Elements
of Art
Section A: Elements
of Art | Vocabulary
1.
line - the mark(s) moving between
two points. Lines can be thick or thin, smooth or jagged like in a sketch.
2.
shape - an enclosed area of
2-D or 3-D space defined by its external edge.
3.
form – three-dimensional
shape; regular shape or irregular shape
4.
space - the perceived
distance between, around, above, below, or within a given area.
5.
texture - the perceived
surface quality or “feel” of an object - its roughness, smoothness, softness,
etc.
6.
value - the degree of
lightness or darkness in a work of art.
7.
color – (hue) color is the
various visual phenomena resulting from the reflection or absorption of light
by a surface. We call them names like red, yellow, blue, and green.
Section B: Elements of Art | Artsville
To better understand
the elements of art…click the video below.
Section C: Elements
of Art | Reading
Even when artists create paintings inspired by
observing the same thing, each painting will be unique. That is because artists
emphasize different elements of art.
What are the elements of art?
·
They are somewhat like
the ingredients in a recipe.
·
Each painting includes
all the elements, but they are combined differently.
Color involves both hue and
intensity. Hue is the way we most often talk about color. The primary and
secondary colors on a color wheel are hues, but they aren’t the only ones.
Additional hues can be created by combining any two colors that are adjacent on
a color wheel, like adding red to orange to make a red-orange. By changing the
proportions of the colors, you can create additional hues, like red red-orange
or orange red-orange. Many of these hues have their names, like turquoise and
magenta.
But what happens when you combine colors across
from each other on the color wheel, such as red and green? That changes the
intensity of the color. Pure red is bright, but it becomes duller if you add
just a little dab of green. Add green to the red, and it becomes duller still.
Brightness and dullness are qualities of intensity.
Value is an element of art
that is related to color. In the Artsville video, Ava explores the contrast between light and
dark by using black, white, and gray, but you can also create contrasts in
value using any color. Think about the difference between light blue and dark
blue or burgundy and pink. To make a color lighter, you add white. To make it
darker, you add black. Light colors are called tints, and dark colors
are called shades.
Lines can be thick or thin,
smooth or jagged, but there are many other ways to describe lines. They can be
short or long, curved or zigzag. You might talk about vertical, horizontal, or
diagonal lines in math class. In a painting, lines do more than enclose shapes.
They lead our eyes through the painting, indicate movement, and express energy
levels. Some lines are drawn or painted intentionally as lines.
Shape is another element that
is found in both art and math classes. Shapes like ovals and triangles are geometric shapes. But what about
something like a cloud or a puddle? Flowing irregular shapes are called organic
shapes in art. When you talk about three-dimensional art, or it looks three-dimensional,
you refer to form. Examples of forms
are spheres and cubes, but forms can also be organic, like trees and flowers.
Texture is how something feels
(natural) or looks like it would feel (implied). In the video, Tony creates
texture by using his brush differently, but there are many ways to create
texture in painting. One way is to use thicker paint to make the brush marks
visible. You can add different things to the paint to create texture, like
salt! You can also use different tools to apply the paint, such as palette
knives, sponges, or cotton swabs. Many artists create the illusion of texture
by making patterns with dots or cross-hatching. Texture can be abstract, like
Tony’s still life or realistic.
The way that each artist combines the different
elements of art gives their artwork a unique style, just as combining
ingredients in a recipe gives each dish a unique taste!
Let’s
Practice