The Elements of Art

The Ingredients for a great

Composition
Prepared By: Luigi E. Paano, LPT.
BY DEFINITION:

The Elements of Art are a

commonly used in analyzing
an artwork. It is usually
combined with the Principles
of Art.
Also Known as the building
blocks of an art work.
What are the elements of art?
The Elements of Art are the “tools” that
artists use to make art. There are 7 of
them:

Line Value Texture

Shape Form Space Color
 IMPORTANCE OF THE
ELEMENTS OFART
Knowing what the elements of art enables us
to
(1)describe what an artist has done,
(2)analyze what is going on in a particular
piece
(3)communicate our thoughts and findings
using a common language.
Also remember: No Elements of Art… No Art
Work!
UNDERSTANDING
THELINE
IN CONTEXT OF VISUAL ARTS
 INTERPRETATION OF
THE JEEPNEY

How many kinds of

lines do you see on
the picture?
Describe how are
the lines
effectively or
ineffectively used
with this drawing?
• Real Lines are the ones that
we draw and the ones that
are the seen.
• Implied Lines are created
through the sense of the
line being there.
 CREATING
DEPTH WITH
LINES
Line Quality
The THICKNESS and THINNESS of lines)
LINES have different thicknesses that
artists call their weight. Thick lines are
heavy and Thin lines are light.
 UNDERSTANDING
THE LINE QUALITY
Heavily Weighted Lines
(thick)
objects appear coming
forward

Lightly Weighted Lines

(thin)
object appears receding
(going back)
DIFFERENT TYPES OF LINES
VERTICAL
HORIZONTAL

ZIG-ZAG

DIAGONAL CURVED
Line
A line is a path that a point takes through
space. Lines can be thick, thin, dotted
or solid. They can make straight
movements, zig-zags, waves or curls.

They may be horizontal

vertical
diagonal
Horizontal Lines are generally restful,
like the horizon, where the sky meets
land
Vertical lines seem to be reaching, so
they may seem inspirational like tall
majestic trees or church steeples
Diagonal lines tend to be disturbing.
They suggest decay or chaos like
lightening or falling trees
 Lines can convey emotion as well.
They may show excitement, anger,
calmness, tension, happiness and many
other feelings.Because of this, some are
said to be expressive.
 UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF
DIFFERENT TYPES OF LINES IN AN ART WORK

• Lines create a
sense of emotion
to an art work
• Lines create
direction, literally
or implied, to
convey a feeling
 VERTICAL LINES
• Create a sense of growth
or height
These lines move up and
down without a slant
• and can give the
appearance of height
because they are
perpendicular to the
•
earth, extending
upwards toward the sky.
In fashion vertical lines
People Power
create a long and lean Monument
Eduardo Castrillo
Bulakeña Juan Luna silhouette
HORIZONTAL LINES
• Create a sense of
relaxation
Untitled Landscape
painting by Oscar T. • These lines move right
Navarro
to left and suggest a
feeling of rest
or repose because
objects parallel to the
earth are at rest
Reclining •Stagnant to the eye
Nude
BenCab and may create a
feeling of laziness or
being boring
 DIAGONAL LINES

• Diagonal lines are

neither vertical
nor horizontal and
Hills of Nikko Joya
Fisherman with Catch
Ang Kiukok convey a feeling of movement.
•Objects in a diagonal position feel unstable
because they are either about to fall or are
already in motion
•Diagonal lines create a sense of tension with
the edges of the paper and thus the picture
becomes exciting.
Untitled comic strip Infinity Series Icarus Fernando
Menny Eusobio Martin Mark Justiniani Fernando Zobel

PARALLEL LINES

•Create a sense of
excitement
•Fast moving eye
ZIG-ZAG LINES

• Create a sense of chaos

• Fast moving eye
• These lines slant and
are diagonal lines
connected at each
BLOOD COMPACT,
Vicente Manansala point. These lines can
portray action and
excitement.
SPIRAL & CURVE LINES
Create a sense of
infinity/never ending
movement
•

Feminine
• and graceful s-
curves
•

Very •organic and free flowing

feeling is created
The curve of a line can
convey energy. Soft, shallow
The Nose Flute
Carlos “Botong” Francisco curves recall the curves of
the human body and often
have a pleasing, sensual
quality
Expressive Lines tend to be found in
nature and are very organic
Other lines that are very measured,
geometric, directional and angular are
called Constructive lines. They tend to
appear to be man-made because of
their precision.
ELEMENT OF ART
SHAPE & FORM
Shape
Shape is created when a line becomes
connected and encloses space. It is the
outline or outward appearance of
something. Shapes are 2 Dimensional
(2-D) which means there are 2 ways
they can be measured.
You can measure its HEIGHT and its
WIDTH.

There are two basic types of shape.

The 2 types of shape

Geometric shapes have smooth even

edges and are measurable. The include
the square, the circle, the triangle and
the rectangle.
Organic shapes have more complicated
edges and are usually found in nature.
Leaves, flowers, ameba, etc.
Form
A Form is a shape that has become 3-
Dimensional (3-D) Form has HEIGHT,
WIDTH and DEPTH--which is the 3rd
dimension.Depth shows the thickness of
the object. Forms are NOT flat like
shapes are!
Turning Shapes into Forms
A triangle becomes a cone or a pyramid

A square becomes a cube

 Turning Shapes into Forms
A rectangle can become a box or a cylinder

In order to turn a circle into a sphere, you

must shade it. You can’t add another side to
it!
Value
Value is the lightness or darkness of a
color. Value makes objects appear
more real because it imitates natural
light. When showing value in a work of
art, you will need a LIGHT SOURCE.

A light source is the

place where the light is
coming from, the
darkest areas are
always on the opposite
side of the light.
 Value
In order to have a successful drawing, you will
need to show a full value range, which
means that there are very light areas, middle
tones, and very dark areas. This is a way of
giving a work of art Contrast.
In drawing value
can be added
several ways:
Ways value can be added:
Cross-hatching is when you use irregular
lengths of
parallel lines
that cross over each
other diagonally. The
closer together the
lines are placed, the
darker the value.
 Ways value can be added
Stippling is the use of dots to create shade.
This is
accomplished by
placing dots very
close together to
create dark values
and farther apart
to create lighter
values.
Ways value can be added
Soft shading is when you use your pencil
to create soft gradual movements from
one value to the next using full value
range.
Color
Color can add interest and reality to artwork.
The use of a 12-step color wheel will help us
understand color more effectively. When light
is reflected through a prism, colors can be
seen

These colors are: Red, Yellow, Orange, Green,

Indigo, Blue and Violet
Remember the anagram: ROY G BIV
Color Wheel
A long time ago, artists decided that these
colors would be more useful to them if
they were placed in a wheel fashion.
This became known as the color wheel
Color
There are 3 primary colors:
Red, Yellow and Blue

These colors are primary for 2

reasons:
1. They can’t be mixed to be made
2. They make all the other colors on the
color wheel
Color
When you mix 2 primary colors together,
you get a secondary color. For example:
Red and Yellow=Orange

Red and Blue=Violet

Yellow and Blue= Green

Color
When you mix a primary and a secondary color
together you get an intermediate (or tertiary)
color For example:

Red and Orange= Red-Orange

Yellow and Green=Yellow-Green
Blue and Green=Blue-Green
Red and Violet=Red-Violet
Yellow and Orange=Yellow-Orange
Blue and Violet=Blue-Violet
Color Schemes
Color is divided into groups based on the way
they are placed on the color wheel:
3-4 colors “next-door-neighbors” to each other
creates an analogous color scheme
Color schemes
2 colors that are directly opposite each
other (going across the center) creates
a complimentary color scheme
Color Schemes
A Split-Complimentary color scheme is
a complimentary color and the two
colors on either side of its compliment.
Color Schemes
A Triadic color scheme uses 3 colors
that are equally spaced apart on the
color wheel
Color Schemes
When you use only one color plus its tints
and shades, you are using a
monochromatic color scheme

A tint is a color plus white

A shade is a color plus black
Colors have temperatures
Colors can convey emotion and feelings too.

Have your ever felt “blue?”

Been “green’ with envy?
Called a “yellow” coward?

It is important that artists understand the effects

of color when they are trying to get the
viewers of their art to feel a particular way.
Color Temperatures
Warm colors are those that have Reds,
Yellows and Oranges. Warm colors
seem to advance (or come forward) in
an artwork.

Cool colors are those that have Blues,

Greens and Violets. Cool colors seem
to recede (or go back into) an artwork.
 Texture

Texture is the way the surface of an object

actually feels.

In the artistic world, we refer to two types of

texture---tactile and implied
Tactile (or Real) Texture
Tactile (or Real) Texture is the way the
surface of an object actually feels.
Examples would be sandpaper, cotton
balls, tree bark, puppy fur, etc.
Implied Texture
Implied Texture is the way the surface of
an object looks like it feels. This is the
type of texture that artists use when
they draw and paint. Textures may look
rough, fuzzy, gritty, or scruffy, but can’t
actually be felt.
Space
Space is basically divided into 3 parts: Foreground,
Middle Ground and Background

Generally, the background area is considered to be the

upper 1/3 of the picture plane. The middle ground
area is considered to be the middle 1/3 of the picture
plane. The foreground area is considered to be the
lower 1/3 of the picture plane.
Space
Space can be shallow or deep depending
on what the artist wants to use. Shallow
space is used when the artist has
objects very close to the viewer.
Space
Deep Space
may show
objects up
close but
objects are
shown far
away
too.
Space
Positive and Negative space is a way that
an artwork is divided. When planning a
work of art, both areas must be
examined so that they balance one
another. Drawing items running off the
page and zooming in on objects are
ways to create visual interest within a
work.
Space
Positive space is the
actual object(s) within
the artwork
Negative Space is the
area in and around the
objects. It is the
“background” and it
contributes to the
work of art---you can’t
have positive space
without negative space
Space
Perspective is also a way of showing space in
a work of art. Perspective is when the artist
uses a vanishing point on the horizon and
then creates a sense of deep space by
showing objects getting progressively smaller
as they get closer to the vanishing point.
Space
Objects may overlap as well. When objects are
overlapped it is obvious that enough space
had to be in the picture to contain all the
objects that have been included
The Elements of Art in Review
The Elements of Art are the “tools” that
artists use to make art. They are the
basic “foundation” of a good
composition

Line Value Texture

Shape Form Space Color
PRINCIPLES OF
ART
WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE
COMPOSITION
 UNDERSTANDING THE
PRINCIPLE OF ART
• The Principles of Visual Art are the set of
rules or guidelines of visual art that are to
be considered when considering the
impact of a piece of artwork.
• They are combined with the Elements of
Art in the production of art.
• The principles are Movement, Unity,
Harmony, Variety, Balance, Proportion,
Contrast, Emphasis, Rhythm and Pattern.
MOVEMENT
•Movement shows actions, or
alternatively, the path the viewer's eye
follows throughout an artwork.
•Movement is caused by using
elements under the rules of the
principles in picture to give the feeling
of action and to guide the viewer's
eyes throughout the artwork.
EXAMPLE OF MOVEMENT

“Andres Bonifacio “ Carlos

"Botong" Francisco

"After the Day's Toil“

Vicente Alvarez
UNITY
•Unity is the wholeness that is
achieved through the
effective use of the Elements
and Principles of Art.
•The arrangement of elements
and principles to create a
feeling of completeness.
EXAMPLE OF UNITY
HARMONY
•Harmony is achieved in a body of
work by using similar elements
throughout the work, harmony
gives an uncomplicated look to a
piece of artwork. This is achieved
through repetition and rhythm.
Repetition reemphasizes visual
units, connecting parts and
creating an area of attention.
•In visual design means all parts of
the visual image relate to and
complement each other. Harmony
pulls the pieces of a visual image
together.
•Color Harmony or Color Theory is
also considered a principle through
the application of the design
element of color.
EXAMPLE OF HARMONY
VARIETY

•Variety (also known as

alternation) is the quality or state
of having different forms or types.
•The differences which give a
design visual and conceptual
interest: notably use of contrast,
emphasis, difference in size and
color.
EXAMPLE OF VARIETY
BALANCE
Balance is arranging elements so that no one part
of a work overpowers, or seems heavier than any
other part.
3 Kinds of Balance:
1.Symmetrical (or formal) balance is when both
sides of an artwork, if split down the middle,
appear to be the same. The human body is an
example of symmetrical balance.
2.Asymmetrical balance is the balance that does
not weigh equally on both sides.
3.Radial balance is equal in length from the
middle. An example is the sun.
EXAMPLE OF BALANCE
“Magkabilaan”
By Anoy Catague

Lithsome Wave in Blue Green

Anita Magsaysay-Ho By Ramon Orlina
CONTRAST
•Contrast is created by using elements
that conflict with one another.
•Contrast is created using
complementary colors or extremely
light and dark values.
•Contrast creates interest in a piece
and often draws the eye to certain
areas.
EXAMPLE OF CONTRAST
 PROPORTION
• Proportion is a measurement of the size and quantity
of elements within a composition.
• In ancient arts, proportions of forms were
enlarged to show importance. This is why Egyptian
gods and political figures appear so much larger than
common people.
• The ancient Greeks found fame with their accurately-
proportioned sculptures of the human form.
• Beginning with the Renaissance, artists recognized
the connection between proportion and the illusion
of 3-dimensional space.
EXAMPLE OF PROPORTION

Ronald Ventura, ‘Blind Child’, 2011. Oil on canvas

 EMPHASIS
an area or object within the artwork that draws
attention and becomes a focal point.

Subordination is defined as minimizing or toning

down other compositional elements in order to
bring attention to the focal point.

Focal point refers to an area in the composition

that has the most significance, an area that the
artist wants to draw attention to as the most
important aspect.
EXAMPLE OF EMPHASIS

Untitled Work “Mona Lisa Overdose”

Ronal Ventura Luis Lorenzana
PATTERN/RHYTHM
•Pattern and rhythm (also known
as Repetition) is showing
consistency with colors or lines.
•It is indicating movement by the
repetition of elements.
•Rhythm can make an artwork
seem active.
EXAMPLE OF PATTERN/RHYTHM

Faulty Landscapes Installation art piece By Nilo

Ilarde
(Photo by At Maculangan)

Cloud Child' by Iyan De Jesus