Point can be a dot but is not necessarily always circular. It can be repeated to create shade, tone or texture. Examples of application include half-tone printing, pixilation and dot rendering. Point is also used as a position marker on a map and can be used to draw attention to information as ‘dot points’ in text.

Point can be:

• single or repetitive

• used to create tone; for example, stippling

• a pattern

• decorative

• a symbol

• used as a directive

• a point of reference or to show a location

• used to create bullets within text

Shape is two dimensional and created by a closed outline. It can be organic or geometric, symmetrical or asymmetrical. Used with other elements, such as tone, it can create form. Shape plays a part in the relationship between figure and ground. Shape may be the dominant figure placed on a ground creating a second shape. This relationship may also be referred to as positive and negative space. Shape may work on its own as a figure, such as a pictograph symbol or a simple logo. Shapes that you find in nature tend to be more organic and may be free flowing, soft and random. Think of flowers, seashells and the shapes of patterns on insects. We can look towards architecture and manufactured items to see geometric shapes such as circles, squares, rectangles and diamonds. Shape is very different to form. Shapes have height and width but no depth – they are two dimensional.

Shape can be:

• flat

• organic

• geometric

• asymmetrical

• symmetrical

• masculine or feminine

• urban/rural

• outlined

• solid

• combined

• closed

• irregular

Form refers to the three-dimensional nature of an object. Shape is only two dimensional; form is three dimensional. Form is a shape that has been enhanced by another element such as tone, texture or colour to make it appear three dimensional. Form can be represented through drawing methods such as perspective, isometric and planometric. Form can also be created in freehand observational and visualisation drawings when incorporating highlights, shadows and tone. 

Form can be something you can hold, walk around and perhaps venture inside. Architects, industrial designers and engineers use 3D computer modelling programs to show the form of the object/house they have designed. They also construct 3D models from different materials and create scaled models as mock-ups.

Form can be:

• drawn

• constructed

• held

• walked around and through

• geometric

• organic

• textured

• solid

• natural/found in the environment/created by nature

• manufactured

Tone refers to the shadows and highlights found in drawings and photographs. The different lights and shades in colour is tone. The range of greys between black and white is tone. In a colour illustration/drawing you can create different tones of a colour by adding black or white. A black-and-white drawing can be enhanced by adding a large variety of tones of grey. Tone is used to create form or illustrate a surface quality and can create the illusion of space and depth.

Tone can assist in identifying a shape because it can enhance the form and separate the object from its background by light and dark contrast or by creating a shadow. Solid or graduated tone can be used to emphasise a curved surface, creating the illusion of depth. Tone can be used to show the surface direction of an object, to show rounded shapes, to show distance and to show the form of an object. Tone can be graduated and solid, and created with hatching or stippling techniques.

Tone can be:

• graduated or gradient

• curved

• solid

• coloured

• black and white

Texture is the surface quality of an object and also refers to the way objects’ or materials’ visual appearance is drawn. When drawing an object, you can combine other elements such as line, point, colour and tone to recreate the object or give it visual interest to communicate an idea. Through showing the texture of an object you can visually define the object by enhancing its form and emphasising the quality of a surface. By combining the other elements you can create a number of textural effects to simulate surface textures; for example, the texture of wood grain or shiny metal. Like other elements, texture can be used to enhance a visual communication by attracting and creating a focal point, to link or separate information.

Texture can be:

• smooth

• coarse

• matt

• shiny

• furry

• wet

• tactile

• natural

• manufactured

• corrugated

• reflective

• metallic

• woven

• dull

• fine

• rough

Colour is perceived by the eye as light in different wavelengths. Relationships between colours are determined by the colour wheel, with terms such as hue, complementary, contrasting, harmonious, and high/low key. Colour enhances form, attracts attention, creates hierarchy, and is used emotionally and symbolically. Two models for producing colour are additive (RGB) for TV and computer screens, and subtractive (CMYK) for painting and print media. The design industry uses Pantone, RGB, CMYK, and hexadecimal libraries for precise colour mixes.

Colour is one of the more powerful design elements, with its ability to have a significant impact on people’s emotions and their ability to concentrate and learn. It is used in final presentations to attract a specific target audience or as part of a client expectation in a brief. Colour can be an effective element to highlight or emphasise an idea in a visualisation drawing; for example, a red arrow or coloured text alongside a sketch. Our world is filled with colour and colour associations and meanings.

Colour can be:

• bright

• dull

• dark

• warm

• cool

• dramatic

• subdued

• bold

• contrasting

• complementary (harmonious)

• monochromatic

• saturated (indicating intensity of a colour – bright and intense)

• muted – weak, soft or dull

• primary

• secondary

• tertiary

• pastel

• neutral

• psychedelic

• fluorescent

Type is the physical representation of the words we speak and is used to put these words down on paper. Type is available in many families of font styles and is a way to communicate our thoughts and ideas. Type can be part of a logo (logotype) or combined with other elements to create a decorative image to emphasise a purpose.

For each typeface style there is a typeface family. For example, Arial, Helvetica and Times New Roman are different typeface families. Each family has different options for how the typeface can be used, such as roman, bold and italic. Some families are much larger, such as Lucida, which is available in many variations as well as the bold and italic versions. Having different options allows a designer to incorporate different font styles but still maintain some consistency in their work.

Type can be:

• bold, italic or regular

• uppercase or lowercase

• organic

• handwritten

• contemporary

• script

• serif or sans serif

• emotive
  
  

And it can vary in:

• point size

• font