3 Discussion Questions, 3 Student Reponses 2 other Assignemnets

Visual Element

Description

Color

Artists use the three building blocks of color—hue, value, and intensity--to evoke emotions in the viewers of their artwork. Artists use color symbolically or to create patterns. They select color for contrast or to set a specific mood. Knowledge of color theory enables artists to choose color in a way that produces the desired response in those who appreciate their art.

Value

Value is the lightness and darkness of a color. White is the lightest value; black is the darkest. Contrast is the difference between values. Artists use value to change forms, create interest, and to influence the mood of a piece of art.

Line

Lines, foundational to drawing, mark the distance between two points. Types of lines include: straight, curved, continuous, broken, vertical, jagged, or horizontal. Each type of line has a different effect on the artwork’s viewer. Lines can consist of marks and outlines, or they can be implied or abstract. They can also be two- or three-dimensional, Finally, artists use lines to create shape, form, depth, and structure.

Shape

Closed lines produce shapes. Shapes are two-dimensional, flat, and have only height and width. Geometric shapes, such as triangles, circles, and squares are mathematical and precise. On the other hand, organic shapes are based on nature and tend to be curved and abstract. Artists use shapes to influence how viewers see a composition. For example, triangles help draw the viewer’s eye to a particular point. Circles suggest continuity.

Form

Form is the result of a shape acquiring depth and becoming three-dimensional. Common examples of forms include: cylinders, pyramids, and spheres. However, they can also be amorphous. Form is especially critical to certain types of art, such as sculpture and architecture. Artists can also use various 3D art techniques to introduce form into their drawings and paintings.

Space

Space refers to the way in which artists place lines, shapes, forms, and color into their artwork. Positive space is the area an object or form occupies. Negative space is the area between, through, around, or within objects. Artists will purposefully place shapes and lines in the foreground, middle ground, and background of their artwork to achieve their desired composition.

Texture

Texture appeals to the sense of touch. It is way an object feels or looks like it would feel. Examples of texture include: smooth, rough, hard, soft, furry, fluffy, and bumpy. All of these textures produce different responses in the viewer of the artwork. Sometimes texture in artwork can actually be felt. Texture can also be implied in two-dimensional artwork.