Elements of Art
Element of Art
• 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.
Line
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In geometry we see lines as one-dimensional shape and several lines can connect to make three
dimensional 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"
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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.
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Pattern
• 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
• Direction -line
can help the
viewer's eye
travel around a
picture. Without
directing lines,
the overall image
can simply seem
like chaos.
Structure
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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.
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 desirable 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).
• You will shoot ONE black and white photo.
Value
• In photography
value refers to the
range of light in
the photograph from black
through shades of
grey to white.
Value
• 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.
Value
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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.
Value
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In addition to a
good balance of
black and white,
it's desirable to
have a range of
greys to define
shape and
provide shading.
Value
• When taking a
photo make sure
that your light is
correct. Too little
light will result in a
dark "muddy"
print.
Value
• Too much light will
cause highlights
(white areas) to be
washed-out (so
white that no
details are visible).
Colour
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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. Green is created by mixing blue and yellow.
Orange is created by mixing yellow and red. Violet is created by mixing blue and red.
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.
Intensity is the brightness or dullness of a hue. A bright hue is high in intensity.
A dull hue is low in intensity.
Colours opposite each other on the colour wheel are called Complementary Colours.
Monochromatic Colours are different values of the same hue.
Analogous Colours are colours that are side-by-side on the colour wheel and share a hue.
War/cool colours As a group, reds and yellows are considered warm colors and blue a cool color.
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You will shoot - ONE of the following:
- monochromatic
- complementary
- analogous
- warm/cool
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Monochromatic Colours
• Monochromatic
Colours are
different values
of the same hue.
Complementary Colours.
• Colours opposite each
other on the colour
wheel are called
Complementary
Colours.
Monochromatic Colours
are different values of
the same hue.
Analogous Colours
• Analogous
Colours are
colours that
are side-byside on the
colour wheel
and share a
hue.
Warm -cool
• As a group,
reds and
yellows are
considered
warm
colors and
blue a cool
color.
Shape & Form
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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)
Relation (how the objects interact visually and physically with each other).
You will shoot ONE photo that emphasises shape or form.
Shape
• Shape is an area
clearly set off
by one or more
of the other five
visual elements
of art.
Geometric shapes
• 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
Organic shapes are not
regular or even. Their
outlines curve to make
free-form shapes.
Organic shapes are
often found in nature.
Texture
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.
Texture
Space
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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 oth'er 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.
OVERLAPPING
• OVERLAPPING having shapes
overlap one
another.
SIZE
SIZE - Making
distant
shapes smaller
than closer
ones.
PLACEMENT
• PLACEMENT
- Placing
distant objects
higher up in
the picture,
closer ones
lower down.
INTENSITY & VALUE
• INTENSITY &
VALUE - Using
colours that
are lower in
intensity and
lighter in
value for
objects in the
distance.
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE Slanting lines of
buildings and other
objects so they
seem to come
together in the
distance.
FOCUS
• FOCUS Adding more
detail to closer
objects, less
detail to
distant
objects.