Elements of Art & Principle of Design

1. The Elements of Art
The basic building blocks of design.

2. Line
A continuous point (mark)
used to delineate an edge,
or to lead the eye through
a design.
A line is just a continuation
of a point (dot), which is
the smallest unit of design.
2001:A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)

3. Types of Lines
Static
Horizontal = sense of peace
and calm.
Vertical = power, strength,
grandeur, and awe.
Dynamic
Diagonal = speed,
movement, and depth
Curved = Create a sense of
peace and tranquility.
Bedroom at Arles (1992) Roy Lichtenstein

4. Leading Lines
Lines that guide a viewer’s
eyes around, or through, a
design.
Scanno (1953) Henri Cartier-Bresson

5. Shape/Form
An area with clear
boundaries.
Shape is 2D, Form is 3D
Organic shapes occur
naturally.
Geometric shapes are
mathematically calculated.
(squares, circles, etc.)
Shell (1927) Edward Weston

6. Space
Used to create a sense of
depth, and is made up of
two kinds of space:
Positive space – the
object(s) in the artwork.
Negative space – the area
around/between the
object(s) in the artwork.
(also known as whitespace.
Includes line breaks,
margins, tabs & spaces.)
(Costello, ch. 4)

7. Digital Workspaces
Measured in pixels—tiny
rectangular or square
blocks of color.
Width is measured along
x-axis (horizontally), and
height is measured along
y-axis (vertically).
Coordinates are an x:y
position. The upper left-
hand corner is (0:0).
(Costello, ch. 4)

8. Texture
How a surface looks and/or
feels.
In some forms of art &
design, the artist can create
a surface texture that can
be felt by hand.
In other forms of art, such
as photography or graphic
design, the texture is
implied but cannot be felt.
Georgia O’Keeffe Annie Leibovitz

9. Value
The range from light to
dark in a design.
Migrant Mother (1936) Dorothea Lange

12. Color
Color is what we see when
light reflects off of an
object.
The three dimensions of
color are Hue (actual color
such as “blue” or “orange”),
Saturation (intensity), and
Value (brightness).

13. Complimentary Colors
Directly across from each
other on the color wheel.
Make each other appear
brighter and more intense.
Afghan Girl (1984) Steve McCurry

14. STEM Conference Program Art Director: Seamus Duerr Designer: Kristina Fick

15. Analogous Colors
Next to each other on the
color wheel.
Create a feeling of
harmony.
Image Source: https://photographyicon.com/analogous

16. Think You Can’t Write? Think Again! Art Director: Patricia Meyer Designer: Patricia Meyer

17. Warm Colors
Indicate safety
Draw the viewer into the
frame
Can build excitement
Life of Pi (Ang Lee, 2012)

18. Cool Colors
Indicate uncertainty
Push the viewer from the
frame
Can dampen the mood
The Revenant (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2016)

19. The Principles of Design
Ways to combine the elements of art to make a more
powerful design/composition

20. Pattern/Repetition
An element (color, shape,
form, etc.) that occurs over
and over in a design.
It is more visually
appealing to vary the
repetition to some degree.
Hats in the Garment District, New York (1930) Margaret Bourke-White

21. Contrast
Most often, people think of
contrast as pertaining to
value (the range of light
and dark) in a design.
However, contrast can also
be created using color,
shape, or any other
element that provides a
sense of visual discord.
Self-portrait (1976) Samuel Fosso

22. Proportion
Our perception of an
object’s size is related to
the size and position of
other objects within the
field of view.
North by Northwest (1959) Alfred Hitchcock

23. Alignment
Position objects that
belong together along a
common edge or implied
line.
Barnes & Noble Website: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/

24. Balance
Balance is a sense of visual
stability within a design.
Symmetrical - objects are
the same size, color,
and/or shape
Asymmetrical - achieved
with a combination of
objects of varying sizes,
shapes, and colors.
Festival de las flores (1925) Diego Rivera

25. Movement
Movement can be a literal
representation, or implied
through repetition of shape
(rhythm) or the alternation
of lights and darks.
Commuter on the New York New Haven line running to catch train pulling out of Grand Central Station (1961) Alfred Eisenstadt

26. Unity
Occurs when all of the
elements work together to
support the overall
theme/object of the work,
rather than distract the
viewer.
Technology Innovation Commercial Payments Infographic Art Director: Aaron Steinfeld Designer: Sara Haney