ELEMENTS OF ART

Elements of Art
An illustration of Seven Elements of Art.

Elements of art are an artistic language for artists to communicate with each other. It also provides a way for the audience to interpret and understand what they are seeing. The most common elements are line, shape, form, color, space, texture, and value. The idea for "elements of art" first appeared in 1899 in the book Composition: A Series of Exercises in Art Structure for the Use of Students and Teachers, referring to the "elements of art". It was written by Arthur Wesley Dow, an American painter, printmaker, photographer and art educator. He mentions only three elements in the book: notan (light and shade), mass, and color. Over the years, other art teachers expanded the list of elements to the seven we now have. When these elements are used to analyze art, it could be easier for the audience to toward a deeper understanding of the work.

Seven Elements of Art
Line Shape Form Color Space Texture Value
Bold Geometrical Cubes Hue Postive Tactile Contrast
Delicate Organic Spheres Saturation Negative Visual Light
Flowing Concave Cylinders Value Open Simulated Dark
Light Convex 3D Tint Closed Invented Hatching
Precise 2D Geometrical Analogous Actual Real Stippling
Irregular Solid/Void Organic Complementary Implied Implied Intensity
  • Line: Every artist has a unique way of making lines, it’s one way of expressing their individual style.
  • Shape: Often one of a kind artists learn how to see the world around them as basic shapes.
  • Form: Mastering many different approaches to making form will give you unlimited options when creating your own artwork.
  • Color: When making your own artwork knowing the effect colors have will help you control the messages you hope to convey.
  • Space: Try to develop an approach to space that resonates with other ideas you’re trying to communicate, and your messages will surely travel far and wide.
  • Texture: Whatever the approach, textures are an expressive tool artists use to reinforce their overall messages.
  • Value: Artists create the illusion of light by being able to produce a wide range of tonal and color values.

Which fun projects for kids learn elements of art?




Sources from vwarthistory.com and thoughtco.com