Have you ever wondered what the building blocks of a painting are? Whether you look at a Renaissance masterpiece like the Mona Lisa (c. 1503) or an Impressionist en Plein air piece by Claude Monet, you will be confronted with a visual composition of a scene or person, which is really a combination of artistic elements and principles. In this article, we will explain what these elements of art and principles of design are. Show
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The Fundamentals: What Are the Principles of Art?According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, the word “principle” means: “a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption”, including “a rule or code of conduct”. Therefore, a principle refers to the fundamental aspects or rules of something. The Great Wave off Kanagawa (between 1830 and 1832) by Katsushika Hokusai, located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, United States; Katsushika Hokusai, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons It is important to note before we explore these art principles, that these should not be confused with the elements of art, which are described as the “visual tools” that compose an artwork. These also become criteria by which artworks are analyzed. We will also look at these in more detail below.
Therefore keep it in mind while you do art reading and research, and remember their differences and functions within the visual arts. We will aim to provide the differences between the two while also intentionally applying the terms interchangeably. The Principles of Art Overview
We now have an understanding of the elements of art, which we described as almost being like the colors on your palette. The question, “what are the principles of design?” directly relates to the elements of art, and as we go through the principles of design in art, we will see how these determine the artwork’s overall result. These could almost be seen in your paintbrushes, so to say; each paintbrush will be unique, providing a specific function to bring the composition together.
We will outline eight art principles below, with some grouped together, and a brief explanation of each. These are, namely, balance, contrast/emphasis, movement, rhythm, variety, unity/harmony, pattern/repetition, proportion, and scale. BalanceBalance is about the compositional “weight of visual elements”, whether these are applied in such a manner that provides the effect of even distribution. There can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial balance. The Last Supper (1495 – 1498) by Leonardo da Vinci, located in the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy; Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Contrast and EmphasisContrast refers to the placements of different elements in a composition, for example, color, space, shape, or others. By utilizing contrast strategically, it will convey a sense of emphasis, or otherwise stated; it will emphasize a certain area in the composition. See also “Notan” for an example of contrast. The Calling of Saint Matthew (1599 – 1600) by Caravaggio, located in Contarelli Chapel in Rome, Italy; Caravaggio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Movement and RhythmMovement is all about leading the eye to the focal point or central subject, or merely around the entirety of the composition. It is achieved by arranging and applying various elements in such a way that creates a sense of dynamism. The Scream (1893) by Edvard Munch, located in the National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design in Oslo, Norway; Edvard Munch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons These lines are usually diagonal or curved, which add to the color, space, shape, and various other elements. Rhythm is mainly created through repeating elements or placing them in patterned arrangements.
VarietyVariety is basically about different elements in a composition that gives it its uniqueness. It provides a continuing contrast, or some sources describe “chaos”, which engages the viewer and maintains a level of interest and awe for the composition; it evokes emotion and expression. Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer) (between 1891 and 1897) by Claude Monet, located in the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, United States; Claude Monet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Unity and HarmonyAlthough this principle might seem like Balance, there is a slight difference in its implications. Both terms, unity, and harmony, can be viewed similarly and differently, which can make it confusing. A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (between 1884 and 1886) by Georges Seurat, located in the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, United States; Georges Seurat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons What can set the terms apart is that Harmony relates to how art elements are used in conjunction, which can be through repetition or rhythm, ultimately it is the opposite of Variety and the idea of chaos, it provides a feeling of “calm” or “flow”.
Pattern and RepetitionPatterns are art elements placed in repeated arrangements or sequences, whether these are from lines, colors, shapes, or others. This repetition in a composition can create various effects, for example, the idea of movement, texture, unity, or balance. ProportionProportion refers to how an object’s parts in a composition relate to each other due to their size or shape, for example, a figure’s eye can be in proportion to the rest of his or her face, it can also be too small or too large. Vitruvian Man (c. 1492) by Leonardo da Vinci, located in the Gallerie dell’ Accademia in Venice, Italy; Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons ScaleIn the principles of design in art, it is important not to confuse scale with proportion. Scale relates to the object’s size within the composition compared to all the other objects. For example, a figure standing next to a building, which will be to scale if depicted accurately in terms of how it would appear in real life or as some art sources state, “typically the size of the artwork to the viewer’s body”. The Seven Elements of Art
Let us start with the seven elements of art. As we explained above, these are the “visual tools” used to compose a painting. Think of them as the colors on your palette, as each one offers a unique quality, which gives your composition its shape, so to say.
ColorColor is an important element in visual arts because it creates significant effects, not only visually, but psychologically too. There is a science to color and many great artists have celebrated the inherent magic of color too, just think about Wassily Kandinsky or Piet Mondrian, to name a few. Color offers a broad spectrum, so let us first start with how it works with light because this will provide some context when we next look at an artwork. Color reaches our eyes in the form of reflected light, which “bounces” off the objects around us. Composition VII (1913) by Wassily Kandinsky, located in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia; Wassily Kandinsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Value relates to the “lightness” of color; its lightness like white or its darkness like black, and all the other colors in between. If a white is added to a color it becomes known as a “tint” and the value of it becomes lighter, and conversely, if black is added to a color it becomes a “shade” and the value becomes darker. Intensity relates to how bright or dull a color appears. This can often be confused with value too, but the distinguishing factor between the two is that intensity otherwise referred to as saturation, refers to the brightness of the color. However, if the value of the color is lighter the intensity of the color will also decrease and vice versa. Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles (1913) by Wassily Kandinsky, located in the Stadtische Galerie in Munich, Germany; Wassily Kandinsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The colors between primary and secondary colors are referred to as “intermediary” colors, namely, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple / violet, blue-green, and blue-purple/violet. It is important to note here that these intermediary colors are also sometimes called tertiary colors.
ValueValue is another element of art closely connected to color. As we mentioned above, value refers to the lightness and darkness of any color. Another term that relates to value is also “luminosity”. For a better understanding of how value really works, you can view an image on a grayscale, in which, there will be lighter and darker areas. Melencolia I (1514) by Albrecht Dürer, located in the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis, United States; Albrecht Dürer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons LineLine in visual artis considered one of the more important elements and, by paraphrasing, it is typically described as a mark that moves in space between two points. There are different types of lines, namely, vertical, horizontal, and diagonal. Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow (1930) by Piet Mondrian, located in the Kunsthaus Zürich in Zürich, Switzerland; Piet Mondrian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons For example, movement, depth, shading, perspective, as well as emphasizing a shape or “contour” can be created with line. This is visible if we look at examples of artists who applied thick dark outlines to shapes from the Expressionism art movement.
FormForm as an art element refers to the three-dimensionality of an object, it is usually described as having volume, which comprises width, height, and depth. It is also represented through other elements like color variations and lines to indicate a contour or outline. David (1501 – 1504) by Michelangelo, located in the Galleria dell’ Accademia in Florence, Italy; Michelangelo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons There are different types of forms, namely, organic, and geometric forms. Organic forms can originate from nature and are more random and asymmetrical; geometric forms are described as “mathematical”, namely, the cylinder, cube, cone, or pyramid, and sphere. ShapeShape relates closely to form, but the main difference is that a shape refers to two-dimensionality. It is often described as “flat”, with only length and width, and does not have the same appearance of volume that a form has. Similarly, shapes can also be grouped under the categories, geometric or organic. Black Square (1915) by Kazimir Malevich, located in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia; Kazimir Malevich, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons There are different types of shapes, namely, circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, and others. A fun fact about these shapes is when they turn into forms, for example, a circle becomes a sphere, a triangle becomes a cone, and a square becomes a cube, and so forth.
SpaceSpace is often described as the “distance” either “within”, “around”, or “between” the compositional space, which can be a canvas, a sculptural space, or any other form of art. There are also different types of space, namely, positive, negative, and open and closed space. The Hunters in the Snow (1565) by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, located in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria; Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons This is like open and closed spaces, where the object would be in the closed space and the open space would be around it. Space is also conveyed when a composition is separated into parts, especially when you analyze a painting and describe the subject matter in terms of its spatial arrangements, which can either be in the foreground, middle ground, or background, upper, lower, left, or right.
TextureTexture is all about feeling, and there are typically two primary ways it is conveyed in visual art, namely, in real life, or three-dimensional space, for example, sculptures or the “tactile” feeling of paint on a canvas, for example through the “impasto” technique, where the paint is physically textured on the canvas. The Arnolfini Portrait (1434) by Jan van Eyck, located in the National Gallery in London, United Kingdom; Jan van Eyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons This is done by utilizing various techniques with paint, pencil, or pen on a canvas or piece of paper. Both refer to what is described as the “surface quality” of an artwork. Texture gives character to an art form and creates psychological effects for us, the viewers when we engage with it. Bringing It All TogetherIn the article above we explore the seven principles of art, which we have noted is also referred to as the element of art. However, it is important to remember the difference between the elements of art and principles of design, so to say.
Read also our Principles of Arts web story. Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat Are the Principles of Design?There are several principles of design in art, which can all be applied to create certain visual effects and feelings. These are balance, contrast/emphasis, movement, pattern/repetition, proportion, rhythm, scale, unity/harmony, and variety. What Is the Difference Between the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design?The elements of art and the principles of design are different, but sometimes the terms are used interchangeably. The elements of art are described as visual tools for artistic compositions, and the principles of design in art are all about how these elements are utilized. What Are the Seven Principles of Art?There are commonly seven elements of art. These have been described in different ways; some sources refer to them as the building blocks for artistic compositions while other sources have described these as the visual tools utilized to create compositions. These are as follows: color, form, line, texture, shape, space, and value. What is a principle of art which gives the feeling that everything in the work of art works together?Unity is the principle of art that gives an artwork a feeling of “oneness”. Unity and harmony are similar, but unity is more broad. There are numerous ways to create unity in art.
What are the principles of art work?PRINCIPLES OF ART: Balance, emphasis, movement, proportion, rhythm, unity, and variety; the means an artist uses to organize elements within a work of art.
Is the principle of art that gives an artwork a feeling of oneness?Unity is a quality of wholeness and oneness that is achieved by the proper use of art elements and principles.
What are the 3 principle of arts?In summary, the principles of art are: balance. proportion. emphasis.
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