| DESIGN ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES DESIGN ELEMENTS: point line shape form tone texture colour letterform FOR TEACHERS DESIGN PRINCIPLES: figure-ground balance contrast cropping hierarchy scale proportion pattern |
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| INDEX Members only |
| DESIGN ELEMENT LINE A LINE is a point in motion, with only one dimension - length When the two ends of a line are joined, you create a shape Lines can also create volume, suggesting forms EXAMPLE Lines can be combined with other lines to create textures and patterns. This is common in pen and ink drawings. The use of line in this way can suggest form. EXAMPLE However, line can exist by implication, as the edge of forms. As young children we usually begin drawing landscapes by making outlines for earth, sky, and other objects. Gradually we learn that objects do not have such outlines and we let color changes define the edges of shapes, creating implicit lines. Thus we can speak of a horizon "line," or the "lines" of a car or a building, even though we know there is no literal line present. Lines are used to produce floor plans which describe a building. This linear language can be understood because people have learnt and understood the conventions. Graphs are another readily recognizable linear device TEACHERS: The information below has been shortened and amended from more comprehensive information at char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/element.htm Line also communicates emotion and states of mind through its character and direction Horizontal lines suggests a feeling of rest or repose. Objects parallel to the earth are at rest in relation to gravity. Therefore compositions in which horizontal lines dominate tend to be quiet and restful in feeling. One of the hallmarks of Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural style is its use of strong horizontal elements which stress the relationship of the structure to the land. Vertical lines communicate a feeling of loftiness and spirituality. Erect lines seem to extend upwards beyond human reach, toward the sky. They often dominate public architecture, from cathedrals to corporate headquarters. Extended perpendicular lines suggest an overpowering grandeur, beyond ordinary human measure. Diagonal lines suggest a feeling of movement or direction. Since objects in a diagonal position are unstable in relation to gravity, being neither vertical nor horizontal, they are either about to fall, or are already in motion, as is certainly the case for this group of dancers. In a two dimensional composition diagonal lines are also used to indicate depth, an illusion of perspective that pulls the viewer into the picture-creating an illusion of a space that one could move about within. Thus if a feeling of movement or speed is desired, or a feeling of activity, diagonal lines can be used. Horizontal and vertical lines in combination communicate stability and solidity. Rectilinear forms stay put in relation to gravity, and are not likely to tip over. This stability suggests permanence, reliability and safety. (see below - 'MONDRIAN') Deep, acute curves, on the other hand, suggest confusion, turbulence, even frenzy, as in the violence of waves in a storm, the chaos of a tangled thread, or the turmoil of lines suggested by the forms of a crowd. Curved lines do vary in meaning, however. Soft, shallow curves suggest comfort, safety, familiarity, relaxation. They recall the curves of the human body, and therefore have a pleasing, sensual quality. The quality of the line is in itself a fundamental visual language, to an extent that cannot be claimed for any other single element. Its use is so universal that we are all profoundly sensitive to it. Even without an artist's training, we can extract considerable meaning from the kind of line used in a drawing. MONDRIAN Like many pioneers of abstraction, Mondrian’s impetus was largely spiritual. He aimed to distill the real world to its pure essence, to represent the dichotomies of the universe in eternal tension. To achieve this, he privileged certain principles - stability, universality, and spirituality - through the yin/yang balancing of horizontal and vertical strokes. EXAMPLE www.vcss.k12.ca.us/tspvisarts/Line.htm Lines take many forms and may convey emotional qualities TEACHERS: The information below has been shortened and amended from more comprehensive information at www.manitouarttheater.com/jim/art-guffaw-study/study4.html A line is the result of a dot or point moving in space or over a surface. Line has only one dimension and its most important property is direction. A line is one of the most important tools that an artist has to use and one of the most important elements to study when looking at a piece of art. Lines organize an artwork the way the backbone organizes the body. The direction of the lines pulls our eyes up a tree or jiggles along a picket fence. Arts use line to move the eye through and along the work. In almost every picture there is a dominant line that hold interest and stabilizes the composition. Repetition of line can give a work unity. Variation in line can make it interesting. Lines have character and personality and can communicate emotion. * Horizontal lines are calm, quiet, restful * Vertical lines are bold, strong, stable * Thin lines can be delicate, timid, weak * Diagonal lines show action, falling, leaning, or growing * Pointed or jagged lines can express uncertainty or anger * Meandering lines are whimsical and happy * Flowing lines are graceful and mystical AGITATED CALM |
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| IDEAS FOR ACTIVITIES |
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| Use only lines to show shape, form, movement and depth For more details click here |
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| COLOURED LINES click here |
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