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Elements of design

This tutorial outlines the fundamental elements and principles of design, essential for early art students. Key elements include line, shape, size, space, color, texture, and value, while principles encompass balance, contrast, emphasis, proportion, pattern, gradation, and composition. The document encourages users to adapt the content for a more comprehensive understanding of design.

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3 views

Elements of design

This tutorial outlines the fundamental elements and principles of design, essential for early art students. Key elements include line, shape, size, space, color, texture, and value, while principles encompass balance, contrast, emphasis, proportion, pattern, gradation, and composition. The document encourages users to adapt the content for a more comprehensive understanding of design.

Uploaded by

boobtube2005
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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Tutorial | Elements of design

This tutorial will demonstrate the elements and principles of design which are
normally taught to early art students in order to understand various properties used
in art making. This is not an exhaustive list, so please add, subtract, and combine
to make this tutorial more comprehensive.

Overview

Line Balance
Shape
Contrast
Size
Emphasis
Space Composition
Proportion
Color
Texture Pattern

Value Gradation

Elements Principles

Elements of Design
The following elements are the building blocks of design.

Line
A line is defined as a mark with length and direction, created by a point that moves across a
surface. A line can vary in length, width, direction, curvature, and color. Line can be two-
dimensional (a pencil line on paper), or implied three-dimensional.

Shape
A flat figure, shape is created when actual or implied lines meet to surround a space. A
change in color or shading can define a shape. Shapes can be divided into several types:
geometric (square, triangle, circle) and organic (irregular in outline).

Size
This refers to variations in the proportions of objects, lines or shapes. There is a variation of
sizes in objects either real or imagined.

Space
small BIG
Space is the empty or open area between, around, above, below, or within objects. Shapes
and forms are made by the space around and within them. Space is often called three-
dimensional or two- dimensional. Positive space is filled by a shape or form. Negative space
surrounds a shape or form.

Color
Color is the perceived character of a surface according to the wavelength of light reflected
from it. Color has three dimensions: HUE (another word for color, indicated by its name such
as red or yellow), VALUE (its lightness or darkness), INTENSITY (its brightness or
dullness).

Texture
Texture is the way a surface feels (actual texture) or how it may look (implied texture).
Textures are described by word such as rough, silky, or pebbly.

Value
Value is how dark or how light something looks. We achieve value changes in color by
adding black or white to the color. Chiaroscuro uses value in drawing by dramatically
contrasting lights and darks in a composition.

Principles of Design
The principles use the elements of design to create a composition.

Balance
Balance is a feeling of visual equality in shape, form, value, color, etc. Balance can be
symmetrical or evenly balanced or asymmetrical and un-evenly balanced. Objects, values,
colors, textures, shapes, forms, etc., can be used in creating a balance in a composition.

Contrast
Contrast is the juxtaposition of opposing elements

Emphasis
Emphasis is used to make certain parts of their artwork stand out and grab your attention. The
center of interest or focal point is the place a work draws your eye to first.

Proportion
Proportion describes the size, location or amount of one thing compared to another.

Random Ant & 4WD


SVG Image Created by Andrew Fitzsimon
Courtesy of Open Clip Art Library
http://www.openclipart.org/

Pattern
Pattern is created by repeating an element (line, shape or color) over and over again.

Gradation
Gradation of size and direction produce linear perspective. Gradation of color from warm to
cool and tone from dark to light produce aerial perspective. Gradation can add interest and
movement to a shape. A gradation from dark to light will cause the eye to move along a
shape.

Composition
The combining of distinct elements to form a whole.

Bibliography
This is a partial bibliography used to build this document.

• http://www.makart.com/resources/artclass/EPlist.html

• http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/Files/elements2.htm

• http://www.johnlovett.com/test.htm

• http://digital-web.com/articles/elements_of_design/

• http://digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/

Special thanks to Linda Kim (http://www.coroflot.com/redlucite/) for helping me


(http://www.rejon.org/) with this tutorial. Also, thanks to the Open Clip Art Library
(http://www.openclipart.org/) and the graphics people have submitted to that project.

Jonathan Leighton; Jon Phillips; Colin Marquardt; Sylvain Chiron; Nicolas Dufour;
Gellért Gyuris

Esteban Capella — 2019

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