The Essential Elements of Art - Learn the Rules so You Can Break Them!
Any piece of visual art is made up using a combination of 7 things: line, shape, form, value, colour, space and texture. You probably use these without thinking, but it’s worth knowing about the different ways in which you can use them in your artwork to great effect.
LINE
Short, long, thick, think, wavy, curved, jagged, broken, dotted, hatched, cross-hatched, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, even ‘invisible yet suggested’… there is so much you can do with a line! The implement you use to draw a line can create different effects. For example, a light pencil line looks very different to a line made by twisting a loaded paintbrush across the paper.
SHAPE
When a line joins together or crosses over itself, a 2-dimensional shape is formed. This might be to enclose or outline something. It could be a geometric shape such as a circle, square or triangle, or it might be a more natural, organic shape – a blob! It could be a negative shape, such as the space between two buildings. Negative shapes can be really useful when trying to make an accurate drawing, so look out for them.
FORM
A 3-dimensional shape, which again can be geometric (sphere, pyramid, cube) or organic (such as a loaf of bread, a cloud or a tree). Depicting a 3-dimensional object on a 2-dimensional surface is about creating an illusion. With a little bit of knowledge, you can draw lines at certain angles to create the illusion of a cube or a building. However, it’s difficult to describe an organic or spherical form without shading it in, as it’s the tonal values that help suggest that it’s not flat. That’s where a bit of knowledge of light and tonal value comes in handy.
VALUE
How dark or light something is, on a scale from black to white. To achieve darker marks with a pencil you can either press harder, add more layers, or use a softer pencil. An HB pencil will give a lighter value than an 8B pencil or a piece of charcoal. To achieve darker tones with paint, use the paint in its purest form or add a touch of its opposite to darken it. And to achieve a lighter tone, add more water (if using watercolour) or add white (if using oils or acrylics). Using contrasting values makes your picture look more dramatic (known in painting as chiaroscuro). A sudden change in values gives the impression of an edge or a highlight on a shiny surface, and a gradual change in values gives the impression of a curve or a smooth texture.
TEXTURE
The look and feel of a surface (bumpy/smooth, shiny/dull, fluffy/spiky) can be conveyed through different marks and tones. To accurately portray texture, you need to observe how light affects the surface of an object. Light will be fairly evenly distributed on a carpet for example, but on a shiny object there will be big contrasts between the light and dark areas. The key to getting this right is through careful observation, and good use of mark-making or colour. Try shading, hatching, stippling and blending to see what works best.
SPACE
This gives a scene depth, and an object context. There are a variety of tricks and techniques to help you create the illusion of depth and space. This usually involves thinking carefully about the placement of objects in your picture, as well as the objects themselves. Consider their position in relation to each other, and their relative sizes (closer objects appear to be larger). Make things overlap to show which one is in front. Use linear perspective (there’ll be more on this in another Fact Sheet) and show more detail in the closer parts of your picture compared with things that are further away. In a landscape, far away hills would be cooler and more muted than foreground elements. And far away areas tend to have less contrast.
"Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist" - Pablo Picasso
Are you inspired to get more creative? Join us for our 10 week All-Abilities course and explore wide range of mediums and artistic styles. These art classes are suitable for all abilities, including complete beginners. We explore everything from architecture to portraits, using pencils, charcoal, pastels, watercolour, gouache and acrylics.