Paint and brushes

by James H. Pence

Have you ever heard of the seven elements of art?  

Actually, there's a difference of opinion on the number of elements. Some people suggest only five, others six, but most lists include seven. If I were to give you a pop quiz right now, could you list them?

If you plan to teach art at home, the elements of art are foundational. So today's blog is focused on helping you understand the elements and incorporate them into your homeschool art curriculum.

Here's a list of the elements. Some of the terms are self-explanatory, but others might need a bit of explanation:

Line - Just look around you and you'll see lines everywhere. Thick and thin. Short and long. Straight and curved. Zig-zagged.

Shape - The next step up from a line is a shape. Circle. Triangle. Square. Trapezoid. (Sounds like we're back in geometry class!)

Form - A form is a shape with dimension. Whether it's an actual object or a drawing of something that is rendered to look like it's 3-D.

Texture - Smooth, rough, bumpy, jagged, shiny, dull.

Space - Space is a bit tricky, especially when you're thinking in terms of a "flat" painting. Essentially, space is the area taken up by an object. However, often artists will use "negative space" (the space around an object) in their work. 

Color - As opposed to a "neutral" such as gray, black, or white.

Value - The lightness or darkness of a color.

Now that you know the basic elements of art, how do you teach them to your children? Here are several Web sites and videos that may be of help. Check them out:

  • This link will take you to a brief "slide show" that covers the basic elements: 

http://www.slideshare.net/kpikuet/elements-and-principles-of-art-presentation

  • The following is a link to a YouTube video clip on the elements of art:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBem1EeO88w

  • This Web page lists the elements and links to some examples of each:

http://gigaweb.brigantine.atlnet.org/ARTiculationFinal/MainPages/ElementsMain.htm

  • This page from the National Gallery of Art lists five of the elements and illustrates them with paintings from the great masters:

http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/elements/index.shtm

  • The following article from arthistory.about.com explains why the elements are important.

http://arthistory.about.com/cs/reference/f/elements.htm