• Line-a mark made by a pointed tool—a moving dot

• Has length and width (very small)

• Created by the movement of a tool and pigment

• Suggests movement in a drawing or painting

• Variety in thickness of lines creates surface interest

• Can be thick, thin or combination of both

• In nature: line can be seen as tree branches, cracks in rocks, grasses, flower stems, spider webs, etc.

• Contour lines: outline the edges of forms or shapes and describe shapes and forms in the simplest way

• Gestural lines: indicate action and physical movement

• Implied lines: the edges of objects—if the object were silhouetted against the light

• Lines can be used to create values and textures

• Hatching: the placing of many lines next to each other

• Cross-hatching: occurs when many parallel lines cross each other.

• Shape: an area that is contained within an implied line or is seen and identified because of color or value changes

• Have 2 dimensions: length and width

• Can be geometric or free-form

• Designing in painting is the planned arrangement of shapes in a work of art

• Shapes are either positive or negative

• The subject in a realistic work is usually the positive and the background is the negative

• In abstract (nonobjective) art, positive shapes are usually central or featured elements—negative shapes surround them

• All shapes can be described 2 ways: geometric and organic

• Geometric shapes: square, triangle or rectangle

• Organic shapes: free-form

• Shapes in nature are organic.

• Form describes volume and mass, or the 3-dimensional aspects of objects that take up space.

• Shape is 2-dimensional, form is 3 dimensional

• Can be viewed from many angles

• Architectural forms usually contain enclosed spaces and most are geometric forms.

• Curvilinear forms: arches, ovals, etc.

• Natural forms: flowers, mountains, rocks, animals, people, etc.

• Geometric forms: squarish, cubistic, straight-edged

• Organic forms: rounded, flowing, undulating.

• Abstract forms: simplify forms to their basic characteristics

• Nonobjective forms: do not represent natural forms.

• Realistic forms: depict people, animals, birds, and plants as they actually appears.

• Value: dark and light contrast—allows us to read the letters on a page

• Value contrast is also evident in colors

• High key paintings are made mostly of light values w/ minimum contrast—suggest happiness, light, joy, and airiness.

• Low key paintings use dark valued hues and contain little value contrast—suggest sadness, depression, loneliness, and mystery.

• Add white to make lighter contrasts in color.

• Add black to make darker contrasts in color.

• Value changes help us “feel” the shape of an object by showing us how light illuminates it and creates shadows on it.

• Value describes form

• Value creates a focal area or center of interest

• Value defines space

• Texture: the surface quality, both simulated and actual, of artwork.

• Techniques in paintings can show texture—ex. dry brush

• Simulated texture: occurs when smooth painting surfaces appear to be textured

• Actual texture: heavy application of pigment with brush or other implement.

• Color and value contrasts help you “feel” texture with your eyes.

• Interior designers use textural variety to create interest.

• Actual space is 3-dimensional—can be empty or filled with objects.

• Has width, height, and depth.

• Space that appears 3-dimensional in a 2-dimensional painting is an illusion that creates a feeling of actual depth.

• Actual (real) space: sculptures, architecture, and craft pieces.

• If objects or people overlap in a painting/drawing, we sense space between them.

• If overlapping is combined with size differences, the sense of space is greatly increased.

• Linear space: a way of organizing objects in space.

• 1-point perspective: used if the artist is looking along a street or directly at the side of an object.

• 2-point perspective: used when looking directly at the front corner of a box, building, automobile, or other form.

• Combining 2-point perspective with light and shadow greatly increases the sense of space.

• Aerial perspective: a way of using color or value (or both) to show space or depth: distant elements appear lighter in value, have less details, and less intense color.

• Color depends on light because it is made of light—there must be light to see color.

• The whiter the light, the more true the color.

• Yellow light on a full color painting will change the appearance of all the colors.

• Light passing through a prism separates into the hues seen in a rainbow.

Three properties of color:

• 1. Hue: the names of the colors– Primary hues: yellow red blue– Secondary hues: made by mixing 2 primaries.– Intermediate colors are mixtures of a primary and

adjacent (next to) secondary color.

• 2. Value: the lightness or darkness of a hue.

• 3. Intensity: the purity of the color

• Warm colors: yellow to red-violet on the color wheel—represent warmth—In a painting they seem to advance.

• Cool colors: yellow-green through violet—represent cold—In a painting they seem to recede.

• Neutral colors: made by adding a complementary color to a hue—called tones.