Design Elements and Principles Elements 1 Line the

Design Elements and Principles

Elements 1. Line: the distance between two points • Types of Lines: Descriptive, Implied, Expressive • How to Describe lines: straight, curved, broken, etc……. . • Lines may be 2 D or 3 D (your work may use line in both ways)

• Descriptive: – Outlines: Lines with little variation that describe the outer edges of shapes. – Contour Lines: Lines that define outer edges and surfaces within a form such as shapes, wrinkles, and folds – Individual Lines: single lines that create a shape by their thickness and placement – Hatching/Crosshatching: Shading using closely spaced lines

• Implied: – Lines that are indicated indirectly where two shapes meet, where a form ends and space around it begins, or by positioning several objects or figures in a row (example: a dotted line) – Edge: Where one shape ends and another begins – Closure: The tendency to complete partial forms or shapes by seeing lines that do not exist – Lines of sight: Implied lines suggested by the direction in which figures in a picture are looking

• Expressive: – Lines that are produced to express an idea, mood, or quality (exp. Graceful, nervous, delicate, aggressive) – Lines are static or they show movement • Straight=static • Curved=movement • Diagonal=movement – Lines have personalities • Vertical=formal, noble • Horizontal=calm (sculpture book pg 35, pottery pg 37, 112, crafts pg 5)

Elements 2. Value: Lightness or darkness of an object – Each color has a range of light and dark – 3 D forms are seen by highlights (light value) and shadows (dark value) (sculpture book pg 83, pottery pg 101, crafts pg 46)

Elements 3. Space: area around, within, and occupied by a 3 D object – The artist must consider the positive space, the negative space, and how they interact (sculpture book pg 89 &13, pottery pg 162 &133, crafts pg 1 & 8)

Elements 4. Shape: 2 D enclosed area (square, circle) – Shapes can be used in 2 D work as well as decoration on the surface of 3 D work – Shape can also refer to the outline, or silhouette, of a sculpture 5. Form: 3 D enclosed area (cube, sphere) • Both Shape and Form can be geometric or organic (sculpture book pg 11, pottery pg 63, crafts pg 93)

Elements 6. Texture: the way a surface feels or designs to look like the surface feels a certain way – In 3 D work actual texture can affect other elements such as value because it can create highlights and shadows. – It can be smooth, rough, soft, or hard (It can also be designed to look one way then feel another). (sculpture book pg 126, pottery pg 30, crafts pg 77 & 133)

Elements 7. Color: produced when light strikes an object and is reflected back to the eye – As an artist you must think about the color of your material, how it will change over time, and how it will affect your overall design – The colors you choose can make or break a piece of art – It is important to understand how colors mix and relate (this is known as color theory) (sculpture book pg 123, pottery pg 136 &138, crafts pg 50 -51)

Principles 1. Proportion: relationship of a part of something to the whole 2. Scale: the size of an artwork (normally determined by function or setting) (sculpture book pg 37, pottery pg 113, crafts pg 51)

Principles 3. Balance: arrangement of elements to create a sense of equal weight or interest – Types of Balance: • • Symmetrical: feeling of calm and formal Approximate symmetry Radial Asymmetrical (affected by size, contour, color, value, texture, position): most common kind, has a feeling of dynamics and movement (sculpture book pg 67&115, pottery pg 94, crafts pg 8)

Principles 4. Unity: all parts of a design work together in harmony to create “oneness” 5. Variety: Putting different elements up next to each other to create interest (contrast) (sculpture book pg 82, pottery pg 74, crafts pg 50 -51) 6. Pattern: A particular area in a design made to be when shapes, colors, and other elements are repeated at regular intervals or repeated randomly.

Principles 7. Movement: Using element to create the illusion of action or gesture/ or creating a piece that actually is in action 8. Rhythm: An ordered movement made by the repetition of visual elements (sculpture book pg 154, pottery pg 165, crafts pg 63 & 72)

Principles 9. Emphasis: significant or important (stand out), the center of interest in a work of art – Emphasis can be create through size, placement, contrast, and lines of movement, just to name a few (sculpture book pg 159&175, pottery pg 55 &116, crafts pg 134)