The art elements are the visual components that go together to form any work of art. To develop a more thorough understanding of artistic composition, one must lean how to examine and utilize the various art elements.
The Art Element of Line
Line is one of the most basic art elements. Lines can be used for different purposes within a work of art.
Contour lines can be used to define the border of a shape. These lines are also often referred to as outlines.
A line can also express emotion and character based on how heavy or light, scratchy or smooth, angular or curvy it appears. Different types of line express different emotive qualities. Combining lines in a series can also convey the idea of texture.
Lines can also be used to create shadows in an drawn image. Hatching is a method of drawing shadows using a series of parallel lines positioned closely together. Cross-Hatching is another shading method in which intersecting lines are drawn in a close proximity to express a dark value.
The Art Element of Shape
A shape is a two-dimensional element with a definable border.
Geometric shapes have angles and straight lines and have an industrial feel. Organic shapes are curvy and free-form and have a more natural feel to them.
The Art Element of Value
Value refers to the lightness or darkness of an item within a work of art. The idea of value can be applied to colorful works of art and works of art that use only shades of black and white.
Most photo-realistic artworks will employ a variety of values within the work to express the idea of light and shadow moving across a form.
Some more expressive artworks will use value to convey emotion or direct the eye to a focal point. Darker values have more visual weight than lighter values and the eye will always be pulled to those areas with darker values.
The Art Element of Texture
The element of texture applies to how an object feels or appears to feel.
Texture can be either implied or actual. Implied texture expresses the idea of how a surface might feel. For example, a painting of a blanket might convey the idea that the blanket is soft. Actual texture, on the other hand, is texture that can actually be felt. For example, a ceramic bowl might feature a carved texture that could be felt when holding that bowl.
The Art Element of Form
Form refers to a three-dimensional object. As such, form is an art term that is only applied to those artworks that are three-dimensional, such as sculpture and pottery.
Forms, much like shapes, can be geometric or organic. Geometric forms have hard lines and edges. Organic forms are curvy and more free-form.
The Art Element of Color
Color refers to the visual perception of light being reflected from a surface of an artwork. In the most basic classification, colors can be divided into three groups: primary, secondary and tertiary.
Primary colors are those colors from which all other colors are created. Yellow, blue and red are primary colors.
Secondary colors are created when two primary colors are combined in equal parts. Green, purple and orange are secondary colors.
Tertiary colors are created by combining a primary color with a secondary color. Red-orange is an example of a tertiary color created by combining red and orange.
A color at its strongest value is known as a hue. When white is added to a hue, it becomes a tint. When black is added to a hue, it becomes a shade.
The Art Element of Space
Space refers to how the artist fills the surface on which a work of art is created. It can also refer to the expression of depth within a work of art. When talking about a three-dimensional object, space is the actual volume that is taken up by the artwork.
Space can be either positive or negative. Positive space is that which is being taken up by the subjects in a work of art. In a three-dimensional artwork, any physical object takes up positive space.
Negative space is usually composed of white space within a two-dimensional object. In three-dimensional works, negative space can be empty space that is trapped within positive space of a sculpture. For example a circular sculpture with a hole in center would have negative space in that center area.
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