ELEMENTS OF ART
Monolouge For this publication we asked one of our partners at Weiss Graphic to contribute an artwork for our article. Weiss Graphic is an independent design agency that provides visual branding and other graphic design services. It is based on Jakarta, Indonesia (just like us btw). We started meeting with various people, each with enthusiastic possibilities of partnership. We hope on our future projects we could bring new contents to our publication with help of our partners.
To be honest we are a bit late of our schedule. Preparing content was taking time more than it usually did. Even with the help of Weiss Graphic to prepare illustrations we are still behind. Our plans are also being rearranged. We had a one year plan of our publication, but it turns out it needed some adjustments, and rearranging stuffs that is already done is quite time consuming. Aside of all the rants we would like to thank our partner for their great help, and also our (few) readers for waiting patiently and for the positive inputs we received.
Looking forward for our next publication.
Cover Image: “Tribute to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: God is in the details� by Brian Alvin Hananto of Weiss Graphic
In chemistry and physics, elements is the simplest and basic substance. In art, the elements are simplest aspects that
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composes the artwork. The seven elements are, in no particular
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order, line; shape; form; space; texture; color; tone or value.
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ELEMENTS OF ART
ELEMENTS OF ART
I
n chemistry and physics, elements is the simplest and basic substance. In art, the elements are simplest aspects
that composes the artwork. The seven elements are, in no particular order, line; shape; form; space; texture; color; tone or value. Though not every elements are always present, but most of the elements are. In this publication we would like to explain shortly about the art elements, since a detailed explanation would require more time and also more space to elaborate even to the tiny aspects. The Seven Elements
are often recognized and easily
The most basic element that builds
calculable, such as square, circle,
other elements is line. Line is a
triangle, and other polygons.
moving point of distance between
Organic shapes, composed of curvy
two points or dots. Some argue
lines, are shapes that are more curvy
that instead of having line as an
and a bit abstract in comparison
element, point would serve the role
with geometric shapes.
better. There are two kinds of line, a straight line and a curvy line. Both
Forms are the three dimension
carries different purposes on latter
versions of shape. Forms are made
complex.
by having another line attached on a shape, acting as a depth signifier
When two lines are connected
therefore making the two dimension
and enclosed to each other, a
shape as a three dimension shape.
shape is created. Depending
Most geometric shapes given a
on the characteristics of the line
straight line as depth creates a
that composes the shape we can
geometric three dimension shape,
have two different shapes style, a
while organic shape given another
geometric one and an organic one.
curvy line will produce a more
Geometric shapes, composed of
abstract form.
straight lines, are the shapes that
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Space is an area of the art. There
Color is a sensation that is created
are two kinds of space, a positive
when light hits an object. There
space and negative space. Positive
are three properties of color,
space usually refers to the object,
hue,saturation and tone or value.
while negative space is like an
Hue is the color itself, red, blue,
empty space of the artwork,
green, etc. Saturation is the
providing ambient. Seeing from
intensity or vividness of the color.
a distance point of view, space
When we see a ‘bright’ or ‘dull’
consists of background, foreground
color, what matters is the saturation
and also middle ground. The main
of the color. Tone or value, though
object, which colors the positive
also part of an art element, is the
space, is normally located in the
‘light’ and ‘darkness’ of the color.
middle ground and foreground.
Texture is the surface on an artwork, may it be seen or a real physical surface. Textures help someone to identify an object. People may recognize a wood block and a metal block by the color, but when both presented on a grayscale image, one thing that would help people to identify both are the textures presented by both. A real physical surface is something you can touch
On printed artworks colors are
and feel, usually on sculptures or
produced from the ink, while on
other touchable artworks. Seeing
screen colors are produced by light,
the progression of technology
therefore on a photography when
and print, some textures are also
we see it on screen it is similar to
obtained by printing. By printing
the object photographed, but when
on wood, metal, glass or acrylic you
printed, the colors will be slightly
can give the artwork a texture of the
different.
material.
Tone or value is the light and dark
Close up on “God is in the details”
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ELEMENTS OF ART
ELEMENTS OF ART
of the artwork. When we hear the
also giving exposure on a texture,
describe the tone and value of an
artwork. At least more geometrical
word highlight and shadow, both
and of course, composing a new
artwork. Chiaroscuro also helps in
than surreal or abstract artworks.
are properties of value. Value
scale of color. An Italian word
creating an unique ambient and
Understanding the elements of
helps creating depth in a form,
“chiaroscuro” is often used to
helps making an artwork more
an artwork helps us to recognise
realistic and acceptable to the eye,
the artwork, and also the message
since peoples eye are always seeing
of the artist behind the artwork.
light and darkness, an absence of
An organic shape and form may
chiaroscuro would make an image
represent fluidity, a sense of
feels off.
adaptibility which geometrical form
Line
Shape
Form
Value
may lack of.
Function of the elements Unconsciously the artist used the elements to create artwork. Thinking of the style of the artwork is equivalent to thinking of the line, shape, form and color. The
Color
(Positive) Space
(Negative) Space
composition of the artwork is the same as determining the positive and negative space, while rendering the artwork is choosing the texture, if available, and the value or tone of
Six out of seven elements of art that is present at “God is in the details” by Brian Alvin Hananto
Is black and white a color? On RGB, a mixture of all three would create ‘white’, while on CMYK a mixture of CMY itself would create ‘black’. RGB are color codes on screen, on something is produced by light, so we can safely say that RGB are the real colors based on the definition of color, while CMYK are ‘color’ codes on printing, on the colors produced and printed. White is created when all the spectrums of color are present, while black is created when none of the spectrums are present at all. Therefore referring to the definition of color, Black is not a color, black is a state where there are no colors, while white is a color, also a state of where all the colors are present.
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the artwork.
By understanding the artwork, and the message behind, people
For viewers of the artwork, or
are brought to a higher stage of
appreciators and analysts maybe,
appreciation. Some people just
knowing the elements helps us to
simply appreciate an artwork
create a bridge of understanding
because of how it looks, does the
towards the artwork. An expresionist
image fits their taste or not, but
artwork may have rough and edgy
after understanding an artwork
lines, different from modernist
completely we are able to feel
artworks. We may recognise
emphaty, or amazement, or simply
an artwork as cubism by the
captivation beyond subjectivity.
geometrical shapes and forms in the
This kind of understanding allows
The Sleeping Gypsy by Henri Rousseau. The artwork depicts all seven elements of art
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people to be dragged to the realm
rough image of the finished artwork,
of the artist. Back on Leonardo da
determining all the elements of
Vinci’s time, famous artist were also
art. On the process on creating
scientist, some are also engineers.
the artwork sometimes there are
Creating an artwork requires
changes, which is normal, but in
planning and plenty of thought,
the end determining the elements
resulting in an outstanding artwork
in the beginning of the work is very
that amazes not only those with
important as an artist.
similar taste with da Vinci, but
Not noticing of the art elements
many people
in our artwork doesn’t harm us in
even until today
anyway, but when we understand
can appreciate
and decide to plan basicly even
da Vinci’s work.
from the elements of our artwork. By doing so we will create an
An artist’s
artwork that is planned to the
planning usually
smallest detail, resulting in an
starts from a
artwork which embodies not just a projection of our skill, but also our
“ Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Leonardo da Vinci
whole thought and also our whole artistic spirit.
Next Discussion: In this publication we hope you can learn something new about artworks and their elements. While the elements of design is not that much different from art elements, there are still differences between both. Maybe on another publication, for next publication we’re planning on principles of design, or graphic design at least.
Prepare for terminologies. Some of the words may seem familiar, but on the graphic design world it’s quite different from the meaning you used to know on daily life. What does dominance and emphasis doing on graphic design? What is a balanced and harmonic design is?
Next publication will (perhaps) cover all of it.
Image References: “Tribute to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: God is in the details” by Brian Alvin Hananto of Weiss Graphic http://uploads8.wikipaintings.org/images/henri-rousseau/the-sleeping-gypsy-1897.jpg http://i.huffpost.com/gen/850520/thumbs/o-LEONARDO-DA-VINCI-BOOK-facebook.jpg Article References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elements_of_art http://arthistory.about.com/cs/reference/f/elements.htm http://arthistory.about.com/cs/glossaries/g/c_color.htm http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/are-black-and-white-colors http://www.studiocodex.com/value_tone01.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/l/leonardo_da_vinci.html
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