Line (art element)
line is a point moving in space. Lines can be two or three-dimensional. they can add pattern and movement or texture. Value (art element) is the amount of light and dark in a design. It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between. Value can be used with color as well as black and white. Shape (art element) is created when lines are combined to form a square, triangle, or circle. Shapes can be organic (irregular shapes found in nature) or geometric (shapes with strong lines and angles such as circles, triangles, and squares). Form (art element) is a three-dimensional shape with length, width, and depth. Balls, cylinders, boxes and pyramids are forms Space (art element) is the area between and around objects. Increasing or decreasing the amount of space around an object affects the way we view that object. Color (art element) differentiates and defines lines, shapes, forms, and space. Even black and white images have a huge number of different shades of gray. Texture (art element) is the surface quality that can be seen and felt. Textures can be rough or smooth, soft or hard. Textures are often implied. For instance, a drawing of a rock might appear to have a rough and hard surface, but in reality is as smooth as the paper on which it is drawn. Balance (design element) is created in a work of art when textures, colors, forms, or shapes are combined harmoniously. In this image, notice how the photographer achieves a sense of balance by dividing the image into two sections: one half occupied by trees, and the other half by the water. Contrast (design element) is the use of elements of design that do not seem to go together to hold the viewer's attention and to guide the viewer's eye through the artwork by creating visual tension. In an image, elements that are quite different show contrast. Movement (design element) is the way a viewer's eye is directed to move through a composition, often to areas of emphasis. Movement can be directed by lines, contrasting shapes, or colors within the artwork. Emphasis (design element) or focus is created in a work of art when the artist contrasts colors, textures, or shapes to direct your viewing towards a particular part of the image. Pattern (design element) is the repetition of a shape, form, or texture across a work of art. Rhythm (design element) is the repetition of pattern to create the expectation that the pattern will continue. Proportion & Scale (design element) is created when the sizes of elements in a work of art are combined harmoniously. Sometimes changes in Scale - making large things small or large things small - can change or perceptions. Unity or Harmony (design element) is created when the principles of analysis are present in a composition and in harmony - things go together. Some images have a complete sense of unity, while some artists deliberately avoid formal unity to create feelings of tension and anxiety. Unity is the other end of the spectrum from contrast. |