Elements of Art

Vocabulary Terms and examples

VOCABULARY

ELEMENTS OF ART: The visual components of color, form, line, shape, space, texture, and value.

Line

An element of art defined by a point moving in space. Line may be two-or three-dimensional, descriptive, implied, or abstract.

Shape

An element of art that is two-dimensional, flat, or limited to height and width.

Form

An element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume; includes height, width AND depth (as in a cube, a sphere, a pyramid, or a cylinder). Form may also be free flowing.

Value

The lightness or darkness of tones or colors. White is the lightest value; black is the darkest. The value halfway between these extremes is called middle gray.

Space

An element of art by which positive and negative areas are defined or a sense of depth achieved in a work of art .

Color

An element of art made up of three properties: hue, value, and intensity.

• Hue: name of color
• Value: hue’s lightness and darkness (a color’s value
• changes when white or black is added)
• Intensity: quality of brightness and purity (high
• intensity= color is strong and bright; low intensity= color is faint and dull)

Texture

An element of art that refers to the way things feel, or look as if they might feel if touched.