Elements and Principles

Of art
 In the chapter on Subject and Content, it was mentioned that
arts have a specialized language. And to be able to understand
this language, the familiarity with some of the elements and
principles that make it legible is required. Think of it as the
letters—the stringing of letters to formulate words, and
perhaps even the different pronunciation and enunciations
that assist comprehension.
Elements of  Taking off from the scientific
reference, elements of art are akin to

Art: Visual
the atoms that are defined as the
units or “Building blocks” of matter.

The elements of art and design:

 Line
 Shape and form
 Space
 Color
 texture

1. Line
 A line refers to a point moving at an identifiable path—it has length and direction. It also
has width. It is one—dimensional , however, it has the capacity to either define the
perimeters of the artwork (edges) and/or become a substantial component of the
composition.
A quality that is ascribed to lines is its ability to direct the eyes to follow movement or provide hints as to
a work’s focal point. The orientation in which we are most accustomed to such as the assertive force of
gravity grounding objects , or the sideways or up and down vibration that informs us of an earthquake, the
gustiness of wind from the window, or the direction of the rainfall conjures different images of lines.

a. Horizontal and Vertical Lines – refers to the orientation of the line.

 Horizontal lines are normally associated with rest or calm.
 Vertical lines connote elevation or height, which is usually taken to mean exaltation or aspiration for
action.

b. Diagonal and crooked lines—diagonal lines convey movement and instability, although the progression
can be seen. Crooked or jagged lines, on the other hand, are reminiscent of violence, conflict, or struggle.

c. Curved lines—these are lines that bend or coil. They allude to softness, grace, flexibility, or even
sensuality.
2-3. Shape and Form
These two are related to each other in the sense that they define the space occupied by the
object of art. Shape refers to two dimensions height and width, while Form refers to three
height, width, and depth.

Two categories can be used as a broad distinction:

a. Geometric—these shapes find origin in mathematical propositions. As such, its translation
and use are often man-made.
b. Organic-organic shapes are those readily occurring in nature, often irregular and
asymmetrical.
 4. Space
 Related to shape and form is space. It is usually inferred from a sense of depth, whether
it is real or simulated.

However, not all works are sculptures. In two Dimensional artworks, they may be implied:
a. Positive and Negative Space—usually identified with the white space is the negative space. The
positive space, on the other hand, is the space where shadow is heavily used.
b. Three Dimensional Space—can be simulated through a variety of techniques such as shading. An
illusion of three-dimensionality can be achieved in a two-dimensional work.
5. Color
 Is perhaps one of the elements that enhances the appeal of an artwork. Its effect has range,
allowing the viewer to make responses based on memory, emotion, and instinct, among others.

The color wheel corresponds to the first property of color, hue.

a. Hue-this dimension of color gives its name. It can be subdivided into:

• Primary colors-red, yellow, and blue

• Secondary colors-green, orange, and violet
• Tertiary colors- six in total, these hues are achieved when primary and secondary colors are mixed.
b. Value-this refers to the brightness or darkness of color. Often, this is used by artists to create the illusion of
depth and solidity, a particular mood, communicate a feeling, or in establishing a scene.
 Light Colors-taken as the source of light in the composition
 Dark Colors- the lack or even absence of light.

However, we can identify the color eve when a range is presented to us. Expectations are also based on the
notion that yellow is within the light value; whereas, violet is in the dark. Each primary color has a range of
values based on the addition and diminishing quantity and quality of light.
 Tint-this is lighter color than the normal value.
 Shade-this is darker color than the normal value.

c. Intensity-this is the color’s brightness or dullness. It is identified as the strength of color, whether it is vivid
or muted. To achieve a specific intensity of a color, one may add either gray or its complementary color.
 Bright or warm colors-positive energy
 Dull or cool colors-sedate/soothing, seriousness or calm

Color harmonies are integral considerations not only for pictorial arts but also for other art forms.
 Monochromatic Harmonies-use the variations of a hue.
 Complementary Harmonies-involve two colors opposite each other in the color wheel. Since they are at
contrary positions, the reactions is most intense.
 Analogous Harmonies-make use of two colors beside each other in the color wheel.
 Monochromatic
Harmonies Analogous
Harmonies

Complementary
Harmonies Triadic
Harmonies
 6. Texture
Like space, texture can be either real or implied. This element in an artwork is experienced
through the sense of touch (and sight). This element renders the art object tactile.

Types of texture:
a. Texture in the two dimensional plane-texture can be limited using one technique or a combination
of other elements of art.
b. Surface Texture-refers to the texture of the three-dimensional art object.
 Texture

Planes and perspective

Some art forms work with actual spaces, such as sculptors, architects, and stage designers. However,
with pictorial art that is two-dimensional, notions of depth and hence perspective requires the
implementation of principles and techniques in creating an illusion that will fool the eye to three-
dimensionality when in reality there is none. Picture plane is the actual surface of the painting or
drawing, where no illusion of a third dimension exists.

Its used was based on the following observations:

a. As forms and objects recede, the smaller they become.
b. We were taught that parallel lines never meet. However ,when they, too, seem to converge when
they recede into a distance, at a point, they both disappear. This point of disappearance is called
the vanishing point.
 Linear Perspective

There are three types of perspective, grounded on the number of vanishing points used by the artists:
a. One-point perspective-often used in depicting roads, tracks, hallways, or rows of trees; this type of
perspective shows parallel lines that seem to converge at a specific and lone vanishing point, along
the horizon line.
b. Two-point perspective-pertains to a painting or drawing that makes use of two vanishing points,
which can be placed anywhere along the horizon line.
c. Three-point perspective-in this type of perspective, the viewer is looking at a scene from above or
below. As the name suggests, it makes use of the three vanishing points, each corresponding to each
axis of the scene.
Auditory
Together with literature, music as an art form is classified as auditory art.

Common elements of music:

Rhythm-often associated to the terms beat, meter, and tempo, rhythm id the
element of music that situates it in time. It is the pulse of music. Beat is the
basic unit of music while tempo refers to its speed (beats/second). Beats can
be organized into a recognizable recurrent patter, which is called the meter.
Classical terms are used to refer to the variations in tempo, some of which are:
Largo-slowly and broadily
Andante-walkin pace
Moderato-at moderate speed
Allegro-fast
Vivace-lively
Accelerando-gradually speeding up
Rallentado-gradually slowing down
Allargando-getting slower, broadening
Rubato-literally “robbed time”, rhythm is played freely for expressive effect.

Dynamics
The element of music that refers to the loudness or quietness of music is dynamics. Classical terms are
used to refer to the different levels pertaining to this:
Pianissimo (pp)-very quiet
Piano (p)-quiet
Mezzo-piano (mp)-moderately quiet
Mezzo-forte (mf)-moderately loud
Forte (f)-loud
Fortissimo (ff)-very loud
Melody
Refers to the linear presentation (horizontal) of pitch. By horizontal, it means that in musical notation, it is
read in succession from left to right. Pitch is the highness or lowness of musical sound.

Harmony
If melody is horizontal, harmony is vertical. It arises when pitches are combined to form chords. When
several notes are simultaneously played, this refers to a chord. Harmony can be described in terms of its
harshness: dissonance is the hash-sounding combination while consonance is the smooth-sounding
combination.

Timbre
Is often likened to the color of music. It is a quality that distinguishes a voice or an instrument from
another.

6. Texture
The number of melodies, the type of layers, and their relatedness in a composition is the texture of music.
It may be:
Monophonic-single melodic line
Polyphonic-two or more melodic lines
Homophonic-main melody accompanied by chords
Principles of Art
These principles will provide explicit ways in which these elements are used, how they are manipulated, how
they interact, and how they inform the overall composition of the artwork to assist the artist in conveying his
intention.

The principles of Art are:

Balance-this principle refers to the distribution of the visual elements in view of their placement in relation to
each other.
Three forms of balance:
 Symmetrical-the elements used on one side are reflected to
the other. This offers the most stable visual sense to any
artwork.
 Asymmetrical-the elements are not the same (or of the
same weight) on each side, putting the heaviness on one
side.
 Radial-there is a central point in the composition, around
which elements and objects are distributed.
Scale and proportion
 Scale pertains to the size in relation to what is normal for re figure or object in question.
 Proportion, on the other hand, is the size of the components, or of objects in relation to one
another when taken as a composition or a unit. This can also refer to values such as amounts or
number of elements or objects in the composition.

Scale Proportion
Proportion can be:
a. Natural-relates to the realistic size of the visual elements in the artwork, especially for
figurative artworks. When it is the accuracy in relation to the real world that the artist is
after, this is now referred to as the principle of scale.
b. Exaggerated-refers to the unusual size relations of visual elements, deliberately
exaggerating the immensity or minuteness of an object.
In relation to this, there are notions in scale that differentiate when an element is
smaller than expected (diminutive), and when something appears to be larger than what is
presumed (monumental).
c. Idealized-most common to those that follow canons of perfection, the size-relations of
elements or objects, which achieve the most ideal size-relations.

Emphasis and Contrast

 Emphasis allows the attention of the viewer to a focal point(s), accentuating or drawing attention
to these elements or objects.
 Contrast is the disparity between the elements that figure into the composition.
Unity and Variety
 Unity-compositions are intended to imbue sense of accord or completeness from the artwork.
 Variety-is the principle that aims to retain the interest by allowing patches or areas that both excite
and allow the eye to rest.

7. Harmony- like what is hinted above, unity and variety is related to the principle of harmony, in which
the elements or objects achieve a sense of flow and interconnectedness.

8. Movement- this refers to the direction of the viewing eye as it goes through the artwork, often guided
by areas or elements that are emphasized. These focal points can be lines, edges, shape, and color
within the work of art, among others.

9. Rhythm- this is created when an elements is repeated, creating implied movement. Variety of
repetition helps invigorate rhythm as depicted in the artwork.

10-11 Repetition and Pattern- Repetition are; lines, shapes, colors, and other elements may appear in
an artwork in a recurring manner. An the image created out of repetition is called pattern.
Combined and Hybrid Art