The Formal Elements

'The formal elements of art, also called the visual elements, are the basic units and the means artists use to create and design works of art.'

The 7 formal elements are the pillars of all visual arts and are:

• Line


• Shape


• Space


• Form
  
• Colour


• Light
  
• Texture

Line

Most artistic creations use some form of line, which can be described as a traceable path and made by a moving point. It is an essential tool that creates an image, encloses and forms shapes. This element can be harnessed to create various elements, such as differences in light (tone) and shape.

This sketch of 'S. Pieta' by Michelangelo uses purely line to create dimension and light and dark.

Line is often used on its own or with a bit of colour, especially in modern art. Piet Mondrian (below), for example, was famous for using line in its simplest horizontal and vertical form, but adding varying composition and block colour to create works of art.

Shape

Shape is a fundamental element for the visualisation of art. It is created by using a combination of elements such as line, light, colour and space. Shape is solely 2-dimensional, although it can create a 3D illusion, which is what makes it different from form.

Shape is used to create a physical form, and can bring harmony or contrast to a composition. It can also be used to express emotions and different moods.

Shape can be realistic through the creation of a life-like form (e.g. in still life), or in abstract art.

'Bathers at Asnières' by Seurat uses the representation of the human shape

'Composition VIII' by Kandinsky uses a lot of geometric shapes and line to create an abstract mood

Space

Space is essential to the existence of art, as it defines the area between, around or within places. It can be either 2D or 3D. 2D space is found in the form of 'flat space', where it creates height and width. In this case no real depth or distance is created, but the artist can create the illusion of these with techniques such as that of linear perspective, which creates a distance between shapes because of some being bigger/smaller than others.

An example of linear perspective

Other techniques, such as the overlapping of shapes and the positioning of further/closer objects in the picture give the image the appearance of there being actual space within it.

'Autumn Tree Country Road' by Ruth Hounsley shows they illusion of space

In the 3D sense, it can be described as actual space as it has width, height and depth. An example is the space inside a building in architecture. This kind of space can be described as either positive or negative. Positive space can be the space that the actual art form occupies, whereas negative space is everything else- the space in and around it. An artist can manipulate these different kinds of space to articulate expression.

Form

Form is like an altered shape to create volume. Whereas shape only has mass, form has both mass and volume. It creates 3-dimensionality and contained space.



The 'Venus de Milo' shows both mass and volume

Colour

Colour is the most effective element in creating emotion. The presence of different colours stimulates different moods and contributes to the perception of an artwork by the viewer. For example, red is often used to symbolise danger, anger or sexuality (see below), while black is often associated with evil and fear.

This painting uses the colour red to represent the immorality of the woman depicted

Colour is changed by altering the hue, value or intensity. The different colours were arranged into a colour spectrum by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century. This wheel shows colours that are similar to one another, or opposites (complementary colours), and is the best representation of the perception and flow of colour.

Light

Like colour, light, or lack of it (dark), stimulates different feelings in people. Light is often associated with goodness, purity and clarity, whereas dark often has connotations of evil and mystery. Artists can use these perceptions to give their work a psychological dynamic. For example, 'The Ascension' by Rembrandt shows the use of light to emphasise the holiness of Jesus, leaving other areas of the painting in relative darkness.

Light is also very commonly used by artists to create the illusion of 3-Dimensionality on a 2D surface. Light, or tone, can be used here to imitate the effect of light on 3D forms and objects to create differences in light intensity (brighter nearer to light source, gets darker as you move away) and shadow.

'The Calling of St Matthew' by Caravaggio shows the difference in light intensity as you move away from the light source, and the creation of shadow

Texture

In art, texture can be either real, or the illusion of it can be created, as is the case in many paintings. An artists' manipulation of the formal elements, such as light and line, can create a specific 'texture' even on a 2-Dimensional drawing.

In this painting 'Two Girls', Tamara de Lempicka uses differences in light to give the appearance of smoothness on a 2D surface.

The texture of an artwork can be used to convey meaning as well. For example, the above painting does not use any rough textures, which contributes to a sense of purity and femininity. However, artists such as Van Gogh purposely apply their paint so that a rough texture is created on the surface. This makes the viewer think of why the artist has used this method and can contribute to the portrayal of harshness in a picture.

'Sunflowers' by Van Gogh, detail


Real, 3D texture is fundamental in the aesthetic appreciation of textiles and fashion. The textures used by a textile designer are selected especially to give the piece a certain mood or effect.


With this dress, Elie Saab's use fur can be taken to symbolise glamour and luxury



In sculpture, the texture of a piece also gives the viewer a clue as to the qualities of the material used.