Elements of Art and
Principles of Design in 2D Art
Elements
of Art and Principles of Design in 2D Art
Line: A
mark left in the path of a moving point. A mark with length and direction(s) •
Lines can be: vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight, curved, angular or
bent, thick or wide, thin, blurred, fuzzy, controlled, or meandering. • Lines
can create an outline or contour. • Lines are often used to define space or
direct the movement of your eyes.
Shape/Form: An enclosed space defined and determined by other
art elements such as line, color, value and texture. • Shape refers to a closed
space made when a line connects to itself. • Form refers to a shape that is or
appears to be three dimensional, having weight, width, and depth.
Texture: a surface quality that can be seen (simulated
texture) or felt (actual texture
Color: The visible spectrum of reflected light • It
has the 3 attributes of: ---hue(it’s the unique color name) ---value (lightness
or darkness) ---intensity or saturation (purity and strength) • When the spectrum
is organized as a color wheel, the colors are divided into: --- primary (red,
blue, yellow), secondary (orange, green, violet) and intermediate (or tertiary)
colors (orange-red, blue-green, etc.) ---analogous (next to each other) or
complementary (opposites) --warm or color colors (warm colors move forward,
cool colors recede)
Space: The area around, above, below and within an
artwork. • It can be described as: ---two-dimensional (2D) or three dimensional
(3D) ---flat, shallow, or deep ---open or closed ---positive (subject) or
negative (background) • The illusion of space can be created with perspective,
shading, overlapping, or relative scale. • The perception of space can be
created or distorted with optical illusions.
Value: The lightness or darkness of a color. • A value
scale or grayscale shows steps or gradations of lightness and darkness. • When
values that appear next to each other are very different, it’s called contrast.
Artists use contrast to draw your attention to things. • Value changes in color
are called: ---tints when they are lighter than the original color ---shades
when they are darker than the original color)
Principles of Design
Design: The composition of an artwork. Intentionally arranging the
elements of art (listed above) using the principles of organization to create a
unified artwork.
Balance: Parts of a composition can be described as
having weight or dominance. The arrangement of these elements to create a sense
of visual stability or tension is called balance. This is sometimes also
referred to as symmetry. • Balance can be symmetrical (or formal), asymmetrical
(informal), or radial (around a central point, like a flower)
Emphasis/Dominance: The importance given to
certain objects in an artwork. Where your eye goes first. The center of
attention. • The “center of attention is also called the focal point. A
painting can have a main focal point with secondary focal points. • Contrast
creates emphasis and determines the focal point. This can be the contrast in
color, value, texture, shape, space or line.
Proportion: The relationship of the
parts of an artwork to the whole, or of one part to another. Related to size or
scale. (Can also refer to quantity or degree.)
Movement/Rhythm: Movement refers to how
elements are arranged to draw your eye through artwork or imply a sense of
motion. (Some sculpture, video, etc. may have actual motion.) • Rhythm is
a special kind of movement created by repeated components in an artwork. It
refers to the visual tempo or beat as the viewer’s eyes jump rapidly or glide
smoothly from one related element to the next.
Repetition/Pattern: An element that is repeated
in a planned way to create rhythm or unity.
Variety: Using the art elements to
create differences in artwork that add visual interest.
Harmony/Unity: The accentuating of similarities within an artwork to create unity. The opposite of variety. Components that share common traits. A successful combination of art elements that creates a sense of wholeness and visual completion in an artwork. How the artwork functions as a whole, unified piece.
Color
Line
Shape and Form
Shape and Form
Texture
Style
