ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ART

The Visual Elements • They are the building blocks of composition in art. When we
analyse any drawing, painting, sculpture or design, we
examine these component parts to see how they combine to
create the overall effect of the artwork.
LINE
• The Visual Elements have a relationship to one another:
COLOR 1. Most images begin their life as line drawings.
2. Lines cross over one another to form shapes.
3. Shapes can be filled with tone and color, or repeated to
TEXTURE create pattern.
4. A shape may be rendered with a rough surface to create a
PERSPECTIVE texture.
5. A shape may be projected into three dimensions to create
form.
SPACE
• Each of the elements may also be used individually to stress
their own particular character in an artwork.
FORM Different elements can express qualities such as movement and
rhythm, space and depth, growth and structure, harmony and
VOLUME contrast, noise and calm and a wide range of emotions that make
up the subjects of great art.
 LINE

Line is the foundation of all drawing. It

is the first and most versatile of the
visual elements of art. Line in an
artwork can be used in many different
ways. It can be used to suggest shape,
pattern, form, structure, growth, depth,
distance, rhythm, movement and a
range of emotions.
The way we draw a line can convey different expressive
qualities:
Freehand lines can express the personal energy and mood
of the artist
Mechanical lines can express a rigid control
Continuous lines can lead the eye in certain directions
Broken lines can express the ephemeral or the
insubstantial LEONARDO DA VINCI (1452-1519)
A Study for an Equestrian Monument, 1488 (metalpoint on blue paper)
Thick lines can express strength
 5 types of Line in ART

1. Vertical lines are straight up and down lines that are

moving in space without any slant and are perpendicular
to horizontal lines. They suggest height and strength
because they extend towards the sky and seem
unshakeable. It denotes action, they suggest poise,
balance, force, aspiration, exaltation, dynamism.

2. Horizontal lines are straight lines parallel to the horizon that

move from left to right. They suggest width, distance, calmness,
and stability.
 5 types of Line in ART

3. Diagonal lines are straight lines that slant in any direction except horizontal or
vertical. When in use, they suggest movement or action, life. They give animation to any
composition in which they appear. Almost ev`ery object in action assumes a diagonal
line.

4. Curved lines are lines that bend and change direction gradually. They
can be simply wavy or spiral. Such lines convey the feelings of comfort
and ease, as well as sensual quality as they remind us of the human
body.

5. Crooked or Jagged lines. Express energy, violence, conflict, and struggle.

Sample Drawing using line
 IMPLIED LINE We can also look for implied lines. These are not actually drawn, but
we can connect the dots (literally or figuratively) to create the lines in
our minds.

Detail with implied lines, Leonardo da Vinci, The They are a very powerful tool in art and design, as they guide the
viewer’s eyes right where artist wants them to go.
Virgin of the Rocks, c. 1483-86, oil on panel, 199 x
122 cm (Louvre, Paris)
 COLORS

Color is the element of art that involves light. It is produced when

light waves strike an object and are reflected into our eyes. It
consists of three properties: hue, intensity, and value.

Hue — This is simply the name that is given to a color,

such as red, yellow, blue, purple, green, orange, etc.
Intensity (or saturation) — This refers to the purity or
dullness of a color. Purity is determined by whether or not
a color has been mixed with another color and if so, to
what degree. Colors straight from the tube are considered
the most intense. Those mixed with other colors are
considered less intense. There are two methods that can
be used to dull the intensity of a color:
1) Mix the color with gray
2) Mix the color with its complement
Value — This is the lightness or darkness of a color. A
color’s value changes when white or black is
added. Adding white creates a “tint” of that color and
adding black creates a “shade”.
 COLORS

Using color effectively in the creation of art involves

understanding three basic areas: the color wheel, color
value, and color schemes or as it is also referred to, color
harmony.

The color wheel (sometimes called a color circle) is a handy

tool often used by artists and interior decorators as a visual
aid in understanding the relationship between colors. It was
developed in 1666 by Sir Isaac Newton when he took the
color spectrum and bent it into a circle. The color wheel is a
circular chart divided into 12 sections with each sector
showing a different color. It is made up of three different
types of colors – primary, secondary, and tertiary. The term
“tertiary” means third, by the way.
 COLORS

Primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.

These colors are equally distanced apart on
the color wheel. There only three primary
colors and they are the most basic colors on
the wheel. They cannot be created by mixing
any other colors together and can only
be derived through natural pigments. All other
colors found on the color wheel can be mixed
from these three basic colors.
 COLORS

Secondary colors are orange, green

and purple (or violet). These colors are
created from mixing equal parts of
any two primary colors together.

Red + yellow = orange

Yellow + blue = green
Blue + red = violet (purple)
 COLORS

Tertiary colors are red-purple, red-orange, blue-green,

blue-purple, yellow-green, and yellow-orange. There are six
tertiary colors and they are the result from mixing equal
parts of a primary color with a secondary color. The proper
way to refer to tertiary colors is by listing the primary color
first and then the secondary color. That’s why
tertiary colors are referred to by a two word name.
• Red + violet (purple) = red-violet (red-purple)

• Red + orange = red-orange

• Blue + green = blue-green

• Blue + violet (purple) = blue-violet (blue-purple)

• Yellow + orange = yellow-orange

• Yellow + green = yellow-green

 COLOR VALUES
A good way to see the difference in
Color also has a value. Value is a measurement to describe the the values of colors is to look at the
greyscale. White is the lightest
lightness or darkness of a color. It is determined based on how close value, while black is the darkest.
the color is to white. For instance, lighter colors such as yellow will Middle gray is the value halfway
have lighter values than darker colors like navy blue. between these two extremes.

The value of a color value can be

affected simply by adding white or
black to it. By adding white to a hue, a
lighter value is the result. Lighter
values are called “tints”. When is black
added to a hue, the value becomes
darker, creating a “shade” of that
color. See example below.
 COLOR TEMPERATURE

The temperature of color is how we perceive a

particular color, either warm or cool. Warm colors range from
red to yellow on the color wheel, whereas cool colors range
from blue to green and to violet. Each temperature takes-up
one-half of the color wheel. Somewhere in the green and
violet spectrums the temperature changes between warm
and cool.

Warm Colors
• are made with red, orange, or yellow and
combinations of them
• tend to feel warm reminding us of heat and
sunshine
• tend to advance into the foreground, i.e. come
toward the viewer
• may feel more energetic, attention-grabbing and
aggressive
 COLOR TEMPERATURE

The temperature of color is how we perceive a

particular color, either warm or cool. Warm colors range from
red to yellow on the color wheel, whereas cool colors range
from blue to green and to violet. Each temperature takes-up
one-half of the color wheel. Somewhere in the green and
violet spectrums the temperature changes between warm
and cool.

Cool Colors
• are made with blue, green, or violet and
combinations of them
• tend to feel cool reminding us of water and sky
• tend to recede into the background, i.e. move
away from the viewer
• are more calming and soothing
 TEXTURE

The Visual Element of Texture

defines the surface quality of an artwork - the roughness or smoothness of the material from which
it is made. We experience texture in two ways: optically (through sight) and physically (through
touch).

OPTICAL TEXTURE

An artist may use his/her skillful painting

technique to create the illusion of texture. For
example, the detail from this artwork has a
remarkable verisimilitude (the appearance of
being real) from the painted insects and the drops
of moisture on the silky surface of the flower
petals.

JAN VAN HUYSUM (1682-1747)

Detail of Bouquet of Flowers in an Urn, 1724 (oil
on canvas
 TEXTURE

The Visual Element of Texture

defines the surface quality of an artwork - the roughness or smoothness of the material from which
it is made. We experience texture in two ways: optically (through sight) and physically (through
touch).

PHYSICAL TEXTURE

An artist may paint with expressive brushstrokes

whose texture conveys the physical and emotional
energy of both the artist and his/her subject. They
may also use the natural texture of their materials
to suggest their own unique qualities such as the
grain of wood, the grittiness of sand, the flaking
of rust, the coarseness of cloth and the smear of
paint.
 TEXTURE

The Visual Element of Texture

defines the surface quality of an artwork - the roughness or smoothness of the material from which
it is made. We experience texture in two ways: optically (through sight) and physically (through
touch).

EPHEMERAL ART

This is a third category of

textures whose fleeting forms
are subject to change like
clouds, smoke, flames,
bubbles and liquids.
PERSPECTIVE

Perspective deals with the effect of the distance upon

the appearance of objects, by means of which the eye
judges spatial relationships. It enables us to perceive
distance and to see the position of object in space.
There two kinds of perspective :
1. Linear perspective
2. Aerial Perspective
 PERSPECTIVE

Linear Perspective:
Is the representation of an appearance of distance by means of
converging lines, Linear perspective involves the direction of lines
and the size of object.
Linear Perspective in Painting
Linear Perspective in Comic
Linear Perspective in Architecture
 PERSPECTIVE

Aeriall Perspective:
Is the representation of relative distances of objects graduations of
tones and color. Object becomes appear to be lighter in color,
objects become greyer, details are dissolved, contrast is
diminished, and the outline more vague as they recede into
distance or into the atmosphere.
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