Principles of Art

Vocabulary flashcards covering the basic principles and elements of art from the lecture notes.

The Principles of Art

Design concepts that artists use to organise elements to create the composition of an artwork. They act as the systems for communicating the artists' message.

The Elements of Art

The most basic visual building blocks that can be arranged to create a piece. These are: line, colour, texture, value, shape, form and space.

Visual Weight

Describes how the characteristics of that particular element have visual dominance, or attract the viewer's attention.

Balance

Creates a sense of equilibrium in an artwork. Artists can create balance by arranging elements with equal or similar visual weight around the canvas.

Symmetrical Balance

When both sides of an artwork have equal weight or look identical.

Asymmetrical Balance

When the elements are unbalanced but still maintain a sense of visual equilibrium. Elements are distributed across the canvas to create an aesthetically pleasing image, meaning both sides of the canvas will be occupied with elements of interest to the viewer.

Breaking Symmetry

A method used to draw attention to a particular subject or object within a composition by disrupting the flow with an element that defies the symmetrical composition.

Harmony

Can be created when two or more elements work together to complement one another. It refers to how the elements coordinate with one another and how they are perceived as being consistent, related and connected. Harmony connotes to there being a lack of variety of lots of different elements.

Unity

An essential principle in art as it ties separate elements together into one cohesive whole. While harmony connotes to how specific elements are tied together or made to appear uniform by drawing on their similarities, unity is about how elements maintain a sense of place within the artwork as a whole.

Pattern

The repetition of lines, colours and shapes, that create design motifs and images across a section or the entirety of the artwork.

Geometric Patterns

Patterns made from geometric shapes that are symmetrical and consistent in form.

Organic Patterns

Free-flowing patterns that are less structured and tend to be more irregular in shape.

Repetition

Simply involves repeating an element or design multiple times across the artwork to create rhythm, unity and balance.

Rhythm

Describes the way in which elements work to direct the viewer's attention around an artwork, helping to create a sense of fluidity and movement.

Regular Rhythm

The predictable repetition of different elements of the artwork.

Progressive Rhythm

A gradual progression or variation of repeated elements.

Flowing Rhythm

Organic in its repetition of shapes and their placement; can be likened to an irregular rhythm.

Alternating Rhythm

Involves alternating between two different elements, like black and white tiles on a floor.

Random Rhythm

Involves repeating elements but placing them randomly throughout the artwork.

Contrast

An effective way to emphasise the difference between two or more elements, creating visual tension. The most obvious examples are value contrast and colour contrast.

Emphasis

Draws attention to certain elements within an artwork to create a focal point, often achieved through contrast, variety, or breaking symmetry.

Variety

The use of different elements with differing characteristics to create visual interest and keep the viewer engaged by breaking up monotony.

Movement

Refers to the way that an artist conveys action and energy within their work, using elements to create a visual representation of physical motion and lead the viewer's eye around.

Scale

Refers to the size of the artwork itself, often compared to the size of a person or another object.

Proportion

Refers to the ratio between all elements within an artwork, or the relative size of the parts of a whole.