Below are examples of the Elements and Principles of Design. Study these carefully, as they are a big portion of your final exam.
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HERE to see some examples of how these Elements and Principles are utilized in photography.
Elements of Design
Line - is a mark on a surface that describes a
shape or outline. It can create texture and can be thick and thin.
Types of line can include actual, implied, vertical, horizontal,
diagonal and contour lines.
Color - refers to specific hues and has 3 properties,
Chroma, Intensity and Value. The color wheel is a way of showing the
chromatic scale in a circle using all the colors made with the primary
triad. Complimentary pairs can produce dull and neutral color.
Texture - is about surface quality either tactile or
visual. Texture can be real or implied by different uses of media. It is
the degree of roughness or smoothness in objects.
Shape - is a 2-dimensional line with no form or
thickness. Shapes are flat and can be grouped into two categories,
geometric and organic.
Form - is a 3-dimensional object having volume and
thickness. It is the illusion of a 3-D effect that can be implied with
the use of light and shading techniques. Form can be viewed from many
angles.
Value - is the degree of light and dark in a design.
It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between.
Value can be used with color as well as black and white. Contrast is
the extreme changes between values.
Space - A 3-dimensional volume that can be empty or filled with objects. It has width, height, and depth.
Principles of Compositional Design
The principles of design are the recipe for a good work of art. The
principles combine the elements to create an aesthetic placement of
things that will produce a good design.
Emphasis - is an area that first attracts attention in a
composition. This area is more important when compared to the other
objects or elements in a composition. This can be by contrast of
values, more colors, and placement in the format.
Balance - is a feeling of visual equality in shape, form, value,
color, etc. Balance can be symmetrical or evenly balanced or
asymmetrical and un-evenly balanced. Objects, values, colors, textures,
shapes, forms, etc., can be used in creating a balance in a
composition.
Unity - brings together a composition with similar units. If your
composition was using wavy lines and organic shapes you would stay with
those types of lines and not put in just one geometric shape. (Notice
how similar Harmony is to Unity - some sources list both terms)
Contrast - offers some change in value creating a visual discord in a
composition. Contrast shows the difference between shapes and can be
used as a background to bring objects out and forward in a design. It
can also be used to create an area of emphasis.
Movement - is a visual flow through the composition. It
can be the suggestion of motion in a design as you move from object to
object by way of placement and position. Directional movement can be
created with a value pattern. It is with the placement of dark and light
areas that you can move your attention through the format.
Rhythm - is a movement in which some elements recurs regularly. Like
a dance it will have a flow of objects that will seem to be like the
beat of music.
Pattern - is the planned or random repetition that occurs in nature and in art.
