Incorporating Elements of Design into Your Photography

Art Wolfe: Using Elements of Design from Art Wolfe on Vimeo.
  

The elements and principles of art may be considered the basic language of visual art. Understanding these concepts will provide a basic art vocabulary and ideas by which works of art can begin to be analyzed. They may be the focus of individual lessons or used as the theme for creating original works of art.

Elements of Art

line - The path of a moving point. A line may define the edge of a shape; repeated, it can create texture or value. It may be thick or thin, smooth or rough, short or long, light or dark.

value - The degree of dark or light tones or colors. A value scale shows the gradual changing of a tone from the darkest to the lightest or white. Value may be created by simple shading, hatch marks (small repeated lines in the same direction), or crosshatching.

texture - The surface quality or feel of an object. Texture may be actual (rough or smooth) or implied visually.

shape - A two-dimensional area defined by an outline or change in color. Examples of types of geometric shapes include circle, square, rectangle, triangle, or oval. Other shapes may be free-form such as natural objects (i.e., leaves, flowers, clouds) or invented free-form shapes that might be created by doodling.

form - A three-dimensional object with the qualities of length, width and depth. Examples of geometric forms include a cone, cube, sphere, or cylinder.

space - Area within, around, between, above or below objects and shapes. Space or distance may be suggested in visual art by using perspective or other strategies such as placement of objects on the picture plane, overlapping of shapes, or objects closer to the viewer are made to appear to have more vibrant color and detail than objects further away. Variation of size or value and the use of converging lines are also used to suggest space.

color - Hue (name of the color), value (how light a color is), and intensity (amount of brightness) produced through the reflection of light to the eye. Primary colors are the three colors from which all other colors may be made: red, yellow, and blue. Secondary colors are the result of mixing any two primary colors: orange, green, and purple.

Principles of Design

balance - The arrangement of the elements of art in a composition. Basic types of balance are symmetrical (mirror image), asymmetrical and radial (from a center point).

rhythm - Regular repetition of lines, colors, shapes or pattern.

movement - Use of lines, shapes or colors to lead the eye of the viewer from one direction to another.

center of interest - The accent or important area used to attract the viewers’ attention; i.e., emphasis.

contrast - Significant degrees of difference between lines, colors, shapes, values or textures. Pale yellow against charcoal black has a greater degree of contrast than yellow against white, for example.

variety – Refers to the different elements of art used to create interest (difference).

unity – Sense of oneness, of things belonging together and making up a coherent whole.

repetition - Repeated use of an element such as color, shape or line within a work of art. Repetition creates pattern, which may be found in manufactured or natural objects.