Principles and Elements of Art and Design – JSS1 Cultural & Creative Arts Lesson Note (First Term)

The elements of design are the basic parts of any artwork, and the principles of design are the rules for arranging those parts.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. state the difference between the elements and the principles of design;
2. list the seven elements of design and describe each one;
3. name the principles of design and explain what each one does;
4. identify the types of balance and rhythm;
5. give examples of elements and principles in Nigerian art.

What are the elements of design?

The elements of design are the basic visual parts used to build any artwork.

• Ingredients: think of the elements as the ingredients of a meal.
• Number: there are seven elements: line, shape, form, space, colour, value and texture.

What is line?

Line is a mark made by a moving point.

• Direction: a line shows direction and movement.
• Boundary: a line marks the edge between one shape and another.
• Quality: a line can be thick, thin, straight, curved or broken.
• Horizontal line: lies flat and gives a calm feeling, like the horizon.
• Vertical line: stands upright and gives a feeling of strength.
• Diagonal line: slants and gives a feeling of action.
• Curved line: bends smoothly and gives a soft, flowing feeling.
• Zigzag line: turns sharply and gives an energetic feeling.

What is shape?

A shape is a flat, enclosed area with length and width only.

• Geometric shapes: regular shapes such as squares, circles and triangles.
• Organic shapes: free-form shapes found in nature, such as a leaf or a cloud.
• Positive shape: the object itself.
• Negative shape: the empty space around the object.

What is form?

Form is a three-dimensional object with height, width and depth.

• Geometric forms: sphere, cube, cylinder and pyramid.
• Organic forms: natural, irregular forms such as a stone or a yam tuber.
• Real form: seen and touched in sculpture and pottery.
• Shown form: in a flat drawing, shading and perspective make an object look solid.

What is the difference between shape and form?

Shape is flat and has two dimensions. Form is solid and has three dimensions.

What is space?

Space is the area around, between and within objects in an artwork.

• Positive space: the area filled by objects.
• Negative space: the empty area around objects.
• Depth: far objects look smaller and higher on the page, so the picture seems deep.
• Shallow or deep: a picture can look flat (shallow) or show distance (deep).

What is colour?

Colour is the effect we see when light reflected from an object reaches the eye.

• Hue: the name of the colour, such as red or blue.
• Value: how light or dark the colour is.
• Intensity: how bright or dull the colour is.
• Primary colours: red, blue and yellow. They cannot be made by mixing other colours.
• Secondary colours: green, orange and purple. Each is made by mixing two primary colours.
• Warm colours: red, orange and yellow, which feel like fire and sun.
• Cool colours: blue, green and purple, which feel like water and shade.

Mixing secondary colours:

1. Red and yellow make orange.
2. Blue and yellow make green.
3. Red and blue make purple.

What is value?

Value is the lightness or darkness of a colour.

• Range: value runs from white, through grey, to black.
• Tint: a colour made lighter by adding white.
• Shade: a colour made darker by adding black.
• Form and depth: light and dark areas make objects look solid.
• Mood: dark values give a serious mood and light values give a cheerful mood.

What is texture?

Texture is the surface quality of an object, or how it feels or looks as if it feels.

• Actual texture: texture you can touch, such as tree bark or woven cloth.
• Visual texture: texture the artist draws or paints so it looks real.
• Kinds of surface: rough, smooth, soft, hard and bumpy.

What are the principles of design?

The principles of design are the rules that guide how an artist arranges the elements in a composition.

There are nine principles: balance, emphasis, movement, rhythm, contrast, unity, proportion, pattern and variety.

What is balance?

Balance is the even spread of visual weight in an artwork.

There are three types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial.

• Symmetrical (formal) balance: both sides are equal, like a face or a butterfly.
• Asymmetrical (informal) balance: the sides are unequal but still feel balanced, such as a small dark shape against a large pale shape.
• Radial balance: parts spread out from a centre, like petals of a flower or spokes of a wheel.

What is emphasis?

Emphasis is the focal point of an artwork, the place the eye notices first.

• Contrast: one bright shape among dull ones draws the eye.
• Size: the largest object attracts attention.
• Colour: a strong colour stands out.
• Position: objects near the centre get noticed.
• Isolation: an object set apart from the others stands out.

What is movement?

Movement is the path the eye follows through an artwork.

• Lines: diagonal and curved lines lead the eye along.
• Shapes and colours: a trail of similar shapes or colours guides the viewer.
• Repetition: repeated items make the eye travel from one to the next.

What is rhythm?

Rhythm is the visual beat made when elements are repeated.

There are four types of rhythm: regular, alternating, progressive and random.

• Regular rhythm: the same element repeated with equal spaces.
• Alternating rhythm: two or more elements take turns, such as black, white, black, white.
• Progressive rhythm: the element changes step by step, such as circles growing bigger.
• Random rhythm: the element is repeated with no fixed order.

What is contrast?

Contrast is a clear difference between elements in an artwork.

• Light and dark: white against black.
• Large and small: a big shape beside a tiny one.
• Rough and smooth: two different textures side by side.
• Bright and dull: a strong colour beside a faded one.
• Effect: contrast makes a work interesting and makes differences easy to see.

What is unity?

Unity, also called harmony, is the feeling that all parts of an artwork belong together.

• Repetition: using the same colour or shape again.
• Similarity: using elements that look alike.
• Proximity: placing related parts close together.
• Continuation: letting a line or edge carry on from one part to the next.

What is proportion?

Proportion is the size relationship between the parts of an artwork.

• Comparison: each part is judged against the other parts and against the whole.
• Realistic proportion: parts have natural sizes, such as a head that fits the body.
• Distorted proportion: parts are made too big or too small on purpose, to show importance or feeling.

What is pattern?

Pattern is the regular repetition of a shape, line or colour.

• Geometric pattern: made of squares, circles, triangles or stripes.
• Organic pattern: made of natural shapes such as leaves and flowers.
• Use: pattern decorates cloth, pots, walls and floors.

What is variety?

Variety is the use of different elements to make an artwork interesting.

• Interest: it stops the work from looking dull and repetitive.
• Link with unity: too much variety looks messy, so it must be balanced with unity.

What is the difference between the elements and the principles of design?

The elements are the parts an artist uses. The principles are the rules for arranging those parts.

How are elements and principles applied in different art forms?

Every art form uses the elements and principles, but each stresses some more than others.

Visual arts

• Painting: uses colour, line, shape and value together with all the principles.
• Sculpture: stresses form, space and texture.
• Drawing: stresses line and value.
• Photography: uses balance, emphasis and proportion to arrange what is in the frame.

Design fields

• Graphic design: uses colour and shape to pass a message, as in posters and logos.
• Fashion design: uses colour, pattern and texture in clothing.
• Interior design: arranges furniture and colour to organise a room.
• Industrial design: shapes the form of products such as chairs and bottles.

How are elements and principles used in Nigerian art?

Nigerian art shows the elements and principles in cloth, carving, building and craft.

• Adire cloth: repeated motifs give pattern and rhythm.
• Aso-oke: stripes of different colours show alternating rhythm and contrast.
• Carved masks: many have matching left and right sides, which shows symmetrical balance.
• Architecture: doors, windows and walls are sized to suit each other, which shows proportion.
• Calabash carving and pottery: show texture, line and pattern.

Why is it important to understand the elements and principles?

Knowing the elements and principles helps students make and judge art with confidence.

• Skill: it improves your own drawing, painting and craft.
• Analysis: it helps you explain why an artwork works well.
• Decisions: it guides your choice of colour, shape and layout.
• Communication: it makes your message clearer to viewers.
• Vocabulary: it gives teachers and students common words to discuss art.
• Foundation: it prepares you for higher study in art and design.

What practical exercises help students learn the elements and principles?

Practical exercises are tasks that let students spot and use the elements and principles.

• Identify: find the elements and principles in pictures, cloth and craft objects.
• Create: make a composition that focuses on one element or principle.
• Analyse: study everyday designs such as packaging, signboards and school badges.
• Practise: work with pencil, crayon, paint and paper cut-outs.
• Experiment: combine different elements and see the effect.

What are common mistakes to avoid in design?

Common mistakes are errors that weaken how an artwork looks or communicates.

• Too many focal points: the eye does not know where to look.
• Ignoring negative space: the work looks crowded.
• Poor colour harmony: colours clash and distract.
• Lack of contrast: the work looks dull and flat.
• Imbalance: one side looks too heavy.
• No clear movement: the eye has no path to follow.
• Missing unity: the parts look unrelated.
• Wrong proportion: parts have unsuitable sizes without a purpose.

Evaluation

1. List the seven elements of design.
2. State the difference between shape and form.
3. Name the three types of balance.
4. Name the primary colours and the secondary colours.
5. Explain the difference between the elements and the principles of design.

Assignment

Draw a simple pattern using repeated geometric shapes. Under your drawing, name the type of rhythm it shows and list two elements of design you used.