ELEMENTS

AND
PRINCIPLES
OF ART
ELEMENTS
 necessary
preconditions for the
creation of art.
 must be emphasized,
however, that all works
of art require all
elements to be present.
 Elements
The artist employs various visual
of Design
qualities in creating a work of art. These
visual qualities are known as Elements of
Design.
Line
Shape
of Design
Elements
Form
Textur
e
Value
Color
Space
 it is a prolongation of a
point or the path of a
moving point.
 it defines the edges of
shapes and forms.
 it is said to be the most
universal, primitive and the
 TYPES OF LINE
Straight
Lines
Angular Line

Curved Line
Line have various types:
Straight Line
-When the line maintains in
one direction.
Curved Line
-When the line’s direction
gradually changes.
Angular Line
-When the movement of the
line changes abruptly.
In viewing a picture, our eye
movement is controlled
significantly by a large measure
of line directions.
Horizontal Directions
- represents serenity, calmness
and stability.
Diagonal Directions
-identifies movement, motion
and instability.
Vertical Directions
 These two are related to each
other in the sense that they
define the space occupied by
the object of art.
 Shape refers to two dimensions:
height and width.
 Form refers to three
dimensions: height, width and
depth.
Shapes (and Forms)
 are described according it
its fundamental sources.
NATURAL

ABSTRACT

GEOMETRIC
NATURAL / ORGANIC
SHAPE
 is an obvious popular
source since it objectively
represents the physical
or material world.
 are shapes directly
identified with the
natural environment.
 ABSTRACT SHAPE
- are fundamental shapes that are
objectified coming from an idea,
emotion or experience.

- a thought processed shaped where it

solicits further understanding
likewise appreciation of the
articulated or emphasized idea.
GEOMETRIC SHAPE
 are identified by the use of
any geometrical figures such
as cubes, spheres, cones, etc.
 it is classified in two-
dimensional and three-
dimensional forms.
POSITIVE SHAPE AND
NEGATIVE SHAPE
OPEN FORM CLOSE FORM
 this refers to the feel or
tactile
quality of the surface of an
object.
 ACTUAL
TEXTURE

TYPE
OF SIMULATE
TEXTUR D TEXTURE
E

INVENTED
TEXTURE
Actual Texture
 These are
artworks that
are intended
to be
touched.
 These are
artworks that
make use of
the Impasto
Simulated Texture
 Most common
texture
employed in
visual arts.
 As per
observation, the
works exhibit an
evident
appreciation of
tactility as the
nvented Texture
 may be sourced from
nature and from the
artist’s hand through a
proactive
metamorphosis.
 as such, texture will be
treated more as a
decorative rather than a
 (Light & Dark) - is the
relative degree of lightness
and darkness in a graphic
work of art or painting.
In the application of value, one
must determine the source of
the light. If the light comes
from the left, the left part of
the object is seen light, while
CHIAROSCURO – an Italian
term for light and shadow.
 VOLUME / SOLIDITY
 the characteristic of an
object
that has mass and weight.
 The presence of value
creates the sense of solidity
and weight.
 it exists as an
“illusion” in
the graphic or two
dimensional visual arts
but
in sculpture it is
actually
Spatial Illusion is achieved
through the following:
Variation in Size
Position
Overlapping Planes
Sharp and Diminishing detail
Perspective
Color
SIZE
 Largeness in scale is always
and generally interpreted as
nearness.
 Smaller scale suggest spatial
distance.
POSITION
 Horizontal lines are
automatic point of reference
for eye level.
 Bottom of the picture planes
indicates nearness to the
vision.
 Any degree of rise from the
horizontal line indicates
OVERLAPPING PLANES
 If one object covers part
of the visible surface
regardless of the size, the
first object is assumed to
be nearer.
 This method is a strong
indicator of space
compared to other
SHARP AND DIMINISHING
DETAIL
 In focusing on a near object
which yields sharp and clear
detail while the rest that
surrounds it tends to be
blurred and lacking
definition.
 LINEAR AERIAL
PERSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE
◦Warm colors are on one side
of the color wheel and they
give the felling of warmth for
example red, orange and
yellow are the color of fire.
◦Cool colors are on the other
side of the color wheel and
they give the feeling of
coolness for example blue,
violet, are the color of water,
and green are the color of
 The most important element
in the
visual arts.
NEUTRALS
 Some objects are in black,
white, or grey which do not
appear in the color wheel.
 There is no color quantity
found in them;
 Since they are not
distinguished as any color,
these tones are known as
Primary Colors
• solid colors
• cannot be created by
mixing others
Secondary Colors
• colors resulting from
the mixture of two
primary color in
equal amounts.
Intermediate Colors
• achieved by the
mixture of primary
and secondary
colors.
Color Harmonies
◦Color Harmonies is when
an artist uses certain
combinations of colors that
create different looks or
feelings.

◦Monochromatic is where
one color is used but in
• Analogous Colors are colors that
are next to each other on the
color wheel for example red, red
orange, and orange are
analogous colors.
• Complementary Colors are colors that
are opposite each other on the color
wheel. When placed next to each other
they look bright and when mixed
together they neutralize each other.
• Triadic Harmony is where three
equally spaced colors on the color
wheel are used for example, yellow,
red, blue is a triadic harmony color
scheme.
ELEMENTS OF ART:
AUDITORY
 ELEMENTS OF ART
• RHYTHM
• DYNAMICS
• TONE COLOR
•
•
AUDITORY
STLE
TEXTURE
• FORM
• MELODY
• HARMONY
 is the repeated pattern of
strong and weak beats in
music.
 it is the pulse / heartbeat
of music.
 often associated to beat,
meter and tempo.
 refers to the loudness or
softness of music.
 Pianissimo (pp) – very soft
 Piano (p) – soft
 Mezzo-piano (mp) – medium
soft
 Mezzo-forte (mf) – medium
loud
 a quality that distinguishes a
voice or an instrument from
another.
 It is also referred to as
timbre.

 refers to the singer’s or

composer’s way of doing his
 refers to the thickness or
thinness of a musical
composition.
KINDS OF TEXTURE
 Monophonic – single melodic
line
 Homophonic – main melody
plus accompaniment.
 the structure of a musical
composition.
TYPES OF FORM
 Unitary – one section only
 Binary – two sections
 Ternary – three sections
 Rondo – multiple sections
 a combination of tones
arranged in succession.

 the musical
presentation is
horizontal and read
from left to right.
 HARMON
 a combination of tones
Y
arranged in a
simultaneous manner.
 if melody is horizontal,
harmony is vertical.
 it arises when tones are
combined to form chords.
PRINCIPLES OF
BALANCE
 is a feeling of equality in
weight, attention, or
attraction of the various
elements.
 Symmetri
cal

BALANC Asymmetri
E cal

Radial
SYMMETRICAL
 formal balance
 two equal parts of the
pictorial plane of an artwork
stand like mirror images of
each other.
ASYMMETRICAL
 informal balance
 the perception or feeling of
balance comes from the
significance or “weight” of the
things from each end.
RADIAL
 parts or patterns of the
design seem to move outward
from the center.
RHYTHM
 is a flow, or a feeling of
movement achieved by the
repetition of regular visual
units.
1. SIMPLE RHYTHM - single
motif only.
2. COMPOSITE RHYTHM – two
or more motifs.
PROPORTION
 deals with the ratio of one
part to another and of the
parts to the whole.
EMPHASIS
 manner of
creating one
element in an
artwork as the
most important
part.
 achieved
through size,
shape, color,
HARMONY
 refers to the adoptions of
the visual elements to each
other, the agreement between
the parts of a composition
which result in unity.
CONTRAST
 The disparity between the
elements that figure into the
composition.

As in one object
maybe made
stronger
compared to
another object.
VARIATION
 The principle that aims to
retain the interest by
allowing patches or areas
that both excite and allow
the eye to rest.
THE RULE
OF THIRDS
The rule of thirds is a "rule of
thumb" or guideline which applies to
the process of composing visual
images such as designs, films,
paintings, and photographs.

The guideline proposes that an

image should be imagined as
divided into nine equal parts by two
equally spaced horizontal lines and
two equally spaced vertical lines,
and that important compositional
Proponents of the technique
claim that aligning a subject
with these points creates more
tension, energy and interest in
the composition than simply
centering the subject.

The main reason for observing

the rule of thirds is to
discourage placement of the
subject at the center, or