ements & Principles of Art

The elements and principles of art and design are the foundation of the language we use to talk about
art. The elements of art are the visual tools that the artist uses to create a composition. These are line,
shape, color, value, form, texture, and space.
The principles of art represent how the artist uses the elements of art to create an effect and to help
convey the artist's intent. The principles of art and design are balance, contrast, emphasis, movement,
pattern, rhythm, and unity/variety. The use of these principles can help determine whether a painting
is successful, and whether or not the painting is finished.
The artist decides what principles of art he or she wants to use in a painting. While an artist might not
use all the principles of design in one piece, the principles are intertwined and the use of one will
often depend on another. For example, when creating emphasis, the artist might also be using
contrast or vice versa. It is generally agreed that a successful painting is unified, while also
having some variety created by areas of contrast and emphasis; is visually balanced; and moves the
viewer's eye around the composition. Thus it is that one principle of art can influence the effect and
impact of another.

The 7 principles of
art
 Balance refers to the visual weight of the elements of the composition. It is a sense that the
painting feels stable and "feels right." Imbalance causes a feeling of discomfort in the
viewer.
Balance can be achieved in 3 different ways:
1. Symmetry, in which both sides of a composition have the same elements in the same
position, as in a mirror-image, or the two sides of a face.
2. Asymmetry, in which the composition is balanced due to the contrast of any of the elements
of art. For example, a large circle on one side of a composition might be balanced by a
small square on the other side
3. Radial symmetry, in which elements are equally spaced around a central point, as in the
spokes coming out of the hub of a bicycle tire.
See the article, Balance, for some visual examples of how the elements of art can be used to
achieve balance.

 Contrast is the difference between elements of art in a composition, such that each element is
made stronger in relation to the other. When placed next to each other, contrasting elements
command the viewer's attention. Areas of contrast are among the first places that a viewer's
eye is drawn. Contrast can be achieved by juxtapositions of any of the elements of
art. Negative/Positive space is an example of contrast. Complementary colors placed side by
side is an example of contrast. Notan is an example of contrast.

 Emphasis is when the artist creates an area of the composition that is visually dominant and
commands the viewer's attention. This is often achieved by contrast.
  Movement is the result of using the elements of art such that they move the viewer's eye
around and within the image. A sense of movement can be created by diagonal or
curvy lines, either real or implied, by edges, by the illusion of space, by repetition, by
energetic mark-making.

 Pattern is the uniform repetition of any of the elements of art or any combination
thereof. Anything can be turned into a pattern through repetition. Some classic patterns are
spirals, grids, weaves. For examples of different pattern types see the Artlandia Glossary of
Pattern Design. A popular drawing practice isZentangles, in which an abstract or
representational outline is divided into different areas, each of which contains a unique
pattern.

 Rhythm is created by movement implied through the repetition of elements of art in a non-
uniform but organized way. It is related to rhythm in music. Unlike pattern, which demands
consistency, rhythm relies on variety.

 Unity/Variety You want your painting to feel unified such that all the elements fit together
comfortably. Too much unity creates monotony, too much variety creates chaos.You need
both. Ideally, you want areas of interest in your composition along with places for your eye
to rest.

The 7 Elements of
Art
The elements of art are sort of like atoms in that both serve as "building blocks" for creating
something. You know that atoms combine and form other things. Sometimes they'll casually make a
simple molecule, as when hydrogen and oxygen form water (H2O). If hydrogen and oxygen take a
more aggressive career path and bring carbon along as a co-worker, together they might form
something more complex, like a molecule of sucrose (C12H22O11).
A similar activity happens when the elements of art are combined. Instead of elements such as
hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, in art you have these building blocks:
1. Line- A line is an identifiable path created by a point moving in space. Line is one-
dimensional and can vary in width, direction and length.
2. Shape- A Shape is a line that is “closed”. They have an interior (inside) and
an exterior (outside). All shapes are two-dimensional, meaning that they have only length
and width.
3. Form- Form describes objects in three-dimensional space. All forms have, height, width and
depth.
4. Space- Space is the area between and around objects. It describes how the artist uses the area
to arranges things within a picture.
 5. Texture Texture is another element, like form or space, that can be real (run your fingers
over an Oriental rug, or hold an unglazed pot), created (think of van Gogh's lumpy, impasto-
ed canvases) or implied (through clever use of shading).
6. Value- Value is the darkness or lightness of a color. When dealing with pure color (hue),
value can be affected by adding white or black to a color.
7. Color- Color is the element of art that refers to reflected light. Over many years, artists and
scientists together have created general theories about how colors work together in art. This
is called Color theory.

Artists manipulate these seven elements, mix them in with principles of design, and compose a
piece of art. Not every work of art contains every one of these elements, but at least two are always
present.
For example, a sculptor, by default, has to have both form and space in a sculpture, because these
elements are three-dimensional. They can also be made to appear in two-dimensional works through
the use of perspective and shading.
Art would be sunk without line, sometimes known as "a moving point." While line isn't
something found in nature, it is absolutely essential as a concept to depicting objects and symbols,
and defining shapes.

Why Are the Elements of Art Important?

The elements of art are important for several reasons. First, and most importantly, a person can't
create art without utilizing at least a few of them. No elements, no art—end of story. And we
wouldn't even be talking about any of this, would we?
Secondly, knowing what the elements of art are enables us to (1) describe what an artist has done,
(2) analyze what is going on in a particular piece and (3) communicate our thoughts and findings
using a common language.

Musicians can talk about the key of "A," and they all know it means "a pitch relating to
440 oscillations per second of vibration." Mathematicians may use the very basic word "algorithm"
and feel confident that most people know they mean "a step-by-step procedure for carrying out
computation." Botanists world-wide will employ the name "rosa rugosa," rather than the much longer
"that old-fashioned shrub rose - you know, the one that leaves hips in the fall - with the five-petaled
flowers that can be yellow, white, red or pink." These are all specific examples of a common
language coming in handy for intelligent (and shortened) discourse.

So it is with the elements of art. Once you know what the elements are, you can trot them out,
time after time, and never put a wrong foot forward in the art world.