Scribd
Upload
50 views

Basic Elements of Art

The document discusses the basic elements of art including line, shape, form, space, color, value, texture and perspective. It covers topics such as straight and curved lines, primary shapes, one point and two point perspective, highlights, shadows, and how lighting is used to add depth and dimension to artwork.

Uploaded by

2023201040
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
50 views

Basic Elements of Art

The document discusses the basic elements of art including line, shape, form, space, color, value, texture and perspective. It covers topics such as straight and curved lines, primary shapes, one point and two point perspective, highlights, shadows, and how lighting is used to add depth and dimension to artwork.

Uploaded by

2023201040
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

BASIC ELEMENTS OF ART Size Smaller objects look as if they are further away than

larger objects. Notice how much smaller the house is in


Line is the most basic element of art. Without line the
relation to the flowers
other elements couldn’t exist so let's start here and then
we will gradually go more advanced. Detail The further away an object, the less detail is
visible to the viewer. By purposely reducing the amount
Straight- A thick line gives emphasis and advances
of detail in an object it will appear further away than an
while a thin line recedes.
object with greater detail
Curved lines change direction gently with no sharp
Color and Value Objects in the distance usually appear
angles and suggest comfort and ease to the viewer.
cooler (bluer) and lighter in color. Close up objects
Curved lines most often relate to the natural world
appear warmer and darker in value
Zigzag lines alter direction fast and create feelings of
Perspective Can be used to create the feeling of depth
unrest, turmoil and movement.
on a 2-dimensional surface. The most commonly used
Diagonal lines, give movement and dynamism to a perspective types are linear and 2-point perspective
composition.
Negative Space Space can be either positive or negative
Horizontal lines create the feeling of stability and calm in the same way as shapes can.

Vertical lines give the impression of height and strength Negative space is very important, and an artist must plan
and often have a spiritual connotation the negative space as carefully as the main subject. ▪

Imaginary Lines can be imaginary or implied; for Negative space can be cut to a minimum or eliminated
example line of sight can be a very strong albeit invisible entirely for a very close up and intimate focus on the
line along which the viewer’s eye travels. Also a subject.
pointing finger can send the viewers eye on a journey
All choices which will affect how the viewer sees the
through the painting
overall composition
Three Dimensional Lines alone can also be used to
Value is how light or dark something is.
create a three-dimensional effect, (depth, in a 2-
dimensional artwork. Hatching lines (straight or curved) If a painting is done on the lower (darker) edge of the
are used to turn shape into form using value as seen value scale it is called a “low key” painting. Low key
works of the masters like Rembrandt paintings give rise to a heavy, mysterious, dramatic,
sometimes brooding feeling in the viewer
Shape When a line meets up to enclose a space, a
By contrast “high key” paintings take their range of
shape is formed.
values from the upper end of the value scale and create
Shapes can be GEOMETRIC OR ORGANIC emotions of lightness, quickness, spirituality etc

Form is the next step up from shape as we now add Color is created when light is reflected into the viewer’s
depth to it to create a three dimensional form. In eye.
drawing and painting form can only be implied because
In art, colors are arranged on a color wheel. The color
they are 2-dimesional (flat) media.
wheel was developed by Isaac Newton who took the
Space is what lies between, around or within an object. color spectrum and bent it into a circle.

Overlapping When an object is drawn or painted on top Hue It’s the name of a color in its purest form. For
of another object the viewer’s eye interprets this as one example, red, green, magenta are all pure colors
object being in front of another implying there must be a
Saturation It’s the intensity of a color. It makes colors
space between them
more vibrant or more mute
Placement Objects higher up in the picture plane will
seem to the viewer’s eye to be further away than objects
placed low down in the picture frame
Tint It’s the intensity of white in a color. If the level of Its important for the perception and appreciation of art,
tint is higher, the color will be lighter but it’s also important for the degradation and damage of
objects. Light can cause damage such as color fading
Shade It’s the intensity of black in a color. The higher
and embrittlement
the level of shade is, the darker and moody the color will
be Forms of Shadow and Light
Texture Drawing or painting texture on a 2–dimensional, ▪ Highlight
flat surface is a challenge for artists. The artist must
▪ Direct light
instead convey the illusion of the actual texture to the
viewer on the flat surface. ▪ Reflected light
Perspective in art is what gives your work a 3D look ▪ Shadow
rather than a flat painting or drawing.
▪ Core shadow
a technique that enables artists to add the illusion of
depth to a painting or drawing ▪ Cast shadow

Perspective in Art Highlights refers to the bright reflection that occurs


where the light directly hits the form. If the surface is
Viewpoint the position from where you view your irregular, the highlight may be at the crest of the surface
scene. So a normal viewpoint would be looking at a in direct light.
scene or object at eye level
If the surface has a protuberance somewhere else in
Horizon Line the imaginary horizontal line in the direct light, the highlight may be on the protuberance in
distance that is eye level. the area closest to the light source.
Vanishing Lines lines drawn from the object to a point Highlights are usually small and intense spots of near-
or points on the horizon. The point where these lines white. The highlight is NEVER at a 90-degree angle to
meet is called the vanishing point the light source, but rather between that angle and where
the artist’s line of vision hits the object. This is important
Types of Perspective in Art
to understand because assuming that a highlight simply
One Point Perspective indicates the direction of a light source will result in a
misleading rendering of the shadows
Two Point Perspective
Direct Light refers to any area on the form that directly
Three Point Perspective
receives light from the light source. Contrast this with
Linear Perspective will give you the illusion of reflected light
distance
Aerial or Atmospheric Perspective objects in the
distance appear less detailed and lighter. They often have
a cool blue tone.
Planar Analysis is an examination of the planes (flat
shapes) that make up a volume. Consider a box: a simple
six-sided volume. Each side of a box is a flat shape-a
plane. The planes of a box describe its top, bottom, front,
back, and sides.
Light something that makes vision possible
The main benefit of lighting is that it adds depth to the
picture. The lighting makes the image appear to jump off
the canvas and give it a three-dimensional feel. It is
possible to highlight the intended texture of elements
within a composition.

You might also like