1. The Elements of Design
•Designers who create visual images,
whether for artistic reasons or to
communicate a specific message (as with
advertising), use a variety of techniques to
make those images powerful and effective.
•Understanding the elements of design helps
you better appreciate how visual images
affect viewers.
2. Angle
The angle of a visual image is the direction from which it’s
viewed. In this photo, the angle – looking up at the trees – pulls
the reader into the visual and emphasizes the height of the trees.
3. Background, Foreground and Focus
These elements determine what the eye is drawn to in an image. In this poster, the
emphasis is on the figure of Jake Doyle, which is in the foreground and in focus. The
background in this picture – a downtown St. John’s street – is out of focus so that we pay
attention to Jake. But the background also matters – it sets the context and reminds the
viewer that the show is set in St. John’s.
4. Balance
• How objects are balanced in an image can
create either harmony or tension in an image.
• If an image is symmetrical, elements in the
picture are weighted evenly, right/left or
top/bottom.
• If the image is asymmetrical, the two sides (or
top/bottom) are not given equal weight.
• You can observe symmetrical vs asymmetrical
balance in the two photos that follow. Both
are images of abandoned Nfld outports by
Scott Walden
7. Colour
• Colour in a visual image can be used:
– to draw the attention
– to create contrast
– for a symbolic purpose (e.g. the colour red is
sometimes associated with danger, emergency,
sexuality, etc).
– black, white and grey can also create mood and
contrast
– Observe the effect of colour (or lack of colour) in
the following images
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14. Colour, contrast, focus, balance and other elements may be used to
draw the viewer’s eye to the focal point (or dominant image)– the
main thing you’re supposed to pay attention to in the visual.
15. Contrast
Colour can also be used to create
contrast between different elements
of a visual image and to draw the
viewer’s eye to a subject.
16. Many visual images use text to help convey their message.
The font, or style of type chosen for the text, can help
communicate the message, as long as it’s carefully chosen.
Here are some examples of POOR font choices…
20. Lighting – the source of illumination in a visual – can
be used to create mood. Notice how different lighting
changes the mood in these pictures of trees.
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25. How do you make a two-dimensional (flat) image on paper look as if it has depth?
You don’t need 3D glasses -- you need perspective, a visual device that uses
intersecting lines and the spacing and size of objects to create the illusion of depth.
26. Fun Fact (well, fun to me, I don’t know about you) – even though you can
see from a photo that perspective occurs naturally, artists didn’t always use
it in paintings and drawings. If you look at paintings from the medieval era
you can see that the use of perspective was limited. Often, the most
important element in the picture was the largest, whether or not it was
closer to the front of the scene. Over time, it became standard for artists to
use perspective if their goal was to create a realistic image.
28. Symbols in visual art are like symbols in literature –
objects that represent a concept or idea. What does
each of these symbols represent to you?
If you’re like most North Americans, the first five symbols instantly
carried meaning for you, while the sixth (the Hindu “OM” symbol) may
not have. The meaning and usefulness of symbols depends on the
audience sharing a common cultural context.
29. Elements of Design
• Artists, graphic designers and advertisers use
these elements of design the same way
writers use literary devices – to communicate.
• When you look at a picture, notice the visual
elements used. Why this angle, not another?
Why use this particular lighting, or use of
colour?
• Think: What is the artist trying to
communicate? How do specific visual
elements convey the message of the piece?
