Textiles IV: the Basic Element of Design – JSS3 Home Economics Lesson Note (Second Term)

The basic elements of design

The basic elements of design are

1. LINE: This refers to the outline of an object or the obvious lines within it.
2. SHAPE: This refers to the form of a solid object, which is created when lines are combined. The outline of a garment is its shape.
3. SPACE: This refers to the three-dimensional area that is to be designed. It is the entire area within a garment.
4. TEXTURE: This is the way the surface of a fabric looks and feels.
5. COLOUR: This is one of the most important elements. It has many visual effects and its language.

Colour wheel

This is an arrangement of colours in a circle to show how they are related.

1. The primary colours: They are red, yellow and blue.
2. The secondary colours: They are orange, green, and purple/ violet.
3. Tertiary colours: There are six, and each is a blend of primary and secondary colours. They include red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, and red-orange.
4. Warm colours: These are red, yellow, orange, yellow-orange, etc.
5. Cool colours: These are blue, green, purple, blue-purple, etc.

Points to remember when choosing colours

1. Cool and dark colours make one look smaller than normal.
2. Warm and light or bright colours make one look larger than normal.
3. Bright contrasting colours draw attention to the figure, therefore making one look larger than normal.
4. Black can be used with all colour except very dark brown because there will be no contrast.
5. White goes with every color provided it is used sparingly.
6. Brown goes well with yellow, green, light blue, orange, etc.
7. Grey a neutral colour, it harmonizes with red, yellow, blue, green, orange, and purple.