Elements & Principles of Design

What are the 'elements of art'?

The basic visual building blocks used to create a work of art: line, shape, form, space, texture, value, and colour

What is 'line' as an element of art?

A mark made by a moving point, which can vary in length, width, direction, and curve, used to define edges or suggest movement

What is the difference between 'shape' and 'form' in art?

Shape is two-dimensional (flat, like a circle or square), while form is three-dimensional (having depth, like a sphere or cube)

What is 'value' in visual art?

The lightness or darkness of a colour or tone in an artwork

What is 'texture' in visual art?

The surface quality of an artwork — how it looks or feels, such as rough, smooth, bumpy, or soft — which can be actual (physically felt) or implied (visually suggested)