Colegio De San Gabriel Arcangel

Founded in 1993
Level 1 Accredited - PACUCOA
Area E, Sapang Palay CSJDM Bulacan
Recognized by DepEd, TESDA, and CHED

LAS

NAME: _________________________________ Course and Section: ____________________

ACTIVITY TITLE: ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES of ART

LEARNING TARGET: 1. Enumerate the different elements of visual and auditory arts.
2. Differentiate the principle of arts.
3. Provide some examples of the interrelatedness of some of the elements and principles of art.
4. Explain the relevance of the elements and principles of art in the study of art and its products
(artworks).
AUTHOR: Ernesto Solmerano;/ Bernardo Caslib; Dorothea Garing; Jezreel Anne Casaul

The elements of art are the aspects of an artwork that can be isolated from each other. These elements of art
generally produced when something is done to the medium after the technique is carried out. It must be understood,
however, that all works of art require all elements to be present. Some art forms also necessitate some of the elements as
they are inherent in the very nature of them. For example, sculptures automatically have the following elements with or
without the decision of the artist to include them: shape, form, and space. Without these elements, there is no sculpture
to begin with. Elements are the necessary preconditions for the creation of art.
To enumerate, the elements of art and design are the following: line, shape and form, space, color, and texture.
1. LINE
A line refers to a point moving at an identifiable path-it has length and direction. It also has width. It is one-
dimensional; however, it has the capacity to either define the perimeters of the artwork (edges) and/or become a
substantial component of the composition. Although a line is “simple”, it has variations import not only the visual elements
into the artwork but suggest meaning or message being conveyed by the artist.
A quality that is ascribed to lines is its ability to direct the eyes to follow movement or provide hints as to a work’s
focal point. The orientation in which we are most accustomed to such as the assertive force of gravity grounding objects, or
the sideways or up-and-down vibration that informs us of an earthquake, the gustiness of wind from the window, or the
direction of the rainfall conjures different images of lines.
A. Horizontal and vertical lines – refer to the orientation of the line.
Horizontal lines are normally associated with rest or clam. Landscapes often contain these elements as works like
These connote a visual sense of being parallel to the ground. It also alludes to position of the reclined body at rest.
Vertical lines connote elevation or height, which is usually taken to mean exaltation or aspiration for action.
Together these lines communicate stability and firmness.
B. Diagonal and crooked lines – diagonal lines convey movement and instability, although the progression can be
seen. Crooked or jagged lines are reminiscent of violence, conflict, or struggle.
C. Curved lines – these are lines that bend or coil. They allude to softness, grace, flexibility, or even sensuality.

Lines may not necessarily be explicit or literally shown. As what many examples will portray, implied lines may be
just as powerful.
2-3. SHAPE and FORM
These two are related to each other in the sense that they define the space occupied by the object of art. Shape
refers to two-dimensions: height and width, while form refers to three dimensions: height, width, and depth. Even if
shapes are part of bigger picture, each can be identified by breaking the visual components apart and making distinctions
based on what we know and what we have seen. Two categories can be used as broad distinctions.
 A. Geometric – these shapes find origin in mathematical propositions. As such, its translation and use are often
man-made. These include shapes such as squares, triangles, cubes, circles, spheres, and cones.
B. Organic – these shapes are those readily occurring in nature, often irregular and asymmetrical.
4. SPACE
Space is related to shape and form. It is usually inferred from a sense of depth, whether it is real or simulated. Real
space is three-dimensional. Sculptures are perfect example of artworks that bear this element. However, this can only be
manifested in two-dimensional artworks using different techniques, or the use (or non-use) of area around a drawing or
picture.
However, not all works are sculptures. In two-dimensional artworks, they may be implied.
a. Positive and negative space – usually identified with the white space is the negative space. The positive space is
the space where shadow is heavily used.
b. Three-dimensional space – can be simulated through a variety of techniques such as shading. An illusion of
three-dimensionality can be achieved in a two-dimensional work.
5. COLOR
It is perhaps one of the elements that enhances the appeal of an artwork. Its effect has range, allowing the viewer
to make responses based on memory, emotion, and instinct. This element is a property of light, as it is reflected off the
object. Color is not intrinsic to an object and without light, one cannot perceive color. Theory that was first unraveled by
the experiments undertaken by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666. A ray of sunlight passing through a prism reveals an array of
colors akin to that of a rainbow.
The color wheel corresponds to the first property of color, hue.
a. HUE – this dimension of color gives its name. It can be subdivided into:
● Primary colors – red, yellow, and blue

● Secondary colors – green, orange, and blue

● Tertiary colors – six in total, these hues are achieved when primary and secondary colors are mixed.
b. VALUE – refers to the brightness or darkness of color. This is used by artists to create the illusion of depth and solidity, a
particular mood, communicate a feeling, or in establishing a scene (e.g. day and night).
● Light colors – taken as the source of light in the composition

● Dark colors – the lack or even absence of light

We can identify the color even when a range is presented to us. Expectations are also established based on the
notion that yellow is within the light value, whereas, violet is in the dark. Each primary color has a range of values based on
the addition and diminishing quantity and quality of light.
● Tint – is a lighter color than the normal value (e.g. pink for red)

● Shade – this is a darker color than the normal value (e.g. maroon for red)
c. INTENSITY – is the color’s brightness or dullness. It is identified as the strength of color, whether it is vivid or muted. To
achieve a specific intensity of a color, one may add either gray or its complementary color.
● Bright or warm colors – positive energy

● Dull or cool colors – sedate/soothing, seriousness or calm

To better understand intensity of color, color harmonies are to be considered. In interior design, we often hear
designers refer to color schemes – a guide for selecting not only wall paint but also furniture and décor. Color harmonies
are also integral considerations not only for pictorial arts but also for another art forms.
● Monochromatic harmonies – use the variations of a hue.

● Complementary harmonies – involve two colors opposite each other in the color wheel. Since they are at contrary
positions, the reaction is most intense.
● Analogous harmonies – make use of two colors beside each other in the color wheel.
 Other harmonies have emerged such as triadic harmonies, which make use of three colors from equidistant sites
within the color wheel. This however, does not mean that artists will limit themselves to these kinds of harmonies. These
are but jump-off points that artists and other creatives use.
All in all, color presents a multitude of possibilities that affects how works of art are taken in by the viewer.
6. TEXTURE
Texture can be either real or implied. This element in artwork is experienced through the sense of touch (and
sight). This element renders the art object tactile. It is commonly associated with textiles. the desired outcome is achieved
using the techniques employed by the artist in creating the work.
a. Textures in two-dimensional plane – texture can be implied using one technique or a combination of other
elements of art. By creating this visual quality in the artwork, one can imagine how the surface will feel it if it was to be
touched. Some of the words used to describe texture are the following: rough or smooth; hard or soft; hairy; leathery;
sharp or dull, etc. To be able to simulate the texture of a surface in a flat, two-dimensional plan is one important skill that
an artist must be familiar with, especially if his idea or concept necessitates it.
b. Surface texture – refers to the texture of the three-dimensional art object.

The elements of art make it possible to engage with the visual and tactile qualities of the artwork through a
“common language” that may be widely understood. Through these elements, there is something from which the idea,
concept, message, or intended mood of the artist may be inferred. It offers a starting point or a baseline from which
analysis is called formal analysis of art.

PLANES and PERSPECTIVE

Some art forms work with actual spaces, such as sculptors, architects, and stage designers. However, with pictorial
art that is two-dimensional, notions of depth and hence perspective requires the implementation of principles and
techniques in creating an illusion that will fool the eye to three-dimensionality when in reality there is none. Picture plane
is the actual surface of the painting or drawing, where no illusion of a third dimension exists, Here, the elements lay flat, as
if one was looking through a window into what lies on the other side of the glass.
During the Renaissance, specifically in the fifteenth century, chiaroscuro was developed. It made use of light and
dark contrasts and tones in which paintings not only looked three-dimensional, but also more dramatic. Aside from this
technique, linear perspective changed the way pictorial representation was done.
Its use was based on the following observations:
A. As forms and objects recede, the smaller they become.
B. We were taught that parallel lines never meet. However, when they, too, seem to converge when they recede
into a distance, at a point, they both disappear. This point of disappearance is called the vanishing point.
An example often used to illustrate linear perspective is the railroad where tracks disappear off at a distance.
A viewpoint may also be construed as normal (view standing up), low (view from a lower angle), or high (view
looking down on a scene) depending on the position the viewer takes.
There are three types of perspective, grounded on the number of vanishing points used by the artist:
A. ONE-POINT PERSPECTIVE – used in depicting roads, tracks, hallways, or rows of trees, this type of perspective.
shows parallel lines that seem to converge at a specific and lone vanishing point, along the horizon line.
B. TWO-POINT PERSPECTIVE – pertains to a painting or drawing that makes use of two vanishing points, which can
be placed anywhere along the horizon line. It is often used in depicting structures such as houses or buildings, in the
landscape that are viewed from a specific corner.
C. THREE-POINT PERSPECTIVE - in this type of perspective, the viewer is looking at a scene from above or below.
As the name suggests, it makes use of the three vanishing points, each corresponding to each axis of the scene.

PRINCIPLE OF ARTS
It is the principles of art that influence the effect achieved by the elements, and the linkages of other principles.
These principles are balance, scale and proportion, emphasis and contrast, unity and variety, harmony, movement,
rhythm, and repetition and pattern.
A. BALANCE
This principle refers to the distribution of the visual elements in view of their placement in relation to
each other.
There are three forms of balance:
 a. SYMMETRICAL – the elements used on one side are reflected to the other. This offers the most stable visual
sense to any artwork.
b. ASYMETRICAL – the elements are not the same (or of the same weight) on each side, putting the heaviness on
one side.
c. RADIAL - there is a central point in the composition, around which elements and objects are distributed.
B. SCALE AND PROPORTION
Scale pertains to the size in relation to what is normal for the figure or object in question.
Sculptures of exaggerates scale are common all over the world as many artists ae taken by the whimsical
quality of these objects.
Proportion, on the other hand, is the size of the components, or objects in relation to one another when
taken as a composition or a unit. This can also refer to values such as amounts or number of elements or objects in
the composition.
One of the most common canons asserted relates to the proportion of the body. This varies from one
culture or tradition to another. For the Egyptian artists, the human form follows a square grid and is formed by the
palm of the hand as a unit of measures. To complete a standing human figure, 18 units (squares) are needed from
head to foot. On the other hand, Greeks held that numerical relationships – the golden ratio – was the key to
beauty or to perfection. In the golden ratio to the larger segment, and that the longer segment is the same ratio in
relation to the whole.
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” is an exploration of the ideas of the Roman architect Vitruvius, in
which the human body is an example of a classical proportion in architecture. For da Vinci, man’s body can be
used to better understand the symmetry that exists in nature and the universe.
Proportion can be:
a. Natural - relates to the realistic size of the visual elements in the artwork, especially for figurative
artworks. when it is the accuracy in the relation to the real world that the artist is after, this is now
referred to as the principle of scale.
b. Exaggerated – refers to the unusual size relations of visual elements, deliberately exaggerating the
immensity or minuteness of an object.
c. Idealized – most common to those that follow canons of perfection, the size-relations of elements or
objects, which achieve the most ideal size-relations.
C-D. EMPHASIS and CONTRAST
Emphasis allows the attention of the viewer to a focal point(s), accentuating or drawing attention to
these elements or objects. This can be done through the manipulation of the elements or through the assistance
of other principles, especially that of contrast.
Contrast is the disparity between the elements that figure into the composition. One object may be made
stronger compared to other objects (hence, emphasis). This can be done in many ways using the elements of art.
For instance, space, specifically the use of negative and positive space, is an example of contrast. Another example
is the use of complementary colors in a work of art.
E-F. UNITY and VARIETY
Unless intended to be otherwise, compositions are intended to imbue a sense of accord or completeness
from the artwork. This is unity.
Variety, on the other hand, is the principle that aims to retain the interest by allowing patches or areas
that both excite and allow the eye to rest.
G. HARMONY
Unity and variety is related to the principle of harmony, in which the elements or objects achieve a sense
of flow and interconnectedness.
H. MOVEMENT
This refers to the direction of the viewing eye as it goes through the artwork, often guided by areas or
elements that are emphasized. These focal points can be lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art.
I. RHYTHM
This is created when element is repeated, creating implied movement. Variety of repetition helps
invigorate rhythm as depicted in the artwork.
J-K. REPETITION and PATTERN
 Lines, shapes, colors, and other elements may appear in an artwork in a recurring manner. This is called
repetition. In addition, the image created out of repetition is called pattern. With repetition, there is a sense of
predictability that is conveyed, which in turn imbues the feelings of security and calmness.

COMBINED OF HYBRID ART

It is apparent, that art may be defined under strict lines that separate one art form or style to another.
In a broad sense, it is easy to decipher visual arts from auditory arts. In the same vein, when looking at more
specific art forms, there is a considerable ease when one is confronted with the challenge of differentiating a
painting from sculpture, a print from a drawing, or a soundtrack from a poem. However, with the complexity of
contemporary
times in which experimentation and innovation are encouraged, the arts are not exempted from the increasing
overlaps, merger, and fusion of different aspects of art production and their resultant consumption. One of the
buzzwords at the tail end of the twentieth century is interdisciplinary. Rooted on the realization that the problems
of society are becoming more and more complex, it is necessary that solutions become innovative, wherein
alternative routes to what is familiar, common, and customary are given premium. It was also a direct upshot of
postmodernist ideas in which barriers were more porous-strict delineation of art forms was overthrown to make
way for collaborations and partnerships between fields, professionals, and creatives. The idea of a single-medium-
based art seems like a strange past that no longer holds in an interdisciplinary reality we live in.
In contemporary arts, these developments were mirrored in the multifaceted nature of artworks that
were created. It is not surprising that themes, subjects, and the problematique addressed shaped and produced
new kinds of articulation in which two or more art forms and styles are combined. Some examples of combined
arts include dance, theater, installation art, film, video art, documentary, photography, puppetry, design, and
other forms of production.
These combined art forms are interesting specimens that can be studied to understand what art forms
and styles have been combined, and furthermore, what skills, techniques, or creative processes can be put
together to produce interesting and innovative compositions. In combined arts, improvisation is often tapped in
addition to practical and logical considerations of creating an artwork. In combined arts, the artist is challenged to
deconstruct an idea or stimulus, from which the content, narrative, technique, art forms, and styles will take form.
Improvisation or inventiveness is necessary to create an artwork that is to some extent unprecedented. As
different art forms and styles are tapped, inspiration may come from numerous sources, and documenting the
process of fusing these influences may be part of the production.
Another movement that is reminiscent of the motivations of the Renaissance, and whose emergence is
hinged on the frontiers of science and technology is called hybrid arts. Referencing and tapping into the fields of
robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, natural and computer sciences, telecommunications, information,
digital and interface technologies (software programs, speech and face recognition, social media, and online
platforms, among many other emergent developments), artists whose works tread under this movement disrupt
the norms in terms of what is considered as art, and even the way people envisage artistic production. More than
anything else, hybrid arts are driven by the expansion of the imagination and what is possible through the
“blistering pace of scientific and technological development” (Piirma, 2014). At its heart is an inquiry-and through
information and data, the capacity of the artist to move around platforms, and the implementation and
manipulation of newfound tools in production, the artist can address that inquiry.

ACTIVITY 1: Search for your favorite artists (one Filipino and one foreign artist), then choose one of their arts
that has been displayed in a gallery or museum, fill up the given below.

I. DESCRIPTION (LOCAL)
a. Exhibition: _____________________________________
b. Artist’s name: __________________________________
c. Artwork title: ___________________________________
d. Date created: __________________________________
e. Medium: ______________________________________
 DESCRIPTION (FOREIGN)
a. Exhibition: _____________________________________
b. Artist’s name: __________________________________
c. Artwork title: ___________________________________
d. Date created: __________________________________
e. Medium: ______________________________________

III. ART ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES

How are the elements and principles of art used in the artwork? (Enumerate each and explain in
narration or in bullet form)