Learning the three basic components of a Work of Art

1. Elements and Principles of
Design

2. Three Basic Components of a Work of Art
• Subject Matter : Person, Place, or Ideal.
• Form: The appearance of a piece of art due to arranging and manipulating of
materials.
• Content: The emotional and/or intellectual message of an artwork.
• Subject Matter= What?
• Form = How?
• Content = Why?

3. Subject Matter= What?
Form = How?
Content = Why?

4. Subject Matter= Boy, Sword, Head, Black Background.
Form = Oil on Canvas (its OK to guess if you don’t know)
Content = David vs Goliath. Small vs Weak. (Base this on your
Observations of form and subject matter. It OK to come
up with your on ideas.)

5. Subject Matter= What?
Form = How?
Content = Why?

6. Subject Matter= What?
Form = How?
Content = Why?

7. Composition
The combination of multiple parts into a unified whole.
Arranging the elements of designs on the picture plane,
by using the principles of design to create a visually pleasing image.
Elements of design
The basic building blocks of image making
• Line
• Shape
• Texture
• Value
• Form
• Color
Principles of design
The tools used to organize
the elements of design.
• Balance
• Scale/ Proportion
• Space
• Contrast
• Emphasis
• Repetition

8. Element of design:
Line -marks that span a distance between two points.

9. Element of design:
Shape- a two-dimensional area with defined or implied boundaries that can be measured by width and height.

10. Principle of design:
Space- refers to the distance around, within, or between components of a piece.

11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgTEVD_BPlQ
Positive Space- is the area or part of a painting's composition that the subject occupies
Negative Space- the space that surrounds an object in a image. (Just as important as that object itself.)

12. Element of design:
Texture- the perceived surface quality of a work of art
actual implied

13. Element of design:
Value-is the range of highlight (the brightest highlight being white) to shadow (the darkest being black) and all of
the tones (values) in between.

14. Element of design:
Form- the illusion of three-dimensions which encloses
volume; includes height, width and depth.

15. Element of design:
Color-the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of
the way the object reflects or emits light.

16. Principle of design:
Balance- The distributions of visual weight within an image.
Symmetrical Asymmetrical

17. http://vimeo.com/89302848
Symmetrical Asymmetrical
Balance

18. Principle of design:
Scale- Size of an object compared to yourself
Proportion- Size of an element relative to other elements within an image.
Scale
Proportion

19. Principle of design:
Contrast- elements within an artwork with large differences between them.

20. Contrast

21. Principle of design:
Repetition (pattern) -a visual element such as line, color, shape, texture, value or image which tends
to unify the total effect of a work of art as well as create rhythm

22. Principle of design:
Emphasis- The prominent or dominant part of an artwork. Used to attract attention and increase
visual and/or conceptual impact.

23. Principle of design:
Unity- when all of the elements of a piece combine to make a balanced, harmonious, complete whole
Harmony- brings together a composition with similar units.

24. Describe this image using
the principles and/or elements
of design.
Describe this piece using the
3 components of an art work.

25. Describe this piece using the
3 components of an art work.
Describe this image using
the principles and/or elements
of design.

26. http://vimeo.com/48551671
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pVHC1DXQ7U
Describe this video using
the principles and/or elements
of design.
Describe this video using
the principles and/or elements
of design.

27. Summary
http://vimeo.com/32944253