SUMMARY UNIT 2 – BASIC ELEMENTS OF VISUAL EXPRESSION

The fundamental elements of the visual arts are: the dot, the line, the plane, the

texture and colour.

THE DOT

The dot is the smallest, simplest element in visual expression.

· Expressive Capacity:

As a creator of lines.

As a composing element. Concentration and dispersion.

As the centre of attention or an indication.

As an element to create the sense of depth.

THE LINE

In visual expression, line is defined as a dot in motion.

· Structural Characteristics: Shape, thickness, colour and texture.

· Classification

Simple lines: Straight and curved.

Composite lines: Dashed, dotted, wavy, zigzag or mixed.

· Expressive Capacity

As a composing element: horizontal, vertical, oblique and curved lines.

As a graphic element: to create the sensation of volume and to transmit

emotions.

THE PLANE

The plane is defined as a surface with two dimensions: height and width. It is infinite

but it can be delimited by outlines, giving rise to flat shapes.

· Classification of plane forms

Geometric.

Organic.

· Expressive Capacity

As a receiver of all the other plastic elements.

As a composing element.

As a structuring element of volumetric shapes.

TEXTURE

Texture is defined as the visual and tactile quality of a surface.

· Classification according to origin

Natural textures: Textures found in nature.

Artificial textures: Textures made manually or mechanically by man.

· Tactile textures: Textures that can be perceived through the sense of touch.

· Graphic or visual textures: Textures that can only be perceived with sight.