Design: The Structure of ArtThe Principles and Elements of Design

Introduction Art is a visual language used to communicate

an idea or emotion realistically or symbolically.

This way of communicating is universal because the message can be understood by everyone.

Like verbal language, it needs structure to make it understandable.

Ex. Over the moon jumped cow The. ????The cow jumped over the moon.

The Principles of Design are the basic structure, or grammar, of visual language.

These principles guide artists in their use of the Elements of Design.

The Elements of Design are the vocabulary with which the artist works.

•Line•Shape•Form•Texture: Real &

Simulated•Space: Perspective•Colour•Value

Line Variety of Line

·Continuous·Interrupted·Thin·Thick·Straight·Curved·Vertical·Horizontal·Diagonal·Geometric·Organic – Free form

Lines can be massed together to create shades of grey or texture.

Shape

When a line on paper wanders around and finally crosses itself.....the enclosed area is called a...

Have only two dimensions.They can be geometric: Circle, square, triangle . Or, organic – free form: pear-shape, amoeba-like.

3-Dimensional and encloses volume.

They can be geometric: Cubes, pyramids, boxlike, cylinders, cones, etc. Or, irregular – organic: People, eggs, pears, horses, bottles, etc.

The most important element for sculptors.

In a drawing or painting, the artist

makes objects seem to have form with the

use of shading.

Texture Real texture refers

to the tactile (sense of touch) quality of a surface.

Smooth

Rough

Simulated texture is the illusion a surface has of being textured using lines, colour and contrast.

SoftHard

Space: PerspectiveRefers to the illusion of depth in a

painting or drawing.

The illusion of depth can be created by using one or more techniques of Perspective.

OverlapOverlapOverlap: Two or more

objects overlap on a flat surface.

Aerial PerspectiveAerial Perspective:

Objects in a painting have less sharpness and less intensity of colour the farther they are from the viewer. Also known as Atmospheric perspective.

Linear Perspective

Linear Perspective: All parallel lines receding into the distance are drawn to one or more imaginary vanishing points at the viewer’s eye level. Objects such as people, buildings, light posts diminish in size the farther they are from the viewer.

COLOUR The one aspect of art that is also a science. The most important element to a painter. Hue: The name of a colour – “Blue” is a hue. Value: The dark or light value of a colour – “Pink” is

a light value of red because white has been added to it.

Intensity: The brightness or saturation of a colour.

COLOUR The Primary Hues: Red, Blue, Yellow.

From these all other colours are made.Secondary Hues: Achieved when two primary colours are mixed. Ex. Red + Yellow = Orange

Complimentary Hues: Colours directly opposite each other on the colour wheel.Ex. Yellow - Violet, Red - Green Blue = OrangeWhen mixed, they produce greyed tones. When placed next to each other, they intensify each other.

Warm Colours: Hues containing red or orange. Yellow alone is warm. Warm colours in picture approach the viewer. They have a warming effect on the mood of a picture.

Cool Colours: Hues containing blue or green. Cool colours go back into a picture and have a cooling effect on mood.

Local Colour: The colour of an object when lit by white light.

Reflected Colour: Colours absorbed from surrounding objects.

VALUE

The lightness or darkness of objects or colours in a picture.

Objects with mostly light values are called high-keyed ; objects with mostly dark values are low-keyed .

High - Keyed

LOW - KEYED