“The Elements of Art are the building blocks of art creation. They can be analyzed, organized, and manipulated by artists. They are the VISUAL LANGUAGE of art. Each of the Elements is important. When looking at a work of art, see if you can identify which Elements of Art the artist stressed, organized or used to express a message or to create a mood.”
-www.articulation.com
Line
Lines can take many forms. They can be loose and free or they can be straight and sharp. Lines can create patterns which adds emotional impact to the visual image. Lines can also be used as forms of universal language in communication. Often it defines a space, and may create an outline or contour, define a silhouette; create patterns, or movement, and the illusion of mass or volume.
Text is a subcategory of the element of line. Lines create text, but text alone is considered a powerful design element. By manipulating the position, font, size, style (bold, italic, underline, etc.), and alignment of the text, you add interest or visual impact to your design.
Value
An element of art that refers to luminance or luminosity -- the lightness or darkness of a color. A full range of values can also be produced by a variety of other means. These include hatching and stipple techniques, as well as with textures and patterns of other sorts.
Shape
The three basic Geometric shapes: square, circle, and triangle = a sense of organization
Each of these shapes have a psychological meaning associated with it. The triangle has the attitude of conflict or action. The circle gives the feeling of protection or infinity. Honesty or equality is associated with the square.
Organic shapes, shapes from nature = free, unconstrained, asymmetrical balance, loose, flowing
Form
In its widest sense, total structure; a synthesis of all the visible aspects of that structure and of the manner in which they are united to create its distinctive character. The form of a work is what enables us to perceive it.
Form also refers to an element of art that is three-dimensional (height, width, and depth) and encloses volume. For example, a triangle, which is two-dimensional, is a shape, but a pyramid, which is three-dimensional, is a form.
Texture
An element of art, texture is the surface quality or "feel" of an object, its smoothness, roughness, softness, etc. Textures may be actual or simulated. Actual textures can be felt with the fingers, while simulated textures are suggested by an artist in the painting of different areas of a picture — often in representing drapery, metals, rocks, hair, etc.
Examples of textures:
Color
Produced by light of various wavelengths, and when light strikes an object and reflects back to the eyes.
An element of art with three properties: (1) hue or tint, the color name, e.g., red, yellow, blue, etc.: (2) intensity, the purity and strength of a color, e.g., bright red or dull red; and (3) value, the lightness or darkness of a color.