Many of us on deviantART place a lot of emphasis on the idea of critique, but time and time again I see empty criticism of things either being or not being "aesthetically sound" in some way or another without justification. One way to avoid this pitfall, both as the commenter and as the artist, is to bear in mine the infamous Elements and Principles of design.



The Elements and Principles are a part of any standard art education, and many of us have encountered them enough times to puke at mere mention. However, many of us are also self-taught or beginning artists who may not have come across the terminology in the context of the art world.



It is my hope that this article will refresh and refamiliarize whoever stumbles across it and arm you with the vocabulary and understanding to more effectively critique and discuss the artwork in your world.



So why listen to me?



Because I didn't make this shit up! It's tried and true art theory, and you can Wiki it if you don't believe me! I dare ya. but hopefully I can unravel the general idea in a digestible way.



This is not me taking license to tell you what to do; as you'll find when you read on, this is not a how-to or an "your art should be the following." This is me introducing you to the Elements and Principles in one handy location and giving basic descriptions and contexts for each term and its use.



Now, onto the goods!



The exact word choice sometimes varies, but the following is the generally accepted distribution of elements and principles.



There are 7 Elements of Design in Art: Line, Color, Texture, Shape, Form, Value, Space



Line A two-dimensional mark that exhibits direction, texture, and movement in the most basic way. Lines describe shapes.

Shape are two-dimensional (flat) and are either geometric or organic. Shapes form at the meeting points of lines and enclose two-dimensional space.

Value is the relative lightness or darkness of tones in a work of art. It is expressed by contrast. Adding white to a hue creates a tint while adding black produces a shade; tints and shades are value of color. As line describes shape, value describes form.

Form is three-dimensional and has both volume and thickness (depth). The illusion of three-dimensional objects on two-dimensional surfaces is achieved by varying the value of tones and colors. Boxes, prisms, cylinders, and spheres are examples of forms—the 3D counterpart of Shape.

Color consists of chroma, intensity, and value. The color wheel is a standard device used to reference the relationships between colors: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary colors cannot be mixed and are pure hues (red, yellow, blue) while secondary colors are mixed directly from primaries (orange, purple, green). Tertiary colors are any colors in between (teal/blue-green, burgundy, etc). Black and white can be used to create hues, shades, or tints, thus expressing value.

Texture is tactile. It can be real (as impasto or other textured painting techniques) or implied by varying value. It represents how rough or smooth a surface is. Real texture can be felt while implied texture appears to feel a certain way.

Space is the area between and around objects in a composition. There is positive space (where the object lies) and negative space (the area around the object). Different uses of space can create different effects on the final product by creating perspective, depth, and a sense of distance between and among elements.



The elements are used in conjunction to express the principles of design, which are a way of describing the structure of how an image is put together. By using the elements and principles when you create (not just when you critique) you can be sure that you assemble a structurally sound composition.


There are 8 Principles of Design in Art: Balance, Gradation, Repetition, Contrast, Harmony, Dominance/Emphasis, Unity, Proportion

Here I give examples that I found by using the Search Art feature to see what kind of random things I could find around deviantART that exhibit the principles of design and show how the elements are used with them even in the absence of intent to do so!


Emphasis is the focal point of a work. It attracts attention first in the artowork and is the more important element of the piece; it is the subject. The emphasis can be created by contrast of values, differing use of color, and placement in the composition. Where the focus is concentrated in artwork is where interest stems from.

dA examples:
emphasis is created in this piece through the use of contrast, bringing the eye to the brightest part of the image first.
emphasis is brought forward by the use of aperture/depth of field (what makes the background blurred and the foreground in sharp focus)
emphasis is created through the angles, contrasts, details, and color. The scythe stands out because it is the brightest and the eye is brought upward by the perspective toward that part of the image.

Balance is the equilibrium of subjects and objects within the space of a piece. Balance can be symmetrical (evenly and identically balanced, think mirror-image) or asymmetrical (uneven and off center, large weight positive space balanced by expansive negative space, etc). Balance is also the visual weight in a composition and how it is distributed throughout the space used.

dA examples:
symmetrical balance; each half of the image is the same as if mirrored
asymmetrical balance; each half is different, but the weight on each side of the photograph is equal--the boy and dog, the subject, are balanced by the objects on the right side of the image.
another type of asymmetric balance; the sides are unequal, but the foreground/subject-object is balanced by vast negative space. Large areas of negative space can balance an image if the positive space is shifted off center (usually into the upper or lower third, or left or rightmost third, of the composition).

Harmony goes hand in hand with Unity, using elements within the artwork to complement one another. Harmony is often linked with Unity and sometimes one or the other is omitted for the list and they are considered as one principle. Unity is the feeling all parts of an artwork as belonging together, which describes visual harmony: a coherent group of visual ideas.

dA examples:
the color palette here is harmonious, as well as the concept and the use of lines and contour.
the curve of the figure is in harmony with the form of the base of the sculpture. The shapes and lines complement and mimic one another.
the tones of the birds and trees complement one another, as well as the repetition of the wings, feathers, and motion.

Contrast describes differences in an artwork. Difference in values, in shapes, between foreground, midground, and background, etc. Contrast describes elements in opposition, ranging from subtle to extreme contrast. The choice of what way to use contrast is part of what creates the desired level of intensity in the artist's view in an artwork. For example, light areas in contrast to dark, highly textured areas versus smooth, use of colors opposite one another on the color wheel (complementary colors).

dA examples:
Differences in the negative and position space and color variation figure prominently in creating contrast in this photograph.
The use of red in this image creates dynamic contrast.
the light, brightly lit green straighter foreground contrasts against the dark, shadows, red, round background.

Movement is the way the eye moves through the composition. Motion can be suggested through emphasis of subjects, through the use of line and form, and based on placement and positioning of these elements. Ideally this motion would take the viewer around the image and back to the focal area. It is closely tied to rhythm as a way of combining elements to cause the viewer's eye to follow a specific path through the composition.

dA examples:
the elements in this design flow downward across the composition, bringing the viewer's eye with it.
the orientation of the subject in this photograph starts the viewer's eye at the lower left portion of the composition, and the perspective of the road draws the eye into the photograph.
the orientation of each figure to one another creates visual movement through the curves and forms, breaking it up with the black frames for added visual intrigue.

Rhythm is a movement with a regular pulse; like dance or music there is a flow and repetition that gives it a beat. Repeating one or more elements can create organized movement in a composition, which can be a great tool in creating a certain kind of intended mood in an artwork.

dA examples:
the use of baroque architectural stuctures over and over creates a rhythm within the figure in this piece.
the repeated curves in this image create visual rhythm
fractals are inherently rhythmic! repetition, visual movement, and patterning all come together to create rhythm as well as being principles on their own.

Proportion or scale describes the sizes and locations of objects in a composition. It is the relationship of objects to one another and to the body of work. When size has a certain effect, it may be said to be in proportion or out of proportion—both being unique and useful choices an artist can make.

dA examples:
this play on Da Vinci's Vitruvian man displays proportion of the human body. Did you know that Da Vinci's proportions weren't actually true to life? Looks good on paper, but if the top arms and outer legs were put down, they would be far too long. Likewise, the lower arms and center legs are too short comparatively.
the angle at which this adorable puppy photo was taken make the feet look disproportionately large to the head and body of the dog. Use of proportion like this can enhance visual movement and emphasis.
Not to mention, there's something to be said for the visual impact of accurate true to life proportion (especially when juxtaposed with less realistic attributes).

Repetition the repeating of objects or symbols throughout a piece of artwork. Repetition creates a pattern, but may be organized or random (literal or metaphoric such as repeating themes). It makes an artwork seem active and further enhances harmony in a piece.

dA examples:
this image shows literal repetition, each structure being the same though small variables (such as landscape) adding aesthetic irony.
the same figure, the letter U, repeated becomes a piece of typographic art by virtue of its structural cloning and varied color pattern.
the repetition of the painted dashes adds a unique flair to this self portrait and draws the eye to other subtle details in the face and hand.

Variety the use of all of these elements and many of these principles create Variety, which is integral to making artwork interesting. The lack of variety can similarly be used to make a specific statement or aesthetic effects, such as in minimalism.

dA examples:
when using monochromatic themes, variety of shapes and shades is what makes the artwork interesting.
conceptually and visually, the variety of the repeated and then missing petals drives the point home and emphasizes a "lack" where there is negative space (i.e. in this concept, a lack of perfection that makes it beautiful).
the variety in the internal shapes creates an overarching set of contours that bolsters the movement of the piece as well as creating contrast with the elements in unity.




So then!
Fun? Yes! I hope you can now see how the elements and principles come together to both analyze and self mediate aesthetics in a way that allows a work of art to be talked about with specific languages outside of "I like it!" The elements and principles can help you say WHY you like, WHAT you like about it, what EFFECT it had on you—and on the flipside, as the artist you can ask those same questions. What do I want to convey? What do I like to see and make in my art? What effect do I want to have on the viewer? These vocabularies and ways of seeing aesthetics can help artists and critics (and we should all be both artist and critic!) alike to enhance their discourse to a level of specificity to make profound interpretations of the art we see.