ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL ART

Elements and Principles of Visual Art

Welcome to the first module of the course on Philippine Contemporary Art from the Regions.
For this chapter, we will have an overview of art appreciation.

In this overview, we will discuss the elements and principles of visual art. It is important that you
will be able to classify various art forms found in the Philippines and be able to evaluate
contemporary art forms based on the elements and principals that you will learn so that you
know the basics of these different art forms and you can appreciate them better.

Visual Arts
The visual arts are those that we perceive with our eyes. They may be classified into two
groups; graphic (flat, or two-dimensional surface), and plastic arts (three-dimensional).

The kinds of graphic arts are as follows:

 Drawing
 Painting
 Graphic Processes / Print-making
 Commercial Art
 Photography

The kinds of plastic arts are as follows:

 Architecture
 Sculpture
 Urban Planning and Development
 Industrial Design
 Fashion Technology
 Stagecraft and Theater Design

Elements of Visual Art

The following are the different elements of visual art:

 Lines
Line is used to lead the viewer’s eyes throughout the artwork. It can
lead your eyes into, around, and out of the visual images within the artistic
frame. A line has width as well as length, but usually, it is the length that
occupies more space than its width.

Philippine Contemporary Art in the Regions 1

1.0 Elements and Principles of Visual Art

o Horizontal Lines are parallel to the horizon. They express feelings

of rest, peace, quiet and stability, permanence or solidarity. They
make you feel relaxed and calm.

o Vertical Lines move up and down. They express stability and

show dignity, poise, stiffness, formality and upward mobility.

o Curved Lines slowly change direction and form wiggly curves,

spirals or circles.

o Diagonal Lines slant, as if they are either rising or falling.

Diagonal lines suggest action and movement. They convey
dynamism, vitality, and animation.

o Organic Lines are the types of lines found in nature. They are
irregular, curved, and often fluid. They convey a sense of
gracefulness, dynamism, and spontaneity

(http://healthymamainfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/types-of-lines.jpg)

 Shapes and Forms

Shapes are two-dimensional area that shows the form of an object and
how it is laid out in space. Dimension refers to the amount of shape an object
takes up in one direction. A shape may be geometric or free-form.

o Geometric Shapes possess sides and angles. Some examples of

this are circle, square, triangle, oval, rectangle, etc.

o Free-form / Organic Shapes have outlines that are unpredictably

curved or angular or are a combination of different lines and forms.

2
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL ART

(http://www.canyoncrest.provo.edu/Site_School/0023/media/images/Shape%20&%20Form%20Poster%20Final.jpg)

 Space
Space refers to both outer and inner space, the emptiness and area
between, around, above, below or within objects. It may be flat or two-
dimensional, such as in painting, or three-dimensional, such as in
monumental sculpture.

o Positive space is the area occupied by shapes or forms.

o Negative spaces are the empty spaces between the shapes or

forms.

Philippine Contemporary Art in the Regions 3

1.0 Elements and Principles of Visual Art

(http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/images/encyc_positivenegative.gif)

 Texture
Texture refers to how things feel when touched. Tactile texture is
experienced when you touch something to feel its texture. Visual texture is
felt when you look at a photograph or an image that has texture, and it
reminds you how those objects actually feel. Visual texture is the illusion of a
three-dimensional surface.
Roughness or smoothness of a visual texture is determined by the light
or dark values it has. A rough texture is characterized by a surface that
reflects light unevenly. Smooth surface, on the other hand, reflects light
evenly.

(http://image.slidesharecdn.com/10thevisualelementsofanimage3texture-120618143728-phpapp01/95/the-visual-
elements-of-art-texture-18-728.jpg?cb=1340030447)

4
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL ART

 Color
Color is an element of art that results from the light waves reflected
from objects to your eyes.
o Hue is the name of a specific color in the color spectrum or the
bands of color that are present in a color wheel.

 Primary Colors / Hues

o Red
o Yellow
o Blue

 Secondary Colors/ Hues are made by mixing two primary

hues.
o red and yellow make orange,
o red and blue make violet,
o blue and yellow make green.

 Intermediate/Tertiary Colors are made by mixing a

primary color with its secondary color. For example, red
(primary color) and orange (secondary color) make red-
orange.

 Neutrals
o Black
o White
o Gray

(http://lundgrenart.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/0/6/38064807/4082341_orig.jpg)

Philippine Contemporary Art in the Regions 5

1.0 Elements and Principles of Visual Art

o Value is indicated through the lightness or darkness of a color. The

amount of light in a color determines the color value. When a
pencil is pressed hard to draw a line, it produces dark value. When
it is used lightly, it makes a line of light value. You can change the
value of any hue by adding black or white.
 Tint is the light value of a hue
 Shade is the dark value of a hue
 Intensity is the brightness or dullness of a hue

(http://christinafowler.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/color-wheel-labeled1.jpg)

(http://www.canyoncrest.provo.edu/Site_School/0023/media/images/value%20poster%20Final.jpg)

6
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL ART

o Color Harmonies
 Monochromatic uses only one hue. White and black added in
varying degrees to show the different shades and tints of the hue.
 Analogous are found side by side within the color wheel. For
example, red. Red-orange: red and orange are close to one
another in the color wheel. They are different hues but they are
related in color.
 Complimentary Colors are colors opposite each other.
Example, red and green are located opposite each other in the
color wheel in the chart.
 Split Complimentary is the combination of one hue and the
hues on each side of its complement. For example, red-orange,
blue and green from a split-complementary scheme.

(https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/rebe0009/wp-content/uploads/sites/191/2015/11/tumblr_m8cl7cwX3j1rrx82m.jpg)

Principles of Design or Organization

The principles of art are ways to arrange and organize the different elements of art.

The different principles of art are as follows:

 Harmony / Unity
Harmony creates unity by showing similarities of separate but related
parts. Unity is oneness that is achieved through the effective use of the
elements of art and principles of organization. It guides the viewer’s eye to
focus on a visual image. Artists arrange the elements within the frame in a
way that they relate to each other and to the whole network.

Philippine Contemporary Art in the Regions 7

1.0 Elements and Principles of Visual Art

Harmony and unity result from the artistic combination and

arrangement of the elements of art within the artistic frame or space.

(http://www.canyoncrest.provo.edu/Site_School/0023/media/images/Unity%20Poster.jpg)

 Balance
Balance is concerned with equalizing visual elements in an artwork.

o Formal Balance is where equal elements are placed on opposite

sides of a central axis. The central axis is the dividing line located
at the center of a frame. It may not be visible but imaginary.

 Symmetry is a kind of formal balance in which two halves of a

balanced composition is identical. Artworks in perfect symmetry
express dignity, endurance and stability.

 Radial Balance is a variation of symmetry in which the

elements of a design come out from the central point of the
circle.

8
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL ART

o Informal Balance/Asymmetry is the opposite of formal balance.

Here, there is a balance of unlike objects and there are no elements
that appear to be equal halves or sides. Balance, in this case, relies
on the arrangement of objects.

(http://www.canyoncrest.provo.edu/Site_School/0023/media/images/Balance%20Poster.jpg)

 Rhythm
Rhythm is the repetition of design, line or other elements within the
frame. Visual rhythm indicates movement and suggests unity of form by the
repetition of elements.

Philippine Contemporary Art in the Regions 9

1.0 Elements and Principles of Visual Art

(http://99home.net/wp-content/uploads/principles-design-rhythm-repetition_27183.jpg)

 Variety
Variety is when several elements of art are used to get the attention of
the audience and guide the audience’s focus through and around the artwork.
Variety is used to keep the rhythm exciting and active in a work of art.

(http://www.canyoncrest.provo.edu/Site_School/0023/media/images/Variety%20Poster.jpg)

 Proportion
Proportion has to do with the comparative size of the parts of a single
work. It is the relative relationship of shapes to other shapes within the artistic
frame in terms of size, degree, number, etc. When it comes to the human

10
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL ART

figure, proportion can refer to the size of the head compared to the rest of the
body.

(http://www.canyoncrest.provo.edu/Site_School/0023/media/images/Proportion%20Poster.jpg)

 Emphasis
Emphasis is how the artist catches the attention of the audience by
making a specific area in the work stand out by contrasting it with other areas.
The artist can do this by making the area different in size, color, texture,
shape, etc.

Philippine Contemporary Art in the Regions 11

1.0 Elements and Principles of Visual Art

(http://www.canyoncrest.provo.edu/Site_School/0023/media/images/Emphasis%20Poster.jpg)

 Movement
Movement is the direction that the audience’s eye goes through the
artwork, often to focal areas. This is done by directing the audience’s eyes
along lines, edges, shape, and color.

(http://blogs.murdoch.edu.au/michaelhind/files/2010/03/movement.jpg)

 Pattern
Pattern is when an object or symbol is repeated all over the artwork.

12
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL ART

(http://www.canyoncrest.provo.edu/Site_School/0023/media/images/Pattern%20Poster.jpg)

 Repetition
Repetition is used to make the artwork seem active. Repeating
elements creates unity within the artwork

(http://99home.net/wp-content/uploads/principles-design-rhythm-repetition_27183.jpg)

Supplementary Links to Videos and Readings

Videos
 “Elements of Art Introduction” (5:19)
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY-qWoEx_hY>
 “Elements of Art: Color | KQED Arts” (4:42)
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWW_UbrkBEw>

Philippine Contemporary Art in the Regions 13

1.0 Elements and Principles of Visual Art

 “Principles of Design Overview” (4:51)

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GigfWyFAe7Y>

Readings
 “Art Fundamentals” (15:00)
<http://thevirtualinstructor.com/artfundamentals.html>
 “Color Harmonies and Schemes” (5:00)
<http://inspirationfeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Color-Harmonies.jpg>
 “Elements of Art/Design and Principles of Design/Organization” (15:00)
<http://flyeschool.com/content/elements-artdesign-and-principles-designorganization>

Glossary

color wheel a circular diagram of the color spectrum used to show the relationships
between colors

References
Sanchez, Custodiosa, Paz Abad and Loreto Jao. Introduction to the Humanities. Manila: Rex
Book Store Inc. 2002. Print.

“principles of design”. The J. Paul Getty Museum. Web. 01 June 2016.

<https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf>

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Application

14