Elements of Design

Line: path of dot through space.

Shape: area defined by line (or other elements of design)

Form: 3-D shape.

Color: what eye sees when light is reflected off an object.

Texture: how things feel or look as though they might feel if touched (seen, heard, or felt pattern).

Value: how light or dark.

Space: the area or distance between, around, above, below and within objects.

Principles of Design

Balance: arranging elements so that no one part of the work overpowers or seems heavier than any other part.

Variety: combining one or more elements of art to create interest.

Harmony: combining the elements of art to accent their similarities.

Emphasis: making an element or an object in a work stand out.

Proportion: how parts of a work relate to each other and to the whole.

Movement: the principle of art that leads the viewer to sense action in a work of art or it can be the path the viewers eye follows through the work.

Rhythm: the repetition of an element to make a work seem active.