Elements of Design

1. Elements of Design

2. Elements are the basic visual things an artist manipulates in a space to create a composition. They are like words in language. Elements have meaning in themselves, but need to be placed in certain arrangements to create effective communication.

3. Line • A line is tough to define, therefore... It is most important to know what a line does!

4. Your understanding of the different types and characteristics of line will enable you to knowledgeably and with purpose create better compositions.

5. There are basically 8 types of line

6. Horizontal Lines are straight level lines that goes side to side. Vertical Lines are straight lines that goes from the top to the bottom and are perpendicular with the horizon.

7. Horizontal and Vertical lines create stability and may enhance the feelings of calm and peacefulness. Why?

8. Our life experience tells us that horizontals and verticals are most stable because of our life experience with the force in nature called... GRAVITY

9. When something is vertical, though it may be tall, gravity is acting only upon a small area, such as with a flag pole or column. When something is horizontal gravity is acting upon a larger area but that area is more supported, such as when someone is laying on the ground.

11. Martin Johnson Heade “Sunset” 1863

12. Edward Hopper “Early Sunday Morning” 1930

13. Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House, Chicago Illinois 1909

14. Harrison and Abramovitz Aluminum Company of America Building 1950

15. Frank Lloyd Wright

16. Frank Lloyd Wright

17. Diagonal Lines are straight lines that are not horizontal or vertical. Diagonal lines create movement and action in a composition.

18. Charles M. Russell “Vaqueros of Old California”

19. Frans Snyders “Still Life with Game and White Swan”

20. Frans Snyders “Still Life with Game and White Swan”

21. Zig Zag Line is a line that abruptly changes direction. It can create tension, agitation, and instability in a composition

22. Karl Schmidt-Rottluff “Pharisees”1912

23. Umberto Boccioni “Dynamics of a Cyclist” 1913

24. Curvy Lines are lines that gradually change direction. They convey movement and often joyful more happy feelings because of their gradual change.

25. Vincent Van Gogh “Starry Night” 1889

26. Vincent Van Gogh “Starry Night” 1889

27. Gustave Klimt “Fulfillment (The Kiss)” 1909

28. Broken Lines are various line segments that imply continuity. Broken lines often create feelings of instability, fragility, and sensitivity. Vincent Van Gogh “Starry Night” 1889

29. Rembrandt van Ryn “Kostuerloren Castle in Decay” 1657

30. Claude Monet “Impressionism Sunrise” 1872 Text

31. Edgar Degas “Dancers” (after 1900)

32. Rob Mizell “The Virgin Mary” 2004

33. Elyse Binz “Three Women” 2004

34. Thick and Thin Lines are lines that are thicker or thinner when compared to other lines. Thick and thin lines create variety and interest in a composition. In a single line, changing the thickness and thinness adds character and expression to the form or composition.

35. Louis Sullivan “Schlesinger and Meyer Store Windows,” Chicago 1899-1904

36. Louis Sullivan “Schlesinger and Meyer Store Windows,” Chicago 1899-1904

37. Kathe Kollwitz “Death Seizing a Woman” 1934

38. Georges Roualt “Christ Mocked by the Soldiers” 1932

39. Andre Derain “London Bridge” 1906

40. Long and Short Lines are lines that are longer or shorter when compared to other lines. Lines that are longer and shorter in a composition add variety and create interest.

41. Henri De Toulouse Lautrec “At the Moulin Rouge” 1892

42. Theodore Van Does Burg “Rhythms of a Russian Dance” 1959