The elements of art are color, line, shape, form, space, value, and texture. These elements make up an artwork. Every piece of art contains at least one of these elements. Look at the following artworks and try to identify at least four of the seven elements in each one (bonus if you can find all seven). Then click on each image to learn more about how the artist used the elements of art.
Flower Carrier by Diego Rivera, 1935
In this artwork, we can see the use of color in the flowers and the people’s clothing. Line is used in the sash to show the connection between the man and the woman and to lead the viewer’s eye across the painting. Shape and form are seen in the people and the basket. Value is used to show the pleats in the skirt, and texture is implied in the weave of the basket and the flower petals. There is a limited amount of negative space shown, but this may have been intentional to imply that the people are trapped in their day-to-day hardships.
Madonna with the Long Neck by Parmigianino, 1540
In this painting, color appears in the drapery and robes (a blue robe is traditionally used to identify Jesus’s mother, Mary). Shape and form are seen in the figures and the background. Line is found in the clothing and structures, with all of them either mirroring Mary’s posture or leading the eye to her and the baby Jesus. Texture and value are also seen in the clothing and drapery. Space is shown both in the almost cramped interior scene between Mary and the angels and also in the far-off landscape seen behind them.
The Old Blind Guitarist by Pablo Picasso, 1903
In this painting, Picasso uses the color blue to communicate the sadness and despair the man is feeling. The artist uses line, shape, and form to give the man’s body a disjointed, uncomfortable look that makes him seem more pitiful. Value and texture are seen in the man’s face, hair, and clothes. Space is used to make the man seem cramped or trapped in his sad state.
The elements of art are what an artwork is made up of, and the principles of art are how those elements are used within that artwork. Now that you have reviewed the elements, let’s move on to the principles.
