Elements & Principles

of
Visual Arts
Elements and Principles of Visual Arts
Elements: Principles:
Line Balance
Shape Emphasis & Focal Point
Form Contrast
Color Movement
Value Variety
Texture Pattern & Repetition
Space Unity
Harmony/Gestalt
 Line
A line is defined as a mark with length and direction, created by a
point that moves across a surface. A line can vary in length, width,
direction, curvature, and color.
Contour, Diagonal, Broken, Curved, Outline, Implied, Vertical, zigzag,
Horizontal, Wavy, Slanted, Continuous, Solid, Narrow, Bold

Jasper Johns, 0-9 (continuous line) Gesture drawing

 Line

Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm

LINE

Andy Goldsworthy
Keith Haring
 Line

Horizontal Lines

Vertical Lines

Diagonal Lines

Curved Lines

Expressive Lines
 Line

Dotted Lines

Broken Lines

Combined Lines

Regular Lines

Double Lines
 Shape
Shape is an enclosed space defined by other
elements of art. Shape is 2-Dimensional

Shape can be:

Geometric: Angular, man-made concept
Organic: curvilinear - found in nature

Fernana Leger, The City Matisse, from the series “Jazz”

Picasso, Three Musicians
 FORM
3 Dimensional Shape. Volume
MC Escher, Self Portrait
 Vincent Van Gogh, Shoes

Tamara de Lempicka
Portrait of Ira P. 1925
 Value
An element of art that refers to luminance or luminosity – the
lightness or darkness of a color.

Value is an especially important element in works of art

when color is absent. This is particularly likely with drawings,
printmaking, and photographs

Kathe Kollwitz,
Self portrait
 Value

Chuck Close Edward Weston,

(made w/ thumbprints!) Pepper
(photograph)
 Texture
Texture refers to the surface quality or "feel" of an object, such as
roughness, smoothness, or softness. Actual texture can be felt
while simulated textures are implied by the way the artist renders
the surface area

Oppenheim
Fur-lined cup
 Texture
Actual and Implied

Albrecht Durer
Rhinocerus

Golsdworthy
 Color
Is an element of art with three properties
1) Hue, the name of the color, e.g. red, yellow, etc. 2)
Intensity or the purity and strength of the color 3) Value,
or the lightness or darkness of the color

Jasper Johns,
Target
(primary colors)
Delauney
Primary Colors
Secondary Colors
Tertiary Colors [Intermediate Colors]
 Wassily Kandinsky
Piet Mondrian
Color Wheel
Color Scheme: Analogous Colors
Color Scheme: Complementary Colors
Color Scheme: Triadic Colors
 Warm Colors
• Colors that are often described as being
higher in temperature
• Reds, oranges, yellows
• Associated with fire and sun
• Optically, appear to advance
• Stimulating and passionate
Warm Colors
 Cool Colors
• Colors that are often described as being
lower in temperature
• Greens, Blues, and Violet
• Associated with water, sky, and spring
• Optically, they appear to recede
• Calming and depressing
Cool Colors
 Color and Mood

Van Gogh, the Night Cafe

Picasso, the Old Guitarist

 Space
Space is the empty or open area between, around, above, below,
or within objects. Shapes and forms are made by the space
around and within them. Space is often called three-dimensional
or two- dimensional.

MC Escher
 Space
Positive space is filled by a shape or form. Negative space
surrounds a shape or form.
 Space/Depth
May be created by overlapping, change in scale,
perspective placement, color theory, or projection toward the
viewer.

David Hockney
Place Furstenberg, Paris, August 7,8,9, 1985 -#11985
Foreground, Middle Ground, Background
 Balance
Balance is a sense of stability in the body of work.
Balance can be symmetrical (formal) or assymmetrical (informal)

Wayne Thiebaud, Around the Cake (formal balance)

Symmetrical/Formal Balance

Diane Arbus, Twins

 Symmetrical Balance

Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper 1495-1498

Asymmetrical Balance

Edgar Degas (informal balance)

Asymmetrical Balance
 Variety
When elements are changed in scale, color, or form.

Stuart Davis

Andy Warhol
 Movement
Movement adds excitement to your work by showing action and directing
the viewers eye throughout the picture plane.

Edward Munch, the Scream

 Movement

Umberto Boccioni,
Unique forms of continuity in space Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending Staircase
Dominance & Subordination
The part of a composition that is emphasized, has the
greatest visual weight, the most important, powerful, or
has the most influence.
 Emphasis & Focal Point
Emphasis - Any forcefulness that gives importance to some feature or
features of an artwork; something singled out, stressed, or drawn attention
to by means of contrast, anomaly, or counterpoint

Focal Point = portion of an artwork's composition on which interest or

attention centers

David Hockney
 Emphasis & Focal Point

Barbara Kruger Rene Magritte

 Pattern & Repetition
Involves multiples of the same element. Repeated elements can vary in
size, color, or axis placement. Repeated elements can create a pattern.
The use of repetition may be applied to all Visual Elements. Motion can be
created by repetition.

William Morris
Arts and Crafts Movement
Pattern & Repetition

Chuck Close, Self Portrait, detail

 Contrast
A large difference between two things,
such as light and shadow, color and black/white

Andy Warhol
 Contrast

David, the Death of Marat

 Unity & Harmony
The quality of wholeness or oneness (Gestalt) that is achieved through the
effective use of the elements and principles of design.

Claude Monet
Haystacks
 Unity

Cezanne

Wayne Theibaud
 Unity

Van Gogh “Starry Night”

What Elements and Principles stand out?
What Elements and Principles stand out?

Goya, “The 5th of May”

What Elements and Principles stand out?

Gauguin
What Elements and Principles stand out?