Elements and Principles of Design

Design
The process of composing the things you can see
(design elements) into a purposeful arrangement,
according to whatever principles you want to use.

Elements

Principles

(noun)
basic ingredients
you can make things with

(taking action)
how you can make a million different
things using those basic elements

6 Elements of Design

Elements are the basic building blocks of visual art;

they are things you can SEE and use in creating artwork.

Think of the elements as raw ingredients.

They are basic things you can choose to use, or choose to leave out.

6 Elements of Design:
Line,Value, Color, Texture, Shape, Space
Lovely Velvet Cupcakes Taste So Sweet

Line

Nate Mulroy

Value

Kayleigh Palmer

Color

Eric Son

Texture

Laura Widerhofer

Shape

Makena Cecil

Space

Konnor Hummrich

Color

Line

Space

Texture

Shape

Value

Student Examples: Allyson S.

Line

Space

Student Examples: Allyson S.

Line
Line

Value

Texture

Shape

Space
Color

Space

7 Principles of Design
(a quick introduction)

Visual guidelines you can use to ARRANGE the elements of design into a composition.

Principles are guidelines, not really rules.

Think of principles as a recipe you can follow, bend, and adjust to your taste.
Choose which elements you want to use color and line? okay! and then make something.
Want it chewy? Bake 10 minutes. For crispy, bake 14 minutes. If __, then __.
Predicting, knowing, and breaking the rules are all part of using the principles of design.
7 Principles of Design: Emphasis, Balance, Contrast, Depth, Repetition/Variety, Unity/Harmony, Movement
Every Bad Child Doesnt Really Understand Math

Emphasis

In this digital
photograph Mia uses
the elements of
COLOR and SPACE to
create the principle of
emphasis, drawing
attention to the one
lemon drop. This
photo also uses the
elements of SHAPE and
TEXTURE, but SPACE
is a huge consideration
in this piece, and she
uses it effectively to
draw your eye where
she wants it to go for
emphasis.

Mia McKinney

Balance

Alex uses the elements

of SPACE and SHAPE
to create the principle
of balance. This photo
also has elements of
subdued COLOR and
TEXTURE, thin yet
downplayed horizontal
LINES across the roof,
and implied LINES
made from the shrubs
arching toward the
center of the photo; all
these elements
carefully add to the
principle of balance.

Alex Pollock

Contrast

In this photograph Konnor

uses the elements of
COLOR (turquoise, green,
and red-orange) and also
VALUE (dark lashes against
light skin and eye) to
create the principle of
contrast. This photo also
uses the elements of LINE
with the lashes leaning in
the direction of her gaze,
and the LINE of the nose
curving around the eye. It
also uses the principle of
repetition in how the nose
and the hair/cheekbone
carry the same shape in
the photo.

Konnor Hummrich

Depth

In this digital photograph

Chase uses the elements
of converging LINES,
negative SPACE, and
darkening VALUE to use
the principle of depth, This
photo also contains
beauiful elements of
COLOR of the inside of
the piano. SHAPE and
TEXTURE are present, but
they play supporting roles
in this photo. We could
also have used this photo
to demonstrate the
principle of repetition/
variation.

Chase Bindner

Repetition
and Variation

Laura uses the

elements of VALUE
and gradual shifts of
COLOR to convey
the principle of
repetition and
variation in this
scene. Her photo
also uses elements of
TEXTURE and lots
of implied LINES.

Laura Widerhofer

Unity and Harmony

In this photograph
Laura uses elements of
COLOR and SHAPE to
create the principle of
unity and harmony.
There are also lots of
LINES in this
photograph.

Laura Widerhofer

Movement
In this digital
photograph Noah
uses the element of
LINES to create the
principle of
movement, drawing
the eye to the upper
parts of the buildings
along strong,
converging diagonals.

Noah Jessee