The Principles and Elements of Art (or Design) are the vernacular of describing and discussing art. As you get older, you will learn how to diagram a sentence. Noun, verb, adjective–these tell us how to use words that you have been using your whole life. This is akin to how we use these elements and principles. Elements are what the artwork is composed off. Principles are how the elements are used to make an artwork. Doodles, art projects, portraits; you've made them all. Now you can tell why a picture works and how. The following principles are not exclusive, but are a good place to start!