Back to the BasicsElements of Art

Principles of Design

May 2014

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

For the following pieces of artwork,Discuss the various Elements of Art (listed above)Or the various Principles of Design (listed below)

That you observe in the prints!

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

When Cezanne painted this painting, he incorporated all the elements of art and all the design principles to build a unified composition.

Try to find where he used the seven elements and seven principles of design. If you study his use of contrast alone, you can find at least eight kinds of contrast, which naturally develops an overall sense of variety.

Pattern contrast: intricate pattern vs. no patternEdge contrast: hard edge vs. soft edges

Value contrast: dark, middle and light valuesIntensity contrast: pure color vs. muted colorsTemperature contrast: cool vs. warm colors

Texture contrast: textured vs. smoothShape contrast: organic vs. geometric shapesSize contrast: large shapes vs. small shapes

Still Life with Apples and Peaches, 1905Paul Cezanne oil on canvas; 32 x 39 ½ in.National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Four Boomerangs, c. 1949. Alexander CalderPainted sheet metal and steel wire, 39 x 63” diameter. Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

Boomerang,1975, Alexander CalderColor Lithograph

43 ¾ " x 30"

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

The Migration of the Negro, Panel no. 11, 1940-1941Jacob Lawrencecasein tempera on hardboard, 18 x 12 in.

The bright red of the figure stands out against the complementary color of the green background: the extreme contrast, along with the pose, gives the figure energy and emotion.

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Nympheas, 1908, Claude Monet

oil on canvas, 36 x 37 in.

The limited contrast of colors, values and shapes

creates a calm, soothing feeling (unless you have a

phobia of water lilies).

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

The Ring Toss, 1896William Merritt ChaseOil on canvas. 40 3/8 x 35 1/8 inIn private collection

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

The Gates of Yosemite, 1882Albert BierstadtOil on paper mounted on canvas14” x 20”Smithsonian American Art Museum

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

The Card Trick, 1880-1889John George Brown Oil on canvas mounted on panel. 26 x 31 in. Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Time Transfixed, 1938, René Magritte

oil on canvas, 147 x 98.7 cm.

The train is in the center of the picture, pointing

straight out into the room - and it's not every day you see a train coming out of a fireplace. The

fireplace also acts as a frame to further

emphasize the train.

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Snowstorm, 1842, Joseph Mallord William Turner oil on canvas, 91.5 x 122 cm

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942-1943,

Piet Mondrianoil on canvas, 50 x 50 in.

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

The Rhinoceros, 1515, Albrecht Dürer woodcut, 21.4 x 29.8 cm

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Three women, fresco from Knossos palace, island of Crete Minoan civilization (27th c. BCE --15th c. BCE)

The Minoan civilization was long and peaceful. The

palace at Knossos was large, colorful, and advanced in its engineering. The walls were

covered with frescoes of humans and animals in a

vibrant enjoyable world. In this fresco, notice the varied

repetition of the figures, the hair, hands. and clothes. The

graceful variations in these elements impart a graceful

rhythm to the fresco.

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Paris Street, Rainy Day, 1877 Gustave Caillebotteoil on canvas, 7 by 10 feet. Art institute of Chicago.

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Little Girl in a Blue Armchair, 1878Mary Cassatt

Oil on canvas; 45 in x x 60 ¾ in

National Gallery of Art, Wash D.C.

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

I and the Village, 1911Marc ChagallOil on canvas; 6’4” x 5’Museum of Modern Art, NY

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Swans Reflecting Elephants, 1937Salvador DaliOil on CanvasIn private collection

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement

Reptiles, 1943M C EscherLithograph Print13.1 in x 15.2 in

Line Shape Color Value Form Texture Space

Balance Contrast / Emphasis Rhythm/ Pattern Unity Variety

Proportion Movement