To understand the process of art making it is important to understand the elements of composition.  The elements of composition are line, texture, space, color, and shape.  These essential words are one element that will be helpful to you in meeting standards, creating artwork, and teaching children how to analyze works of art.

Line-You will find many lines in art.  Lines define shape and lead us through the composition.  Lines are descriptive and expressive.  Contour lines define the edges of shapes.  Implied lines act as directional lines throughout  a composition carrying the viewer's eyes through the work of art, often creating a sense of movement and energy.  Artists communicate ideas, emotions, symbols, and description through their use of line.

Texture-Texture is created by the amount of light that is reflected from a surface.  We make a tactile association as well as a visual association with texture.  For example:  fuzzy sweater, grainy sand, shiny car etc.  Works of art can include real or simulated texture.

Space-We learn to read works of art from the time we are children.  We learn that objects that are placed low on the compositional plane are meant to be read as closer to the viewer;  objects that are high on the compositional plane as further away.  We can determine spatial relationships within the painting by examining where we are in relationship to the composition.   Artists create a sense of depth through overlapping, relative size, converging parallel lines, and perspective devices.  As viewers we read objects that are less distinct as further away, and objects that are clear and bright as closer to the viewer.

Color-The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.  Out of these colors the artist can create secondary, and intermediate colors.  Colors that are warm advance toward the viewer (red, yellow, and orange).  colors that are cool recede into the background (green, blue, violet).  Artists can create a variety of symbolic and expressive reactions in the viewer by placement, use, and manipulation of color.  Colors that are adjacent on the color wheel create a feeling of peace and harmony in a composition, whereas, complementary colors (opposite on the color wheel) create a sense of agitation, excitement, energy and unrest.

Shapes-Shapes can be biomorphic (rounded, holistic shapes found in nature) or geometric shapes.  Artists can use shapes to create mood, exaggeration and distortion,  and other responses within the viewer.  Artists often incorporate the use of positive and negative shapes to create visual effects and spatial depth within the composition.

Putting it Together

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