Chapter 4

ELEMENTS
OF THE
VISUAL ARTS
LINE
• Line is a mark on a
surface that describes a
shape or outline. It can
create texture and can
be thick and thin. Types
of line can include actual,
implied, vertical,
horizontal, diagonal and
contour line.
 LINE

• is an important element at the disposal of

every artist.

• always has direction, always moving.

• as used in any work of art, may either be

straight or curved.
• Lines are the first element of art and are
continuous marks that are made on any surface
with a moving point.

• Lines can be used in various ways to create

different compositions.

• A line can be used to express various things or

feelings; it can be used to show various moods
or anything abstract.
 Line serves as an essential building
block of art, but it can also serve as the
content itself of a work of art, or be
manipulated to evoke an emotional or
intellectual response from a viewer
(Fichner-Rathus, 2010).
What do these lines suggest?

VERTICAL LINES

HORIZONTAL LINES

DIAGONAL LINES

CURVED LINES
Horizontal Lines
• Horizontal lines are
lines of repose and
serenity. They
express ideas of
calmness and
quiescence..
Only horizontal lines can give a feeling
of peacefulness and stillness.
This photo uses both horizontal and vertical lines. Although
the bulrushes are the obvious use of vertical lines, the
horizontal line of the horizon is more subtle. Note, too, that
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Vertical Lines
• Vertical lines are
poised for action.
They are poised,
balanced, forceful,
and dynamic. They
express an
impression of dignity.
VERTICAL LINES
Only vertical lines can be used to express
an orderly feeling
Diagonal Lines
• Diagonal lines
suggest action and
movement. They give
animation to any
composition in which
they appear.
 Diagonal lines are used to
create feelings of
movement or action.

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When including diagonal leading lines within a photo, it’s best
if you can position them so that they start and finish just
above or below the corner of a photo, like the railroad tracks
shown here. This will prevent the image from looking like it
has been split in half. Because our eyes naturally scan
Curved Lines
• Curved lines suggest
grace, movement,
flexibility, and
joyousness.
Curved lines, sometimes
referred as S curves, suggest
gracefulness or sexiness.
If you want to photograph S curves, the
human body makes for a wonderful subject.

From the arch of a foot to the curve

of a neck, you can find many ways
The body of this acoustic guitar is a great example
of S curves. Note the use of other leading lines in
this photo too – the diagonal lines of the guitar
Curved lines, sometimes referred as S curves, can help
lead the eye through a photo and can suggest
gracefulness, sexiness, or sensuality. Despite the name, S
curves don’t need to be shaped exactly like an “s.” Any
Three Main Types of Lines
• Repetition occurs
when two or more
lines are drawn within
a corner following the
lines of the corner.
Three Main Types of Lines
• Lines that are in
opposition to each
other form a
contrast.
Three Main Types of Lines
• A transition line is a
line that connects two
workflow elements.
Transition lines allow
you to define what the
next step in a
workflow will be.
 color
• COLOR is an element of art with three properties
1) Hue, the name of the color, e.g. red, yellow,
etc. 2) Intensity or the purity and strength of the
color such as brightness or dullness. And 3)
value, or the lightness or darkness of the color.
 The Art Element of Color

Color refers to
the visual
perception of
light being
reflected from
a surface of an
artwork.
Attributes of Color
• Hue is the term for the pure
spectrum colors commonly
referred to by the "color
names" - red, orange,
yellow, blue, green violet -
which appear in the hue
circle or rainbow.
Theoretically all hues can
be mixed from three basic
hues, known as primaries.
In the most basic classification, colors can
be divided into three groups: primary,
secondary and tertiary.
Color Wheel
• A color wheel is an
abstract illustrative
organization of color
hues around a circle, that
shows relationships
between primary,
secondary, and tertiary
colors, etc.
Attributes of Color
• Value refers to the
lightness or darkness
of a color. It is the
quality which
depends on the
amount of light and
dark in color.
 Attributes of Color
• Tints are values Intensity refers to the
above the normal brightness or darkness of
color. It gives color strength.
• Shades are values When a hue is vivid form, it
below the normal. is said to be in full intensity.
When it is dulled, it is said to
be partly neutralized.
 Psychology of Colors

• Colors have varied psychological and emotional

connotations.
– Black is associated with death and gloom
– White stands for purity and innocence
– Red is associated with blood, anger and fear
– Green implies happiness and abundance
 Meanings of Colors Conveyed
by the Rose
•Red is for “I love you” • Red roses also mean courage
•Pink conveys “Thank you” and fortitude
•White says “You are heavenly” • Yellow roses stand for freedom
•Coral speaks of desire. • Red and Yellow stand for jovial
•White roses denote secrecy, /happy feelings
reverence and humility.
•Deep pink roses convey • Orange roses speak of
gratitude and appreciation. enthusiasm and desire
•Light pink express sympathy, • Red and White convey unity
grace and gentility
 texture

• Texture is the element

that deals more directly
with the sense of touch.
• It has to do with the
characteristics of surfaces
which can be rough or
smooth, fine or coarse,
shiny or dull, plain or
irregular.
 is the element that deals more
directly with the sense of touch.

 applies to how an object feels or

appears to feel.

 can be either implied or actual.

WOOD TEXTURE
• Perspective deals
with the effect of
distance upon the
appearance of
objects, by means of
which the eye judges
spatial relationships.
Kinds of Perspective
• Linear perspective is
the representation of an
appearance of distance
by means of converging
lines.
• It has to do with the
direction of lines and with
the size of objects.
 Linear Perspective
•Painters usually show the effect
of space and distance by using
converging lines and diminishing
size.
•Parallel lines below the eye
level seem to rise to a vanishing Foreshortening is
point in the horizon, while those the representation of
above the eye level seem to
objects or parts of
descend to the vanishing point.
the body as smaller
from the point of view
of the observer.
Kinds of Perspective
• Aerial perspective is the
representation of relative
distances of objects by
gradations of tone or color.
• Objects become fainter in
the distance due to the
effect of the atmosphere.
Objects appear to be lighter
in color as they recede into
the distance or atmosphere.
SPACE
• Space as an element of
art, refers to distances or areas
around, between or within
components of a piece.
• Space can be positive (white or
light) or negative (black or
dark),open or closed, shallow or
deep and two-
dimensional or three-
dimensional.
• Sometimes space isn't actually
within a piece, but the illusion of it
is.
The Art Element of Space

Space refers to how the artist fills the

surface on which a work of art is created. It can
also refer to the expression of depth within a
work of art.

When talking about a three-dimensional

object, space is the actual volume that is taken up
by the artwork.
Kinds of Space
• Positive space - the
areas in a work of art
that are the subjects, or
areas of interest.
• Negative space – areas
around the subjects, or
areas of interest.
FORM
• Form applies to the
over-all design of a
work of art.
• It describes the
structure or shape of
an object.
The Art Element of Form
Form refers to a three-dimensional
object. As such, form is an art term that is
only applied to those artworks that are three-
dimensional, such as sculpture and pottery.
Forms, much like shapes, can be
geometric or organic. Geometric forms have
hard lines and edges. Organic forms are
curvy and more free-form.
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KENNETH COBONPUE’S
DESIGNS

Kenneth Cobonpue 's

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 Types of Form

• Form and shape can also be described as

either organic or geometric.
• Organic forms such as these snow-covered boulders
typically are irregular in outline, and often asymmetrical.
Organic forms are most often thought of as naturally
occurring.
• Geometric forms are those which correspond to named
regular shapes, such as squares, rectangles, circles, cubes,
spheres, cones, and other regular forms.
Organic and Geometric Forms
VOLUME
• Volume refers to the
amount of space
occupied in three
dimensions.
• It refers to solidity or
thickness.