Exploring Visual Design: The Elements and Principles of Design

LINE

Line is an element of art that is used to define shape, contours, and outlines, also
to suggest mass and volume. It may be a continuous mark made on a surface with
a pointed tool or implied by the edges of shapes and forms.

Characteristic of Line are:

* Width- thick, thin, tapering, uneven
* Length - long, short, continuous, broken
* Direction- horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curving, perpendicular, parallel, radial, zigzag
* Focus- sharp, blurry, fuzzy, choppy
* Feeling- sharp, jagged, graceful, smooth

Types of Line:
1. Outlines- Lines made by the edge of an object or its silhouette.
2. Contour Lines- Lines that describe the shape of an object and the interior detail.
3. Gesture Lines- Line that are energetic and catches the movement and gestures of an
active figure.
4. Sketch Lines- Lines that captures the appearance of an object or impression of a place.
5. Calligraphic Lines- Greek word meaning “beautiful writing.” Precise, elegant handwriting
or lettering done by hand. Also artwork that has flowing lines like an elegant handwriting.
6. Implied Line- Lines that are not actually drawn but created by a group of objects seen
from a distance. The direction an object is pointing to or the direction a person is looking
at.

COLOUR

Colour comes form light; if it weren’t for light we would have no colour. Light rays move in a
straight path from a light source. Within this light rays are all the rays of colours in the spectrum
or rainbow. Shining a light into a prism will create a rainbow of colours because it separates the
colour of the spectrum. When the light rays hits an object our eyes responds to the light that is
bounced back and we see that colour. For example a red ball reflects all the red light rays. As
artist we use pigments in the form of powder or liquid paints to create colour.

Categories of Colour

Colour Wheels a tool used to organize colour. It is made up of:

· Primary Red, Yellow, Blue (these colour cannot be mixed, they must be bought in some
form).

· Secondary Orange, Violet, Green (these colours are created by mixing two primaries P+P).

· Intermediate Colours- Red Orange, Yellow Green, Blue Violet, etc.; (mixing a primary with a
secondary creates these colours S+P|).

· Complementary Are-are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel. When
placed next to each other they look bright and when mixed together they neutralize each other.
Colour Harmonies are created when an artist uses certain combinations of colours that create
different looks or feelings.

· Analogous Colours are colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel for
example red, red orange, and orange are analogous colours.

· Triadic Harmony is where three equally spaced colours on the colour wheel are used for
example, yellow, Red, Blue is a triadic harmony colour scheme.

· Monochromatic is where one colour is used but in different values and intensity.

· Warm colours are on one side of the colour wheel and they give the felling of warmth for
example red, orange and yellow are the colour of fire and feel warm.

· Cool colours are on the other side of the colour wheel and they give the feeling of coolness
for example blue, violet, are the colour of water, and green are the colour of cool grass.

VALUE

Value is the range of lightness and darkness within a picture. Value is created by a light source
that shines on an object creating highlights and shadows. It also illuminates the local or actual
colour of the subject. Value creates depth within a picture making an object look three
dimensional with highlights and cast shadows, or in a landscape where it gets lighter in value as
it recedes to the background giving the illusion of depth.

Categories of Values

· Tint is adding white to colour paint to create lighter values such as light blue or pink.

· Shade is adding black to paint to create dark values such as dark blue or dark red.

· High-Key is where the picture is all light values.

· Low-Key is where the picture is all dark values.

· Value Contrast is where light values are placed next to dark values to create contrast or
strong differences.

· Value Scale is a scale that shows the gradual change in value from its lightest value, white
to its darkest value black.

SHAPE

Shape is when a line crosses itself or intersects with other lines to enclose a space it creates a
shape. Shape is two-dimensional it has heights and width but no depth.

Categories of Shapes:
* Geometric Shapes-Circles, Squares, rectangles and triangles. We see them in
architecture and manufactured items.
* Organic Shapes-Leaf, seashells, flowers. We see them in nature and with characteristics
that are free flowing (freeforms), informal and irregular.

* Positive Shapes-In a drawing or painting positive shapes are the solid forms in a design
such as a bowl of fruit. In a sculpture it is the solid form of the sculpture.

* Negative Shapes-In a drawing it is the space around the positive shape or the shape
around the bowl of fruit. In sculpture it is the empty shape around and between the
sculptures.

* Static Shape-Shapes that appears stable and resting.

* Dynamic Shape-Shapes that appears moving and active.

FORM

Form is the three-dimensionality of an object. Shape is only two-dimensional; form is three-

dimensional. You can hold a form; walk around a form and in some cases walk inside a form. In
drawing or painting using value can imply form. Shading a circle in a certain manner can turn it
into a sphere.

TEXTURE

Texture is the surface quality of an object. A rock may be rough and jagged. A piece of silk may
be soft and smooth and your desk may feel hard and smooth. Texture also refers to the way a
picture is made to look rough or smooth.

Categories of Texture

· Real Texture is the actual texture of an object. Artists may create real texture in art to give
it visual interest or evoke a feeling. A piece of pottery may have a rough texture so that it
will look like it came from nature or a smooth texture to make it look like it is machine
made.

· Implied Texture is the where a two-dimensional piece of art is made to look like a certain
texture but in fact is just a smooth piece of paper. Like a drawing of a tree trunk may look
rough but in fact it is just a smooth piece of paper

SPACE

Space is the three-dimensionality of a sculpture. With a sculpture or architecture you can walk
around them, look above them, and enter them, this refers to the space of the sculpture or
architecture. A three-dimensional object will have height, width, and depth.

Space in a two-dimensional drawing or painting refers to the arrangement of objects on the

picture plane. The picture plane is the surface of your drawing paper or canvas. You can have a
picture plane that is a crowded space with lots of objects or an empty space with very few objects
in the picture plane. A two-dimensional piece of art has heights and width but no depth. The
illusion of depth can be achieved by using perspective. This is the technique used to have your
picture look likes it is moving to the distance like a landscape or cityscape.
Categories of Space

· Positive space-Like in positive shape it is the actual sculpture or building.

· Negative space-Also like negative shape it is the space around the sculpture or building.

· Picture Plane is the flat surface of your drawing paper or canvas.

· Composition is the organization and placement of the elements on your picture plane.

· Focal Point is the object or area you want the viewer to look at first.

Types of PERSPECTIVE

1.) NONLINEAR OR INFORMAL Perspective

Nonlinear (informal) Perspective is the method of showing depth that incorporates the following
techniques:

• Position-Placing an object higher on the page makes it appear farther back then objects
placed lower on the page.

• Overlapping-When an object overlaps another object it appears closer to the viewer, and
the object behind the object appears farther away.

• Size Variation-Smaller objects look farther away in the distance. Larger objects look
closer.

• Colour-Bright colours look like they are closer to you and neutral colors look like they are
farther away.

• Value-Lighter values look like they are farther back and darker value look like they are
closer. For example in a landscape the mountains often look bluish and lighter then the
trees or houses that are closer to you.

2.) LINEAR PERSPECTIVE

Linear Perspective is the method of using lines to show the illusion of depth in a picture. The
following are types of linear perspective.

• One-point perspective-When lines created by the sides of tables or building look like that
are pointing to the distance and they all meet at one point on the horizon this is one-point
perspective. To see an example stand in the middle of the hallway and look at the
horizontal lines in the brick or the corner where the ceiling meets the wall. See how they
move to one point on the horizon.

• Two-point perspective-Here the lines look like they are meeting at two (vanishing) points
on the horizon line.

• Three-point perspective- A third vanishing point exaggerates the point of view either
from an aerial of low angle view.

Vocabulary:
Horizon Line
Vanishing Point(s)
Orthogonal Lines (also know as convergence lines or trajectory lines)
View point
Picture plane
Parallel lines
Perpendicular lines