What are the elements of art?

These elements of art do not exist in a

vacuum.
They convey meaning, and express ideas
and feelings.
They are firmly rooted in psychophysical
experiences in particular cultures, values,
priorities and conventions.
LINE is associated with
the body’s axis as it
moves toward different
directions and adjusts to
a point of reference
through various positions
and actions, such as
walking, running,
standing, sitting, reclining.
 Outstretched arms of Guillermo
Tolentino’s OBLATION.

Diagonal lines of the “waiting sheds” of

the UNIVERSITY GATEWAY, Napoleon
Abueva.) (1960 sculpture of National
Artist
 Refersto forms that are
two-dimensional or
three-dimensional.

 It can either be
geometric or organic.
• TWO-DIMENTIONAL
SHAPES exist as
planes having
length and width.

• THREE-DIMENTIONAL
SHAPES possess
length, width and
volume.
 • Geometric shapes

have clear edges and

angles
ex. Square, circle, triangle
Organic Shapes

are irregular shapes or

shapes found in nature
COLOR is associated with:
 Our
experiences of cold and
warmth,
 Qualityof light in our tropical
environment (the cycles of
night and day, of darkness
and light.)
 2. WARM COLORS - it has
longer wavelengths and is more
distinct and easily discernible.
(e.g. Red, Pink, Yellow, Orange)
Think of “fire”
1. COOL COLORS – Have
shorter wavelengths and seem to
merge each other.
(e.g. Green, Blue, Purple.)
Think of “water.”
Blue,Yellow and Red are PRIMARY
COLORS. When they are mixed, they
produce SECONDARY COLORS.
PRIMARY COLORS SECONDARY COLORS
BLUE Yellow+Red= ORANGE
YELLOW Red+Blue= VIOLET
RED Blue+Yellow= GREEN
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
 Colors that appear directly across
from one another on the color wheel.

Orange & Blue

Green & Red

Yellow &Violet
1. POLYCHROMATIC
SCHEME – made up
of many colors.

Polychromatic Thread Sculptures

Plexus by Gabriel Dawe
2. MONOCHROMATIC
SCHEME – using only
one color.
3. ACHROMATIC
SCHEME- Using
only black, white
and greys to
create art .
The School of Design and Art (SDA) building of
the La Salle College of St. Benilde
Built by Architect Lor Calma.

This building is an example of

achromatic, with white concrete
walls interspersed with glass.

Combined with its unique floor

plan structure, the color scheme
gives the building a futuristic look,
reflecting its cutting edge,
industry-driven curricular
programs
 Visual artists use colors in different
ways, depending on their styles and
preferences.
 Some artists use color as a
representational element.
FERNANDO AMORSOLO’s use of
color in his portraits is
representational.

His landscapes are said to capture

the colors of the earth, sky and sea
and that of the Philippine sunlight.
REPRESENTATIONAL ART NON-REPRESENTATIONAL ART

Fernando Amorsolo, Fishing Jose Tanig Joya, Barter of

Scene Panay
The lightness and
darkness of a color or
tone.

Value can be better

understood when
they are visualized as
a scale or a gradient
 Refers to how objects and
surfaces feel, and is most
associated with the sense
of touch or tactility.
 It can be simulated or
imitated, but it can also be
actual.
 Involves the relationship between figures and elements.
Positive & Negative Space
around a shape(s)

 Positive - area that

objects occupy
 Negative - area
around objects
Which is negative space?
 Theprinciples of composition in art are used to
arrange or organize the visual components in
a way that is pleasing to the artist and, one
hopes, the viewer.

 They help give structure to the layout of the

painting and the way the subject is presented.
 Principles of Composition are
generally considered to be:

1. BALANCE
The sense that the painting "feels right" and
not heavier on one side.
Having a symmetrical arrangement adds a
sense of calm, whereas an asymmetrical
arrangement creates a more dynamic
feeling.
 Types of Balance
Formal:
occurs when equal or
very similar elements are
placed on opposite
sides of a central axis

Radial:
when the elements of a
design come “out” from
a central point
 Symmetrical: Asymmetrical:
balance of unlike elements,
 two sides identical;
b/c two objects may have
mirror image. same visual weight as a
larger singular object
Principles of Composition are
generally considered to be:

2. RHYTHM/REPETITION
repeating an object or art element
creates Pattern and Rhythm…
 Principles of Composition are
generally considered to be:

3. Unity - quality of
oneness of wholeness
that is achieved through
the effective use of the
elements
 Principles of Composition are
generally considered to be:

4. MOVEMENT
 It is very much related to line, and
the direction of the eye.
 Dances create compositions in space
through movement.
 Movement in cinema partakes of the
movements of the camera.
 5. CONTRAST
Deals with the difference of the art
elements used

Black versus
white
Orange versus blue (complementary
warm versus cool colors
 One has to be very observant and look at, feel,
hear, and sense the work closely— its material,
the techniques the artist used, the elements and
principles of composition.

These forms ask us to see more, hear more, taste,

smell, and feel more.

In the process, we gain insights peculiar to the

intensity and character of what we encounter
through the arts.