Some elements of art include line, shape, form, value, color, pattern and texture. By using these elements, you can lay the foundation for complex and expressive designs that convey a deep emotion or a powerful idea. Using a combination of these elements, or even just focusing on one element, will help your work reach its full potential. Read the slides below to learn about each of the elements of art.
Line
ShapeWhen a line creates an enclosed space, or when color defines a space, it creates a shape. Shapes are two dimensional and can be divided into two general types: geometric and organic. Geometric shapes (like squares, triangles, circles) can be explained in easily defined terms. You may have taken a geometry class and used such terms as sides or points to name and group different geometric shapes. Geometric shapes are generally considered rigid and strong.
Organic shapes have all or some irregular sides in their outline, like a blob of paint, a flower petal, or the wings of a butterfly. Organic shapes usually appear more fragile and delicate compared to geometric shapes.
Form
Color
Value
Pattern & Texture
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A line is a mark that moves between points in a space. They can vary in length, direction, and width to create more complexity. By using lines in effective ways, designers can create simple or dramatic effects. A line can be two-dimensional, like a pencil line drawn on paper, or three-dimensional, like wire or cable.
In the same way a line is used to define the more complex shapes, shapes and shading can be used to create three-dimensional forms. A form is any real or implied three-dimensional object in a design. A three-dimensional form, like a sculpture, can be measured using width (side to side), height (top to bottom), and depth (front to back). On a two-dimensional surface (painting or drawing), depth is implied, whereas height and width can be measured to determine a form.
Color refers to the light that is reflected off objects. Color has three main characteristics: hue, (its name: red, green, blue, etc.), value (how light or dark it is), and intensity (how bright or dull it is). Another factor to take into consideration when discussing color is the temperature. Some colors, such as blue and green, are considered cool colors, while reds, yellows, and oranges are thought of as warm colors. Violet can be either cool or warm, depending upon how much red or blue is in the mixture.
Values range from light to dark or white to black with a variety of grays or muted colors in between. Value is often the single most important element in a design; it is what allows us to see the forms within the piece. Items with darker value will appear further back in a design while items with lighter values will appear more prominent to the viewer. Using different values can be used to define forms in a two-dimensional design.
Patterns are shapes that are repeated. In general, they are uniform and ordered. Texture is pattern that does not have regularity and occurs randomly. Texture is the surface quality that can be seen and felt. They are described as being rough, smooth, soft, or hard.
