ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL LANGUAGE

ELEMENTS OF VISUAL LANGUAGE

The elements of art are components or parts of a work of art that can be isolated and defined. They are the building blocks used to create a work of art.The most important elements are:

LINE

•  A line is an identifiable path created by a point moving in space.
•  It is one-dimensional and can vary in width, direction, and length. Lines often define the edges of a form.
•  Lines can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, straight or curved, thick or thin.
•  They lead your eye around the composition and can communicate information through their character and direction.

SHAPE AND FORM

• Shape and Form define objects in space. 
• Shapes  have two dimensions–height and width–and are usually defined by lines, which can provide its contour.
• Forms exist in three dimensions, with height, width, and depth. Three-dimensional form is the basis of sculpture, furniture, and decorative arts. Threedimensional forms can be seen from more than one side.

SPACE

• Space in a work of art refers:
• a.- to a feeling of depth or three dimensions. (Real space is three-dimensional). 
• The illusion of space is achieved through perspective drawing techniques and shading in Western tradition.
• b.- to the artist's use of the area within the picture plane. 
• The area around the primary objects in a work of art is known as negative space, while the space occupied by the primary objects is known as positive space. 

COLOUR

Value describes the brightness of colour . Artists use 

colour value to create different moods (estados de 

ánimo). 

   • Dark colours in a composition suggest a lack of 

light, as in a night or interior scene. Dark  colours can 

often convey a sense of mystery or foreboding.

   • Light colours often describe a light source or light 

reflected within the composition.

• Intensity  describes the purity or strength of a colour .
• Bright colours are undiluted and are often associated with positive energy and heightened emotions. 
• Dull colours have been diluted by mixing with other colours and create a sedate or serious mood. (Apagado  )

VALUE

• Value  is the degree of light and dark in a design. 
• It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between. 
• Value can be used with colour as well as black and white. Contrast is the extreme changes between values.

TEXTURE

The surface quality of an object that we sense through touch. 

All objects have a physical texture. Artists can also convey texture visually in two dimensions.

• In a two-dimensional work of art, texture gives a visual sense of how an object depicted would feel in real life if touched: hard, soft, rough, smooth, hairy, leathery, sharp, etc. Artists use color, line, and shading to imply textures.

• In three-dimensional works, artists use actual texture to add a tactile quality to the work. 

PRINCIPLES OF ART AND DESIGN

The principles of design describe the ways that artists use the elements of art in a work of art. They are interdependent.

BALANCE

• Balance  is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colours, textures, and space. The elements should be balanced to make a design feel stable… or not.
• Symmetrical balance conveys a sense of stability. 

• Asymmetrical balance often conveys a sense of movement since the elements of the composition are unbalanced. 

EMPHASIS

• Emphasis  is the part of the design that catches the viewer's attention. Usually the artist will make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The area could be different in size, colour , texture, shape, etc.

RHYTHM

   Rhythm result from the organized repetition of an element or elements in a work of art. 

   Three methods of creating rhythm:

     •Repetition

     •Alternation

     •Progression

PROPORTION

• Proportion  is a principle of art that describes the size, location or amount of one element to another (or to the whole) in a work. 
• It has a great deal to do with the overall harmony of an individual piece. 
• Proportion also may be the relationship of the size of an artistic artifact (painting, sculpture, design, etc.) with the human being. That is the Scale