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A Complete Institute of Fine Arts & Crafts in India
Institute of Fine Arts & Crafts

The 7 Elements of Art

Whenever we create an artwork there are 7 elements or components, that our artwork consists of. In most cases, we take these elements for granted or don't even think about them twice.

However, they are key to the success of our artwork. If we keep these elements in mind and create our artwork then we will be able to create a better artwork.

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Which will be easier to see as anyone’s eye will flow more smoothly into our artwork. We will have control over how their eye moves through our painting - we will be able to lead them through the painting.

Artists manipulate these seven elements, mix them with principles of design, and compose a piece of art.

Not every work of art contains every one of these elements, but at least two are always present.

Line

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The line is the most basic element of art. Without a line, the other elements couldn’t exist. A line has a beginning and an end and by its existence, creates an edge. If a line joins up it forms an outline (also called a contour).

An Outline Creates a Shape.

Lines can be long or short, thick or thin.

Types of Line

Straight Line
Straight line are more mechanical and dynamic and rarely found in nature.

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    Horizontal Line

    Horizontal line create a feeling of stability and calm.

    Vertical Line

    Vertical line give the impression of height and strength and often have a spiritual connotation.

    Diagonal Line

    Diagonal line, give movement and dynamism to a composition.

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    Curved Line

    Curved line change direction gently with no sharp angles and suggest comfort and ease to the viewer. Curved line most often relate to the natural world.

    Zigzag Line

    Zigzag line alter direction fast and create feelings of unrest, turmoil, and movement.

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    Imaginary Line

    Line can be imaginary or implied; for example, a line of sight can be a very strong albeit invisible line along which the viewer’s eye travels. Also, a pointing finger can send the viewer's eye on a journey through the painting.

Shape

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When a line meets up to enclose a space, a shape is formed

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    Shapes can be Geometric or Organic

    Shapes are 2-dimensional, i.e. they have height and width but no depth e.g. a square. The best way to remember the shape element is to think of an outline.

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    Positive or Negative Shapes

    The object you draw on your page is a shape enclosed in a frame. This frame may be a box you drew to designate the edges of your drawing area or the edge of the page if you didn’t draw a box. The object you draw is the positive shape. The rest of the space in your box (or if you didn’t draw a box then the rest of the page) is called negative shape.

Form

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The form is the next step up from shape as we now add depth to it to create a three-dimensional form. A square (shape) vs a cube, a triangle vs a cone, etc. Form encloses volume i.e. height, width as well as depth. In drawing and painting, Form can only be implied because they are 2-dimensional (flat) media.

Space

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Space is what lies between, around, or within an object. To show space in a 2-dimensional medium the artist must use techniques to create the illusion of space between items that are in reality on a flat surface.

  • Placement
    What are the 7 Elements of Art in One Drawing?, The 7 Elements of Art are Line, Shape, Form, Space, Texture, Value and Colour, 7 Elements of Design in Art, 7 Art Elements Definitions, About Art Elements, More About the 7 Elements of Art, The 7 Elements of Art - Space Placement
    Objects higher up in the picture plane will seem to the viewer’s eye to be further away than objects placed low down in the picture frame.
  • Size
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    Smaller objects look as if they are further away than larger objects. Notice how much smaller the house is in relation to the flowers.
  • Detail
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    The further away an object is, the less detail is visible to the viewer. By purposely reducing the amount of detail in an object it will appear further away than an object with greater detail.
  • Colour and Value
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    Objects in the distance usually appear cooler (blur) and lighter in colour. Close-up objects appear warmer and darker in value.
  • Perspective
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    It can be used to create the feeling of depth on a 2-dimensional surface. The most commonly used perspective types are linear and 2-point perspective.
  • Negative Space
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    Space can be either positive or negative in the same way as shapes can. Negative space is all around the object, which is the (positive space) subject of the painting. Negative space is very important and an artist must plan the negative space as carefully as the main subject.

Value

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Value is how light or dark something is. There is a scale of light and dark from pure white to pitch black. The value of colour depends on how light or dark it is compared to the value scale. Getting the values right is more important than getting the colours right in the painting.

Value is what makes it possible to show 3-dimensional forms in a 2-dimensional surface. By increasing differences in value, contrast is increased as well. A highlight will look brighter when surrounded by a dark value. Decreasing contrast will make objects visually recede into the picture plane and draw less attention.

Colour

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Colour theory helps the artist to mix desired colours from primary colours. It’s only a theory and can’t be proven but it is nevertheless useful to the artist. Colour theory is based on the colour wheel, colour value and on which colours work well together - also called colour schemes.

There are various colour schemes that define the primaries. The most common is the Red, Yellow, and Blue model. Another popular scheme uses Cyan, Magenta and Yellow as the primaries. There are several others and each works well in different situations.

Colour is Described by its Hue – Red, Green etc.

(Hue is the Name We Give a Colour)

Texture

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Actual texture is the way an object feels to the touch. The texture is an element, like form or space, that can be real. For example, run your fingers over an Oriental rug or hold an unglazed pot.

INTRODUCTION TO COLOUR THEORY FOR ARTISTS AND ART LOVERS

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