Elements and principles of art

¶ … Art

There are several key elements that are key components to Art. Some of the primary elements of art and design include form, unity, and subject. The term "subject" as it relates to art refers to something that is treated or indicated by the art. The manner in which the artist conveys the subject utilizes the concepts of form and unity. Form refers to the representation of a three-dimensional object that is defined by contour, depth, height and width. Unity refers to a certain quality that arises from an artwork when all individual components of a piece of art combine together to create a sense of completion and wholeness that is perceived by the viewer. Several different smaller components function together to create the elements of form and unity. The following is a discussion of the many elements and principles involved in art and design.

Form and unity are two components involved in the creation of a composition. A composition is an arrangement of elements of art, such as shapes, lines, and color, in order to create a unified, balanced artwork. The process that underlies the creation of a composition is design. Design could be defined as the organized, creative, and methodical arrangement of lines, colors, spaces, textures, shapes, and all elements in a work of art. Design also involves the processes of planning and arranging that contribute to the creation of an artwork.

Along, with form, there are several basic elements of art. These elements include: color; line; shape; space; texture; and value. Color, which is also referred to as hue, is the appearance of an object that is created by the light that it reflects through the use of paint, dye, pigment, or other substances. Line refers to a mark on a surface that is usually created by a pencil, pen, or brush. Lines can be two-dimensional or implied, and they vary in length, width, color, direction, and degree of curve. Shapes are two-dimensional figures that are created through the connection of implied or actual lines that are used to enclose a defined area of space, and shapes can be geometric or have an irregular outline to them. Space, as an element of art, refers to the empty or open area that exists around, between, above, below, or within objects. Furthermore, forms and shapes are defined by the empty (negative) space around them, as well as by the space they occupy (positive). Texture refers to the way a surface actually feels or the way it visually looks. Words that are often used to describe texture include smooth, rough, dull, and shiny. Finally, value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color in relation to another more primary color.

Form is essentially the structure of a design, and determines the visual result of a design. As an individual element of art, form is comprised of certain components. These components include: contour; depth; and edge. Contour refers to the outline of a shape or the surface of a form in an artwork. Depth refers to a technique utilized by artists to convey deep space on a two-dimensional plane. Techniques such as shading contribute to depth. Edge refers to the outside line of a shape or form that separates it from space.

Design is the process involved in the creation of an artwork, and this process uses the elements of art to portray concepts and ideas. There are several basic principles of design, each contributing to the presentation of a work of art. These principles of design include: balance; emphasis; pattern; proportion; rhythm; unity; and variety.

Balance is a term referring to the arrangements of parts of an artwork in a certain manner in order to convey a certain sense of equality in terms of visual weight. This balance can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial in nature. Emphasis in regards to design refers to the visual stress, accent, or sense of importance that is created in an artwork through the use of color, shape, size, and placement of an object. Emphasis can also refer to the object or area within an artwork that draws the viewer's attention. Pattern in design refers to the regular repetition of certain elements within the artwork, including shapes, lines, colors, or forms. Proportion in design refers to the relationship between the size, placement or amount of one area or part of an artwork to another part of the artwork. Artists need to be mindful of the sizes of different parts of an artwork to ensure that it is conveying the correct proportion. Rhythm refers to the sense of movement that an artwork achieves through the use of repetition of elements of art, such as lines, color, shapes, or forms. Unity, an important component of design, refers to the harmony that is present within artworks that is achieved through an effective combination of artistic elements in order to create a sense of completion or oneness. The final principle of design is variety, which refers to the use of diverse artistic elements in order to make an artwork interesting.