“It took me a few seconds to draw it, but it took me 34 years to learn how to draw it in

a few seconds.”
-Paula Scher,
Graphic Designer, Painter, Art, and Design Educator

[Link] Overview
Gestalt Psychology and its proponents Max Wertheimer, Kurt Kofka and Wolfgang Koliler
strongly believed that perceptions of our surroundings and experiences are holistic
rather than pieces of a whole as a famous gestalt principle states, “the whole is greater
than the sum of its parts.” Gestalt, a German term means organization or configuration.
This approach in psychology believes that our brains or minds have convenient ways to
organize and configure our perceptions in holistic and convenient ways.
In the same aspect, art could not be appreciated by nitpicking into its components only.
Rather, art and designs are best appreciated by understanding their holistic appeal and
their ability to weave cohesively into the different elements and their application.
Hence, an exploration to the different elements and principles of art and design shall be
made in this Module. Additionally, understanding the inherent values and meanings will
be drawn in out from the different elements and principles.
A. Elements Of Art
[Link] Element
The perception of lines is some of the things we do every day. You see lines along the
roadside, in the corner of your rooms, in the guidelines of your notebook sheets, etc.
Lines are even utilitarian that you use them when you write, when you navigate
through directions, slice your favorite meat or vegetables, etc. But most importantly,
lines are essential elements to art. Lines create art and they provide the impression of
path and movement along a space.
Nature of Line
Lines create the impression of movement. As such, when you see art works with lines,
your eyes make a movement in following its direction or path. So, when given a visual
image, lines lead your eyes into several directions that allow you to navigate the
general space.
Lines can also be differentiated based on length and width. Lines can be slim or thick
depending on your approach. Essentially, lines provide a one-dimensional theme to the
piece of artwork. Dimension, in this regard, is the amount of space the line takes up in
a particular art. To make lines two-dimensional, they need to have an impression of
height and depth. Lines can also be drawn using different media like pens or pencil,
using sticks or even technological media. Even solidly perceived objects like threads,
wires, spiderwebs, tree trunks are configured to provide perceptions of lines. While all
of them can be perceived as lines, they differ in terms of the level of dimension they
give to the viewers.
Some lines are even implied in application. When you perceive edges of objects, there
are essentially outlines but not intended to become explicit lines. So, there may be
approaches in the use of lines that intend to stimulate the gestalt in the human mind by
interpreting implied lines as real. For example, when you see a series of dots or dashes,
stitches of sewn dress or a trail of footprints create impressions of implied lines.
Types of Lines
• Vertical Lines - Their movement direction is upward or downward. Common
applications are upright trees standing body humans, buildings infrastructures.
• Horizontal Lines - The movement direction is from left to right or vice-versa. Common
applications are body lying down and the horizon.
• Diagonal lines - These are slanted lines. They create an impression of rising or falling.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa conveys a diagonal or slanted line.
• Zigzag lines - These are connected combinations of diagonal lines. They create
angular perspectives of lines. Common examples are thunders or animated drawings of
stars.
• Curved lines - These are lines that do not appear linear; hence, directions are not
clearly established. Examples of which are the outlines of clouds, leaves and edges of
flowers (Ragans, 2005).
Line and Value
Value is defined as the darkness or lightness of an object. Essentially, the value of a line
or the artwork in general may differ in terms of how much light the surface absorbs and
expresses light. The artwork may have a dark value with little light reflection or light
value with more light reflection. So, applying the line principles to value, lines may have
or dark value when pencils for example are pressed or rubbed harder on a sheet of
paper. Artists use the technique called crosshatching to create darker themes or value.
This is a technique using crossed lines to create darker shades of a line. Different
number types of pencils can also be made to create different line values. Even using a
crayon that stroked a wall surface or sheet of paper may create broken lines or solid
lines, respectively (Ragans, 2005).
Expressions of Lines
You may have known in basic fashion technique that wearing longitudinal stripes can
make you look slimmer than latitudinal ones Hence, lines have different capacities in
terms of expression an idea or an emotion. Essentially, lines speak a language that
artists can comprehend.
[Link] of Lines
Vertical and horizontal lines convey static and at rest impressions. It may mean the lack
of activity and stability. Artist may use them to show dignity, formality or stiffness,
Horizontal lines, specifically, the feelings of permanence and solid foundation such se
that of the ground or floor. Horizontal lines provide foundation to vertical lines and it
may provide artistic impressions of strength. Sometimes, if portrays the feeling of
calmness or relax such as the horizontal lines created by the sea surface.
Curved lines, on the other hand, may show expression of relative activity. This may
depend on the amount of curve it makes. The less active curve may indicate more calm
or repetitive feelings. Spiral lines require you to focus on a central point and may lave
the tendency to be hypnotic.
Diagonal lines are used by artists to express the feelings of instability, tension of
excitement. Their instability provides feelings of being uneasy or discomfort. But their
expression can be altered when done with symmetry For example, two diagonal lines
that converge to create the roof of a house may instead mean stability.
Zigzag lines have been used to create feelings of confusion. Due to combinations of
diagonal lines, they may evoke feelings of too much excitement or anxiety.
[Link] Lines
These are applications of lines to create edges or ridges of an object. These provide a
certain degree of separation from one object to another.
[Link]
Gestures are usually expressive movements which are intended capture motion, activity
and the feeling found in it. In artworks that emphasize the lines of the hand, touching
the face can convey feelings of anxiety or worry. Or hands raising that a emphasized by
lines can be done manifest feelings of excitement and activity.
[Link] Drawing
Calligraphy means beautiful handwriting. It is often associated with writing Asian
characters usually with Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai language. In their culture,
writing is not just about knowing the alphabet. For them writing is a process of creating
art using lines and different strokes to represent character languages. In the
Philippines, there are different versions of baybayin with different ethno-linguistic bases.
The Philippine Calligraphy is rooted an Indian Sulawesi and Kawi, Indo, Arabic and
islamic writing arts.
2. SHAPE, FORM AND SPACE
The world may be considered as an art piece. It is a piece composed of several shapes,
sizes, forms and even depth that are naturally existing in this space. Understanding the
nature and use of shape, forms and space, an art piece may have an important
meaning to express (Ragans, 2005).
Shape
A shape conveys a defined two-dimensional area. It has an outline around and it is
recognizable through its form. In a sense, by just using an outline, shapes can be
formed. But shapes can be created without a boundary line. For example, they can be
created using a blot of yellow paint to create a circle like the imagery of a sun. They are
two-dimensional as well, because of the flat surface they create. You can see them in
the shapes that are defined by the floor tiles, TV screens, walls, table tops etc Usually,
these are man-made shapes (Ragans, 2005).
Geometric Shapes
Shapes can either be geometric or [Link] shapes are accurately measured
shapes, hence, having mathematical bases. The variations are square, rectangle,
triangle, circle, oval, trapezoid, pentagon, of uniformity and organization. In a
decorative sense, they show balance and structure in one’s perception. This may be
apparent in the shapes of flat television, long and round tables, room doors, etc.
Usually, these are man made shapes (Ragans, 2005).
Free-Form Shapes
These are the types of shapes that are irregular in structure. They may be characterized
by some combinations of curves and angles. They are not structural and man-made,
per se. Most of them are organically existing in nature such as flowers, animals,
humans, islands, trees, etc. (Ragans, 2005).

Forms
Forms are the three-dimensional aspects of spaces and shapes. While shapes have
length and width or diameter, a characterizing component of form is its depth Example,
a box or a cube is a form. However, there is an inherent relationship between shapes
and forms. So, if you are presented with a box, each side of the box is represented by a
square or rectangle shape. Or when you visit the Pyramids in Egypt, you will still be
identifying shapes of triangle along its sides (Ragans, 2005).
Space
Space is an essential element to understanding art as it involves the outer and inner
spaces of an artwork. This refers to a hypothetical area in which the subject of art
another elements of art operate. Like shapes and form, the impression of space can be
two or three-dimensional. For example, with a window as your subject of an art piece, it
can provide a sense of two-dimension as it portrays a flat representation, But this can
become three-dimensional when the window has been cleared and has shown a view of
the outside. This may be the mountains, the river, or the grasslands. In this sense, the
space of the art has expanded as different layers of areas are now included (Ragans,
2005).
In relation to shapes and form, space allows them to exist in space. So, space is also
assumed to be the empty canvass where work and the art can be accomplished
(Ragans, 2005).
Positive and Negative Space
The shapes and forms of art are the positive space of an art. The empty spaces, on the
other hand, are the negative space. In gestalt psychology. They are called figure and
ground, respectively. The distinction between figure and ground are essential as they
may dictate certain interpretations of art. One of the common issues that an artist is
faced with is the ambiguity of the figure which is the ground relationship. There may be
instances where it would be difficult to determine which is the figure and ground in a
visual art. This may have happened as artists themselves gave the same emphasis to
figure and ground. In gestalt psychology, they may become visual and optical illusions
that puzzle the viewers interpretation of an artwork (Ragans, 2005).
Creating Shapes and Forms in Space
Shapes and forms can be naturally sourced or manufactured by humans For instance,
animals, humans, flowers and mountains are examples of naturally occurring shapes.
But there are shapes that are manufactured by humans through hand crafts, machine-
assisted or clay forms. But the challenge with most artists is that they must create the
shape and form to make them appear as real as possible Hence, artists must operate
on illusions that provide meaning in a certain amount of art space.
Illusion of Form by Using the Principle of Value
While the meaning of lines can change by changing their value, shapes and forms can
also change their meaning and expression by utilizing altered values. For example, to
magnify an object, certain techniques can be used such as employing light and dark
values. This technique is called chiaroscuro. It is an Italian word that means bright
(chiaro) and dark (oscuro). Introduced during the renaissance period, this technique
magnifies and identifies shapes and forms clearly as the highlighted figure or positive
space of the art piece by shading the negative space darker (Ragans, 2005).
In some basic application of a cube for example, to represent the cube as its form
accurately, there may be a need to vary the shades of the square shapes surrounding it.
Or in some applications, to identify a certainty of a life form in humans, shadows
surrounding him may give a sense of a real human form (Ragans, 2005).
Illusion of Depth using Gestalt Principles of Perception
Depth can be defined as relative distance. With several objects defining the artwork, it
may be necessary to give it some depth to visualize the story behind it. From the
Gestalt principles of perception, there are techniques that can be used to create the
impression of depth (Ragans, 2005).
• Overlapping - The first object covers a second object. In effect, the first object
becomes closer or nearer to the viewer.
• Size - Large objects often are perceived to be nearer than the relatively smaller ones.
• Placement - Objects placed on the lower plane of the space create impression of them
being nearer. The more distant are those at the eye or top level of the space.
• Detail - Objects with clearer details are usually nearer while those with finer and less
details seem to be farther.
• Color - Brightly or vividly colored objects seem nearer than the dull ones.
• Converging Lines - As parallel lines move away from your point of view they move
closer to the horizon which makes a perception of distance farther away from you The
farthest convergence can be called the vanishing point (Ragans, 2005).
Expressive Qualities of Shape, Form and Space
[Link] and Surface
Outlines and variations in the surfaces may bring different kinds of messages. For
example, using free-form shapes may express the presence of life and fluidity. These
could also symbolize calmness and comfort. Especially, when the objects defined by the
free-form shapes are those coming from nature, the art can convey that sense of
pleasantness and could even invite the viewer to imagine himself or herself within the
story of the art (Ragans, 2005).
Angular shapes, on the other hand, project the sharp and jagged realities of the world.
These could mean pain, anxiety, or tension. For example, you see broken glasses in a
picture, they may translate into vicarious interpretations of pain or hurt (Ragans, 2005).
Geometric shapes may even suggest aspects of mechanical perfection. It projects a
certain sense of order and logic. In effect, they may tend to lack the emotional
accessibility to it. While they express those to viewers, the perceptions can be more
mental and ideal rather than affective (Ragans, 2005).
[Link] and Surface
Density refers to the compactness of the object. Dense materials tend to be solid and
heavy looking In sculptures for example, dense materials may be difficult to alter in
terms of form unless technology or some machines are available. In two-dimensional
art, density can be expressed using different values such as shading and magnifying
contour lines.
[Link]
Open shapes project invitation. For example, if you draw and empty chair, most viewers
may tend to vicariously imagine sitting on that chair. If you see an art piece with an
open door, it may give you a sense of wonder of what could be inside or behind the
door. Some handcrafted art such as weaving even employ openness in their cloths. This
allows them to look through the fabric and experience the intricate weaving patterns of
it.
Closed shapes and forms, on the other hand, project more solid and self-contained field
of perception. Closed doors and windows tend to be more restrictive to interpretation. A
person with folded arms tight to his body portrays emotion of tension, mystery, or
privacy. Like Egyptian caskets, called sarcophagus, are usually defined by arms close or
folded onto the body. Death for them should be afforded with dignity but at the same
time must be impressed with privacy and protection like closed or restricted shapes
(Ragans, 2005).

[Link] and Stability

Active shapes are those that defy gravity such as slanting or falling or running shapes.
In Feng Shui, eight (8) running horses are lucky in proper placement. To project
running horses, the sculptor or painter projects the variations of movements by
overlapping heads and feet. Some heads should slant upward while some are moving
down to show the movement. Activity can also be shown through the angles of the feet
and the flow of hair and tails among the horses. Essentially, movement in shapes can
be done by portraying them in diagonal positions. Static shapes, on the other hand,
seem to be motionless and stable.
The direction going through horizontal. They tend to evoke calm and fixated feelings. It
projects chapter in al-elements quietness and stable peace. This could probably be the
reason that houses tend to have paintings decorated in their homes that evoke peace
by using subjects in stable horizontal positions such as landscapes (Ragans, 2005).
[Link]
What makes lines, shapes, forms, and space alive is through their colors. They are
apparent in making more variations to our perceptions such as the colors of flowers, the
sky, paint of walls and even skin tones. Colors have the most powerful connection to
human nature and emotion. In fact, colors are used to describe emotions such as
feeling blue to describe sadness or green minded to describe thinking of sexual things
or green thumb for someone who is good with plants or sunny personality to describe
the bright and fun character of a person. With the differences in colors around you, the
way you appreciate colors may also vary. In this section, you will learn to understand
the different properties and applications of colors and how to give meaning to them.
Perception of Color
Color is one of the elements of art that is derived from light and the different reflections
of it. In psychophysics, you learned that colors are based on white light. When such
white light passes through a prism, it shall bend and create a prism or band of colors.
These colors are usually the representation of the rainbow. But these colors are not
coloring per se. These colors are waves that activate the color receptors of your eyes
called cones. So ripe mangoes may not be yellow after all, but the reflection of
mangoes activate the yellow receptors of the eyes. The rod receptors, on the other
hand, receive and process information of darkness and lightness. So the rods shall
facilitate how colors must be perceived depending on available light. Therefore, the way
we perceive colors depends upon the light that is reflected on each object.
Hence, there are three properties of colors that matter in this section They are called
hue, value and intensity. These properties are even present in photography. If you
check your smart phones and their camera settings, these properties can be altered as
soon as you take a photo (Ragans 2005).
Hue
In the color spectrum there is such a thing primary colors namely, red blue and yellow.
They are all considered as primary hues .The secondary hues are made by mixing two
primary colors. There are also six intermediate or tertiary colors by mixing a primary
color with secondary color. To organize these colors or hues, the color spectrum can be
bent to create a color wheel that illustrates how the mixing is employed (Ragans,
2005).

Value
Value describes the lightness and darkness of a color. There will be times that certain
colors will seem to be darker to represent a darker or gloomier theme of the art piece.
Essentially, not all hues should have the same value within a [Link], yellow
seems to be the lightest hue as it reflects the lightest and violet is the darker hue as it
reflects the least light. Black, white and gray are considered neutral colors. White light
reflects colors while black absorbs all of it. Grey will reflect light depending on its value.
The darker it is, the more it absorbs, the less reflects and vice versa (Ragans, 2005).
To alter values, hues may be added with black or white. Tinting is the process of
producing a light value such as creating a bright sunny day with mixing white and blue
to the skies while shading is the process of producing a darker value such as mixing
violet, blue, gray and black to create night skies (Ragans,2005).

Intensity
Intensity refers to how bright or dull the use of hue is. If a certain surface of object
reflects yellow light, then the surface projects intense and bright yellow. But the surface
reflects other colon, yellow will be more subdued. Intensity can be high low density
such that in bright and dull colors, respectively (Ragans, 2005).
Complementary colors ate those that are opposite to each other in the color best. The
complement of a hue may absorb all the light waves that the hue is. In green may
waves and may reflect the blue and yellow. This explains how some people well have
conditions such as color vision deficiency or color [Link] may be tendencies
for people to perceive green as red or red as green. In some instances those with color
vision deficiency may perceive green as blue or yellow due to distorted absorption and
reflection of lights (Ragans, (2005).
Another consequence is when you mix a hue with its complement dulls the original hue
and lowers its intensity. The more complement you add, the duller the hue will appear
Eventually, the hue will lose its original intensity and appear gray (Ragans, 2005)
But if you use a dominant hue in a mixture, there will be more apparent manifestations
of the dominant hue such as coloring a dark violet night sky and mixing with small hues
of blue, the more dominant color will still be violet (Ragans, 2005).
Color Schemes
Organizing colors are part of the planning phase in the creation of art. Making a
cohesive story of song is like identifying a color scheme appropriate to the story of the
art piece. Planning these colors according to a scheme will allow you to create a
cohesive piece of artwork.
[Link] Colors
This a technique where only one color is used. Even the hue, tints and shade are
consistent all throughout. With a limited option for colors, this provides a strong and
unifying expression to the art. However, this strategy may lessen the variation quality of
the work. (Please see color rendition at the inside hack cover.)
[Link] Colors
In analogous colored artwork, the hues used are usually those that are side by side in
the color wheel and operate in a common hue. Examples are blue, blue-green, blue-
violet, and red have something in common. This can be limited to three hues to create
unity among the common color range (Ragans, 2005).

[Link] colors
Complementary colors are used when the theme of art is intended to create strong
expression of contrast. In theory, complementary colors tend to establish a vibration
with each other. These vibrations can translate into arousal of emotions. Example is that
red and green are complementary colors. When red symbolizes fire and green
symbolizes the life attached to plants and animals, these patterns create a sense of
arousal to your emotions. However, not all complementary colors provide loud arousal
these can be mitigated when intensity and values are altered (Ragans, 2005)
[Link] Triads
From the name itself, art must be focused on three general colors spaced on equal
intervals on the color wheel. Compared to complementing triads do not convey strong
differentiation of colors. This can cover primary, secondary and tertiary hue triads
(Ragans, 2005).
[Link] Complements
A split complement is used when you combine a hue with each side of its exact
complement. This now offers more variety and more dynamics to color range and
selection. For example, the complement of red orange is blue green. The hue next to
blue green are blue and green. These can be used to create the perfect nature art piece
with red orange as the sun, blue for the waters and green for the trees (Ragans, 2005).
f. Warm and Cool Colors
The color wheel can be divided into two groups, namely, the warm and cool colors. The
warm group contains the hues of red, orange, and yellow, while the cool colors may
range from blue, green, and violet. Warm colors usually convey warm situations such as
fire or the sunshine. The cool colors, on the other, evoke cooler situations such as snow,
water, and grass (Ragans, 2015). (Please see color rendition at the inside back cover.)
Expressive Qualities of Calors
Like other elements, colors convey ideas, emotions and actual behaviors. What makes
color useful in expression is its ability in represent reality, something that as more like
how our senses see it.
[Link] Color
The use of optical color is an artist approach to reproduce colors as they seem to be.
This approach intends to capture reality as it is and not a version of impression of it.
Optical colors are usually the approach of most artists with the attempt to ensure that
their art is similarly colored with reality. To illustrate optical color, artists check how each
har will appear when influenced by surrounding colors. Like shopping clothes, you see
the clothes optimal color if you pair it with the color of jeans that you usually wear. For
some, you may evaluate the optical color of your clothes in the fitting room with your
skin color or the lighting from the surroundings. You may notice that eating in
restaurants feels better than eating your order as a take-away. Eating in restaurants
maximize the ability of their environment to ensure good dining experience by altering
optical colors, Food, in psychology, has been perceived to be more delectable in orange,
red and yellow environments. This is why most restaurants are themed along these
colors (Ragans, 2005).
b. Arbitrary Colors
Because feelings, emotions and some thoughts are abstract, literal portrayal of colors
such as optical colors is mostly inapplicable. Instead, arbitrary application of colors may
give justice to the indefinability of some subject matters in art. In this sense, color is
not only an element or a medium to express art, but it is also the subject of art per se.
When you plan to use dark yet cool colors, these may evoke feelings of depression and/
or mystery. Warm, low intensity colors tend to portray comfort and relaxation, Blue and
green are soothing hues while yellow stimulates activity and red can evoke extreme
arousal or excitement (Ragans, 2005). (Please see color rendition at the inside back
cover.)
c. Space
Together with lines, positioning colors have also been used to create impressions of
depth. Warm colors are believed to advance towards viewers while cool colors tend to
recede (Ragans, 2005).
d. Movement
Colors can create representations of movement as well. Contrasting values create
movement while values that are close to each other tend create gradual and calmer
flow (Ragans, 2005).
[Link]
Texture in art refers to how the subjects and objects of the piece feels f touched. This is
an essential component in creating the dynamics in the artwork by showing that certain
surfaces have different feels according to their nature For example, you may want to
express a smooth texture on a flowing flat river painting compared to a rough and rocky
river painting (Ragans, 2005).
With some artist confronted of different objects and subjects, textures are also a way of
representing them to the viewers. Food in paintings have different textures to provide
vicarious viewing among the audience. An ice cream painting, for example, must project
smooth and silky texture compared to pizza with different layers of pepperoni, cheese,
tomato sauce and crust (Ragans, 2005). In this section, you will learn to use texture as
part of your consideration to the development of artwork and describe the feelings and
meanings that different textures evoke.
Perceiving Texture
Texture is perceived through the senses. Tactile texture is the feeling derived out of
touching a specific object or art. In sculptures, for examples, you can sense the type of
stone or wood that has been used in developing one. In fact, texture is considered as
one of the most useful cues for knowing the quality of a sculpture. But even visual
texture is also possible Your vision provides you with certain expectations of what an
object quality is supposed to be. Looking at photographs of a landscaped grass or
garden provide you a sense of texture of how it feels to lie on them. When you see a
photograph of snow and ice. They may provide you a texture of cold or flat feeling
(Ragans, 2005).
Textures can be simulated or invented. In simulated textures, they tend to imitate the
real textures of an object. Like a craftsman or carpenter, he can make wood feel like
solid ground. Such as in-house construction, an engineered wood flooring can provide
the texture of a concrete cemented floor. Or some plastic counter tops in the kitchen
sink can feel look original granite or quartz stones There are even technologies that
develop massaging chairs that simulate the texture and feel of a human masseur.
Invented textures do not represent naturally existing surface qualities, but they are
usually those that evoke non-objects [Link] on this invented texture in the
discussion of principles and designs (Regans,2005).
Testure and Value
Art pieces may maximize the portrayal of texture by use value, that is, when the artist
creates texture through light reflection and shadowing (Ragans, 2005).

[Link] and Smooth Textures

A crooked and uneven shadow may provide a more rough texture than formally shaded
ones Casting shadows and accepting light provides impression of the shape and
eventually its texture. When you notice how certain objects produce shadows, the
different sizes and shapes determine the textures of your object (Ragans, 2005).

[Link] and Shiny Textures

A matte surface reflects soft and dull light while the shiny surface tends to reflect light
and project some spark or glow. Matte surfaces are usually apparent in papers, denim,
unfinished wood, or human skin. Shiny textures are usually those that have highlights
such as windows, water surface or some car paints. Usually, when shiny surfaces are
exposed to light, they create glares. These textures can be matte-rough, matte-
smooth, shiny-rough or shiny- smooth in Figures 18 and 19.

B. PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
[Link], PATTERN AND MOVEMENT
Rhythm in art is its principle that is defined by the repetition of elements or objects.
This principle is also present in other forms of arts such as music and even poetry.
Musical rhythm is the measure of time between musical sounds. Usually manifested as
beats, rhythms are established across the rests and beats alternating with each other.
In poetry. The use of words, sounds or phrases create rhythmic patterns (Ragans,
2005).
Visual Rhythm
This is the kind of rhythm that is created by the some of sight rather than the sense of
hearing. This is observed in the repetition of positive spaces or ground and then
separated by negative spaces in your surroundings, patterns are apparent. In the library
books are aligned in the shelves. In parking lots, cars are arranged using visual
rhythms. Falling in line in the grocery can be interpreted as visual rhythms. The spaces
in between them can be considered as the negative space. In visual rhythm, the beat
may be just one of the elements or the combination of. These principles stimulate the
perception of movement. Like line, this causes the viewer to follow the beat along its
direction. It is important that object action is different from artistic movement.
Considering visual rhythm, the movement refers to the movement of your perception
versus action which conveys the transfer of an object or element to another field of the
space (Ragans 2005).
Pattern
Rhythm can be applied in the two- dimensional space called patterns. In the aspect of
clothing design, the most common examples of pattern are stripes that may be vertical
or horizontal. Usually referred as motifs, these are the units of elements that are
repeated in a pattern. Patterns observed in furniture, clothing, foot rugs may constitute
different elements of the design but repeatedly applied in the whole art space.
In some three-dimensional arts such as sculpture and architecture, their motifs are also
called modules For example, in a furniture, there are matching units of motifs called
modules (Ragams, 2005).
But these pallets do not only perform decorative functions but they also perform
functional purposes. For example, looking at tiles on flooring or the sidewalks are used
to ensure ergonomic movement and foundation of human standing onto it Though,
generally aesthetic in approach, there is an underlying function of their pattern
placement (Ragans, 2005).
Types of Rhythm and Pattern
Arranging the patterns can vary. Each variation may create a different personality of the
artwork.
[Link]
Motifs may be placed randomly across the space This is characterized by the lack of
regularity in the spaces in between Photography on fallen leaves may leave random
patterns Wall cracks can also be randomly assigned across the space. Buildings in a
picture may not necessarily be spaced regularly (Ragans, 2005).
[Link]
Opposite patterns, regular patterns are characterized by having identical beats, motifs
and intervals of space between them. In effect, you can observe a steady beat across
motifs. This is best used when you intend to project a more organized pattern. Parking
spaces in buildings are classic examples of patterns that are regular in application. In
grocery shopping, the distance between racks are organized with equal intervals.
Looking at a in a 3x3 grid is a regular pattern (Ragans 2005).
[Link]
This type of rhythm employs two types of heat or motive. First and beats are usually
arranged in alternating distances or intervals. Its applications include flowing rhythms
by repeating wavy lines For example, when you choose to draw of water, alternating
rhythms or flowing patterns can be utilized. This can be done by alternating the
swelling of water up and down the space (Ragans, 2005). Toy
[Link]
Progressive patterns or rhythms portray change in beat every time it is repeated.
Accordingly, the changes are steady. For each beat they appear slightly different with
each other. For example, you may try to progressively increase the size of a shape from
one end of the space to the other (e.g. small square in the left progressively increasing
its size towards the right). It can also be done by gradually changing a square into
forming a circle in the other end (Ragans, 2005).

[Link]
Art and its forms must contain a certain type of balance. This is the principle of art by
ensuring that all elements of art are accorded with equal force. Through balance, arts
tend to have a feeling of organization and proper arrangement. The absence or lack of
balance may project feelings of uneasiness and instability, Just like the Leaning Tower
of Pisa, because of its instability, it is considered as a danger zone and was required to
be closed for humans to set foot in. Even if, engineers corrected this imbalance, this
was not still considered safe for people to get near to (Ragans, 2005).
Balance, with relationship to the mathematical sense, is usually measured with a scale.
But scaling in art application does not usually require an object to measure weight or
height. In the past, renaissance was very technical in scaling that most artists during
their time utilized measurement scales to produce art. In the more artistic sense,
balance is usually perceived or vicariously experienced. Hence, each element of an
artwork carries a weight and may create the kind of balance the artist wants to portray.
For paintings and drawings, this balance may be determined by drawing a hypothetical
line in the middle vertical and horizontal axis. You may now then check how much
elements are shared in the left and right sides of the symmetry or the upper and lower
symmetry (Ragans, 2005).

Formal Balance
There is considerable formal balance when elements are shared equally in both sides of
the symmetry. It is the most common type of balance in producing art It may not be
necessary that there arc equal amounts of elements on each side. Formal balance equal
demonstrates rigor, strength, or weight on each side regardless of the number of
elements found each side. Sometimes, formal by symmetry. There is a sense of balance
by creating mirror images of the left and right or up and down dimensions. Another way
of calling this is bilateral symmetry. In most cases, people have preference over formal
balance and symmetry as they usually perform functional purposes. For example, the
choice of clothing that you wear may require it to be symmetrical to create a balanced
shape. However, its downfall may include stiffness, formality and perfectionism. While it
creates stability, art can be predictable and too structured requiring artists to be more
technical rather than creative. Reality is, there may not be full and perfect symmetry.
Rather, this world operates on approximate symmetry. This can be observed in the sizes
or shapes of your eyes and facial structure in which both sides may not perfectly match
as mirror images but only approximations (Ragans, 2005).
Radial Balance
This is a type of balance where the design of the art piece radiates from the central
point and an outward direction. An example of radial balance is the mandala. Mandala
is a representation of personality in the theory of Analytic Psychology of Carl Jung. For
him, a healthy personality is defined by balance of all forces, hence, a radiating or radial
balance. Another example of radial balance are flowers or plants that follow a radial
pattern. Functional designs like wheels of automobiles, gears and structured are based
on radial Balance (Ragans, 2005).
Informal Balance
There are artists that choose to portray a more casual and less planned art. Most of the
time, their outputs have informal balances. But this is not an indication of less aesthetic
value. Rather, these artists have less conventional approaches by employing abstracted
and complex balance portrayal. In effect, when you perceive their works, your point of
view is not usually drawn towards the middle, but usually in the irregular positions of
the space.
How to Present Informal Balance in Art
In most cases, these types of art are interpreted to be accidental arrangements. But
learning more on the intent would indicate a deeper meaning to their informal balance.
Artists usually consider the placement of the objects and elements and put them
accordingly to emphasize the imbalance. To this end, artists do not only use this as an
aesthetic but also a part of the story telling and meaning extraction process.
[Link] and Contour
There may be arts that have competing sizes of elements such as one thick line over
several thin lines, one large circle over small circles etc. But having the number of the
smaller sizes increase more than the large ones can still create a balance, more so, an
informal one.
Contours are also a way of showing informal balance Caricatures are examples of how
contours can emphasize informal balance such as having a big bead over a small body,
or a big nose and eyes on a small face. These are common in some editorial art pieces
Also, a common contouring of informal balance is the cartoon character, Johnny Bravo,
with a big body frame on a relatively small pair of legs

[Link]
There are artists who intend to magnify some colors within a space. To activate informal
balance, emphasizing a specific color may create this expression. Artists creating book
covers may employ colors to express imbalance in color emphasis. This is intended for
viewers to draw their attention over the area with the more intense color. Examples of
these are the book covers of Fifty Shades of Grey of E.L. James that seek to emphasize
the Grey elements of the book cover.

[Link]
Contrasting the value of objects and background can create formal imbalance. For
example, when you are tasked to create a certificate employing informal balance, you
may choose to have a blank white sheet of paper with emphasized red slab on the left
side. In this regard, the point of view among the viewers may be drawn to the left side
because of the dark red slab which carries heavier value than the white sheet.
[Link]
Creating a rough texture of pattern, highlight or shadows create informal balance. This
happens because of the details that a rough texture creates. This can be further
formalized by compensating areas of the space that contain smoother surfaces. In most
posters used in advertising, there is a necessity to consider the kind of font you use to
create impression of a rough texture. This is necessary to draw the point of view on the
font or text more than its design.
e. Position
In visual art, a large object near the dominant area of the work can be balanced by a
smaller object placed farther away from the dominant area. In this way, a large, positive
shape and a small, negative space can be balanced against a small, positive shape and
a large. Negative space.

3. PROPORTION
Proportion is the principle of art that is mostly concerned with how the sizes of objects
and some elements relate to each other. The idea of proportion started during the time
of a Greek Philosopher, Pythagoras who believed that the world or the universe
operates on a constant mathematical equation. Amused by these beliefs, Euclid
explored around the mathematical possibilities of explaining the nature of the universe
and discovered that there is such a thing as a perfect ratio. This ratio is called the
Golden Mean where a line is “a line divided into two parts so that the smaller line has
the same proportion, or ratio, to the larger line as the larger line has to the whole line”.
It was believed that this was the ideal and most perfect proportion. This is usually
expressed in terms of I is to 1.6 or 1/1.6 (Ragans, 2005).
The Golden Mean has gained so much popularity that this concept has been applied to
human figures. It was also believed that human figures have the ideal proportion. When
Greece died as a civilization, se did this concept. But in its rediscovery, it was then
called the divine proportion. The art of the past was mostly influenced by this. In the
creation of sculptures among their leaders, the ratio was used as a basis and was
always given importance. These statues that they created were like the real persons
they made the statues for. However, modern art today started to reject the restrictions
of the Golden Mean. They believed that following this limited the ability of artists to
explore on possibilities and that there should be no fixed rule on how to perceive the
processes and complexities of artwork (Ragans, 2005).
Scale
A scale refers to the relative size of an object measured from a standard reference. This
is different from proportion in that the latter is measurement relative to other elements
of the space while the former is based on a standard measurement. For example, a 6
foot volleyball player may not look tall when he is with his team members, This is
proportion. But when you see this volleyball player standing on a measurement scale,
our perception may differ from when he is with his teammates. This is scale (Ragans,
2005).
In designing art, there are two sources of scale First is the scale that is based on the
work itself and the other is the scale of the objects and elements within the design. For
example, the Pyramids of Egypt are the first type of scale while the art forms and
pieces found within them are the second type of scale. Also, these art pieces found
within have different applications of scale as well such as the painting of Nakht and wife
Such painting demonstrates scaling as way to emphasize the hierarchical system that
operated in the Ancient Egyptian regime. This was manifested in the enlarged scale size
of Nakht and wife while they observed their smaller scaled servants in service of them
through hunting, fishing and farming (Ragans, 2005).
With the use of scale, some artworks may provide illusions to perception. Some objects
may appear larger or smaller than they should. If you have tried checking online
shopping platforms like Lazada or Shopee. There may be products that are scaled to
look bigger or smaller but you end up receiving the orders that have different sizes from
what you originally perceive them to be (Ragans, 2005)
But scales must be functional as well. For instance, interior designers and architects
should be able to scale accurately the blueprint of their designs to ensure that furniture
and internal equipment could fit according to the plan (Ragans, 2005).
Sometimes, distorting scales may become necessary as to express a valuable message.
Given as the example above, caricatures are also applications of proportion as there
may be exaggerations to certain parts of the human figure. But for other cultures,
especially West Africa, they use exaggerated scales of head in their art as this
represents life and intelligence. This belief was inspired with the enlarged head of their
divine ruler named “Oba” which guarantees them prosperity and fortune (Ragans,
2005).

4. Variety, Emphasis, Harmony and Unity

Variety is the principle of art that breeds interest to the viewers or audience. Emphasis,
on the other hand, improves the variety by creating different levels of emphasis to draw
areas that may draw audience attention. Usually, the subject is the focal point of the
art, but less emphasis or intensity should not mean less attention. Rather, they have
less emphasis based on the value of importance to the piece of work. Harmony happens
when there is equilibrium in variety and emphasis. But unity is the wholeness or
oneness of the artwork. This is achieved when the elements and the principles are
utilized effectively to convey the wholeness of an (Ragans, 2005).
Variety
To establish effective variety, artist must maximize the application of differences and
contrasting. For instance, if an artist chooses to create an art with just one shape or
color, this may look boring and monotonous,lacking variety. In effect, attention of the
audience may be of short [Link] integrating different elements and applying different
principles provide art a sense of variety. This gives the viewers or audience the
perception that the artist is breaking the repetitive cycle.
Emphasis
In specific artworks, there are aspects that are given emphasis. Usually, the subjects
are given more intensity in color, more definition in contours and outlines, etc. This is
the process of ensuring that these aspects are the more important elements of the art
form. With different levels of emphasis, it may be expected that viewers and the
audience should spend more time on giving their attention to the dominant elements
and narratives.
The two types of visual emphasis are (1) the element that dominates and (2) the area
on the space that dominates over others.

[Link] elements
Through this process, the element of art is deemed to be more important while
subordinating the other elements. Some artists do this to separate a specific element
from others and showcase their skill on this aspect. Example is when one art uses
mostly pencil in sketching may signify the artist intention to show his sketching
capabilities. Some artists do not sketch and immediately paint on a canvas without
outlines convey the ability of the artist to draw and create a cohesive image by
subordinating sketching (Ragans, 2005).
[Link] Area
An artwork’s focal point is an emphasized area. This specific area may be considered as
superior to other areas for it is expected to carry the viewers’ attention to that area.
However, it is also possible to have more than one focal point. But doing so may create
confusion. If this was the interest at hand, then the artist may be free to do so to
achieve the ambiguity the artist intended to do. Some artists may not even have a focal
point or emphasized area such that the whole space is the full focal point (Ragans,
2005).
Techniques in Emphasis
[Link] - This can be done through contrasting of hues, intensity and value of
colors In terms of lines, heavy shading and cross-hatching are ways of emphasizing the
subject or area.
[Link] - This is a process of providing a mechanism for the subject to be isolated
from other elements,
[Link] - The center of the space is mostly considered the focal point of most art
works. Most subjects or objects can be placed in the middle to create emphasis
[Link] - This is a more complex technique that utilizes the elements to point
at a direction of a focal point. The process of convergence directs the viewers using
elements to converge at a focal point.
[Link] - The most complex of the approaches is the use of unconventional
mechanisms. Bizarre and unexpected approach can be made for emphasis such as
putting a gun on a bed of roses, a girl in a group of boys, yellow chair in a pile of black
chairs etc. the focal point, hence, should be the one odd out.
Harmony
Artistic harmony is the principle that facilitates the process of unity by recognizing the
importance of separate elements and subjects but are somehow related to each other,
In music, harmony happens when notes are combined, and they create blending tones.
The pleasantness produced by the sound is based on the complementarity of the notes,
In visual harmony, these elements or subjects are made to relate with each other
creating pleasant or cohesive visuals (Ragans, 2005)
Colors can harmonize by using the different applications of contrasting such as
complementarity, split complements or analogous colors. Shapes can manifest harmony
when they tend to overlap or create the impression of relatedness among them. For
example in a house a triangular shape roof harmonizes with the square shaped house.
Or in the creation of art rooted from nature, combinations of free-from shapes create
harmony in an art space (Ragans, 2005).

Unity
If you remember, the introduction part of this Module talked about the Gestalt principle
of unity and wholeness. Art, in the same regard, is supposed to be created and
perceived as the sum of its parts. Elements and some principles of art will cease to
become meaningful if they do not unite with the rest of the whole art piece. Lack of
unity in art is a hodge-podge art. Li does not convey cohesiveness. It will lack meaning
and it will lose its artistic value (Ragans. 2005).
To create unity, these are some considerations you can adopt:
[Link]
Choosing to employ variety is a critical period in the planning phase of art. Too many
uses of variety can be bad in the art form because it lacks economical sense. By limiting
the variations to workable variations, you also allow the art to focus on the special
properties of the few elements of principles. Hence, art does not have to use all
possible
techniques to implement the elements. Rather, the best approach is edit and limit the
qualities that need to be shown as only deemed appropriate to the subject and content.
[Link]
Unity can be achieved when there is repetition. Usually applied in large scaled art
production like architecture of buildings and other infrastructure, repetition has always
been used to create a unified space. For example, the white house is repeatedly colored
white across the whole building. The building beams are similar across the four
structures. Making sure that the structure is well- blended with the surroundings,
repetition is a technique that does this (Ragans, 2005).
[Link]
Limiting negative space creates convergence of objects. Therefore, the converging
objects tend to cluster together. This convergence could mean unity because you limit
the ability of negative space to create distance. For example, if you wish to portray a
group of people conversing, the unifying theme of the art is by putting those people
close to each other in create that impression of relatedness among them (Ragans,
2005).