The 7 Elements of Art

Introduction

Every time you create an artwork there are 7 elements, or

components, that your artworks consists of. More often than not we
just take these elements for granted, or don't even give them a
second thought.

They are however critical to the success of your artwork. By keeping

them in mind as plan and create your artwork, you will end up with a
much better artwork.

One that will be easier to look at as the person's eye will flow through
your artwork more fluently. You will have control over how their eye
moves through your painting - you will be able to lead them through
the painting.

This is just one of the benefits of knowing the 7 elements of art. Let's
dive right in by looking at what these 7 elements are:

What are the 7 Elements of Art?

The seven elements of art are line, shape, form, space, value, color
and texture. These elements are the essential components, or
building blocks, of any artwork. Any good artwork should consist of
these 7 ingredients.

Element 1 - Line

Line is the most basic element of art. Without line the other elements
couldn’t exist so let's start here and then we will gradually go more
advanced.

A line can be thought of as a moving dot. If the dots overlap, it’s a

solid line, if they don’t it’s a dotted line. A line has a beginning and an
end and by its existence, creates an edge.

If a line joins up it forms an outline (also called a contour). An outline

creates a shape.

Lines can be:

Long or short

Thick or thin
A thick line gives emphasis and advances while a thin line recedes.

Straight
Straight lines on the other hand are more mechanistic and dynamic
and rarely found in nature.
Curved
Curved lines change direction gently with no sharp angles and
suggest comfort and ease to the viewer. Curved lines most often
relate to the natural world.

Zigzag
Zigzag lines alter direction fast and create feelings of unrest, turmoil
and movement.
Diagonal
Diagonal lines, give movement and dynamism to a composition.

Horizontal
Horizontal lines create the feeling of stability and calm.
Vertical
Vertical lines give the impression of height and strength and often
have a spiritual connotation.
Imaginary
Lines can be imaginary or implied; for example line of sight can be a
very strong albeit invisible line along which the viewer’s eye travels.
Also a pointing finger can send the viewers eye on a journey through
the painting.
 Three Dimensional
Lines alone can also be used to create a three dimensional effect,
(depth, in a 2-dimensional artwork. Hatching lines (straight or curved)
are used to turn shape into form using value as seen the works of the
masters like Rembrandt.

In summary lines can:

 Describe 2-dimensional shapes and 3-dimensional forms

 Create feelings of movement and emotion
 Create value and thereby show the direction of light
 Change 2-dimensional shapes into 3-dimensional forms with value
 Depict texture

Element 2 - Shape

When a line meets up to enclose a space, a shape is formed.

Shapes can be:

Geometric or organic.

Shapes are 2-dimensional, i.e. they have height and width but no
depth e.g. a square. The best way to remember the shape element is
to think of an outline.
Positive or Negative Shapes

The object you draw on your page is a shape enclosed in a frame.

This frame may be a box you drew to designate the edges of your
drawing area or the edge of the page if you didn’t draw a box. The
object you draw is the positive shape. The rest of the space in your
box (or if you didn’t draw a box then the rest of the page) is called
negative shape.

Element 3 - Form

Form is the next step up from shape as we now add depth to it to

create a three dimensional form.
A square (shape) vs a cube, a triangle vs a cone etc. etc. Form
encloses volume i.e. height, width as well as depth.

In drawing and painting form can only be implied because they are 2-
dimesional (flat) media. Artists must use tricks to fool the viewer’s
eye so as to create the illusion of the third dimension i.e. depth. This
is known as Trompe l’oeil and is achieved using tools like value
(shading), colour and contour lines.

Here you can see how shading has been used to create the illusion of
3-dimensional objects on a flat wall:

Like shapes, forms can be geometric or organic.

Organic forms are common in nature while geometric forms are more
characteristic of architecture and man-made items. Nature however
also uses geometric forms on occasion. Examples are crystals and
honeycombs.
Element 4 - Space

Space is what lies between, around or within an object.

To show space in a 2-dimensional medium the artist must use

techniques to create the illusion of space between items that are in
reality on a flat surface.

How do artists create this feeling of space between objects?

Overlapping

When an object is drawn or painted on top of another object the

viewer’s eye interprets this as one object being in front of another
implying there must be a space between them.
Placement

Objects higher up in the picture plane will seem to the viewer’s eye to
be further away than objects placed low down in the picture frame.

Size

Smaller objects look as if they are further away than larger objects.
Notice how much smaller the house is in relation to the flowers.
Detail

The further away an object, the less detail is visible to the viewer. By
purposely reducing the amount of detail in an object it will appear
further away than an object with greater detail.
Colour and Value

Objects in the distance usually appear cooler (bluer) and lighter in

colour. Close up objects appear warmer and darker in value.

Perspective

Can be used to create the feeling of depth on a 2-dimensional

surface. The most commonly used perspective types are linear and 2-
point perspective.

Negative Space

Space can be either positive or negative in the same way as shapes

can.

Negative space is all around the object, which is the (positive space)
subject of the painting.

Negative space is very important and an artist must plan the negative
space as carefully as the main subject.

Is there enough negative space to give the subject room to “breathe”

or does it appear boxed in?

Negative space can be cut to a minimum or eliminated entirely for a

very close up and intimate focus on the subject.

It can be greater on one side than the other, or greater at the top or
bottom.

All choices which will affect how the viewer sees the overall
composition.
Element 5 - Value

Value is how light or dark something is.

There is a scale of light and dark from pure white through to pitch
black. The value of a colour depends on how light or dark it is
compared to the value scale.

Getting the values right is more important than getting the colours
right in painting. Value is what makes it possible to show 3-
dimensional forms in a 2-dimensional surface.

By increasing differences in value, contrast is increased as well. A

highlight will look brighter when surrounded by a dark value.
Decreasing contrast will make objects visually recede into the
picture plane and draw less attention.

The focal point of a painting is where you want to add the most
contrast as this high contrast automatically draws the viewer’s eye.
If a painting is done on the lower (darker) edge of the value scale it is
called a “low key” painting. Low key paintings give rise to a heavy,
mysterious, dramatic, sometimes brooding feeling in the viewer.
By contrast “high key” paintings take their range of values from the
upper end of the value scale and create emotions of lightness,
quickness, spirituality etc.

Most paintings however use the full range of values from light to dark.

Value is what artists use to portray light and form. The further from
the light the darker the value.
How value changes determines the form of an object.

If there’s a gradual transition in value it conveys to the viewer that

the surface is gently rounded. This is called a soft edge.

If however there is a rapid transition between values it means there

is an edge. This is called a hard edge.

Value is also used to create shadows which show light direction and
anchor the object, preventing it from appearing as though it is
floating.

Element 6 - Colour
Colour is created when light is reflected into the viewer’s eye.

In art, colours are arranged on a colour wheel. The colour wheel was
developed by Isaac Newton who took the colour spectrum and bent it
into a circle.

The colour wheel shows primary colours, (colours that can’t be

mixed), secondary colours (made by mixing two primaries) and
tertiary colours (made by mixing a primary and secondary colour).
Colour theory helps the artist to mix desired colours from primary
colours. It’s only a theory and can’t be proven but it is nevertheless
useful to the artist. Colour theory is based on the colour wheel, colour
value and on which colours work well together - also called colour
schemes.

There are various colour schemes which define the primaries. The
most common is the Red, Yellow, Blue model. Another popular
scheme uses Cyan, Magenta and Yellow as the primaries. There are
several other and each works well in different situations.

Colour is described by its hue – red, green etc. (Hue the name we give
a colour.)

A colour has intensity called chroma, also known as saturation,

brightness or purity. The more pure the colour is (less of other
colours mixed in), the more intense or saturated it is. In painting only
small amounts of saturated colours are usually used as accents. Too
much saturated colour can give a garish result. The chroma of a
colour is not the same as its value.

Colours also have value. Value is how light or dark the colour is, as
discussed in Element 5 above. Each colour falls on the value scale
from light to dark. Yellow would be near the top (light end) of the
scale while purple would be found near the bottom end. To change
the value of a colour you follow the Colour Mixing Rules.
Art supply stores sell interactive colour wheels which are essential to
the artist working with colour. I recommend this Color Wheel.

Element 7 - Texture
Actual texture is the way an object feels to the touch.

Drawing or painting texture on a 2–dimensional, flat surface is a

challenge for artists. The artist must instead convey the illusion of
the actual texture to the viewer on the flat surface.

How this is done is by the careful use of value and specific marks /
brush strokes which then mimic the actual texture.

Every textured surface reflects light in a very particular way. Think of

the difference in texture between a chrome ball and a concrete ball.
The artist, through careful observation and the use of light and dark
values, recreates this actual texture visually on the picture plane.

You can follow our tutorial in Drawing Weathered Textures to get a

feel for how this is done.
It is possible to create actual 3D texture on a flat surface by the
addition of texturing compounds which create a raised surface.
Impasto paste is one way or you could even add sand etc. to the
paint. Even thick paint will leave the texture of the brush marks for
the viewer to see.

You can follow our tutorial on Texture Painting Techniques to see

how you can add texture to your canvas.
 It is also possible to create patterns by the repetition of shapes that
creates 2D texture. This is often used in Op Art. (Optical Art).

Conclusion

I think you will agree that you have been using many of the seven
elements throughout your artworks without even realising it.

Now that you are however aware of these elements, you can look out
for them as well as look out for ways to incorporate more of them into
your artworks.

This will add extra depth, dimension, texture and interest to your
artworks, taking them to a whole new level.The Elements of Art
This page provides definitions and examples of the elements of art that are used by artists working in various media.
The elements of art are components or parts of a work of art that can be isolated and defined. They are the building
blocks used to create a work of art.
Students who can identify the elements and evaluate their role in the composition of a work of art will be better able
to understand an artist's choices. They will be equipped to address whether a work of art is successful, and why.
Composition
Line
Shape and Form
Space
 Color
Texture

Composition
The arrangement of elements in a work of art. All works of art have an order determined by the artist. Composition
creates a hierarchy within the work, which tells the viewer the relative importance of the imagery and elements
included.
Examples:

Madonna, Saint Thomas Aquinas,

and Saint Paul, Bernardo Daddi,
about 1330
Symmetrical compositions convey a sense of stability. In this example, a single large figure in the center is
flanked by a smaller figure on either side. The shape of the artwork itself is also symmetrical—a vertical line
bisecting the image would create two equal halves that are mirror images of one another.

Wall Clock, French,

1735–1740
Asymmetrical compositions often convey a sense of movement since the elements of the composition are
unbalanced. In this example, the artist used organic forms to create a composition that mimics the movement of
vines growing in an unordered fashion around the clock face.

Line
A line is an identifiable path created by a point moving in space. It is one-dimensional and can vary in width,
direction, and length. Lines often define the edges of a form. Lines can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, straight or
curved, thick or thin. They lead your eye around the composition and can communicate information through their
character and direction.

Examples:
 Landscape with a Calm, Nicholas
Poussin, 1650–1651
Horizontal lines suggest a feeling of rest or repose because objects parallel to the earth are at rest. In this
landscape, horizontal lines also help give a sense of space. The lines delineate sections of the landscape, which
recede into space. They also imply continuation of the landscape beyond the picture plane to the left and right.

Saint Bavo, Haarlem, Pieter Jansz.

Saenredam, 1634
Vertical lines often communicate a sense of height because they are perpendicular to the earth, extending upwards
toward the sky. In this church interior, vertical lines suggest spirituality, rising beyond human reach toward the
heavens.

Cabinet, French, about 1785

Horizontal and vertical lines used in combination communicate stability and solidity. Rectilinear forms with 90-
degree angles are structurally stable. This stability suggests permanence and reliability.

A Storm on the Mediterranean

Coast, Claude-Joseph Vernet,
1767

Fifth Avenue Looking South from

Thirtieth Street, attributed to Silas
A. Holmes, about 1855
Diagonal lines convey a feeling of movement. Objects in a diagonal position are unstable. Because they are neither
vertical nor horizontal, they are either about to fall or are already in motion. The angles of the ship and the rocks on
the shore convey a feeling of movement or speed in this stormy harbor scene.
In a two-dimensional composition, diagonal lines can also indicate depth through perspective. These diagonal lines
pull the viewer visually into the image. For example, in this photograph the diagonal lines lead the eye into the space
to the point where the lines converge.

Pool, Saint-Cloud, Eugène Atget,

1915–1919

Laocoön, Giovanni Battista

Foggini, about 1720
The curve of a line can convey energy. Soft, shallow curves recall the curves of the human body and often have
a pleasing, sensual quality and a softening effect on the composition. The edge of the pool in this photograph gently
leads the eye to the sculptures on the horizon.
Sharply curved or twisted lines can convey turmoil, chaos, and even violence. In this sculpture, the lines of the
contorting bodies and the serpent help convey the intensity of the struggle against the snake's stranglehold.

Arles: View from the

Wheatfields, Vincent van
Gogh, 1888
When repeated, lines can create a pattern. In this example, the artist repeated different kinds of lines across the
composition to create various patterns. Patterned lines also give the image rhythm.

Shape and form

Shape and form define objects in space. Shapes have two dimensions—height and width—and are usually defined
by lines. Forms exist in three dimensions, with height, width, and depth.

Examples:
 Studies for a Ceiling
Decoration, Charles de la
Fosse, about 1680
Shape has only height and width. Shape is usually, though not always, defined by line, which can provide its
contour. In this image, rectangles and ovals dominate the composition. They describe the architectural details for an
illusionist ceiling fresco.

Rearing Horse, Adriaen de

Vries, 1610–1615
Form has depth as well as width and height. Three-dimensional form is the basis of sculpture, furniture, and
decorative arts. Three-dimensional forms can be seen from more than one side, such as this sculpture of a rearing
horse.

Commode, Jean-
François Oeben, about
1760
Geometric shapes and forms include mathematical, named shapes such as squares, rectangles, circles, cubes,
spheres, and cones. Geometric shapes and forms are often man-made. However, many natural forms also have
geometric shapes. This cabinet is decorated with designs of geometric shapes.
Gold Wreath, Greek, 300–100
B.C.
Organic shapes and forms are typically irregular or asymmetrical. Organic shapes are often found in nature, but
man-made shapes can also imitate organic forms. This wreath uses organic forms to simulate leaves and berries.

Saint Mark, French,

about 1410
Repeated shapes and forms also create patterns. On this manuscript page, the repeating organic floral shapes create
a pattern.

Foundations and Slabs, Lakewood,

California, William A. Garnett,
1950
© Estate of William A. Garnett
In this photograph, geometric shapes and lines are repeated to create a pattern.

Space
Real space is three-dimensional. Space in a work of art refers to a feeling of depth or three dimensions. It can also
refer to the artist's use of the area within the picture plane. The area around the primary objects in a work of art is
known as negative space, while the space occupied by the primary objects is known as positive space.

Examples:
 He Can No Longer at
the Age of 98,
Francisco José de
Goya y Lucientes,
1819–1823
Positive and negative space
The relationship of positive to negative space can greatly affect the impact of a work of art. In this drawing, the man
and his shadow occupy the positive space, while the white space surrounding him is the negative space. The
disproportionate amount of negative space accentuates the figure's vulnerability and isolation.

Saint Bavo, Haarlem, Pieter Jansz.

Saenredam, 1634
Three-dimensional space
The perfect illusion of three-dimensional space in a two-dimensional work of art is something that many artists, such
as Pieter Saenredam, labored to achieve. The illusion of space is achieved through perspective drawing techniques
and shading.

Color
Light reflected off objects. Color has three main characteristics: hue (red, green, blue, etc.), value (how light or
dark it is), and intensity (how bright or dull it is). Colors can be described as warm (red, yellow) or cool (blue,
gray), depending on which end of the color spectrum they fall.

Examples:

Christ Crowned with

Thorns, Gerrit van
Honthorst, about 1620
Value describes the brightness of color. Artists use color value to create different moods. Dark colors in a
composition suggest a lack of light, as in a night or interior scene. Dark colors can often convey a sense of mystery
or foreboding.

Light colors often describe a light source or light reflected within the composition. In this painting, the dark colors
suggest a night or interior scene. The artist used light colors to describe the light created by the candle flame.

The Annunciation, Dieric

Bouts, 1450–1455
Intensity describes the purity or strength of a color. Bright colors are undiluted and are often associated with
positive energy and heightened emotions. Dull colors have been diluted by mixing with other colors and create a
sedate or serious mood. In this image the artist captured both the seriousness and the joy of the scene with the dull
gray stone interior and the bright red drapery.

Texture
The surface quality of an object that we sense through touch. All objects have a physical texture. Artists can also
convey texture visually in two dimensions.

In a two-dimensional work of art, texture gives a visual sense of how an object depicted would feel in real life if
touched: hard, soft, rough, smooth, hairy, leathery, sharp, etc. In three-dimensional works, artists use actual
texture to add a tactile quality to the work.

Examples:

Portrait of Agostino
Pallavicini, Anthony
van Dyck, 1621–1623
Texture depicted in two-dimensions
Artists use color, line, and shading to imply textures. In this painting, the man's robe is painted to simulate silk. The
ability to convincingly portray fabric of different types was one of the marks of a great painter during the 17th
century.
Desk, French, 1692–1700
Surface texture
The surface of this writing desk is metallic and hard. The hard surface is functional for an object that would have
been used for writing. The smooth surface of the writing desk reflects light, adding sparkle to this piece of furniture.