SEVEN BASIC CONCEPTS OF VISUAL ART
The 7 basic elements of visual art are LINE, SPACE,
SHAPE, FORM, TEXTURE,
VALUE and COLOR.
Below is a short description of each element's characteristics and concepts.
1. LINE: A mark on a surface.
Characteristics of line
- WIDTH Is it thick or thin? Even thickness or uneven? Tapering?
- LENGTH: Is it short or long? Continuous or broken?
- DIRECTION: Is it horizontal, vertical or diagonal? Curving, perpendicular, parallel, radial or zigzag?
- FOCUS: Sharp, blurry, fuzzy, or choppy?
- FEELING: Sharp and jagged or graceful and smooth?
Concepts of line
- OUTLINE: Lines made by the edge of an object, its silhouette.
- CONTOUR: Lines that suggest the silhouette, the shape and interior detail.
- GESTURE: Strong, energetic lines that reflect the movement and gestures of an active figure.
- SKETCH: Lines that capture the appearance of an object or impression of a place with some detail.
- CALLIGRAPHY: Precise, elegant handwriting or lettering done by hand.
- IMPLIED: Lines that are not actually drawn but created by a group of objects seen from a distance, or by the direction an object is pointing to, or the direction a person is looking.
2. SPACE: The area inside, around or between flat objects on the same plane or between foreground and background objects.
Concepts of space
- POSITIVE SPACE: The enclosed line that represents an object.
- NEGATIVE SPACE: The space around the outside of an object.
- PICTURE PLANE: The flat surface of your drawing paper or canvas.
- COMPOSITION: The organization and placement of the elements on the picture plane.
- FOCAL POINT: The object or area that most draws the viewer's attention.
- DEPTH: The use of perspective to create a 3-dimensional illusion on a 2-dimensional surface).
Perspective types
- NON-LINEAR: The use of position, overlapping, size variation, color and value to create depth.
- LINEAR: The use of line to create depth by using one-point, two-point, or 3-point perspective.
3. SHAPE: Formed when a line or lines cross to enclose a space, giving an object height and width but no depth.
Concepts of shape
- GEOMETRIC: Circles, squares, rectangles and triangles as seen in architecture and manufactured items.
- ORGANIC: Free flowing, informal and irregular shapes as seen in nature.
- POSITIVE: The shape of an object.
- NEGATIVE: The shape of the area around an object.
- STATIC: Shapes that appear stable and resting.
- DYNAMIC: Shapes that appear moving and active.
4. FORM: A 3-dimensional shape.
Concepts of form
- REAL: An actual 3-dimensional object that can be held, walked around or walked inside of.
- IMPLIED: The visual representation of the 3-dimensional qualities of an object through the use of line, space, shape, color and value.
5. TEXTURE: How an object feels when touched.
Concepts of texture
- REAL: The actual texture of an object when it is touched.
- IMPLIED: The visual representation of the actual texture of an object through the use of line, color, value, and space.
6. VALUE: The range of darkness to light.
Concepts of value
- TINT: The adding of white to a color to create lighter values.
- SHADE: The adding of black to a color to create darker values.
- VALUE SCALE: A scale showing the gradual changes in value from the lightest to the darkest.
- HIGH-KEY: The values of the picture are all on the light side of the value scale.
- LOW-KEY: The values of the picture are all on the dark side of the value scale.
- CONTRAST: Using light and dark values next to each other to create contrast.
7. COLOR: The spectrum of light broken down by light hitting an object and being reflected into the eye.
Concepts of color
- HUE: The basic name given to a range of colors, like red or blue.
- INTENSITY: The strength or vivacity of a color.
- VALUE: The relative lightness or darkness of a color
- TEMPERATURE: The warmth or coolness the viewer feels when looking at a color.
