elements of art essay introduction

Mona Lisa’s Elements and Principles of Art Essay

Introduction, line and texture, color, shape, and space, balance, emphasis, and subordination, scale and proportion.

The Mona Lisa , painted by Leonardo da Vinci, is among the most famous paintings globally. The artist painted the Mona Lisa due to his fascination with the way light appears on curved surfaces. The image involves a half-body portrait of a woman, and the enigmatic smile of the lady reflects the artist’s idea of the connection between nature and humanity. The excellent and beautiful Mona Lisa painting contains various elements of art, such as line, color, and shape, as well as the principles, for instance, emphasis and rhythm.

Leonardo da Vinci used numerous elements of art in Mona Lisa , for instance, curved lines to represent comfort, loveliness, and gentleness. The picture contains several repeating lines from the clothing folds and the road in the background. Leonardo da Vinci used oil painting which created a smooth texture and slightly glossy surfaces; however, the far set contains slightly rougher underpaintings. Numerous shadings give the figure shape outlining areas where the forehead turns to hair and clothing changes to a hand.

Moreover, the face of the Mona Lisa painting contains warm colors such as orange, yellow, and red, while the background contains cool colors, for instance, green and blue. The artist used realistic quantities of darker shades for shading. The hair comprises layers of transparent color that are slightly thick, contributing to the glowing appearance of the lady’s face (Keshelava 17). Mona Lisa’s painting has a rectangular shape measuring 30 by 20 inches as the artist applied artistic principles to deliver an excellent piece. The figure also contains a sense of depth since it is angled on a chair and background. The figure seems to consist of three triangles, with the lady being the biggest and two locations on the left top and right top corner. It is a two-dimensional space picture having height and width as well as illusionistic with atmospheric perspective.

Leonardo da Vinci applied the principles of art while painting Mona Lisa , for instance, asymmetrical balance. The woman exerts weight on a single side of the painting; however, there is still balance despite the figure’s positioning being off-center. The image emphasizes the woman’s facial expression since she is smiling, and her eyes fall directly in the viewers’ center of vision (Keshelava 18). The smile and the eyes make a subtle expression challenging to capture in most photographs and paintings. The less visually exciting areas are the right and left backgrounds since they seem faded, lacking distinct features or information.

The scale and proportion of the Mona Lisa can be explained using Botero’s version of Mona Lisa , which possesses a similar manipulation. The latter results in distortion of the painting since it has a massive head to body presenting a child-like figure. The Mona Lisa portrait lies in a well-structured space and is painted to a reasonable scale. It is half-length of a woman from head to the waist.

Mona Lisa portrait by Da Vinci implies the elements and principles of art such as emphasis and coordination. The painting has curved lines to indicate comfort and loveliness and a reasonable amount of darker colors for shading. It comprises three triangles with a lady occupying the most prominent space and two left and suitable backgrounds, both being at the top. The positioning of the picture is off-center, exerting weight on one side, thus making it have asymmetrical balance. The emphasis is on the woman’s facial expressions, and the background is less attractive due to inadequate details.

Keshava, Grigol. “Analysis of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa del Giocondo.” International Journal of Health Sciences , vol. 8, no. 3, 2020, pp. 17-20.

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Essay on Art

500 words essay on art.

Each morning we see the sunshine outside and relax while some draw it to feel relaxed. Thus, you see that art is everywhere and anywhere if we look closely. In other words, everything in life is artwork. The essay on art will help us go through the importance of art and its meaning for a better understanding.

What is Art?

For as long as humanity has existed, art has been part of our lives. For many years, people have been creating and enjoying art.  It expresses emotions or expression of life. It is one such creation that enables interpretation of any kind.

It is a skill that applies to music, painting, poetry, dance and more. Moreover, nature is no less than art. For instance, if nature creates something unique, it is also art. Artists use their artwork for passing along their feelings.

Thus, art and artists bring value to society and have been doing so throughout history. Art gives us an innovative way to view the world or society around us. Most important thing is that it lets us interpret it on our own individual experiences and associations.

Art is similar to live which has many definitions and examples. What is constant is that art is not perfect or does not revolve around perfection. It is something that continues growing and developing to express emotions, thoughts and human capacities.

Importance of Art

Art comes in many different forms which include audios, visuals and more. Audios comprise songs, music, poems and more whereas visuals include painting, photography, movies and more.

You will notice that we consume a lot of audio art in the form of music, songs and more. It is because they help us to relax our mind. Moreover, it also has the ability to change our mood and brighten it up.

After that, it also motivates us and strengthens our emotions. Poetries are audio arts that help the author express their feelings in writings. We also have music that requires musical instruments to create a piece of art.

Other than that, visual arts help artists communicate with the viewer. It also allows the viewer to interpret the art in their own way. Thus, it invokes a variety of emotions among us. Thus, you see how essential art is for humankind.

Without art, the world would be a dull place. Take the recent pandemic, for example, it was not the sports or news which kept us entertained but the artists. Their work of arts in the form of shows, songs, music and more added meaning to our boring lives.

Therefore, art adds happiness and colours to our lives and save us from the boring monotony of daily life.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Art

All in all, art is universal and can be found everywhere. It is not only for people who exercise work art but for those who consume it. If there were no art, we wouldn’t have been able to see the beauty in things. In other words, art helps us feel relaxed and forget about our problems.

FAQ of Essay on Art

Question 1: How can art help us?

Answer 1: Art can help us in a lot of ways. It can stimulate the release of dopamine in your bodies. This will in turn lower the feelings of depression and increase the feeling of confidence. Moreover, it makes us feel better about ourselves.

Question 2: What is the importance of art?

Answer 2: Art is essential as it covers all the developmental domains in child development. Moreover, it helps in physical development and enhancing gross and motor skills. For example, playing with dough can fine-tune your muscle control in your fingers.

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Elements of Art – An Analysis of the Most Important Art Elements

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As an art student, you may have come across the seven elements of art and the principles of art and design. Elements in art refer to stylistic devices that an artist employs to communicate their message visually to the viewer. This article will provide you with an introduction to the seven art elements and their uses as seen in various artworks.

• 1.1.1 Rearing Stallion (c. 1928) by Alexander Calder
• 1.2.1 Spring Turning (1936) by Grant Wood
• 1.3.1 The Scrovegni Chapel Fresco (c. 1303 – 1305) by Giotto
• 1.4.1 Amrta (2011) by James Turrell
• 1.5.1 Ancient Writing (1936) by Anni Albers
• 1.6.1 Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877) by Gustave Caillebotte
• 1.7.1 Whistler’s Mother (1871) by James Abbott McNeill Whistler
• 1.8 Summary of Art Elements
• 2.1.1 Beech Forest in Fall (Büchenwald im Herbst) (c. 1930 – 1956) by Albert Renger-Patzsch
• 2.2.1 Flower Day (1925) by Diego Rivera
• 2.3.1 Joseph the Carpenter (c. 1642) by Georges de La Tour
• 2.4.1 Still Life with Fruit on a Stone Ledge (c. 1601 – 1610) by Caravaggio
• 2.5.1 Off the Nore (c. 1840 – 1845) by J. M. W. Turner
• 2.6.1 The Old Guitarist (1904) by Pablo Picasso
• 2.7.1 The Gust of Wind (1860) by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot
• 2.8.1 Ju-Jitsu (c. 1913) by David Bomberg
• 2.9 Summary of the Principles of Art
• 3 Why Are the Elements of Art So Important?
• 4.1 What Are the Elements of Art?
• 4.2 What Are the Basic Principles of Art?
• 4.3 What Is the Difference Between Art Elements and Art Principles?
• 4.4 Why Are the Principles of Art Called Design Principles?
• 4.5 What Are the Benefits of Learning the Seven Elements of Art?
• 4.6 What Are Other Examples of Art Principles?

What Are the Elements of Art?

The elements of art can be understood as the basic components of an artwork that an artist applies to relay their intention, theme, or subject matter. Art elements include the use of key visual indicators that are useful to read an artwork and can greatly inform your analysis of the artist and the execution process behind an artwork. The seven elements of art include:

• Line in art
• Shape in art
• Color in art
• Form in art
• Texture in art
• Space in art
• Value in art

These art elements provide technical guidelines for examining a work of art. In conjunction with the basic elements of art, you may also be familiar with the basic principles of art . It is important to distinguish between the two and it may be confusing at first but once you read on, you will most likely have an improved understanding of the differences and details.

Below, you will find a brief overview of all the elements of art.

One of the most important building blocks of art, line, is an element that has existed since the prehistoric ages and is characterized as a point that moves in space. You have probably also heard the phrase “the shortest distance between any two points is a straight line.”

The line is not only flexible in that it can appear curved or straight but it is also unique in that it does not require an outline.

The line is direct and can be applied in many ways to achieve the foundational aspects of your drawing. Lines also serve the purpose of adding shape, structure, and perspective to your artwork. Artists use lines in a variety of ways. These include broken lines, continuous lines, vertical lines, and horizontal lines, all of which have an impact on the final view of the artwork.

Rearing Stallion (c. 1928) by Alexander Calder

Above is an example of the use of line as seen in sculpture by the famous American artist , Alexander Calder. Calder described his use of wire to create lines as his way of speaking. Line is therefore seen as an element through which you can create three-dimensional artworks.

A line may appear to be clinical and a primary mathematical subject in geometry but the power of the line in art even expands into psychology.

The use of the line is so flexible that it can be used to evoke emotion, even in its simplest form, such that the viewer experiences feelings of seriousness through simplicity. The line is significant across typography, design, and many of the most famous early artworks by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso .

Shape is considered an element that transcends beyond the art sphere and can be understood visually more than it can be defined. A seemingly abstract term, shape is defined by the Massachusetts College of Art and Design as an element that is flat, limited by height and width, and two-dimensional.

Spring Turning (1936) by Grant Wood

As seen above, shape can be used to compliment the subject of a painting. In Spring Turning (1936), Grant Wood applied shape to the landscape, which helps shift the depiction of a traditional landscape as being distant and something with a body that is out of reach.

Wood elevates the horizontal line along with the width of the landscape and thus creates a feeling of expansion, compression, and life across the four fields.

Shape can also be understood as an element applied to achieve a particular depiction of a subject or object, whether abstract or through the constructs of Realism. Shape is what gives the artwork’s subject or object “character” and adds to the visual “weight” of the artwork.

Color as an art element is divided into three segments, namely hue, intensity, and value. Hue is defined as the primary property of color and according to the CIECAM02 model, it is the degree to which a stimulus can be described as different from or similar to stimuli such as yellow, blue, red, orange, green, and violet.

Color intensity refers to the brightness or purity of a color.

Visually, you would recognize high-intensity colors by their boldness and brightness, whereas low-intensity colors are seen as dull and faint. Color value speaks to the lightness or darkness of the color’s hue and is varied depending on the addition of white or black to it.

The Scrovegni Chapel Fresco (c. 1303 – 1305) by Giotto

Giotto di Bondone is an excellent example of an artist who utilized color to achieve his artistic intention on the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. Completed around 1305, Giotto places much importance on the color blue instead of the traditional gold that was often associated with heavenly figures. Giotto’s use of blue on the ceiling of The Last Judgment fresco was to emphasize heaven and the idea of an “eternal existence”.

Blue alludes to expansion and unity, which stood out at the time considering the color gold was popular among religious artworks.

This art element is known as the heart of the subject or object itself, as represented in an artwork. Form is the rendition of a three-dimensional form within two dimensions and includes height, width, and depth with an enclosed volume.

Form often appears hand-in-hand with sculptural works. Below is an example of form used abstractly in conjunction with space and light by global sensation, James Turrell.

Amrta (2011) by James Turrell

Examples of form include a pyramid, cube, and sphere, as well as objects with seemingly zero form known as abstract forms. These are free-flowing and do not need a known shape to be defined. Forms can also be divided into two categories; geometric and organic forms.

Texture, as you might casually refer to it, is defined by the way something looks and is built to give off a feeling that it can be “felt” or touched by the senses. Texture can be identified through the artist’s use of medium and technique in an application.

This means that you can witness texture through brush strokes in a painting, whether fine, smooth, or heavy in the application of paint, such that it “brings the subject to life” and the viewer feels what is portrayed.

Ancient Writing (1936) by Anni Albers

There are various means of creating texture in an artwork and you may recognize this in works such as paintings, sculptures, and any three-dimensional artworks. Above is an example of texture in art by Anni Albers. Albers was an expert at creating these beautiful abstract textile pieces since the early 1920s .

Her use of texture to transcend weaving and textiles beyond the craft space is exemplary and she became a pioneer of textural artwork beyond the factory-produced craft narrative.

Space is an interesting art element and is used strategically for multiple reasons. The main function of space is to draw into focus the subject of the artwork and utilize space in a way that highlights the subject or specific area of an artwork. Space consists of presence and absence, of negative and positive space. More importantly, it is the relation of each of these versions of space that can affect the artwork and the subject.

The empty space around a key object is called the negative space, whereas the “filled-in” space occupied by the main object is known as the positive space. The relationship between the two can create different interpretations of the object, depending on how it is used.

The more negative space you use, the more isolated and smaller your subject will seem. The more positive space you use, the more bold, busy, and intimate your object will appear. Finding a balance between the two, depending on your intention is key. Space can also be applied to create a visual illusion. Also known as a representation of three-dimensional space, an artwork can come to life in a dimensional sense, in conjunction with the perspectival drawing, to depict a three-dimensional image. Further emphasized by shading and other perspective techniques, space is a great art element to play with.

Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877) by Gustave Caillebotte

Space can be used to create a multipoint perspective. This means that an artwork contains more than two focal or vanishing points and requires much technical skill. An example of space manipulated in this way is Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877) by French artist Gustave Caillebotte who illustrates a busy intersection close to the Saint-Lazare train station .

Caillebotte includes life-sized figures dressed in the fashion of the time as a nod to modernity. This is also emphasized in his complex use of multipoint perspective to acknowledge the multiple developments of this area, which was also his hometown.

Value as an art element refers to the darkness or lightness of colors and tones. As mentioned in color value, the extreme values are black and white with the middle ground being gray. This value spectrum has the power to determine the mood of the painting and is an important point to consider when planning an artwork.

This can also be understood as the luminosity of an artwork, which has the power to influence how you view the objects and texture in your artwork.

Whistler’s Mother (1871) by James Abbott McNeill Whistler

This renowned painting by American artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler is a classic example of the use of low-key value. Whistler’s stark contrast is created between his mother’s black dress and the light gray walls in the background.

While one can tell that other elements in the background are also black, Whistler strategically lightens the black with gray to distinguish the subject from objects in the background.

Aside from the relationship of value with color, value in art can also imply the significance of the artwork in terms of its cultural or aesthetic value. Value is also defined monetarily so it is also important to note that value carries weight.

Summary of Art Elements

As you may notice, the art elements are crucial to understanding art itself and are incredibly important tools for anyone interacting with art. To quickly revise, below you will find a summary of the different elements of art and their definitions.

What Are the Principles of Art?

The principles of art refer to the guidelines that an artist uses to organize the elements of their artwork. The principles of art can be understood as a tool, while the elements of art can be understood as the visual components that are rearranged and curated using the principles of art.

The principles of art are also known as the basic principles of design. The basic principles of art include rhythm, balance, emphasis, proportion, gradation, harmony, variety, and movement.

As you may observe, the principles of art appear to be a little more complex than the art elements but rest assured, once you reach the end of this article, you will be excited to flex your technical art knowledge. Below, you will find a brief introduction to the different principles of art.

Rhythm refers to the movement witnessed in an artwork. Commonly associated with music, rhythm as a principle of art refers to the visual tempo of the artwork and its subject matter. More accurately, it is created through the combination and repetition of art elements in various ways to establish the visual “beat”, as seen in the print below by Albert Renger-Patzsch.

Originally shot around 1930, the print was produced c. 1956 and illustrates the rhythm of the trees.

Beech Forest in Fall (Büchenwald im Herbst) (c. 1930 – 1956) by Albert Renger-Patzsch

Within this photograph by Albert Renger-Patzsch, rhythm is created through the repetition of the thin tree trunks that extend as far as the eye can see. As the scene is quite dark, the multitude of tree trunks in Beech Forest in Fall  adds an element of eeriness to the work, along with the rhythm that is there.

Like most aspects of life, balance is a principle that cannot be overlooked, especially when it comes to reading an artwork or planning one. Balance suggests the use of art elements to establish a sense of equilibrium within an artwork.

This is more than just a sense since the visual arrangement of art elements such as line and space can be used to illustrate symmetry and asymmetry.

Flower Day (1925) by Diego Rivera

Symmetrical balance alludes to a visual feeling of stability and can be created through mirror images. Asymmetrical balance is used to establish a sense of movement and disturb the structured nature of symmetry. This is achieved by incorporating organic forms (an art element) with appropriate use of negative and positive space, as well as color to illustrate movement.

The artwork by Diego Rivera is an example of symmetrical balance in art , as Flower Day (1925) depicts a calla lily seller with each subject falling on equal halves of the painting.

Emphasis alludes to importance and focus. You may have played around with the basic editing tools on your smartphone and noticed the effect that contrast (emphasis) has on an image. Contrast can be used to emphasize the difference between objects or parts of an artwork.

This is the principle that is applied to grab the viewer’s attention while highlighting the subject.

Joseph the Carpenter (c. 1642) by Georges de La Tour

Emphasis is achieved by boldening certain areas of a painting (making it darker) to create contrast (or the appearance of binaries). As seen in the painting above by French artist Georges de La Tour, Joseph the Carpenter (c. 1642) shows emphasis on the contrast of the light with darkness. This style of painting is known as Tenebrism, which showcases “dramatic illuminism” to emphasize the subject of an artwork.

Aside from color as the tool to create emphasis, other art elements such as texture and shape can be used to highlight differences and create focus.

Proportion is the relationship of art elements to each other and to the whole of an artwork. You may have heard of concepts such as the golden ratio or golden mean to achieve perfect proportions. Proportion refers to the size of each object or subject about each other such that it appears “realistic”.

Still Life with Fruit on a Stone Ledge (c. 1601 – 1610) by Caravaggio

Caravaggio’s Still Life with Fruit on a Stone Ledge (c. 1601 – 1610) is a prime example of good proportion in art. Caravaggio’s still life of fruits presents a traditional approach to proportion, that being, proportion can be used to depict objects or subjects as they appear, such that they do not stray from the unrealistic perception of their original size about their environment.

Since we have progressed well beyond the confines of tradition, proportion can be manipulated to exaggerate or undermine objects or aspects of an artwork, given that this is the intention of the artist.

You may be familiar with the term gradient through the lens of color but gradation is more specific as an art principle since it takes a combination of elements to create gradual changes in elements such as color, shape, and hue.

Off the Nore (c. 1840 – 1845) by J. M. W. Turner

Off the Nore (c. 1840-1845) by William Turner is one such example of gradation applied to painting. In many of his works, Turner makes use of tonal gradation to create his unique style of “swirling” landscapes. As his work progressed, he was drawn toward abstract subjects and eventually expressed tonal gradation using only light. Outside of the confines of color, gradation can be viewed as an object or shape getting bigger or smaller.

If applied on hue, the gradation will show either a light hue to a dark hue and vice versa. This principle is used to show the transition from one state to another and is an effective way to achieve certain aesthetics.

Try to not get confused but harmony as an art principle refers to a manner of combining art elements such that you want to emphasize their similarities. This is different from gradation and balance since harmony is associated with the use of gradation in a subtle manner and the repetition of certain art elements to achieve harmony.

This is what creates unity and can be recognized as an artwork that does not have a color hue or proportion out of place. It is harmonious to its greater whole.

The Old Guitarist (1904) by Pablo Picasso

Harmony can be seen above in Pablo Picasso’s painting, The Old Guitarist (1904), which makes use of hues with similar shades of green and blue across the entire painting. This is done to create a visual harmony and set the mood of the painting.

While harmony can be created across multiple visual aspects of art, harmony in color is the most common.

Variety as an art principle refers to a combination of multiple art elements, such as color and shape, in addition to objects that showcase variety. This principle is associated with diversity and contrast and is considered an important partner to harmony.

The Gust of Wind (1860) by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot

The Gust of Wind (Un coup de vent) (1860) by French artist Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot is a great example of variety in art as it makes use of color variance through value. Finding the balance between variety and harmony is an important thing to achieve in an artwork.

The reason that finding a balance is so important is that it demonstrates variety.

This art principle, when applied, gives off the feeling and visual effect of action. Movement is a key principle that helps direct the viewer’s gaze through the different elements of the artwork. Movement can be created through the repetition of various gestural marks, lines, contours, perspective techniques, and gradation.

Ju-Jitsu (c. 1913) by David Bomberg

Ju-Jitsu (c. 1913) is a culmination of movement inspired by Cubism , Futurism, and the athletic, geometric-like movements of ju-jitsu practitioners. The complex visual composition is a grid, which is interrupted by the geometric figures to mimic the dynamic expressions of jujitsu.

This is a simple yet effective method of illustrating movement through line and shape.

Summary of the Principles of Art

The principles of art are essential to unlocking the potential of the elements of art. Below we have provided a brief summary of the principles of art to help you cement your understanding of the principles of art about one another.

Why Are the Elements of Art So Important?

Now that we have covered a brief overview of both the elements of art and principles of art, it is only fitting to discuss the importance of art elements. Below, you will find a few reasons why the art elements are so important and how it is applied to your experience of an artwork.

Firstly, the elements of art are foundational aspects of building an artwork and allude to the technical execution behind an artwork.

A lot of thought and planning goes into a well-executed artwork and artists focus on many different combinations of art elements (in connection with the principles of art) to achieve their signature styles. It can therefore be said that art elements are crucial to developing your own art style, especially if you want to stand out from the crowd.

Second, art elements are important in not only their combination and use but also their educational value. Understanding the basis of artwork and production processes means understanding the value of the artwork and therefore gives you a different lens of viewing the artwork. By identifying an artist’s style through the use of different art elements, you can learn and compare different artworks to see how an artist manipulated their use of art elements to create masterpieces. Perhaps you could even try replicating a style as part of the learning process.

And finally, art elements will not only give you a greater appreciation of art but will expand your appreciation beyond the confines of art and design.

Art and design feature in everyday life and this can be useful to understand the psychology behind design and art, as well as the psychology behind everyday items, buildings, and spaces. In return for your updated knowledge of art elements and principles, you receive a broader and enhanced worldview.

While art elements are the building blocks of design and art beyond its own genre, the principles of art grant you access to appreciation and guidance beyond simply viewing the artwork through an analytical, technical lens. Art principles can be said to encompass the “comprehension” of the artwork as opposed to the simple observation of artwork. Together, art principles and art elements are essential to your introduction to the art space and even if you have not received formal training as an artist, having a grasp of the basic art elements and principles puts you one step ahead in your art career.

Understanding the basics of art elements and art principles can prove to be incredibly useful in your artistic pursuits. We hope this introduction to the various art elements and art principles will help guide you on your journey to gaining a technical understanding of how art is made and how you can begin to view an artwork. Take some time to digest this information and stay tuned for more in-depth articles covering each art element for further study and application.

Frequently Asked Questions

The seven elements of art are line, form, shape, color, texture, value, and space.

What Are the Basic Principles of Art?

The basic principles of art are rhythm, balance, proportion, variety, gradation, emphasis, harmony, and movement.

What Is the Difference Between Art Elements and Art Principles?

The difference between art elements and art principles is that art elements are specific aspects of art-making that form the foundational aspects of an artwork. It is useful to understand them as the basic building blocks of an artwork or tools. Art principles are the method of organizing art elements and when used in conjunction with the basic building blocks, it can be manipulated and rearranged to achieve a variety of different visual effects.

Why Are the Principles of Art Called Design Principles?

The principles of art are also called the principles of design because they work quite closely together and are often interchanged between disciplines. Art cannot be constructed without certain design principles and therefore the two are considered the same. The principles of design are often restricted to several but sometimes you may find more principles when looking at design in art.

What Are the Benefits of Learning the Seven Elements of Art?

The benefits of learning the seven elements of art include gaining a deeper understanding of how an artwork can be constructed since the elements of art are considered the building blocks to making, viewing, and interpreting artworks. This can help you develop your own art style and improve your creative process.

What Are Other Examples of Art Principles?

Other examples of art principles include unity and pattern , which are considered additional art principles. Unity is often intertwined with harmony while pattern alludes to the uniform repetition of art elements.

Jordan Anthony is a Cape Town-based film photographer, curator, and arts writer. She holds a Bachelor of Art in Fine Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where she explored themes like healing, identity, dreams, and intuitive creation in her Contemporary art practice. Jordan has collaborated with various local art institutions, including the KZNSA Gallery in Durban, the Turbine Art Fair, and the Wits Art Museum. Her photography focuses on abstract color manipulations, portraiture, candid shots, and urban landscapes. She’s intrigued by philosophy, memory, and esotericism, drawing inspiration from Surrealism, Fluxus, and ancient civilizations, as well as childhood influences and found objects. Jordan is working for artfilemagazine since 2022 and writes blog posts about art history and photography.

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Jordan, Anthony, “Elements of Art – An Analysis of the Most Important Art Elements.” artfilemagazine – Your Online Art Source. August 22, 2022. URL: https://artfilemagazine.com/elements-of-art/

Anthony, J. (2022, 22 August). Elements of Art – An Analysis of the Most Important Art Elements. artfilemagazine – Your Online Art Source. https://artfilemagazine.com/elements-of-art/

Anthony, Jordan. “Elements of Art – An Analysis of the Most Important Art Elements.” artfilemagazine – Your Online Art Source , August 22, 2022. https://artfilemagazine.com/elements-of-art/ .

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Elements of art

A brief introduction to the building blocks of art.

By Dr. Asa Simon Mittman

Line is the most basic visual element.

Shape and form

There are two main types of shapes—geometric and organic.

Artists can use colors for many reasons, including setting moods and highlighting importance.

Space is used to refer to depth, real or represented.

Texture is the feeling of a surface, real or represented.

Surface and depth

By Art Institute of Chicago

What makes paintings feel as deep as the view from a window or as flat as a wall?

Light and shadow

Whether setting the mood or celebrating the divine, artists play with light. Sometimes, they even sculpt with it.

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Elements of Art

The elements of art are the fundamental components used by artists when creating a work of art. These elements, often referred to as the building blocks of art, include line, shape, value, colour, space, texture, and form. Artists use all of these elements together help create the composition of an artwork, to express meaning and to create the impression of a scene or subject.

In this guide, discover what the elements of art are and how you can use them to create successful compositions.

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Line is one of the most basic elements of art and it can be used to create many different effects. Lines can be straight, curved, angular or organic and they may be thick or thin. They can also denote direction, such as horizontal or diagonal. Lines can also be used to suggest movement, value, depth and texture within a piece of art.

An artwork can be created with just line alone, look at line art drawings, where artists use pens or pencils alongside the hatching or cross hatching techniques to create the impression of light and shadow in different subjects.

Shapes are two-dimensional forms that are defined by an outline or border. They can be geometric such as squares, circles and triangles, or organic like free-form shapes. Artists use shapes to represent a subject, for example, drawing the shape of a leaf in a landscape piece.

Complex shapes draw more attention from the viewer than simple shapes and large shapes draw more attention than smaller shapes, due to the inherent visual weight these types of characteristics have. William Morris repeated shapes and design motifs in his designs to create his famous patterns . The shapes all appear complex, organic and representational .

Value is the lightness or darkness of a colour used in an artwork. Light and dark values create depth and perspective and also emphasise certain elements within a composition. Value is created by mixing black or white with a colour.

Denman Ross created the value scale in 1907. In the Denman Ross value scale, 1 represents white and 9 represents black. Using a value scale can help artists determine relative values in their reference, which can aid them in mixing. For example, it can tell artists how much black or white to mix into their colours to match it to the colours in their reference.

Chiaroscuro is the technique of using highly contrasting light and dark values in an artwork. Oil painters such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt used this technique in their oil paintings to create drama, atmosphere and focal points.

Colour is an important element of art which helps to bring life to an artwork. Colour is the way in which humans perceive wavelengths of light and is further categorised by hue, saturation and luminance.

Primary colours such as red, blue and can be mixed to create secondary and tertiary colours. In art, these primary and secondary colours correspond to particular pigments which can be mixed to create new tones and hues.

Colours evoke different feelings in people and they can be used to help express an artist’s emotional state. Colour theory is the study of the applications of colour in art and is an important concept to understand when creating artworks, as it can help artists to become faster and more accurate at colour mixing and help artists create colour harmony with intent in their designs.

Artists may also choose to use a colour scheme in their artwork to bring unity to a painting. Monet used colour schemes extensively in his paintings. The split complementary scheme in the ‘Banks of the Seine at Jenfosse’ creates variety , whilst unifying different sections of the painting.

Space is the area around, within and between shapes that creates a sense of depth within an artwork. Positive space is defined as the space in artworks occupied by subject or objects, while negative space is the area around and between the subjects. Negative space could include the background, or sky for instance, however this can depend on the context of the artwork. You can see how Escher uses positive and negative space cleverly in his artwork ‘Metamorphosis II’. The repeated elements of the insects on the left morph into appearing as negative space between the fish in the middle, then transform into bird shapes on the right hand side of the artwork. Escher played with using similar shapes and consistent values to create a transformation of occupied space in this artwork.

Depending on how the artist has chosen to position and space elements within an artwork, feelings of harmony , unity and tension can be created. When subjects and objects are placed within close proximity of one another, it can create a sense of tension but also a sense of unity . However, when subjects and objects are more evenly space, the composition will appear more balanced .

Texture refers to the surface quality of an object or material that can be seen and felt. It can make a painting look more three-dimensional or realistic and it also helps to create a sense of depth, movement and rhythm .

Sculptures have inherent texture to them, with paint, artists can add additives to paint to enhance texture. For example, by adding cold wax to oil paint, it will thicken the mixture and make the paint retain brushstrokes on the canvas.

Form is a three-dimensional object that has mass and volume. It occupies space and it can be viewed from any angle. Sculptures are considered to have three dimensional form, while subjects within a painting can have the appearance of form. Forms can be organic or geometric, simple or complex and either abstract or representational. When using media to create two dimensional artworks, such as pencil or paint, artists can create the impression of form by using shape, colour and values to give the illusion of three dimensionality.

Examples: Elements of art

Vincent van Gogh used the elements of art in interesting and unique ways to create novel, symbolic and eye catching compositions. For example, he used the complementary colour scheme of purple and yellow in his famous painting ‘The Starry Night’ to create contrast and dynamism. Additionally, the use of repeated, textured brush strokes creates a sense of movement and rhythm. The brushstrokes appear as lines moving and swirling in the sky, which adds to the sense of atmosphere in the piece.

Gustav Klimt use different elements to create harmony and variety in his artworks. For example, in his painting ‘The Kiss’, he repeats geometric, simple shapes across the clothing of the figures, creating subtle contrast and variety by introducing blocks of colour. The repeated elements unify the design and create rhythm.

Principles of design

The principles of design are the effects that can be created by arranging visual elements in such a way to create a successful composition . These include balance, contrast, emphasis , repetition , variety, proportion , scale , movement, pattern, rhythm and unity.

Balance can be achieved through a symmetrical or an asymmetrical composition ; artists use this by arranging their elements in such a way that it feels harmonious and unified. For example, the artist could repeat a similar shape on one side of the canvas to match a shape on the other. This symmetry offers balance to the composition.

Artists can create the effect of contrast by using elements that are dissimilar to one another together. For example, colours on opposite ends of the colour wheel contrast with each other, because they are dissimilar in hue. By placing orange next to blue, the two colours contrast against and therefore emphasise each other.

Formal analysis

Formal analysis is the process of looking at and examining the elements, principles and techniques used in an artwork. By observing an artwork and breaking it down into its component parts, one can gain deeper understanding of how the elements interact with each other to create a unique composition. Viewers can also elicit important information about the context of the artwork, such as the style of the artist , the date it may have been created and the meaning behind the work. This can help to identify which techniques were used to create the artwork and why.

For instance, Impressionist artists such as Monet used looser shapes to represent subjects, compared to Renaissance artists , with more textured brush strokes and more vivid colours. This is a style that was common during the 19th century. By doing a formal analysis of a painting like this, the viewer could glean information such as the century that the painting might have been from and the intent behind representing the subject in this manner.

Visual weight of elements

The visual weight of an element is determined by its size, shape, colour and value. Larger shapes or darker colours tend to have more visual weight than smaller shapes or lighter colours. This is because they appear to be more dominant on the canvas and draw the eye’s attention more.

For example, in a portrait piece, the artist might use dark tones to emphasise certain features of the subject’s face. This would draw viewer’s attention to these points on the canvas and create focus.

The importance of the elements of art

The elements of art are the building blocks of any artwork. By understanding and using each element effectively, an artist can create compositions that have clarity and purpose. Study how to use them in combination with one another, to create visual effects such as balance or contrast. The visual weight of elements is also important in creating focus and emphasis on particular points of the composition.

Formal analysis is a great tool for understanding the elements of art and how they interact together in a piece. Viewers can understand the style and context of artwork by looking at how the visual elements created it.

Overall, the elements of art are important components in creating a successful artwork. Knowing how to use them effectively will help any artist in creating compositions that have impact and meaning.