Elements and Principles of Design by Sandra Hines

Art-- Elements and Principles of Design

Color, value, line, texture, shape, form, and space make up the basic elements of art similar to the way atoms are the basic building blocks of life. The artist uses them to create images that are interesting, creative, thought provoking, and perhaps awaken emotions in the viewer.

Elements of Art

Color

Color is made up of three primary colors, (red, yellow and blue) and three secondary colors (green, orange and violet).

There are tertiary colors between each primary and secondary color. Together they all make up the color wheel. The artist combines colors in a work based on their relationship to each other on the color wheel and depending on the mood desired.

Value

Value in a color is attained by adding white, black, and/or gray to the original color to create depth, light intensity, and contrast of light to darkness.

Line

Line can be an actual mark made by the artist or created when objects are close to one another or by the way they are aligned with each other.

Texture

Physical texture is one we feel - the roughness of a cat's tongue or the smoothness of a satin fabric. On the web, we must depend solely on visual texture. Texture that is only an illusion created by the artist.

Shape and Form

Shape and form have two or three measurable dimensions including width, height, and depth. The three basic 2-D shapes are rectangles, circles, and triangles. The artist uses variations of these basic shapes to create all other shapes.

Space

Space is the areas used, and strategically not used, by the artist to draw the viewer into the piece of art and create interest.

Principles of Design

Balance

Without balance a work of art would appear to be off center and about to topple over. Balance is obtained by the proper placement of objects. Using a balance scale as an example, if something is put on one side, something else needs to be placed on the opposite side to balance it. These opposing objects need not be the same size, shape, or color just as all objects of the same dimensions do not balance on the scales. Some objects are more dense and, therefore, can offset larger objects.

Symmetrical

Asymmetrical

Emphasis

Variety

Contrast

Contrast can be obtained by using darkness and light or by using colors from opposite sides of the color wheel together creating a focal point in the work. An example of this is seen in the work above through the colors nature combined in the green foliage and pink and purple flowers.

Repetition

Alignment

Proportion

by Sandra Hines

Research Resources

John Lovett. "Design and Color." [Online] 1999. URL <http://www.johnlovett.com/test.htm>.

J.L. Morton. "Color Matters." [Online] 2005. URL <http://www.colormatters.com/entercolormatters.html>.

Jennifer Hicks. "Increase Your Profits: Business Writing Made Clear." [Online] 11, March, 1998. URL <http://www.sideroad.com/writing/column10.html>.