1. The Elements of Art and
Principles of Design
It is a widely accepted notion among
painters that it does not matter what one
paints as long as it is well painted. This is
the essence of academicism. There is no such
thing as good painting about nothing.
- Mark Rothko

2. Elements
The basic building blocks of art

3. Elements
The basic building blocks of art
LINE

4. Elements
The basic building blocks of art
LINE
SHAPE/FORM

5. Elements
The basic building blocks of art
LINE
SHAPE/FORM
SPACE

6. Elements
The basic building blocks of art
LINE
SHAPE/FORM
SPACE
VALUE

7. Elements
The basic building blocks of art
LINE
SHAPE/FORM
SPACE
VALUE
TEXTURE

8. Elements
The basic building blocks of art
LINE
SHAPE/FORM
SPACE
VALUE
TEXTURE
COLOR

9. LINE
A continuous point
(mark) used to delineate
an edge, or to lead the
eye through a work of
art.
Some lines are implied,
meaning they are created
by the edges of shapes,
forms, or color.
Bedroom at Arles (1992) Roy Lichtenstein

12. SHAPE/FORM
An area with clear
boundaries.
Shapes are 2-
dimensional, while forms
are 3-dimensional
Organic – occur
naturally
Geometric – human-
made
Midnight Sun, Loften (1937) William H. Johnson

14. SPACE
Used to create a sense of
depth, and is made up of
two kinds of space:
Positive space – the area of
the object(s) in the
artwork.
Negative space – the area
around/between the
object(s) in the artwork.
Depth is represented using:
Foreground (closest)
Middle ground
Background (farthest)
Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite National Park (1960) Ansel Adams

16. VALUE
The range from light to
dark in a piece of
artwork.
Can provide a sense of
depth.
Migrant Mother (1936) Dorothea Lange

19. TEXTURE
How a surface looks and/
or feels. In some forms of
art, the artist can create a
surface texture that can
be felt by hand. In other
forms of art, such as
photography or graphic
design, the texture is
implied but cannot be
felt.
Louise Bourgeois (1997) Annie Leibovitz

21. COLOR
Color is what we see
when light reflects off of
an object.
Properties of Color:
Hue – the actual color
(ex. Red, green, etc.)
Value – the lightness/
darkness of a color
Saturation – the
intensity of the color
Image courtesy of: http://innman.blogspot.com/

22. Color
I try to apply colors like
words that shape poems,
like notes that shape
music.
- Joan Miro
Bleu II (1961) Joan Miro

24. Complementary
Colors
Are located directly
across from each other
on the color wheel
When used together,
make both colors appear
brighter or more intense
Cafe Terrace at Night (1888) Vincent Van Gough

26. Analogous
Colors
Are located next to each
other on the color wheel
When used together,
create a sense of
harmony.
I found I could say
things with color and
shapes that I couldn't
say any other way--
things I had no words
for.
- Georgia O’Keefe
Red Canna (1923) Georgia O’Keefe

28. The Elements
Line
Shape/Form
Space
Value
Texture
Color
For the next 5-10 minutes, analyze this work of art in
terms of the elements you see.
Le Dimanche Matin (1975) Graciela Rodo Boulanger

29. Principles
Ways to combine the elements of art to
make a more powerful composition

30. Principles
Ways to combine the elements of art to
make a more powerful composition
EMPHASIS

31. Principles
Ways to combine the elements of art to
make a more powerful composition
EMPHASIS
BALANCE

32. Principles
Ways to combine the elements of art to
make a more powerful composition
EMPHASIS
BALANCE
UNITY

33. Principles
Ways to combine the elements of art to
make a more powerful composition
EMPHASIS
BALANCE
UNITY
CONTRAST

34. Principles
Ways to combine the elements of art to
make a more powerful composition
EMPHASIS
BALANCE
UNITY
CONTRAST
MOVEMENT/RHYTHM

35. Principles
Ways to combine the elements of art to
make a more powerful composition
EMPHASIS
BALANCE
UNITY
CONTRAST
MOVEMENT/RHYTHM
PATTERN/REPETITION

36. EMPHASIS
or Focal Point
The emphasis, or focal
point, is the area of the
artwork to which the eye
is first drawn.
Artists create focal points
through myriad
methods, including the
use of color or contrast.
La Paysan (1891) Paul Cézanne

38. BALANCE
Balance is a sense of
visual stability within a
piece of art.
It can be symmetrical
balance (mirror image),
or asymmetrical balance
(achieved by placing
similar or opposite size/
weight/color objects to
balance each other out).
Festival de las flores (1925) Diego Rivera

40. UNITY
Unity occurs when all of
the elements work together
to make a well-balanced
whole. In other words, the
individual elements
support the overall theme/
object of the work.
In a successful painting
everything is integral… all
the parts belong to the
whole. If you remove an
aspect or element you are
removing its wholeness.
- Richard Diebenkorn
Seated Figure with Hat (1967) Richard Diebenkorn

42. CONTRAST
Most often, people think
of contrast as pertaining
to value (the range of
light and dark) in
artwork. However,
contrast can also be
created using color,
shape, or any other
element that provides a
sense of visual discord.
Self-Portrait (1976) Samuel Fosso

45. MOVEMENT
Movement can be a
literal representation, or
implied through
repetition of shape
(rhythm) or the
alternation of lights and
darks.
The sense of motion in
painting and sculpture
has long been considered
as one of the primary
elements of the
composition.
- Alexander Calder
Flamingo (1973) Alexander Calder

48. PATTERN/
REPETITION
An element (color,
shape, form, etc.) that
occurs over and over in a
piece of art.
It is more visually
appealing to vary the
repetition to some
degree.
Metamorphosis II (1940) M.C. Escher

51. The Principles
Emphasis
Balance
Unity
Contrast
Movement/
Rhythm
Pattern/
Repetition
For the next 5-10 minutes, analyze this work of art in
terms of the principles you see.
Starry Night (1889) Vincent van Gough

52. Using the Elements & Principles
in Photographic Compositions
Keeping in mind the basic elements of art and how
they fit together using design principles can help you
construct a more aesthetically pleasing photograph.
However, these are not hard and fast rules – there is
always room for experimentation!
Creativity is allowing yourself to make
mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
- Scott Adams