Elements of Art – Grade 10 Photography - Project #2
We are going to shoot a series of pictures which will help us understand the elements of art.
The elements of art are LINE, SPACE, COLOUR , VALUE, TEXTURE, SHAPE & FORM. We will supply you with the
definition of each of these elements and you will shoot photos which visually explain the definition.
Each of your photos must be multi-layered. Not only must it define one of the elements of art, but it must also
include a subject matter and two camera techniques:
Cityscape
Landscape
Portrait
Still life
Cityscape
Landscape
Portrait
Still life
High angle
Eye level
Low angle
Close up/Macro
Medium Shot
Long Shot
For example: I might take a LINE picture that is a LANDSCAPE which is an EYE LEVEL angle and a LONG SHOT.
(Please note that there are FOUR (4) qualities to the photo and you need to be able to name all 4 qualities).
By the end of this project, you should have a check mark in each of the above boxes – you may even repeat them
as necessary.
After you have taken all the required photos, you will create a PowerPoint presentation which contains all the
pictures. You must include the following:
a) Title (which element of art is this?)
b) A statement sentence like the one given above in the example which states the element, the subject
matter, the camera angle and the distance shot.
c) A brief explanation about why this particular picture defines the element of art (for example, why is your
line picture a line picture? What makes it a line picture?)
Element of Art
An element of art is a basic visual symbol that an artist uses to create visual art. These elements
include: colour, line, shape, form, space and texture. It is through a blending of these elements that you
are able to see the work as the artist meant you to see it.
You will receive a selection of handouts to help you understand the elements of art.
Cityscape
Landscape
A cityscape is the urban
equivalent of a
landscape. In the visual
arts a cityscape (urban
landscape) is an artistic
representation, such as
a painting, drawing, print
or photograph, of the
physical aspects of a
city or urban area.
Landscape The pictorial
aspect of a country.
A space, indoor or
outdoor and natural or
man-made (as in
'designed landscape')
A portion of land or
territory which the eye
can comprehend in a
single view, including all
the objects it contains.
A picture representing
a scene by land or sea,
actual or fancied, the
chief subject being the
general aspect of
nature, as fields, hills,
forests, water. etc.
High Angle
The opposite of the low-angle
shot is the high-angle shot.
The photograph is taken from
above the subject, so the
image we see seems to be
smaller than its surroundings.
High-angle photography can
be used to emphasize space
and distance.
Portrait
A portrait is a painting,
photograph, or other
artistic representation
of a person. Portraits
are often simple head
shots or mug shots and
are not usually overly
elaborate. The intent is
to show the basic
appearance of the
person, and
occasionally some
artistic insight into his
or her personality.
Eye Level
When a photographer
places the Camera at eye
level with the subject, we
the viewers see the shape
and proportions of the
subject as we normally
would.
Still life
A still life is a work of
art depicting an
arrangement of
inanimate objects,
typically commonplace
objects which may be
either natural (flowers,
game, sea shells and
the like) or man-made
(drinking glasses,
foodstuffs, pipes, books
and so on).
Low Angle
The camera can be placed below the
subject, so the viewer will have a sense
of looking up at it. This is called the
low-angle shot: it makes the subject
seem "larger than life." In some
extreme examples the subject is so
distorted that it appears to loom over
its surroundings
Close up
Medium Shot
Long Shot
Generally speaking, close-ups
invite a sense of shared feeling
and intimacy, because the
subject is isolated. If the closeup is of an individual, the
viewer's attention is focused
on the body language and
facial expression
As you might expect, there
is a middle position: the
medium shot. The medium
shot is popular in sports
photography and
advertising because it
allows the viewer to see all
of the main subject and to
recognize at least some of
the background detail.
On the other hand, long shots or wideangle shots can create a sense of
objectivity: there may be more detail
to look at, the objects in the picture
may be small, and the apparent
distance between subject and camera
can create a less-intimate feeling. In
advertising, a photographer may
choose a long shot to link the product
with a certain lifestyle; the long shot
allows the photographer to place the
product in a particular setting and to
show you, the consumer, the details of
that setting.
Line
In geometry we see lines as one-dimensional shape and several lines can connect to make threedimensional shapes. Virtually every photograph has lines in it. Lines can be straight or curved. Lines
are defining borders between components of the photo. Lines do much more than just divide up a picture.
Lines all suggest moods and rhythm, create patterns and indicate directions and structure. Lines are not
passive. They can suggest distance and depth if they also show perspective. They are a strong visual
force that pulls the viewer’s eye around a photograph. They suggest movement and help to focus the
viewer’s attention on certain parts of a photograph. There are three main characteristics of lines in
photography”
Pattern – the lines themselves interact in some interesting way that is more important than any
other element in the photo. These lines suggest repetition.
Direction – line can help the viewer’s eye travel around a picture. Without directing lines, the
overall image can simply seem like chaos.
Structure – line divides a photo into smaller areas, providing a skeleton to support the other
elements and link them together. Think of lines as being the spine of the photo – just like your
spine supports your body, arms, legs and head, lines in photos support the various parts of the
photo.
Your PP Presentation must include 2 LINE pictures that have all three qualities of line - Pattern,
Direction and Structure.
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Value
In photography value refers to the range of light in the photograph – from black through shades
of grey to white. As a general rule, the more CONTRAST a photo has, or the wider the range between
it’s darkest and lightest elements, the greater its visual impact will be. If everything in a photo is either
black or white, with no greys, it will not have a lot of impact. It isn’t something that the eye wants to
keep looking at. In addition to a good balance of black and white, it’s desireable to have a range of greys
to define shape and provide shading. When taking a photo make sure that your light is correct. Too
little light will result in a dark “muddy” print. Too much light will cause highlights (white areas) to be
washed-out (so white that no details are visible).
Your PP Presentation must include 2 VALUE pictures (these must be b/w)
Texture
Texture refers to how things feel or how they look like they might feel if touched. A photograph
is two dimensional. It reproduces a three-dimensional image onto a flat surface. A photographer has to
use visual “tricks” to create the illusion of three-dimensional space. Flattened texture is simply pattern,
and pattern is a combination of lines. For example, a brick wall might LOOK like it has texture but the
photograph is really a flat object. Line and texture are very similar. The difference between them is the
use of light. Texture is more sensitive than light to shifts in lighting. Shooting early or late in the day
draws out the shadows and creates variations on surfaces, adding more texture. Texture holds the
viewer’s eye longer than line.
Your PP Presentation must include 2 or more contrasting texture photos arranged in a diptych or
triptych (2 or more pictures placed side by side via Photoshop)
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Shape & Form
Shape is an area clearly set off by one or more of the other five visual elements of art. Geometric
shapes are precise shapes that look as if they were made with a ruler or other drawing tool. The square,
the triangle, the circle, the rectangle and the oval are the five basic shapes. Organic shapes are not
regular or even. Their outlines curve to make free-form shapes. Organic shapes are often found in
nature. Form is an object with three dimensions. Forms have length and width and depth. Shape helps
convey the nature of a subject. The functions of space can be grouped into three categories: Mass (the
amount of space a shape fills), Proportion (how the mass of one object compares to that of another)
and relation (how the objects interact visually and physically with each other).
Your PP Presentation must contain 2 Shape & Form photos. One of these photos must be Organic in
nature and the other must be a still life.
Colour
Colour is what the eye sees when sunlight or some other light bounces off an object. There are
three properties/traits of colour. Hue is a colour’s name. Red, yellow and blue are PRIMARY HUES.
These three are called Primary Hues because they can be used to mix all the other colours but cannot
themselves be created by mixing any other colours. SECONDARY HUES are green, orange and violet.
INTERMEDIATE HUES are created by mixing one primary hue and one secondary hue. Intermediate
colours have compound names such as Yellow-Orange, Yellow-Green, Blue-Green, etc. Warm Colours
are red, orange and yellow. Cool Colours are green, blue and purple. Monochromatic photos are
photos which have only one type of colour in them but there may be many different shades of that
colour.
Your PP Presentation must include 1 Monochromatic photo, either 1 warm or cool photo, and 1 macro
photo which has been turned into a tile (we will show you how to create this in Photoshop)
Space
Space is the distance or area between, around, above, below and within things. Space is empty until
objects fill it. All objects take up space. Artists have developed some techniques that imply space:
OVERLAPPING – having shapes overlap one another
SIZE – Making distant shapes smaller than closer ones.
FOCUS – Adding more detail to closer objects, less detail to distant objects.
PLACEMENT – Placing distant objects higher up in the picture, closer ones lower down.
INTENSITY & VALUE – Using colours that are lower in intensity and lighter in value for objects in the
distance.
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE – Slanting lines of buildings and other objects so they seem to come together in the
distance.
Every object in a photo has two shapes – the first shape is obvious, the space an object takes up is called
POSITIVE SPACE. The space around an object is called NEGATIVE SPACE. Shape is a careful composition
of the two. Making negative space interesting is the difference between a snap shot and a photograph.
Your PP Presentation will have the following space photos: One photo that combines Overlapping and
Size and Focus and linear perspective. One photo that combines Placement and Intensity and Value.
One photo that shows the difference between positive and negative space.