Shades are created when you add black to a color
For example- red + black = burgundy.
A set of color values is the base color (like red) with its
tint and shadefor example red, pink (tint) and burgundy (shade.)
How has the artist used value?
Color!
• Color is what the eye sees when
light is reflected off of an object.
• Pure color only comes from pure
white light.
• Without light, there is no color!
Color cont…
• Color travels in white light in the
color spectrum.
• When white light is passed
through a prism you get the
colors separated- ROYGBIV.
Color Vocabulary
• Hue is the name of a color.
• Intensity is the brightness or dullness of a
color.
• The color wheel is a tool used for
organizing color.
• Color Groups/Color Schemes are families
of colors that have similarities.
Color Wheel
Primary Colors•Basic Colors, cannot be created
with other colors.
•Red, Yellow, and Blue!
Secondary ColorsCreated by mixing two primary
colors.
Orange, Green, and Violet (Purple)
Intermediate/Tertiary Colorscreated by combining one primary and
one secondary.
Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet,
blue-violet, blue-green, and yellowgreen.
Warm Colorsfeel warm and seem to come
forward in artworks- from yellow
to red-violet on the color wheel.
Cool colorsfeel cool and calming, seem to go
backwards in artworks. From yellowgreen to violet on the color wheel.
Neutral ColorsNot found on the color wheel
Can be created by combining all
three primaries or two
complements.
Black, brown, white, gray.
Complementary colorsColors directly across from each other on
the color wheel.
When put next to each other, they appear
brighter.
When combined, they make a neutral color.
Analogous ColorsColors next to each other on the color
wheel. They share a common color.
For example- red, red-violet, and violet.
Monochromaticusing tints and shades of only one
color.
Describe the colors in this
artwork.