Elements & Principles of Design

Presentation on Components of an Artwork (Subject/Form/Content/Context)

3D Design

Elements of Three-Dimensional Work
Space	A continuous area or expanse surrounding or enclosed by mass (holes and cavities)
Form / Mass	An enclosed volume or three-dimensional body of matter making up the area of an object
Line	A line is the path of a point, or the connection between two points. Lines can be made on their own, or they can be created where two shapes meet. There is also “implied line,” where a line doesn’t really exist, but appears to be present.
Plane	A flat surface
Texture	Texture is the perceived look, feel, or quality of a surface. Texture can be actual (tactile) or implied.
Color	Human perception of different wavelengths of visible light; Component parts include hue (the name of the color; example: blue), saturation (purity or intensity of the color), value (relative lightness or darkness of the color).
Light / Value	The relative lightness or darkness of an area. Light and value help provide a sense of space and depth around an object.
Principles of Three-Dimensional Work
Balance	Balance is the equalizing of the visual weight of elements. There are three types of balance: symmetrical (one half mirrors the other), asymmetrical (dissimilar items balance each other out), and radial (elements are spread out circularly from a central point)
Repetition / Rhythm	Repetition is a repeating visual element (line, shape, pattern, texture, movement), and rhythm is its flowing and regular occurrence. Both repetition and rhythm are often found in patterns.
Focus / Emphasis	The focus or emphasis is the object or element which first catches our attention. Contrast in elements is one of the most common ways to create focus.
Unity / Harmony	Unity or harmony is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar, related elements to create a sense of oneness, wholeness, or order in a work of art.
Scale / Proportion	Scale is the overall size of something. Proportion is the relative size of objects within a work. For example, a caricature exaggerates the proportion of one or more facial features, while installations in sculpture gardens often have a very large scale.
Contrast / Variety	Contrast is the relative difference between two or more elements. Variety is the relative diversity and change throughout a piece.
Movement / Hierarchy	Movement is the visual path our eye follows. Hierarchy is a manipulation of elements to create movement through a work.

2D Design

Link to online presentation.

ELEMENTS:

Line	A line is the path of a point, or the connection between two points. Lines can be made on their own, or they can be created where two shapes meet. There is also “implied line,” where a line doesn’t really exist, but appears to be present. The way we treat our lines establishes a particular/dominant mood or emotion.
Shape / Space	Shape is a perceivable area (think silhouette). Shapes can be created by lines or by color or value changes that define edges. The shape itself is the positive space, and the space around the shape is the negative space.
Value / Tone	Value or tone is the relative lightness or darkness of an area.
Texture	Texture is the perceived look, feel, or quality of a surface. Texture can be actual or implied.
Color	Human perception of different wavelengths of visible light; Component parts include hue (the name of the color; example: blue), saturation (purity or intensity of the color), value (relative lightness or darkness of the color). [NOTE: we won’t use color in Beginning Drawing.]

PRINCIPLES:

Balance	Balance is the equalizing of the visual weight of elements. There are three types of balance: symmetrical (one half mirrors the other), asymmetrical (dissimilar items balance each other out), and radial (elements are spread out from a central point. Symmetrical = dividing a composition into two equal halves with seemingly identical elements on each side. Asymmetrical = balance based upon a visual sense of equilibrium that can be felt more than it can be measured. There are no specific rules for asymmetrical balance except that of diversity image credit
Repetition / Rhythm	Repetition is a repeating visual element (line, shape, pattern, texture, movement), and rhythm is its flowing and regular occurrence. A subcategory of repetition is pattern. Pattern – any compositionally repeated element or regular repetition of a design or single shape; pattern drawing sin commercial art may serve as models for commercial imitation.
Focus / Emphasis	The focus or emphasis is the object or element which first catches our attention. Rule of Thirds – a compositional tool that makes use of the notion that the most interesting compositions are those in which the primary element is off center. Basically, take any frame of reference and divide it into thirds placing the elements of the composition on the lines in between. Visual Center – The visual center of any page is just slightly above and to the right of the actual (mathematical) center. This tends to be the natural placement of visual focus, and is also sometimes referred to as museum height. Golden Rectangle – Another method of arranging a composition.
Unity / Harmony	Unity or harmony is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar, related elements.
Scale / Proportion	Scale is the overall size of something. Proportion is the relative size of objects within a work. For example, a caricature exaggerates the proportion of one or more facial features. [collage by Nacick Paliughi] Credit
Contrast	Contrast is the relative difference between elements. Bright vs Dark. Heavy vs Light, Rough vs Soft, etc. The greater the difference between light and dark areas, the more attention the area attracts.
Movement / Hierarchy	Movement is the visual path our eye follows. Hierarchy is a manipulation of elements to create movement through a work.

Depth – overlapping forms suggest depth; changes in scale can suggest depth; illusionistic perspective can suggest depth, atmospheric perspective (see images here) can suggest depth

foreshortening also shows depth

Credit

4D Design

Elements and Principles of 4D Art and Design, by Ellen Mueller (Oxford University Press, 2016).