This presentation outlines the elements of graphic design: Line, Shape, Texture, Color, Value, and Space. Learn more about the lesson including VIDEO TUTORIALS at DigitalArtTeacher.com

1. Elements of Design
All Graphic Design is made up of 6 important pieces
called “elements”.

2. Elements of GraphicDesign
• Line
• Shape
• Color
• Value
• Texture
• Space

3. Line
• mark or mass longer than it is wide

4. 4

7. Shape
a two dimensional, enclosed area

8. Geometric shapes
shapes that are regular and
have a name.

9. Organic Shapes
Shapes that are irregular
and/or based from
nature
Salt Lake City 2002
Turin, Italy 2006
Rio, 2016

10. Sketchbooks:
Line and shape
Find 1 example of line and 1 example of shape in a
magazine
• For line: explain how the line is being used on
the page.
• For shape: name the type of shape, and why you
think that the designer chose that specific shape

11. Learning Illustrator:
Line/shape• Line: Draw 20 different
lines with the pen tool,
then label them with a
name that describes them
• Shape: Make a new
Artboard. Then create 1
composition with only
geometric shapes and one
composition with only
organic shapes

12. Color
• an element
consisting of 3
properties: hue,
value, and intensity
– hue – the name of a
color based on the
spectrum
– value – the lightness
or darkness of a
color
– intensity – the
brightness or
dullness of a color

13. 3 Properties of Color - Example
• Olive
• Hue - green
• Value – dark
• Intensity - dull
• Chartreuse
• Hue – green
• Value – light
• Intensity - bright

14. Primary Colors
• Red, yellow,
blue are the
traditional
primaries.
These colors
are the basic
foundation
colors from
which others
are formed.
Red
Yellow
Blue

15. Secondary Colors
• Orange, green
and violet.
These colors
are made by
mixing primary
colors.
Red
Yellow
Blue
green orange
violet

16. Intermediate Colors
• red-orange,
yellow-green,
blue-violet,
etc. These
colors are
made by
mixing
primary and a
secondary
colors.
Red
Yellow
Blue
green orange
violet
yellow-green yellow-orange
red-
orange
red-violetblue-violet
blue-
green

17. Warm Color
Red, orange, yellow

18. Cool Colors
• Green,
blue,
violet

19. Color
• Sketchbook: Find 1 example each
of warm and cool color schemes in
magazines, glue them into your
sketchbook. Explain the effect
that the color scheme has on the
page.
• Illustrator: Add a new artboard,
use the shape tool to build your 12
step digital color wheel

20. Value
• the lightness or darkness within a picture

21. Value Scales

22. High Key and Low Key
High key – an
artwork made up of
light values, called
tints
Low key – an
artwork made up
of dark values,
called shades

23. Value
• Sketchbook: Find 1 example each of high key and
low key in magazines, glue them into your
sketchbook. Explain the effect that each has on the
page.
• Illustrator: Add a new Artboard, create four 10 step
value scales for each of the following: White, Yellow,
Red, Blue.

24. Texture
• how a surface feels or looks like it would feel
Actual – surface texture Implied – looks
textured

25. Texture

26. Texture
• Sketchbook: Find 1 example that shows
texture in a magazine, glue it into your
sketchbook. Name the texture and explain the
effect that each has on the page.
• Illustrator: Add a
new Artboard.
Make 10 examples
of Masking texts
that explain the
texture of the

27. Space
• Space is the distance or area between or around
things.
• It separates or unifies, highlights, and gives the
eye a visual rest.

28. White Space
• Depending on how close together other
elements are in a design, the viewer can
have feelings of tension (elements are too
close) or ease (elements have a good
amount of area around them).

29. Negative Space vs Positive space
• Negative space- The “empty” space on a graphic.
• Positive space- the “used” space on a graphic.

30. Web Design: Using Space
Wisely
• Good Example:
– http://usd357.org
• Bad Example:
– http://www.arngren.net/
30

31. Space
• Sketchbook: Find one example that shows a
lot of negative space and one that shows a lot
of positive space in a magazine, glue them
into your sketchbook. Explain the effect that
each has on the page.
• Illustrator: Add a new artboard, find a
website that tension and one that shows ease.
Take a picture of your screen and paste each
onto your artboard. Explain the effect that
each has, and whether or not it is a good
effect.