ART APPRECIATION

VISUAL ELEMENTS OF PAINTING

1. POINT. This is how lines are produced in graphic arts

Most basic visual element with no dimension such as in drawings calligraphy and drafting.
2. LINE  The second way of producing line is by the
Path of moving point, or points in a series. INTERSECTION OF COLOR, as in
3. SHAPE painting.
Produced by the boundary or edge of an object.  Third, lines are produced by the
4. VALUE INTERSECTION OF CONTOURS, as in
Created by the application of lights, shades and sculpture and architect
shadows.
5. COLOR  There are lines found in nature such as the spider
web
Most beautiful visual elements produce by the
 There is the predominance of lines in Japanese
light striking a surface.
calligraphy and drawing.
6. TEXTURE
Touch of hardness and softness in the surface of
the painting. TYPES OF LINES AND THEIR SUGGESTIVE
EXPERIONS AN MEANING
Types of Lines
POINT
is the most basic visual element and it has no 1. Straight Lines
dimension. give the feeling of simplicity, directness and
 POINTILLISM (DIVISIONS) by George Seurat sometimes monotony.
is style of painting that uses point as the create sense of order
fundamental structural element.
2. Horizontal Lines
Ex. Sunday Afternoon in the Island of La Grande express calmness, quietness, peace, and repose
Jatte. (1884). It is estimated that this painting have 4 produce an illusion of wideness and shortness
million dots in 77 square and it took 4 years to
compose. 3. Vertical Lines
express dignity, stability, majesty, uprightness,
LINE
strength, life and reverence.
is one dimensional. Structurally, it is a path of moving
illusion of narrowness and tallness
point or points in a series.
refers to the contour or outline of an object. It also
represent the edges of an object. As an element of art, it 4. Oblique, slant, or diagonal lines
is always associated with emotional state of man. indicate motion or action, support, stability, and
As man tries to express his feelings or thoughts lines vulnerability
in art, he usually finds the position of line which could
best represent his feelings or thoughts. 5. Broken lines
suggest disorder, violence and power.

6. Light Lines
give the feeling of delicacy and refinement.
THERE ARE THREE WAYS OF PRODUCING
LINES 7. Sliding Line above the Horizon
 First, by actually drawing a line. suggest rising up, pride, arrogance, attack.

Page | 1
 ART APPRECIATION
VISUAL ELEMENTS OF PAINTING

8. Sliding Line Below the Horizon forms found in nature like shapes leaves,
Falling down, shyness, humility, surrender. animals, trees, mountain, and the human body.
3. Geometrical Forms
9. Heavy lines forms with three-dimensions. These include
give the feeling of strength and sturdiness. prism, pyramids, cones, cylinder, sphere, and
cubes.
10. Curved Lines Forms according to size:
suggest grace, feminity, variation and
movement. 1. Large forms
suggest motion give the impression of spaciousness and
superiority
2. Smalls forms
11. Parallel Lines
suggest inferiority an crowding.
suggest equality.
Shape
12. Thick Lines
is defined by the boundary or the edges of an object.
strength stability

13. Thin Lines

WAYS IN MAKING SHAPES
weakness flexibility
 By the boundary of the line that closes into itself
9(polygon) in drawing.
Form
 By the boundary of color in painting
refers to the shape, structure and area of an object.  By the boundary of contour in sculpture and
Like lines, it also represents the feeling or thoughts of architecture.
the artist. Form in art varies in types, size and effect or
Kinds
meaning.
1. Rectilinear
Types of Forms
shapes of object
1. Regular suggest the concept of dehumanization.
forms having definite shape. These includes 2. Curvilinear (Biomorphic)
square, triangle, rectangle and circle and oblong. shapes of living things
 Square – its side connote monotony and suggest life
lack in variation. This is the reason why 3. Irregular
art is not good shape especially for any possible shape
border or boundary.
TEXTURE
 Circle – it suggest simplicity, continuity
and monotony, refers to the quality or character of area or surface
 Rectangles - it is a good shape for produced by forms. Its aesthetic value of texture lies first
decorative and structural design. It of all in the fact that makes the gradation of color
expresses stability, close set, dinity and possible.
uprightness.
give a surface unevenness which causes the color of
 Tringle – it has the expression of repose
the surface to be broken into gradations of light and
and dignity.
shade giving it charm of its own.
2. Natural Form

Page | 2
 ART APPRECIATION
VISUAL ELEMENTS OF PAINTING

Types of Texture hues with various values and intensities.

maybe considered as the most beautiful visual
1. Rough or Coarse textures
element.
suggest strength, endurance and cheapness
produced by light striking surface.
refers to the quality or kind of light that reflects from
2. Smooth or Fine textures
the surface of the object. Colors are seen because of
imply excellently finished, delicateness and
value or light.
coastlines.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
1. HUE
Value is the dimension of color that gives color its
refers to the amount of light, shade or dark-and- light identity or name. Color names such as red, yellow,
in an object. Its aesthetic value lies on the reason that blue, and others indicate the color characteristics
subjects or objects of art are seen because of its called Hue.
presence. distinguished one color from another:
PRIMARY, SECONDARY, TERTIARY.
COLOR WHEEL
The Primary Values:
The extremes in value are black and white that is the 2. VALUE
highest value is white and the lowest, black. BLACK is denotes the lightness and darkness of a color.
the absence of light while WHITE is its presence. The Colors can be made darker by making the pigments
step half-way or the middle value is called thicker or adding black or adding a little of its
complement. Colors cane be made lighter by adding
WAYS OF PRODUCING VALUE water or oil or white.
 SHADING
 SHADOWING  Adding WHITE to the color is TINT
 Adding BLACK to a color is SHADE

 Atmospheric colors
 Aerial colors
VALUE: Light and Dark in Painting  Ground colors
1. SHADE  Underground Color
dark area in the surface of the object that
cannot be reached by lights.

2. SHADOW 3. INTENSITY or CHROMA

Dark area cast in receiving surface due to denotes the brightness or dullness of a color its
opaques object that block the passage of light. strength or weakness, its purity, or impurity. A color
3. CHIAROSCURO can be made intense by adding more pigment of the
Technique for applying value in painting. The same hue, by placing beside its complement or
word is from Italian that mean light and dark. opposite or by surrounding ir with the same hue but
4. SFUMATO lower intensity.
smokey effect in painting that creates blurry
image and conveys a sense of mystery.
 Dark color tends to advance
 Light color tends to recede
COLORS

Page | 3
 ART APPRECIATION
VISUAL ELEMENTS OF PAINTING

 The most noticeable color used in street

signs Color and their Effect:
 In Kandinsky’s color composition, he expressed “A serious study of the symbolism of colors will show
the spiritual quality of art. He also equated the the correct concept of color interpretation. This will also
colors of painting with sound of music. develop the proper application and use of colors in
 Colors are used naturalistically in realistic everyday life.”
landscape paintings.
 The use of blur colors in impressionism BLACK
indicates movement and passage of time. It is the darkest and dullest of the color. It only
 The Old Guitarist by Picasso, the dominance considered a color when mixed other color. It suggest
blue heightens the feeling of sadness and despair, gloom, death, and mourning.
suffering expressed by the painting.
BLUE
CLASSIFICATION OF COLORS (HUE):  It is the symbol of the sky and the deep. It gives the
The primary colors are RED, YELLOW, AND impression of vastness and infinity. It is a symbol of
BLUE. These are called primary colors because all tranquility, calmness and peace.
the other are produced by combining any of the two
colors. GRAY
the secondary colors are:  it gives the impression of weight, solidity, and
GREEN (yellow + Blue) neutrality.
ORANGE (yellow + red)
VIOLET (Blue + red)
These are formed through combination of two GREEN
primary colors. it is the color of vegetation and still water. It is a
The tertiary colors are the combination of two symbol of growth, freshness, and hope.
secondary colors.
VIOLET + ORANGE= RUSSET ORANGE
ORANGE + GREEN= OLIVE it symbolizes deliciousness and sweetness.
VIOLET +GREEN= SLATE
PINK
The quarternary colors are mixture of two symbolizes love
tertiary colors.
RUSSTE + OLIVE = BUFF RED
SLATE + RUSSET = PLUM it typifies fire, blood, danger, festivity, bravery, war,
OLIVE + SLATE= SAGE passion, energy, vitality, and warmth.

The complementary or opposite colors form a VIOLET

natural balance in the color wheel. suggest shadows, mourning, penance, royalty, and
EXAMPLE: power.
Red=Green
Blue=Orange WHITE
Violet=Orange it stands for simplicity, clarity. Purity, peace,
cleanliness and innocence.
COLOR TRAINGLE
manifest the primary, seconadary, tertiary, quarternary YELLOW
and the intermediary colors as well. It can also be a it symbolizes life, joy, sunshine, cheerfulness,
substitute to color wheel. warmth, splendor, royalty and hospitality.

Page | 4
 ART APPRECIATION
VISUAL ELEMENTS OF PAINTING

BROWN
suggest humility and confidence.

SPACE
is boundless “container” of collection of objects. In art
space is regarded as bounded by the susceptible to
aesthetic and expressive organization.

PLANE
is a space limited only to painting and other related
arts, since they are two-dimensional arts. Generally, they
only occupy a surface.

PERSPECTIVE
deals with the effect of distance upon the appearance
of objects, by means of which the eye judges spatial
relationship. It enables and to see the position of objects
in space.
TYPES OF PERSPECTIVE
1. Linear Perspective
is the representation of an appearance of
distance by means of converging lines. This has
to do with the lines. This has to do with the
direction of lines and with the size of objects.

2. Aerial Perspective
is the representation of relative distance of
object by gradations of tone and color.

Ex. Objects become fainter in the distance due to the

effect of distance. Objects appear to be lighter in color
and the outline more vague as the recede into the
distance.

Since visual arts are also classified according to their

dimensions, space, is categorized to the visual art that
will occupy it.

Page | 5