Elements and Principals of Art/Design

Form

Any three dimensional object that can be measured by height, width, and depth

Emphasis

Area in a work of art that catches and holds the the viewers attention; vocal point or center of interest

Movement

How your eye moves or tracks through a piece of art and the way of combining visual elements to produce a sense of action - or implied motion

Pattern

The use of repeated elements to create this

Unity

A feeling that all of the parts are working together as a team - the quality of wholeness and harmony

Contrast

A large difference between two things: for example, rough and smooth or white and black

Line

A mark with length and direction, created by a point that moves across a surface

Rhythm

A visual tempo or beat - often described as alternating, regular, flowing, progressive, or jazzy. Usually created with repetition

Value

An element of art that refers to the lightness or darkness of a color

Space

An element that organizes shallow depth and actual depth; can use the control of size, color, and overlapping

Balance

Principal of design referring to the way the elements are arranged to create a feeling of stability in a work - parts of equal visual weight. i. e. symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial

Shape

The area enclosed by an outline and is two-dimentional

Elements and Principles of Art/Design

The collective set of art vocabulary building blocks is

Texture

The element of art that refers to the surface quality or feel of an object - both physical and implied, smoothness, roughness, and softness, etc.

Color

The hue of all that is visible