The Elements of

Visual Arts
GROUP 1
 WHAT IS ELEMENT ?
• It’s a particular part of something.
–Merriam-Webster Dictionary

• a part or aspect of something abstract, especially

one that is essential or characteristic.

•What happens to the medium after the techniques

are applied.
 THE ELEMENTS OF VISUAL ARTS
1. LINE 5.SPACE
2. COLOR 6.FORM
3. TEXTURE 7.VOLUME
4. PERSPECTIVE
 1. LINE
• Line is an important
element at the
disposal of every
artist.
• Lines always have
direction.
LINE SUGGEST…
• Man usually lies prone
when asleep or when at
rest and stands erect
when in action.
• Man has learned that
certain emotional states
find expression in
definite positions.
 TWO CLASSIFICATIONS OF LINE
1.STRAIGHT LINE
• HORIZONTAL
• VERTICAL
• DIAGONAL
2.CURVED LINE
• CROOKED OR JAGGED
 STRAIGHT LINE
• A straight line is the basic framework of many
forms, but it lacks softness and flexibility.
 HORIZONTAL LINES
• are lines repose and serenity.
• Horizontal lines are found in reclining persons,
in landscape, calm bodies of water and in the
distant meeting of the earth and sky which is
called horizon.
APPLICATION OF HORIZONTAL LINE IN ARTS
 VERTICAL LINES
• are lines that denote action.
• They suggest poise, balance, force, aspiration,
exaltation, and dynamism.
• Vertical lines also tend to express as well as arouse
emotions of exaltation and inquietude.
• The Gothic Cathedrals express the aforementioned
sentiments that possessed the soul of northern
Europe- Middle Ages.
APPLICATION OF VERTICAL LINES IN ART
 DIAGONAL LINES
• suggest action, life, and movement.
• Almost every object in action assumes a diagonal line
• As masters in any art try to perfect their technique, they are able to
work more or less instinctively, and they begin to express themselves
more and more through the freedom, buoyancy, and grace of
curved lines.
 CROOKED OR JAGGED LINES
• express energy, violence, conflict, and
struggle.
 CURVED LINES
• suggest grace, subtleness, direction, instability,
movement, flexibility, joyousness, and grace.
• The restrained curved lines exemplified in the
woman’s body and the bamboo stem where
according to Philippine legend, man and
woman sprang by Carlos “Botong” Francisco.
CURVED LINES
 3 CLASSIFICATIONS OF
CROOKED OR JAGGED LINES:
1. Lines which follow or repeat one another
2. Lines which contrast with one another
3. Transitional lines which modify or soften the
effect of others.
 LINE
• Repetition - it occurs when two or more lines
are drawn within a corner.
 LINE
• Transitional Lines - modify the sharpness of
vertical and horizontal lines giving a
harmonizing effect.
 LINE
• In painting, there should be an organic unity of
lines to produce balance and symmetry,
proportion of lengths and widths, and rhythm.
EXAMPLES OF LINE IN PAINTINGS
EXAMPLES OF LINE IN ARCHITECTURE
EXAMPLES OF LINE IN SCULPTURE
 2.COLOR
• Has the most aesthetic appeal of all the
elements of visual arts
• Delight in color is a universal human
characteristics
• Is a property of light
• The light of the sun contains all the colors of the
spectrum: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow,
orange and red
EXAMPLE OF COLORS IN PAINTINGS
EXAMPLE OF COLOR IN SCULPTURE
EXAMPLE OF COLOR IN ARCHITECTURE
 3 DIMENSIONS OF
COLOR
a) HUE b). INTENSITY c) VALUE
 A).HUE
• Is the dimension of color that gives its name
• Color names such as red, blue, green, violet, and
yellow indicate hue
• Primary Hues - blue, red, and yellow
• Secondary hues - orange, green, and violet
HUE
PRIMARY HUES
SECONDARY HUES
TERTIARYHUES
 WARM HUES
• Red, Orange, and Yellow
• They are associated with objects like the sun,
fire, and other sources of heat
 WARM HUES
• They tend to impart warmth to any composition in
which they are used
• They are conspicuous, cheerful, stimulating,
vivacious, joyous and exciting
• They are suggestive of impetuous or instinctive
action
• They are called advancing colors because they
have an effect of advancing or coming towards
you
WARM HUES IN ARTS
 COOL HUES
• Are those where blue predominates like green,
blue-green, blue, and blue-violet
• They cause surfaces covered with them to
appear to recede
• They suggest distance
• They are calm, sober, restful, and
inconspicuous
COOL HUES IN ARTS
 RED
• Color of fire and
blood
• Warmest, most
vigorous, and most
exciting of the colors
• It stands for passion
and energy
 YELLOW
• Color of light
• Most brilliant, cheerful,
and exultant of the colors
• It suggests cheerfulness, magnificence, life
and splendor
• It serves to balance the warm colors like red
and orange
 GREEN
• Color for vegetation and symbolizes life and
freshness
 VIOLET
• Represents shadows and mysteries
 BLACK
• Represents despair, death and pain
 ORANGE
• Suggests deliciousness and warmth
 BLUE
• Color of the sky and of deep and still water
• Coolest and the most tranquil of the colors
• It arouses the feelings of peace and quietness
 B).VALUE
• Sometimes called chiaroscuro
• Refers to the lightness or darkness of a color
• It is a quality which depends on the amount of
light and dark in color
• They give the expression of depth and solidity
and lend form to paintings
 VALUE
•TINTS - are values above the normal
•SHADES - are values below the normal
• Pink is a tint of red
• Maroon is a shade of red
• Sky blue is a tint
• Navy blue is a shade
TINTS
SHADES
 VALUE
• The value of a hue can be changed
• We raise hue by adding more light so that it
reflects more light and lower it by reducing the
light it can reflect
 C).INTENSITY
• Refers to the brightness or darkness
• It gives color strength
• Differences in intensity may be described as
full intensity, two-thirds intensity, and two-thirds
neutral
 INTENSITY
• Two colors may be both blue but one is more
intense than the other
• When it is dulled, it is said to be partly
neutralized
• The more black or white is added, the weaker
the intensity becomes
 COLOR HARMONIES
Two kinds:
• Related color harmonies
• Contrasted color harmonies
 RELATED COLOR HARMONIES
• May either be monochromatic or adjacent

a. Monochromatic harmony
ois made up of several tones of one hue, like for
instance orange, tan, brown, and other tones
from the orange family.
oSimplest and easiest to use
 RELATED COLOR HARMONIES
Monochromatic harmony
 RELATED COLOR HARMONIES
Monochromatic harmony
 RELATED COLOR HARMONIES
b. Adjacent or neighboring harmony
oTwo or three neighboring hues on the color circle are used
together
oExample: tones of green, yellow, and orange can produce
a delightful harmony
oThey have something in common because there is yellow in
green and in orange
oGood adjacent harmonies can be produced by using other
groups of neighboring colors like yellow, orange, and red or
orange, red, and violet
 RELATED COLOR HARMONIES
Adjacent or neighboring harmony
 RELATED COLOR HARMONIES
Adjacent or neighboring harmony
 CONTRASTED COLOR HARMONIES
• Colors which lie directly opposite each other in
the color circle are called complementary colors
• Red and green, orange and blue, violet and
yellow are complementary colors
• They contrast with each other strongly; therefore,
they are more difficult to use harmoniously than
the related color combinations
CONTRASTED COLOR HARMONIES
CONTRASTED COLOR HARMONIES
 CONTRASTED COLOR HARMONIES
TYPES:
1. COMPLEMENTARY HARMONY
2. DOUBLE COMPLEMENTARY
3. SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY
4. TRIAD
5. TETRAD
 CONTRASTED COLOR HARMONIES
1. COMPLEMENTARY HARMONY
• A colour scheme that uses 1 colour plus it’s opposite on the
colour wheel. This object spins around to any colour, it’s
complement should be directly opposite. It can also move in
(adding white) and out (adding black) while retaining its
structure.
 CONTRASTED COLOR HARMONIES
2. DOUBLE COMPLEMENTARY
• A colour scheme that uses 4 hues, including two adjacent hues
and their respective complements. (e.g. yellow, yellow-orange,
purple and blue- purple. This object spins around to any four
colour combination hues. It can also move in (adding white)
and out (adding black) while retaining this structure.
 CONTRASTED COLOR HARMONIES
3. SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY
• A colour scheme that uses 3 hues which include a base hue
and the two hues on either side of its complement. This object
spins around to any three colour combination hues. It can also
move in (adding white) and out (adding black) while retaining
this structure.
 CONTRASTED COLOR HARMONIES
4. TRIAD
• A colour scheme that uses 3 hues which are each 1/3 around the
colour wheel. This object spins around to any three combination hues,
while retaining this structure. Each arm can move in (adding white) or
out (adding black). The two arms that are not the base colour can
move independent of it while retaining this structure. Moving the base
hue in or out, adjusts the two other hues proportionately.
 CONTRASTED COLOR HARMONIES
5. TETRAD
• A colour scheme that uses 2 base hues which are 1 colour apart
and include their complements. (e.g., red, green, yellow and
purple). This object spins around to any four colour combination
hues. It can also move in (adding white) and out (adding black)
while retaining this structure
 PSYCHOLOGY OF COLORS
• BLACK - Is associated with death and gloom
• WHITE - Stands for purity and innocence
• BLUE - Deemed the color of heaven
• RED - Is associated with blood, signifies anger, provokes fear,
and impels people to action
• ORANGE - Helps a person be assertive
• GREEN - Color of nature, promotes the feeling of well-being
- It implies happy and restful association and natural
abundance
 MEANINGS OF COLORS
CONVEYED BY THE ROSE
• The rose is a flower worthy of mention for the
varied psychological and emotional
connotations each of its color takes
• It is the universal flora of love
 MEANINGS OF COLORS
CONVEYED BY THE ROSE
“The Language of Roses”
By Sarian J.

Red is for ‘I love you’; pink conveys a ‘Thank

you’, white says ‘you are heavenly’; coral
speaks of desire.
 WHITE ROSES
• If you are harboring a secret affection for a
special girl (or guy), it would be more
appropriate to send white roses
• White roses denotes secrecy and several other
meanings such as innocence, purity,
reverence, and humility
 PINK ROSES
DEEP PINK LIGHT PINK
• Convey gratitude and • Expresses sympathy
appreciation • Also stand for grace and gentility
• Most appropriate for those who
would like to say “thank you”
 RED ROSES
• For saying “I love you”
• Also mean courage and fortitude
 YELLOW ROSES
• Represent joy and freedom
• If you combine red and yellow together, they
stand for jovial and happy feelings
 CORAL/ORANGE ROSES
• Speak of enthusiasm and desire
 RED AND WHITE ROSES
•For conveying the message of unity
• If you want to tell your sweetheart that you are
ready to settle down, send her two roses
because this means, in the language of roses,
that you are ready for marriage

• A single rose, on the other hand, simply means

simplicity.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
OF COLOR VALUES
• Light values or tints make the size of objects
appear larger because these values reflect
light.
• An individual seems to look larger in light
colored clothing
• Light hues also seem to recede when seen
from above, as in a ceiling
 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
OF COLOR VALUES
• Rooms can be made to appear higher by
painting the ceiling with light colors
• In perspective, distant objects appear to have
light values because these values suggest
distance or background. Dark hues or values
seem to decrease the size of objects because
these values absorb light.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
OF COLOR VALUES
• Large people should wear dark colored
clothes to make them appear smaller.
• A dark color also suggest foreground or
nearness.
• In this case, floors and rugs must be dark hues
• Dark-colored floors make the room appear
stable
 3.TEXTURE
• During the 19th to 20th centuries, a high premium
was placed on very smooth surfaces and forms. A
group of painters including Cezzane, Picasso, and
others emphasized texture by purposely making
portions of the paintings rough.
• Texture is being used by sculptors, architecture,
paintings, and any other forms of art.
 TEXTURE
• is an element that deals more directly with the sense of
touch. Also, it is best appreciated when an object is
touched with our hands.
• It is the perceived surface quality of a work of art.
• It is an element of two-dimensional and three-dimensional
designs and is distinguished by its perceived visual and
physical properties.
• Use of texture, along with other elements of design, can
convey a variety of messages and emotions.
 TEXTURE
• Two varieties of texture:

PHYSICAL TEXTURE VISUAL TEXTURE

 EXAMPLES OF TEXTURE

SMOOTH ROUGH
 EXAMPLES OF TEXTURE IN PAINTING

SMOOTH ROUGH
EXAMPLES OF TEXTURE IN ARCHITECTURE

SMOOTH ROUGH
 EXAMPLES OF TEXTURE IN SCULPTURE

SMOOTH ROUGH
 4.PERSPECTIVE
• from the Latin: “perspicere” means to see
through, deals with the effect of distance
upon the appearance of objects, by means of
which the EYE judges spatial relationships. It is
important in painting because volume is to be
presented on a two dimensional surface
 TWO KINDS OF PERSPECTIVE
Linear Perspective
• is the representation of an appearance of distance
by means of converging lines.
 TWO KINDS OF PERSPECTIVE
Aerial Perspective
• is the representation of relative distances of objects
by gradations of tone and color.
EXAMPLES OF PERSPECTIVE IN PAINTINGS
EXAMPLES OF PERSPECTIVE IN
ARCHITECTURE
EXAMPLES OF PERSPECTIVE IN
SCULPTURE
 5.SPACE
• refers to distances or areas
around, between or within
components of a piece.
• Space can be positive (white or
light) or negative (black or dark),
open or closed, shallow or deep
and two-dimensional or three-
dimensional.
• Sometimes space isn't actually
within a piece, but the illusion of
it is.
 EXAMPLES OF SPACE IN PAINTING

POSITIVE SPACE NEGATIVE SPACE

EXAMPLES OF SPACE IN ARCHITECTURE
EXAMPLES OF SPACE IN SCULPTURE
 6.FORM
• applies to the overall
design of a work of art. It
describes the structure or
shape of an object.
• directs the movement of
the eyes.
• Since form consists of size
and volume, it signifies
visual weight.
CIRCLES
TRIANGLES
SQUARE
 FORM
• Applies to the overall design of a work of art.
• Form consists of size and volume.
• Includes height, width and depth.
• Form generally refers to sculpture, 3D design and
architecture but may also relate to the illusion of 3D
on a 2D surface
• Good architecture allows outward forms to be
governed by what goes on inside them.
 FORM
• Architecture lives by the guiding principle “form follows
function”
• Another factor in determining form is the way in which a
building is construct.
• Triangles, circles, and rectangles are favourite designs
used by the painters. Tables, buildings, picture frames
and furnitures are usually composed of cubes or
rectangular solids. Oranges, electric bulbs, lakes and
domes are shaped as spheres. Tress, mountains and
flowers are cones. The trunk of trees, human arms or
legs, and pencils are cylinders.
 TYPES OF FORM
1. REGULAR FORMS
2. IRREGULAR FORMS
3. CENTRALIZED FORMS
4. LINEAR FORMS
5. RADIAL FORMS
6. GRID FORMS
 TYPES OF FORM
Regular Forms
• are those whose parts are related to one
another in a consistent, orderly manner.
 TYPES OF FORM
Irregular Forms
• are those whose parts are dissimilar and
unrelated to one another.
 TYPES OF FORM
Centralized Forms
• consist of a number of secondary forms
clustered to produce a dominant, central,
and parent form.
 TYPES OF FORM
Linear Forms
• are arranged sequentially in a row or a series
of forms along a line.
 TYPES OF FORM
Radial Forms
• compositions of linear form that extend
outward from central form in a radial form.
 TYPES OF FORM
Grid Forms
• are modular forms whose relationships are
regulated by 3-dimensional grid.
 7.VOLUME
• Refers to the amount of space occupied in three dimensions.
• We perceive volume in two ways: by contour lines, outlines, or
shapes of objects, and by surface lights and shadows.
• Volume is the primary concern of architects because a
building always encloses a space.
• The viewer, therefore, may obtain not one but many different
impressions from a single work.
• The sculptor is also concerned with the volume.
• In painting, volume is an illusion because the surface of the
canvas is flat.
VOLUME
Thank you!