This document defines and describes the basic elements of art: line, shape, form, texture, value, color, and space. It explains that line creates outlines and contours, shape is a closed line or space, form is a three-dimensional object, texture refers to surface feel, value depicts lightness and darkness, color has properties of hue, intensity, and value, and space is the area around elements or the illusion of depth on a flat surface. Examples are given for each element.

1. ART ELEMENTS

2. LINE: A CONTINUOUS MARK
MADE ON A SURFACE BY A
MOVING POINT; IT MAY BE FLAT
(PENCIL LINE) OR THREEDIMENSIONAL (A
ROD, GROOVE, RIDGE, ETC.)

3. SHAPE: AN ENCLOSED
SPACE DEFINED BY A LINE OR
BY CONTRAST TO ITS
SURROUNDINGS.
SHAPES
ARE TWO-DIMENSIONAL
(FLAT):
CIRCLE, SQUARE, TRIANGLE,
ORGANIC BLOB, ETC.

4. FORM: A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT: A DEFINED VOLUME OF SPACE.
FORMS CAN ALSO BE CATEGORIZED AS GEOMETRIC OR ORGANIC IN NATURE.

5. TEXTURE: THE TACTILE
SENSATION OR FEEL OF A
SURFACE
(ROUGH, SMOOTH, SPIKY, ET
C.) OR HOW SOMETHING
APPEARS TO FEEL.

6. VALUE: HOW LIGHT OR DARK AN OBJECT OR ELEMENT
IS, INDEPENDENT OF ITS COLOR. SHADING USES VALUE TO DEPICT
LIGHT AND SHADOW AND SHOW VOLUME/FORM.

7. COLOR: THE VISIBLE SPECTRUM OF RADIATION REFLECTED FROM AN OBJECT.
THREE PROPERTIES OF COLOR ARE:
• HUE – THE NAME OF THE COLOR (RED, GREEN, ETC.)
• INTENSITY OR SATURATION – THE PURITY (BRIGHTNESS OR DULLNESS) OF
THE COLOR. PURE RED IS BRIGHT; RED MIXED WITH A LITTLE GREEN
BECOMES LESS INTENSE, MORE NEUTRAL.
• VALUE OR BRIGHTNESS – THE LIGHTNESS OR DARKNESS OF A COLOR.
HOW MUCH WHITE OR BLACK SHOWS THROUGH OR IS MIXED IN. CAN BE
USED TO DEPICT LIGHT AND SHADOW ON A COLOR AND HELP SHOW
VOLUME/FORM.

8. SPACE: THE DISTANCE OR
AREA AROUND OR BETWEEN
ELEMENTS OF AN ARTWORK.
THE ILLUSION OF DEPTH
CREATED ON A FLAT SURFACE
THROUGH THE USE OF LINEAR
PERSPECTIVE, OVERLAPPING
ELEMENTS, SIZE, LEVEL OF
DETAIL, COLOR AND VALUE.

9. THE FOLLOWING SLIDES CONTAIN EXAMPLES OF
WAYS ARTISTS HAVE USED LINE TO CREATE
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SPACE IN AN
INTERESTING WAY: