Elements of Art

Elements principle

line

shape

size

space

color

texture

value

Elements of Art are the individual parts of the photograph

Line has length, position and direction and is either visible or invisible.

A line (curve) is basically any distance between two points.

Lines can take on a variety of shapes and functions:
Connectors and separators
Outlines
Graphs and grids
Symbolism


Shape is any form that occupies and defines negative and positive space.

Shape is anything that has width, shape or depth.

Shape is anything that has width, shape or depth.
Geometric (triangles, squares, circles)
Natural (animals, plants, human)
Abstract (simplified versions of natural shapes)

Color is the hue of pigment or light and is produced by the subtraction or addition of primary and secondary colors produced from light.

Color is the primary tool for symbolism in communication.

There are different uses of color:
Attract the eye
Produce visual stimuli
Organization.
Provoke emotional response

is the lightness and darkness of a color

is used in black, white and grey, but also in colored network.

low key

value in a work of art are all dark in value or low on the value scale.

high key

value in a work of art are all light in value or high on the value scale

Texture is the look or feel or any object or surface.

The appearance is either visual (illusionary) or tactile (physical to touch).

Patterns are good examples of visual texture.

Space is the negative or positive area that an object or objects occupy in an area.

Using simple principles can control the relative position of every element:
White space
Overlapping elements
Value

Size is how big or small objects are in relation to the space they occupy.

The primary roles size plays in design:
Function (the age of the audience – older people would need type set larger to aid help in reading)
Attractiveness (add interest by cropping or scaling the elements)
Organization (make the important element the largest and the least important the smallest)

Composition

balance

contrast

emphasis

proportion

pattern

gradient