Elements of Art PDF

Uses of the Elements of Art :  1. Symbolic - The elements may be used to express ideas through symbols like the plus, cross, and star signs.  2. Pictorial - They aim to produce the appearance of objects or scenes in two-dimensional form. These objects or scenes are drawn...

Uses of the Elements of Art :  1. Symbolic - The elements may be used to express ideas through symbols like the plus, cross, and star signs.  2. Pictorial - They aim to produce the appearance of objects or scenes in two-dimensional form. These objects or scenes are drawn in perspective views.  3. Emotional - They can express variety of feelings and help attain aesthetic pleasure.This is especially true with colors. ELEMENTS OF ART Lines Shapes Form Texture Space Value Color Line  A line is defined as a mark with length and direction, created by a point that moves across a surface. A line can vary in length, width, direction, curvature, and color. Line can be two-dimensional (a pencil line on paper), three-dimensional (wire), or implied.  It determines the shape or form of an object.  Continuation ;  a mark drawn with a pointed or moving tool such as a pencil, brush, pen, etc. It is the path of a dot through a space. Lines can be straight, wavy, thick, thin, dotted, and more. Some lines are subtle, like the edges of an object such as a dog or a box. Some lines are more obvious, just like the black outlines in a coloring book. Continuation ;  Mathematically speaking, a line is a geometrical figure which is made by the movement of a point. It has only length - no width nor thickness.  Visually or in art, a line has thickness and length, it also have different qualities, like fine,heavy or thick and uniform or varied. Continuation ;  In pencil drawing, lines are produced by variation of pressures of the pencil.  It may represent the visible and hidden edges of objects.  It is also used as guidelines for lettering, or as a means of shading objects. Two General Types of Lines :  Straight Lines such as vertical, horizontal, inclined or oblique, broken or zigzag.  Curved lines such as concave, convex, single, double, scroll, spiral, slow, quick or fast and intricate or complex curves. Psychological Effects of Lines  Light lines give the  Heavy lines give the feeling of “delicacy feeling of strength and and refinement”. Very sturdiness. Very heavy light lines may look lines may look too weak or blurred. In bold and primitive. In drawing, light lines drawing, heavy lines seem to recede. They seem to advance. They suggest distance or suggest nearness or background. foreground. Continuation ;  Straight lines give the  Simple curves suggest feeling of simplicity strength while intricate and directness and ones, craftiness and sometimes monotony. delicacy.  Curved lines suggest  Broken lines suggest grace, feminity, disorder, violence and variation and power. movement. Continuation ;  Horizontal lines  Vertical lines express express calmness, dignity, stability, quietness and peace or majesty, uprightness, repose. For instance, a strength, life and boat on calm waters reverence. They tend suggests peace or to carry the eyes calmness. A horizontal vertically or upwards. line tends to carry the eyes horizontally. Shape  -The 2D representation of an object or idea.  -Shape is one of the elements of art. When lines meet, shapes are formed.  Shapes are flat. Some shapes are geometric, such as squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, and ovals. Other shapes are organic or irregular. Continuation a two or three dimensional area that is defined by a boundary such as a line. There are two basic groups of shapes, Geometric Shapes and Organic Shapes. Some Geometric Shapes are squares, triangles, circles, and rectangles. Organic Shapes have a more natural appearance, such as clouds and leaves, and fish. Form  Form is one of the elements of art. Forms are three-dimensional—they have height, width and thickness. Shapes are flat; forms are not.  Forms vary in sizes, shapes and texture. Strictly speaking not all form have textures.  Objects should be seen as a visual form.  Here are some common forms: Psychological Effects of Forms or Shapes:  Large forms give the  Horizontal rectangle impression of gives the feeling of spaciousness and stability and “close superiority while small set”. It carries the eyes ones suggests horizontally, like a inferiority and long one story crowding. building. Continuation ;  Vertical rectangle on  Circular shapes the other hand, suggest suggest simplicity, dignity and continuity and uprightness. It tends to monotony. Areas carry the eyes upward bounded by curve like the skyscrapers. lines are more graceful than areas enclosed by straight lines.  Texture  The way a surface feels (actual texture) or how it may look (implied texture). Texture can be sensed by touch and sight. Textures are described by word such as rough, silky, or pebbly.  Texture affects the color of objects  It depends upon the materials used construction and finish Psychological Effects of Texture  Coarse or rough texture suggest strength, endurance and low price or cheapness.  Fine or smooth textures suggests excellent finish, delicateness and high price or costliness.  Materials used in an article or objects must have harmonious textures. Combination or concrete and bamboo in the same building is a violation of harmony of texture. Space  the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or within objects. Positive space is the main area or object of focus in an artwork. Negative space is everything else. Space can be used to make a two-dimensional artwork appear three-dimensional by giving a feeling of depth. Smaller objects in a space seem farther away. Larger objects in a space seem closer. Continuation ;  Space exists as an “illusion” in the graphic arts, but in sculpture and architecture it is actually present.  There are two basic types of space in painting : Decorative and plastic space.  Painters are limited by the two dimensional quality of their art, by the height and the width of the picture plane which has no significant depth. This depthless space is called decorative space. Continuation ;  It exists across the plane rather than in it. The artist cuts, divide, or rearranges the decorative space into smaller units as he adds an art element on his space.  Plastic space is the term we apply to the third dimension which is a matter of “illusion” in the case of painting. Continuation ;  There is actually no single formula for creating the illusion of space. Space like the other elements, can be manipulated by the artist at will. Methods of creating an illusion of depth include: overlapping of planes, variation in size, position on the picture plane, color, value and perspective. Value  the darkness or light of an object. Lighter values are used to indicate the light source, or where the light reflects off of, and/or shines on an object. Darker values are used to indicate the lack of light. Value is used to show the two-dimensional quality of an artwork. Values can affect the mood of an artwork. Lighter values might suggest happiness and contentment, whereas darker values might suggest sadness and depression. Psychological Effects of Value :  Dark values give a  Light values suggest feeling of quietness lightness and and dignity. They informality. These usually suggest values indicate foreground or background or nearness.. They seem distance. They seem to to decrease the size of increase the size of objects objects. Continuation ;  Closely related values  Adjacent or tend to blend into each superimposed values other. They give the offset each other. A effect of quietness or given value seems rest. lighter when placed on  Contrasting values a dark background and emphasize each other. darker when placed on They give the a light background. suggestion of “decision and clarity”. Some of the reds in the artwork are light and some are dark. When we speak of the lightness or darkness of a hue, we are referring to another art element—value. To lighten a hue, you add white. A hue that has been lightened is called a tint. Pink is a tint of red, and peach is a tint of orange. You can darken a hue by adding black. A darkened hue is called a shade. Maroon is a shade of red, and navy is a shade of blue. Color  derived from reflected light. It is what is perceived when a wave of light strikes the eye. Color is dependent on light. There must be light to see color. There are many aspects of color. Here are a few to begin with:  Primary Colors are red, yellow, and blue. No other colors can be mixed to make primary colors.  Secondary Colors are green, orange, and purple. Mixing two primary colors together makes a secondary color. Continuation  Intermediate Colors are colors such as red-orange, blue-green, and yellow-orange. Intermediate colors are made by mixing together one primary color, and one secondary color.  Warm Colors are on one side of the color wheel, colors such as yellow, orange, and red.  Cool Colors are on the other side of the color wheel, colors such as blue, green and purple.  Tints are lighter values of a color.  Shades are darker values of color. Continuation  Color is the quality or kind of light.  Chromatics is the science of color.  The most interesting element of art not only to the adults but also to the children as well. Emotional or Psychological Effects of Some Colors ;  Red - suggests courage,  Yellow - typifies light, aggressiveness and brilliancy, joy and vitality. It may also cheerfulness. Japanese suggest fire, blood, emperors wear yellow warmth, excitement, robes because they are danger, violence, said to be the sudden death, cruelty descendants of the sun. and sin.It is the most It also suggests advancing of all the cowardice, hatred and colors treachery and old-age. Continuation ;  Blue - typifies truth, wisdom, honesty, loyalty,  Green - means hope, tranquility and calmness life, but may also but may also mean express jealousy, pessimism, melancholy ignorance and and depressed state of freshness. It is the mind. It is the color of the sky and the deep sea. color of vegetation It said to be the coolest of and still water. all the colors.   Orange - suggests Continuation ; deliciousness, ripeness and warmth. Like yellow it is the color of some ripe fruits.  Violet or purple - means  Black - means dignity and royalty, dignity, truth or strength, as in the cap and suffering. King’s robes gown worn by college are generally purple. It graduates, and clergymen. It may suggest deepest grief, may mean also mourning and death. mourning and grief. It is  White - is purity, peace and the color of distance and cleanliness. shadow. Violet mountain appear farther than blue ones.   Prang system consists of twelve fundamental colors which are found at the outer Color Systems rim of the color wheel.Among them are three primaries ( red, yellow and  Prang System - deals blue). Which are equally primarily with distant from each other in the chart. If straight lines are primaries, secondaries connected to their centers, and intermediates. There these lines would form an are twelve fundamental equilateral triangle. hues in this system. 3 primaries, 3 secondaries and six intermediates. Continuation ;  Each of the secondaries  The colors in between ( orange, green and the primaries and violet ) is located secondaries are called exactly in between two intermediates. These primary colors. These are ( red-orange, colors (primaries and yellow-orange, secondaries) are yellow-green,blue- commonly called the six standard colors. green,blue-violet and red-violet ). Continuation ;  Each of the 12  Munsell System - The fundamental colors is primaries and repeated towards the secondaries of the center of the color Prang system are wheel, but gradually disregarded because becomes less intense according to Munsell, until it is neutralized this gives an excess of and turns into gray which is found at the orange and yellow in center. the chart.   Munsell did not include orange and violet because Continuation ; these are merely colors of some ripe fruits and flowers. It is quite difficult  Munsell has five for students to understand principal hues ( red, due to its complicated yellow, green, blue beginning. Munsell and purple.) and five system is only good for intermediates. decorative purposes but not in pigmentation. (yellow-red, green- yellow, blue-green, blue-purple, and red- purple) Monochromatic Harmony  A color scheme that includes only one hue plus the various values and intensities of that hue is called a monochromatic color scheme. Analogous Color Scheme  An analogous color scheme uses hues that are side by side on the color wheel and share a hue. Any of the values and intensities of those hues could be used in the color scheme also. Complementary Color Scheme  Another type of color scheme that is often used by artists is a complementary color scheme, which is created using hues that are opposite each other on the color wheel. Properties of Color  HUE When we speak about color, there are three basic properties, or traits, that we can refer to. One is the name of the color as it is labeled on the color wheel. This property of color is referred to as hue. Common hues include red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. Psychological Effects of HUES ;  Warm hues - are more  Red and orange are the cheerful, aggressive, warmest and seem to be the most advancing or exciting and stimulating most conspicuous. All than cool ones. ( Y, R, warm colors are O, YO,YG,RO and RV ) considered advancing are called warm hues colors.( A long room may because they are be made to appear shorter associated with the by painting its end walls colors of fire and the with a warm hue.) sun. Continuation ;  All cool colors are  Cool hues are “calm, “receding” colors and restful, and are oftentimes the colors depressing”. of distance. Objects (B,G,BG,BV,V) are which are cool in color cool hues because they seem to recede. ( if one are associated with the desires to make a small room appear bigger he colors of the sky and should paint the walls deep sea water and with a cool hue. vegetation. Continuation ;  The ceiling which is  GREEN - is the dividing seen in a horizontal line between warm and position should be cool colors. It becomes painted with a light warmer as more yellow hue to make it appear is added to it and cooler if more blue is added. higher Yellow-green and violet, like green may be either warm or cool Continuation  VALUE Another property of color is value. Value refers to the darkness and lightness of a color. If a color is very light, we say it is a high-value color. When a color is very dark, we say that its value is low. Continuation ;  A surface that absorbs  Tints of a color may all colors or light rays be produced by adding will appear black, and white pigment. A a surface that reflects shade of a color is all the colors will produced by adding a appear white. Values little black pigment to of color maybe the color. divided also into tints and shades. Psychological Effects Of Values in Color ;  Hence rooms can be made to appear higher by painting the ceiling with light colors.  Light values or tints make the size of  Dark hues or values seem to decrease the size of objects appear larger objects because these because these values values absorb light. Large reflect light. It also people should wear dark seem to recede when colored dresses to make them appear smaller. seen from above the ceiling. Continuation ;  White on black background is more  Against black or gray. conspicuous than black Related values are on white background quiet and restful and because white reflects tend to merge into light while black each other. absorbs.it. A color appears darker against a Contrasting hues white background but emphasize each other. lighter Continuation  INTENSITY Two colors can be the same hue and the same value, yet be two different colors. How can this be? Intensity refers to the brightness or dullness of a color. Look at the two colors of blue here. They are about the same value and they are both the hue of blue. Psychological Effects of Different Intensities ;  Bright colors are appropriate for small areas. These statements  The brighter the color are based from the “law of the more attention it Color Areas or Law of attracts. Similarly, the Background. Which states “ The larger the area to be duller the color the covered, the less intense lesser its power of the color and the smaller attraction. the area, the brighter the  Large areas are more color. pleasing in grayed color.