MODULE

8
ELEMENTS
AND
PRINCIPLES OF
ART
LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Describe and define terms of the elements of art

2. Apply the use of the elements of art when describing a work of
art
3. Discuss the importance of arts in their lives
4. Apply communication skills in a written format to describe art
work style and content effectively utilizing the vocabulary of
art ( Elements of art and principles of design) to enhance
knowledge and interpretation of art
LESSON 1.
Elements of Art
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART

• Elements • Principles
The lines, shapes, forms, The principles of art are
values, colors, textures, and an organized way that the
spaces that are incorporated elements of art are arranged in a
must all work to make your work of art
artwork great. So the principles of art are
The elements can be dependent on the elements.
arranged in a work to produce
balance, harmony, unity, rhythm,
proportion, variety, emphasis,
and movement.
 DO YOU AGREE?

Creating good artwork is not just

skill. It is definitely not luck or trial
and error. It is knowledge.
 THE PRINCIPLES OF ART

• The principles of art generally deal with the way the elements
of art are composed within the work of art. So, the principles of
art typically deal with composition.
• The eight principles of art are balance, proportion, unity,
harmony, variety, emphasis, rhythm, and movement. All of
these principles clearly deal with the placement of elements
within artwork.
 OTHER FUNDAMENTALS OF ART

Of course, there are other art fundamentals other than

the elements and principles that every artist should
understand and implement. These include, but are not
limited to composition, contrast, dominance, content
implementation, aesthetics, art criticism, and
symbolism.
COMPOSITION

- The way visual

elements are
positioned in a work
of art. Composition is
highly dependent on
the use of the
principles of art.
 CONTRAST
Refers to difference between
elements or subjects within a
work of art. It can be created
through variety within the
elements of art. (i.e. value, color,
texture) It can used to create a
focal point or area of interest in
an artwork.
DOMINANCE
refers to one area of
a work of art that is
visually heavier
demanding more
attention.
Dominance is closely
related to emphasis.
CONTENT
Refers to the message
or meaning within an
artwork.
 AESTHETICS

Refers to the
artwork's visual
attraction or beauty.
ART CRITICISM

An organized
approach to
evaluating art work.
SYMBOLISM

Using visual objects

or arrangements to
represent an
alternate meaning
 LESSON 2
Performance Art
Performance art is an
artwork or art exhibition
created through actions
executed by the artist or other
participants. It may be live,
through documentation,
spontaneously or written. Also
known as artistic action, it
has been developed through
the years as a genre of its own
in which art is presented live.
It had an important and
fundamental role in 20th
century.
It involves four basic elements: time, space, body, and presence
of the artist, and the relation between the creator and the
public. The actions, generally developed in art galleries and
museums, can take place in the street, any kind of setting or space
and during any time period. Its goal is to generate a reaction,
sometimes with the support of improvisation and a sense of
aesthetics. The themes are commonly linked to life experiences of
the artist themselves, or the need of denunciation or social
criticism and with a spirit of transformation. Performance art only
adjoins the scenic arts in certain aspects such as the audience and
the present body, and still not every performance art piece
contains these elements.
Some types of performance art nevertheless can be close to
performing arts. Such performance may use a script or
create a fictitious dramatic setting, but still constitute
performance art in that it does not seek to follow the usual
dramatic norm of creating a fictitious setting with a linear
script which follows conventional real-world dynamics;
rather, it would intentionally seek to satirize or to transcend
the usual real-world dynamics which are used in
conventional theatrical plays
Performing arts are primarily skills-based,
performance art is primarily concept based

Performing arts Performance arts

• Performing arts may include dance, music, opera, theatre and
musical theatre, magic, illusion, mime, spoken word, puppetry,
circus arts, performance art.
• There is also a specialized form of fine art, in which the artists
perform their work live to an audience. This is called
performance art
LESSON 3.
Principles of
Design
The organization of the various elements of the visual
arts is governed by different principles of design.
Through these principles, the artist can form more
beautiful and interesting color harmonies and more
beautiful combinations of shapes, texture and lines
Through the combination of lines, colors, and forms, an
artist can give the observer new, varied, and satisfying
experiences. There is no end to the ways by which artist
can give people experiences that will uplift their spirits so
that they forget the medium of their everyday existence.
 HARMONY

Harmony is essential to beauty. In the visual arts, it is achieved by

establishing a pleasing relationship between the various elements.
There is harmony if the various parts of a design will give an
appearance of belonging together. There is harmony if the various
parts of a design will give an appearance of belonging together. In
other words, there must be unity.
 RHYTHM
• In the visual arts, rhythm is achieved by the regular or harmonious
recurrence of lines, forms and colors. Rhythm is organized
movements, a beat, a repetition. Through the repetitions of lines or
forms. Through the use of color, charming patterns will be formed
that will carry the eye from one part of a room to another.
 BALANCE
A pleasing relationship between the various elements of a work of art
is not the only requirement for beauty. These elements must also be
arranged that feeling of balance and equilibrium exists between
them.
We are all familiar with the word balance. If all the parts are equally
distributed around a central point, we achieved balance. If weights are
equally distributed on each side of a center or fulcrum, as in a see saw,
we have balance. Balance gives a feeling of stability and rest.
What can you say about this art
work?
 PROPORTION
• Proportion is determined by a comparison of the sizes of different parts of an
object or of an arrangement. A figurine is not in itself big, but it may be too big
for the pedestal it is standing on.
• Objects which are “out of proportion” are not pleasing to look at. Within the
realm of the elements and principles of art, proportion is the relationship of
elements in an artwork to the whole and to one another.
 VARIETY

The principle of art concerned with

diversity or contrast is that of variety.
Variety is brought about by using
different colors, sizes and shapes in a
work of art. It is the partner of unity.
Artists seek the balance between the
two.
 EMPHASIS AND
SUBORDINATION

Emphasis is produced by the design or form that catches our

attention while the rest are subordinated. The pattern emphasized
usually forms the center of interest. Emphasis may defined as giving
the proper importance to the parts or to the whole.
Emphasis is a way of using elements to stress a certain area in an
artwork. Emphasis is really just another way to describe a focal point
in your artwork. In the painting below, there is strong emphasis on
the moon through the use of color contrast
 CONTRAST
• Contrast is everything in art. Without it, an artwork would be nothing but a
blank surface. Contrast can come in many forms:
• Texture contrast: A contrast between smooth and textured. Many of Vincent
van Gogh's paintings are great examples of texture contrast in action.
• Color contrast: A contrast between light and dark, saturated and dull or
complementary colors (hue contrast).
 RULE OF THIRDS
• The rule of thirds is a "rule of thumb" or guideline which applies to the process
of composing visual images such as designs, films, paintings, and photographs.
• The rule of thirds describes a basic compositional structure of a photograph.
Taking any image, you can split it into 9 segments by using 3 vertical and 3
horizontal lines.
• In photography, the rule of thirds is a type of composition in which an image is
divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and the subject of
the image is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or along one of
the lines itself.
THANK YOU!