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Keywords and Definitions of the Elements of Art
Elements of Art:
The formal
Elements of Art
and definitions.
Dominant Horizontal Line
images that have strong visual lines relative to the horizon.
Dominant Vertical Line
images that have strong visual lines relative at a right angle to the horizon.
Dominant Diagonal Line
images that have strong visual lines at angles to the horizon that are not parallel or perpendicular.
Dominant Organic Shape
images that have strong visual shapes relating to, derived from, or characteristic of living things.
Dominant Geometric Shape
images that have strong visual shapes relating to the laws of mathematics, Geometry.
Prominent Figure/Ground Relationship
images in which the shape or mass defining the figure is set logically into the space defining the environment.
Linear Perspective
a system for depicting three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface that depends on two related principles: that things perceived far away are smaller than things nearer the viewer, and that parallel lines receding into the distance converge at a vanishing point on the horizon line.
Atmospheric Perspective
a technique, often employed in landscape painting, designed to suggest three-dimensional space in the two-dimensional space of the picture plane, and in which forms and objects distant from the viewer become less distinct, often bluer or cooler in color, and contrast among the various distant elements in greatly reduced.
Chiaroscuro
in drawing and painting, the use of light and dark to create the effect of three-dimensional, modeled surfaces.
Implied Texture
the use of a medium, such as a pencil or paint, to create the visual representation of the surface of any object.
Achromatic Color Scheme
images in which differing values of black and white are the only colors used.
Monochromatic Color Scheme
images in which differing values of a single hue are the only colors used.
Analogous Color Scheme
images in which differing values of pairs of colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel, such as yellow and orange, are the only colors used.
Complimentary Color Scheme
images in which differing values of pairs of colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel, such as yellow and purple, are the only colors used.
Polychromatic Color Scheme
images in which differing values of multiple colors are used.
Dominant Primary Colors
images in which differing values of yellow, red, and blue are the main colors used.
Light Used for Emotional Impact
the use of lighting in an image to create strong feelings in the viewer.
Implied Motion
the placement of figures and objects in an image that suggests action.
Large Scale
when an object which is normally, or expected to be, small is constructed at an enormous size.
Repetition
recurring shapes, lines, colors, and values that create rhythmic linkage.
Rhythm
an effect achieved when shapes, colors. Or a regular pattern of any kind is repeated over and over again.
Pattern
a repetitive motif or design.
Symmetrical Balance
when two halves of a composition correspond to one another in terms of size, shape, and placement of forms.
Asymmetrical Balance
achieved in a composition when one side it visually smaller with intense color while the other is larger with moderate color.
Radial Balance
a circular composition in which the elements project outward form a central core at regular intervals like the spikes of a wheel.
Strong Focal Point
when the central of visual attention, often different from the physical center of the work, is clearly distinguished.
Lack of Focal Point
when the central of visual attention is unclear.
Strong Directional Force
when the implied movement of the composition drives the viewer towards a location or place.
Representational
any work that seeks to resemble the world of natural appearance.
Abstract
the rendering of images and objects in a stylized or simplied way, so that though they remain recognizable, their formal or expressive aspects are emphasized.
Nonobjective
makes no reference to the natural world and and that explores the inherent expressive or aesthetic potential of the formal elements.
Figurative
a representation of people or animals.
Realistic
the tendency to render the facts of existence unadulterated by the imaginative and idealist tendencies.
Unity
repetition of any of the elements that unify the whole image.
Contrast
the variety of art elements that create differences within the composition.
Visual Vocabulary :
The Image
Definition and Structure:
Line
the path of a point moving through space.
Value
the relative lightness or darkness of areas in a design.
Color
the rainbow of spectrum hues and combinations.
Shape
a closed two-dimensional figure described or delineated by a line or edge.
Form
shape translated into three-dimensional volume.
Texture
the surface of any object, natural or manufactured.
Space
the boundless expanse within which all things are contained.
Interaction and Order:
Proportion
the relative visual ratios within one image, or between a configuration of images.
Emphasis
the creation of visual importance through use of selective stress.
Movement
the way in which the eye moves across an image that symbolizes vitality in living organisms.
Balance
the visual equilibrium between the parts of the image.
Repetition
recurring shapes, lines, colors, and values that create rhythmic linkage.
About the Formal Elements of Art
The formal elements of art and their design helps to describe the art you see. Many artworks use a complex arrangement of visual elements. The formal elements of art include: lines and shapes, light and color, space, and time. Each element of art can be defined and divided into subcategories or types.
Elements of art may also have qualities. For example, line can be expressive by creating powerful emotions. Analytic or classical line is precise, controlled, mathematically rigorous, and rationally organized.
Elements of Art-Line
There are several varieties of line. The edge of two- or three-dimensional shapes or forms is called an outline. A contour line is the visible border of an object in space. Another variety of line that depends upon perception is implied line in which we visually follow through the composition.
Elements of Art-Space
Space is defined by shape and mass. A shape occupies a two-dimensional area whereas mass occupies a three-dimensional volume. Our perceptual experience fundamentally depends upon our recognition of the spatial relationships between an object and what lies beside and behind it. Perspective is a system that allows the picture plane to function as a window through which a specific scene is presented to the viewer and often helps us to identify space and form.
Elements of Art-Light
Light helps us define spatial relationships and the artists strives to manipulate in their works. Our experiences can be deeply affected by the quality of light whether natural or artificial. One of the chief tools employed by artist to render the effects of light is chiaroscuro. Other techniques included hatching, an area of closely spaced parallel lines, and cross-hatching, one set of hatches crossed at an angle by a second or third set.
Elements of Art-Color
The visible spectrum of light defines the range ofcolor of the elements of art. By reorganizing the visible spectrum into a circle, we have what is recognized as the conventional color wheel. The three primary colors are those that cannot be made by any mixture of the other colors. These colors are yellow, red, and blue. Orange, green, and violet are secondary colors or mixtures of the two primaries that each lies between. The intermediate colors are mixtures of a primary and a neighboring secondary such as yellow-orange. However, this refers to the mixing of pigments in a medium only or a subtractive process of light.
From the conventional color wheel comes color schemes. These are used by artist to achieve a wide variety of effects. The color schemes used in the elements of art include: analogous, complementary, and polychromatic. The artist can use these schemes for the symbolic use of color instead of actual. Symbolic color is often used for emotional emphasis in a composition. For example, a strong use red might mean “death,” “blood,” or “anger” in the context of a war image.
Elements of Art-Time and Motion
Time and motion might be one of the most important element of the elements of art. A photograph or image often implies that we are witness to a “frozen moment,” an instant of time taken form a larger sequence of events. Some works viewed in series are about time itself, the ways in which our sense of place changes over time. Some works are created to give us merely the illusion of movement. This gives us a sense that time is passing within the art itself. Time and motion gives the viewer a true sense of connection to a work of art. They viewer may feel as if they are there at that time within the piece of art.
References:
Sayre, Henry M.
A World of Art : Third Edition. Upper Saddle River : Prentice Hall, 2000.
Stoops, Jack and Jerry Samuelson.
Design Dialogue. Worcester : Davis Publications, Inc., 1990.
See samples of the elements of art being
implemented.
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