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Elements of Art

This document discusses the key elements of art including line, shape, form, color, space, texture, and value. It defines each element and provides examples of how artists use them. The elements help artists communicate through their work and guide viewers to a deeper understanding.

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260 views3 pages

Elements of Art

This document discusses the key elements of art including line, shape, form, color, space, texture, and value. It defines each element and provides examples of how artists use them. The elements help artists communicate through their work and guide viewers to a deeper understanding.

Uploaded by

wavelet
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Elements of art

Elements of art are stylistic features that are included within an art piece to help the artist
communicate.[1] The seven most common elements include line, shape, texture, form, space, colour
and value, with the additions of mark making, and materiality.[1][2] When analyzing these
intentionally utilized elements, the viewer is guided towards a deeper understanding of the work.

Contents
Line
Shape
Form
Color
Space
Texture
Value
Mark Making and Materiality
See also
References
External links

Line
Lines are marks moving in a space between two points whereby a viewer can visualize the stroke
movement, direction and intention based on how the line is oriented.[1][2] Lines describe an outline,
capable of producing texture according to their length and curve.[3] There are different types of lines
artists may use, including, actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and contour lines, which all
have different functions.[3] Lines are also situational elements, requiring the viewer to have
knowledge of the physical world in order to understand their flexibility, rigidity, synthetic nature, or
life.[1]

Shape
A shape is a two-dimensional design encased by lines to signify its height and width structure, and
can have different values of colour used within it to make it appear three-dimensional.[2][4] In
animation, shapes are used to give a character a distinct personality and features, with the animator
manipulating the shapes to provide new life.[1] There are different types of shapes an artist can use
and fall under either geometrical, defined by mathematics, or organic shapes, created by the
artist.[3][4] Simplistic, geometrical shapes include circles, triangles and squares, and provide a
symbolic and synthetic feeling, whereas acute angled shapes with sharp points are perceived as
dangerous shapes.[1] Rectilinear shapes are viewed as dependable and more structurally sound, while
curvilinear shapes are chaotic and adaptable.[1]
Form
Form is a three-dimensional object with volume of height, width and depth.[2] These objects include
cubes, spheres and cylinders.[2] Form is often used when referring to physical works of art, like
sculptures, as form is connected most closely with three-dimensional works..[5]

Color
Color is an element consisting of hues, of which there are three properties: hue, chroma or intensity,
and value.[3] Color is present when light strikes an object and it is reflected back into the eye, a
reaction to a hue arising in the optic nerve.[6] The first of the properties is hue, which is the
distinguishable color, like red, blue or yellow.[6] The next property is value, meaning the lightness or
darkness of the hue.[6] The last is chroma or intensity, distinguishing between strong and weak
colors.[6] A visual representation of chromatic scale is observable through the color wheel that uses
the primary colors.[3]

Space
Space refers to the perspective (distance between and around) and proportion (size) between shapes
and objects and how their relationship with the foreground or background is perceived.[3][7] There
are different types of spaces an artist can achieve for different effect. Positive space refers to the areas
of the work with a subject, while negative space is the space without a subject.[7] Open and closed
space coincides with three-dimensional art, like sculptures, where open spaces are empty, and closed
spaces contain physical sculptural elements.[7]

Texture
Texture is used to describe the surface quality of the work, referencing the types of lines the artist
created.[1] The surface quality can either be tactile (real) or strictly visual (implied).[3] Tactile surface
quality is mainly seen through three-dimensional works, like sculptures, as the viewer can see and/or
feel the different textures present, while visual surface quality describes how the eye perceives the
texture based on visual cues.[8]

Value

The scale between dark (black) and light (white) values.

Value refers to the degree of perceivable lightness of tones within an image.[2] The element of value is
compatible with the term luminosity, and can be "measured in various units designating
electromagnetic radiation".[7] The difference in values is often called contrast, and references the
lightest (white) and darkest (black) tones of a work of art, with an infinite number of grey variants in
between.[7] While it is most relative to the greyscale, though, it is also exemplified within coloured
images.[3]
Mark Making and Materiality
Mark making is the interaction between the artist and the materials they are using.[1] It provides the
viewer of the work with an image of what the artist had done to create the mark, reliving what the
artist had done at the time.[1] Materiality is the choice of materials used and how it impacts the work
of art and how the viewer perceives it.[1]

See also
Style (visual arts)
Principles of art
Perspective (graphical)

References
1. Roxo, Justin. "Elements of Art: Interpreting Meaning Through the Language of Visual Cues" (http
s://login.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/login?qurl=https://search.proquest.com%2fdocview%2f2130125
923%3fpq-origsite%3dprimo). login.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
2. "Vocabulary: Elements of Art, Principles of Art" (http://www2.oberlin.edu/amam/asia/sculpture/doc
uments/vocabulary.pdf) (PDF).
3. "Visual Arts: Elements and Principles of Design" (https://www.incredibleart.org/files/elements2.ht
m). www.incredibleart.org. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
4. Esaak, Shelley. "How Would You Define "Shape"?" (https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-shap
e-in-art-182463). ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
5. Marder, Lisa Marder our editorial process Lisa. "The Definition of Form in Art" (https://www.though
tco.com/definition-of-form-in-art-182437). ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
6. Esaak, Shelley. "How Is Color Defined in Art?" (https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-color-in-a
rt-182429). ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
7. Esaak, Shelley. "How Is Color Defined in Art?" (https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-color-in-a
rt-182429). ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
8. Esaak, Shelley. "Here's how artists use texture and why it's so important in art" (https://www.thoug
htco.com/definition-of-texture-in-art-182468). ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2020-03-29.

External links

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