ELEMENTS

Think of these as the conceptual or theoretical tools or the ‘how’ you are going to PLAN your (elemental) techniques to achieve the design principles. (I list each of them in this particular order, to make it easy to remember. eg.BRUCHVP - a pneumonic for the principles.(take the first letter and make a word that is easier to remember)

For the elements, think of extending a dot into a line. A line can then turn around into a shape, which in turn creates a space(behind or around the shape). If we add value in a certain way, a shape becomes a form(3D). The elements of Texture and colour can be then added to further describe the share or form.

Of course, the practical ‘tools’ are your paints, brushes and all of your arsenal of application techniques. (see Practical Application Techniques) but the elements are your conceptual creative tools.

Line - Line can be defined or implied. So imagine a mark that joins the distance between two points, taking any shape along the way. A defined line is most often used to define shape in a two-dimensional work. The implied line may be the path that the viewer's eye takes as it follows the direction of the eyes of the subject or the boundary between a cool colour and a warm one.(sometimes referred to as a ‘psychic line). Line is probably the most historic and universal element in man’s quest for creative expression. Although a line is one-dimensional, it can define the edges of a 2D shape or a 3D form. Lines can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, straight or curved, and can vary in thickness, length and in direction. Line can easily be utilized to create movement (eg. look at Paul Klee’s and Wassily Kandinsky’s artworks).

Shape - Shape refers to two-dimensional spaces that are defined by edges, thereby separating it from the negative space. Shapes may be geometric (e.g. triangle, square, circle, octagon, etc.) or organic (such as the shape of a leaf, cloud, lake. etc.) Shapes can then also be defined by the other element: Form, Space, Line, Texture, Value, and Color.

Space - Space mostly refers to the areas around, between or within objects. Space can be the background, foreground and middle ground. We think of space as two types of positive and negative space. Positive space refers to the space of a shape representing the actual subject. Negative space is the space Port Art Studios 4 around and between the subject. Space is also defined as a measured distance between identifiable points or planes in a work of art. (‘the space between her eyes’).

Value - Value, or tone, refers to how light or dark something is, eg. shading and highlighting in an artwork. Contrast can be made when one low value is pitted against another which is high. Just as with the other elements, the intervals in value need to be varied to avoid flatness and boredom in a work.

Form - Form usually refers to three-dimensional shapes (cube, sphere, cylinder, etc.). Form is considered three-dimensional showing, height, width and depth. Examples of this are sculptures, statues, and figures. To be able to render form is an important goal for a representational artist however even abstract concepts involve form sometimes. (sometimes you will hear people using form to replace shape)

Texture - The texture can be tactile (physical and 3D like fabric, modelling paste, etc) or could be implied texture (using rendering techniques of some or many kinds, so as to look rough, smooth, shiny etc.)

Colour – Colours (or hues) consist of primary (red, yellow, blue) , and secondary colours (green, orange, violet). Tertiaries are combinations of primaries and secondaries. Tint is a lighter version of a colour. The colour of an object or substance is visualised by the reflected by it and can be measured in hue, saturation and brightness of this reflected light. (See Colour Module for full subject understanding)

PRINCIPLES

Think of these as the ‘what’, the goal, effect or outcome you are trying to create for your viewers.

These principles are quoted in varying orders at times and some words change from teacher to teacher but broadly we need to consider the following:

Balance– In any design or composition we are trying to find balance in all of the elements (and intervals within these elements). In design, the balance may involve a symmetrical, asymmetrical ( chosen often in figurative art), radial,(eg. Mandala) crystallographic format (eg. Quilt design). Proportion– It is the principle of proportion that allows 3-D space to be imitated, smaller things appearing further away, larger appearing closer, larger may seem more important etc.(e. Jesus was often larger than others in a religious artwork) .

Rhythm/Movement - (lines, patterns)- Rhythm can be used to lead the viewer’s eye where you want it to go, in a flowing stop and start journey of discovery, culminating at your focal point, possibly encountering one or more centre of interest along the way.

* showing consistency with colours, shapes or lines not only contributes to a flow (or rhythm) but also to the next principle, unity.

• Repeating a motif or element in two or more areas of an artwork, can also lead the viewer’s eye and can create a pleasant rhythm and a sense of anticipation. In figurative art, the artist tends to use variety even more when repeating a motif eg. varying in size, shape, line, texture, and colour of a motif to avoid boredom within the composition, whereas, in a more abstract design or conceptual work, an artist is appealing to a different aesthetic concept.

Compare music and visual art (music exists in time and visual art in space). Both have Intervals, tone, rhythm, movement, tempo, crescendos(focal points) etc. Lines through space can be created by edges of contrasting value or temperature, applied lines of objects. Varying the lines in an image enhances the rhythm. Some visual artists actually use music almost exclusively to inspire their compositions.

Unity- So what pulls the whole concept of an artwork together? It may seem to some people that the principles of variety and unity are at odds, however, it is by employing a clever degree of variety (in one’s repeated elements/ motifs) in a consistent way that overall unity can be achieved in the delivery of a visual story. A limited palette is another concept that some artists use to set a certain mood and achieve unity.(and harmony)

Contrast– Some call it Emphasis: There are ways to use all of the elements to create emphasis or a visual doorway into an artwork, and also to guide the eye of the viewer. (Focal Points/ Centres of interest). Sometimes there is more than one area of emphasis (or contrast).

VALUE CONTRAST- What happens when the darker darks are juxtaposed against the lighter lights? The contrast draws the eye like a magnet. Although there are other forms of contrast in visual art, none seem to be as compelling visually as a strong value contrast.

Other contrasts include:

COLOUR CONTRAST- in hue, temperature, or intensity. A power struggle results when hues are equally intense or equal in temperature (avoid warm = cool ). One must dominate (or the eye doesn’t know where to look or the brain how to feel.) This guideline is true in all aspects, avoid equal intervals or measures of tone, temperature, space, line etc (Some rules are made to be broken but you need to know them first!)

CONTRAST IN COMPLEXITY- Detail, texture & pattern are more exciting next to areas of simplicity. A painting definitely benefits from areas of relative quiet or neutrality. An abstract artwork benefits even more from sophisticated marks, textures and variances/ contrasts since it engages the viewer’s mind in a less figurative/representational way.

CONTRAST IN LINE When a minimum of diagonal or vertical lines are added to an entirely horizontal scene, the energy level is dramatically increased. (learn the different meanings of the word line eg. Mathematical line, implied line, boundary line, and psychic line.)

Harmony – (all about Relationships) –Similar to balance, an artwork is considered to be harmonious when the relationships of it’s elements are all working well together. Eg. Color Harmony is achieved by understanding the complements, triads, tetrads, etc. All of the elements can contribute to the harmony of an image in some way.

Some artists use repeated colours and shape concepts throughout to create a harmonious rhythm, often combined within an analogous scheme. Other artists purposefully create anywhere from mild to outrageous discord in their works with exaggerated contrasts in colour, tone, line, form, textures etc. (they aim for the opposite of harmony, to confront, challenge or express a strong feeling or concept.)

Variety- the fundamentaldifference between a pattern and a design is that a design will incorporate some variety in the elements and intervals, whereas a pattern may not. When composing, the fine artist will use the ‘some, a little, a lot’ method or in other words, ‘no two intervals will be equal’, eg.1. Warm colours dominate (there is not an equal measure of cool). Eg.2. Negative and positive spaces will be varied and interesting, eg.3. some dark tones, a lot of medium, and a little light. Unity- Integration (One goal of the artist is to combine all elements together, using visual bridges where necessary) for a cohesive gestalt (the whole).

Perspective / Proportion - There is sometimes linear perspective to be taken into account and at other times atmospheric perspective can be a helpful principle to achieve depth perspective. Appropriate relative proportions of subjects may be needed, and to some degree, there are times when these are distorted for another effect entirely.

Gradation can be used to lead the view from one area to the next, in particular from the foreground, through middle distance and toward the background. It could be a gradation in colour, where one colour blends seamlessly into its neighbour. Alternatively, it might be a subtle and gradual softening of subjects’ edges with clever brushwork. This tool tends to be utilized most in landscape paintings, where the colours tend to get cooler and less saturated as things recede into the distance.

As mentioned already (under the principle of variety), proportion is one aspect that can be subtly altered or varied to show depth perspective and at the same time add rhythm (flow) and interest to the viewer’s journey.

When you think about it, there is quite a lot of overlap (or connections) with these 7 principles.

THE ELEMENTS AND Principles of Design

PRINCIPLES

Balance

Rhythm (Flow)

Unity

Contrast (Emphasis)

Harmony

Variety

Proportion