Design Elements Design Principles

LINE BALANCE
SHAPE VARIETY
COLOR MOVEMENT
VALUE CONTRAST
TEXTURE EMPHASIS
SPACE PROPORTION
FORM UNITY
 Elements of Design

Are the seven basic building blocks of art & design.

Without these building blocks the principles are meaningless.

Without the principles the elements can not be used to their best ability.
Design Elements

LINE
SHAPE
COLOR
VALUE
TEXTURE
SPACE
FORM
 Line

A mark. Lines have thickness,

direction, and movement; they can
be interrupted and can show
emotion in an artwork.
Line
 Line

Contour lines- outline the

edges of forms or shapes

Gestural lines- indicate

action and physical
movement
 Shape

When line curves or corners around

and crosses over itself it becomes a
shape.
 Shape

SHAPES CAN BE DESCRIBED AS:

GEOMETRIC
square, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, circle, cone

ORGANIC
free form shapes, shapes in nature for example:
leaves, trees, clouds, animals
 Color

Color has three main properties:

1. Hue
2. Value
3. Intensity
 Color
Color has three properties:
1. The first is HUE.
(this is the name of the colors)

2. The second property of color is

value, which refers to the
lightness or darkness of a hue.

3. The third property of color is

intensity, which refers to the purity
of the hue (called chroma)
 Neutral Colors

These colors are made by adding a complimentary

color (opposite on the color wheel) to a hue.
Neutralized hues are called tones.
 Tints and Shades

Tints-adding the color white.

Shades- adding the color black.

Warm and Cool Colors
 Value

The lightness or darkness of a hue.

 Value

Value contrasts help us

to see and understand a
two-dimensional work of art.

Value describes form and

value defines space.
 Texture

The quality of a surface: Smooth,

rough, bumpy, hairy, etc.
 Hatching and Cross Hatching

Line can be used to create

value and textures

Hatching
Cross Hatching
 Texture
Textures are all around us in our environment.
Actual texture texture that you can feel with your sense of
touch.
Implied texture texture that has been simulated in drawing and
painting on a smooth surface to appear as if it is textured.
 Space

The amount of depth in both 2D and

3D artworks.
Around, above, inside, outside, help
describe space
 Space

The feeling of space in a drawing

or painting is always an illusion.
Artists combine the use of light
and dark value with other
techniques. Some of these are:
simple overlapping, ladder
perspective, linear perspective,
and atmospheric perspective.

Linear perspective
Snow in New York
 Form

In 3D artworks it is the quality of

the shape.
Ex. Cubes, spheres and cones
 Form

Form describes volume and mass, or the three-dimensional

aspects of objects that take up space.
Forms can be realistic, abstract, geometric, organic etc
Form is considered three-dimensional showing height, width
and depth. It can be illustrated or constructed.
 Principles of Design

The basic rules of aesthetics that guide in the

organization of elements in a work of art.
Design Principles

Balance
Emphasis
Variety
Movement
Proportion
Contrast
Unity
 Balance

An appearance of evenness in an
artwork.
There are two kinds: Symmetry &
Asymmetry
 Balance

Balance refers to the distribution of visual weight in a work of art

This is an example of This is an example of

symmetrical balance in which asymmetrical balance
the design is the same on both because the object is not the
sides of the center axis. same on both sides.
 Balance

An appearance of evenness in an
artwork.
There are two kinds: Symmetry &
Asymmetry
 Symmetry

In composition it is an arrangement
of elements using order or
disorder.
 Vertical symmetry

A composition with identical or

similar elements arranged on both
the right and left halves of an
image.
Vertical symmetry
 Horizontal symmetry

A composition with identical or

similar elements arranged on both
the top and bottom halves of an
image.
Horizontal symmetry
 Radial symmetry
A composition with a center point from
which the arrangement of elements
radiate around in a circular format.

Imagine:
Cut a piece of pie out of an empty circle.
Create a design on the piece of pie.
Repeat the pie piece to finish off the pie.
Radial symmetry
 Asymmetry

A composition with a heavy and light

amount of elements. Asymmetry uses
disorder to create balance.
Asymmetrical
 Contrast

A large difference between

elements. Green and Red, dark
and light, large and small, thin and
thick, bright and dull.
 Contrast

Contrast refers to differences in values,

colors textures, shapes and other elements.
 Emphasis

Where an artist draws attention to

one or more parts of a design.
 Emphasis

Emphasis is used by artists to create dominance and focus

in their work. Artists often use focal areas (centers of interest)
to place emphasis on the most important aspect of art.
 Movement

The path the viewers eye is directed

to take by the artists choice of
elements such as line.
 Movement

Visual movement is used by artists to direct viewer

through their work, often to focal areas.
 Variety

The differences in any element in a

work of art give it variety.

Ex: A variety of shape sizes or a

variety of the same hue
 Rhythm

Rhythm is repetition of visual movement of the elements-colors

shapes, lines, values, forms, spaces, and textures. Movement
and rhythm work together to create the visual equivalent of a
musical beat..
 Pattern

Pattern uses the art elements in planned or random

repetitions to enhance surfaces of paintings or sculptures.
 Unity

A sense that all of the parts belong

together as one piece of artwork.
 Unity

Unity provides the cohesive quality that makes an art work

feel complete and finished. All the principles work together
to create unity and therefore a successful design.

Salvador Dali Andy Warhol

 Proportion aka Scale

The relationships of size in artworks

in relation to how they are
normally viewed.

Ex. A perfectly drawn person in proportion or a

perfectly drawn person with a tiny head
 Proportion

This picture uses the idea of proportion to illustrate

the size difference between the fish and the boat.
Proportion aka Scale