The Elements & Principles
Elements Principles
• The basic building blocks; • What we do with the
• The things inside, that building blocks (elements)
make up a piece of art • (Think of as your chef’s
• Most art will contain all of technique and preparation
the elements of a dish)
• (Think of as the ingredients)
Elements of Art & Design
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The of a composition.
• The basic building blocks; the ingredients
Line
• Directs the eye – horizontal, vertical,
diagonal, curvy, zig-zag, etc.
• Has greater length than width
• Can be a mark made by a moving
point
• Can be actual obvious lines or the
borders or edges of shapes
Shape/Form
• A contained area.
• Can be GEOMETRIC (man-made)
ex. Square, triangle, circle, etc.
• Can be ORGANIC (natural) ex.
Leaves, humans, puddles, etc.
• Used to create a sense of space
and substance.
Shape/Form
Shape Form
• Shapes are 2-Dimensional • Form encloses volume;
and flat; created when a line is 3-Dimensional
enclosed
• Can be measured in width x • Can be measured in width
height x height x depth
• For example, a circle • For example, sphere
The basic arch
shape takes on form
when depth is
created with
different shadow
and highlight values.
The basic square
shape takes on form
when depth is
created with
different shadow
and highlight value
as well as the
camera’s
perspective helps
emphasize the form.
Space
• The area used or unused in a composition; can contribute to balance within a
composition
• Use of space can create dimension for the viewer; the area around, within, or
between objects/subjects in an image create perspective; positive and
negative space.
• Positive space – the area the objects/subject takes up.
• Negative space – the area around, under, through and between.
• Foreground (closest), Middle ground, and Background (farthest).
• Can be open, crowded, near, far, etc.
• When used effectively, it can define importance and lead the eye.
Value
• Black and White and all the Grays in between
• The darkness or lightness of a colour; adding
white to a colour makes it a tint; adding black
to a colour makes it a shade
• Can add drama and impact to composition
Color
• Colour can alter the overall mood/
feeling.
• Hue (refers to the name; i.e. red)
• Saturation (intensity or amount)
• Temperature (cool, warm; measured
in Kelvin)
• Related to value.
Color
Texture
• The appearance of how a surface feels
• Rough, smooth, bumpy, gooey, sharp, etc.
• Adds interest! Sense of sight and sense of
touch involved.
Principles of Art & Design
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Principles of Art & Design:
What you do with/how you arrange the basic
building blocks (elements) to create artistic,
interesting, more visually powerful photographs.
Just like elements, photographs can utilize
multiple principles.
Principles
What you do with the basic building blocks (elements)
• Emphasis
• Movement / Rhythm
• Balance
• Pattern / Repetition
• Unity / Harmony
• Scale / Proportion
• Contrast
Emphasis
• Creating a focal point;
• Emphasis in a composition refers to creating
points of interest to pull the viewer's eye to
important parts of the body of the work
Emphasis is created through
contrasting colour.
Even though all
elements share a green
hue, emphasis is
created due to the
difference in shape/
form.
Balance
• Balance is the impression of
stability or equality in a
composition.
• Balance is often referred to as
symmetrical, asymmetrical, or
radial.
Symmetrical
balance is created
through the
reflection of the
cliff in the water.
*Although, this does look heavily
Photoshopped ;)
Symmetrical balance is achieved as
the photograph has equal weight.
Asymmetrical balance
is created by using
space and
perspective.
The pole in the
foreground is
emphasized, however,
the right side of image
contains multiple poles
to help balance the
photograph.
Radial balance is
created with the majority
of the weight centred in
the image and repeated
elements circle away
from the centre point.
Unity / Harmony
• Unity is achieved when the components of a
work of art are perceived as harmonious,
giving the work a sense of completion
• How things are linked, similar, common -
when all the parts equal a whole.
Contrast
• Contrast refers to the opposites and differences in the
composition.
• You can achieve contrast by using different shapes,
textures, colors and values in your work.
• For example, something light against something dark,
rough against smooth textures, etc.
Movement/Rhythm
• Rhythm or movement refers to the
suggestion of motion through the use of
various elements.
• The way elements are arranged to lead the
eye to or from the focal area.
Rhythm and motion
are created through
the repeated
pattern of ripples in
the sand.
Pattern/Repetition
• An element that occurs over and over again
in a composition
• Can repeat the element in a consistent or
varying pattern
Scale / Proportion
• Scale/proportion refers to the relative size and scale of
the various elements in a design; the relationship
between objects, or parts, of a whole
• For example, a person compared to large building, or
different sized people in same photograph.
Nope.
Thank
you
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