Elements of Design Unit **All images are student work and are used here for as examples for educational purposes only**

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1 Elements of Design Unit 1201 **All images are student work and are used here for as examples for educational purposes only** The elements of design are the building blocks of art. They are the basic concepts that are used to create images. This is what artists focus on when they make art. You need to know and understand the use of these visual elements in order to make good choices in all your artwork throughout the year. 1. LINE Paul Klee described drawing a line as taking a dot for a walk. A line is the mark your drawing material makes on the paper. There are many varieties of lines (straight, curvy, dotted, thick, thin, light, dark, etc.) Differences in lines are referred to as line quality. To begin, simply divide your page into a number of spaces and draw a different line pattern in each section. Be creative and stick with black and white for this exercise. Aira Manuel 2017 Next, complete a contour line portrait. Do this by looking in a mirror and actually drawing over the image you see reflected with a waterbased marker. Now, lay a damp piece of paper on top of the mirror and carefully apply pressure to the back. The marker will transfer to the piece of paper. Let dry, then use materials of your choice such as watercolor pencil crayon, pencil crayon or marker to develop a more finished image. Chantel Delurey, 2016 Ezzy Doyle, 2016

2 2. SHAPE Shapes are areas that are defined in a piece of art. Shapes can be geometric or organic. Some shapes are the areas that you actually create by filling in with the drawing material. These are your positive shapes. Some shapes appear in the leftover areas, however, and these are your negative shapes. Both are equally important to a composition. Create a repeating shape design by drawing the outline of a simple figure. Make a stencil of the figure so that you can easily trace it over and over. Repeat the figure in a design over your whole page, making sure to overlap the figure as you go. Some figures should look like they are in front of others while some should look behind. Use primary colors to fill in your figures. Then use black and white patterns or shading (your choice) to fill in the negative shapes. Jordan Boland, no date

3 3. SPACE Space refers to creating a sense of depth in a piece of art. There are numerous ways to do this, but two easy concepts include overlapping (one object hides part of another) and scale (the size of one object in relation to other objects). Also it is common to create a sense of space or depth in landscape art. Generally you can divide your page into thirds, with the bottom third representing the foreground, the middle being the middleground and the top third representing the background. This can help you to organize the elements in your space. Create a simple monochromatic watercolor landscape. First, use a strip of masking tape to divide the image into two areas. Using one color of paint, fill in the background area with a light to medium tone (adjust by adding water). Use a blotting technique with paper towel to create cloud textures. Add some mountains/hills by blocking in a darker shape once the background is dry. Next, remove the tape and fill in the foreground area with another tone, again something light to medium. Using dry brush create a simple wave texture in the water. Add darker shapes to create land and rocks in the foreground. Use this same procedure but experiment with your own image and details. Teacher examples, 2017

4 4. Texture Texture is used by artists to show how something might feel, or what it is made of. Textures are created by using different types of marks, details and repeated patterns. Texture can be actual real materials added to a work, or simulated to copy textures in real life, or imagined patterns. Create a totem pole design made from the letters of your name. This is done by drawing out block letters along the middle line of a piece of paper, then tracing them onto the opposite side so that it becomes symmetrical. Fill in each letter with a different texture. You must use simulated texture and patterns. Your simulated textures need to include: wood, brick or rock, and fur. You can add others if you want. The patterns are up to you. Student work, no date Avery Walker, no date

5 5. Color Color is a complicated element with many different aspects. Different color relationships are shown on a color wheel (similar, contrasting, warm, cool, primary, secondary, tertiary, to name a few). Create a simple contrasting warm versus cool color scheme. Trace your hand and part of your arm onto your paper. Choose two contrasting colors and paint the hand with one and the background with the other. You can leave the color solid or blend it from light to dark. Then use black to create simple designs or images within the hand that are symbolic of you. Victoria Ryan, 2011

6 6. Value Value is the degree of light or dark in an artwork. When working in black and white, you can have many shades of gray, or it can be very contrasting (black next to white). Shades of gray can add volume to a simple shape, making it appear three dimensional. Shadows and highlights can turn shapes into forms. Create a multi-media portrait while practising your shading. Provide a picture of yourself. Print a black and white version. Cut it in half. Attach one half to a full piece of paper. Use the other half as reference, complete the portrait in pencil, matching the shades. If desired, use a grid to help with the proportions. Clare Alteen, 2016