Elements and Principles of Design

Line is the most basic building block of formal analysis. Line can be used to create more

complex shapes or to lead your eye from one area in the composition to another.

For this photo I used the black line on the bottom of the pool because this dark line

leads the viewers eye to the design or focus on the bottom of the pool. The rest of the

space on the bottom of the pool is blue, so this line focuses the viewers eye right on it.

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. For this photo I used towels hanging on the wall to show the degree of light

and dark within the picture. The towels are all different elaborate colors so the tones

between each towel color really stand out.

Shapes are created when lines are combined to form a square, triangle, or circle. For

this photo I used the a square tiling pattern that was found on a high wall in a pool.

These squares show the definite shape and help the wall come to life a little.

Forms are three-dimensional shapes with length, width, and depth. Balls, cylinders,

boxes and pyramids are forms. For this photo I used a traffic cone that is placed on the

end of diving blocks in the pool. This traffic cone photo shows the shade around the

cone to show the viewer that it actually is a three-dimensional shape. The whole at the

top of the cone also allows the viewer to see its dimensions.

Space is the area between and around objects. Increasing or decreasing the amount

of space around an object affects the way we view that object. For this photo I took a

picture of a cart full of water weights. The little to no space I between each water weight

shows you how full the cart is.

Color differentiates and defines lines, shapes, forms, and space. Even black and

white images have a huge number of different shades of gray. For this photo I used

backstroke flags that are hanging in the pool. The majority of the empty space around

the flags is blue and green. The bright coloring of the blue, yellow, and red flag show the

exact line the make the flag have triangle shapes.

Texture is the surface quality that can be seen and felt. Textures can be rough or

smooth, soft or hard. Textures are often implied. For instance, a drawing of a rock might

appear to have a rough and hard surface, but in reality is as smooth as the paper on

which it is drawn.For this photo I used the tile flooring on a pool deck which showed the

raised edges from each side on the tile.

Balance is created in a work of art when textures, colors, forms, or shapes are

combined harmoniously. For this photo I took a high angle shot to balance the

difference between the water, the edge of the pool, and the pool deck. It is clear in this

photo that the water and the tiling on the pool deck have two complete different textures

and color.

Contrast is the use of several elements of design to hold the viewer's attention and to

guide the viewer's eye through the artwork. For this photo I used stability pillars on the

pool deck. Each pillar is painted a different color so although there are many on the

same object in the picture the colors allow the viewers eye to travel looking at the entire

picture as a whole.

Movement is the way a viewer's eye is directed to move through a composition, often

to areas of emphasis. Movement can be directed by lines, contrasting shapes, or colors

within the artwork. For this photo I used a lifeguard bouncing a basketball. You can

clearly see that the basketball is in motion in the picture, as well as the definite circular

shape on the ball coming of the ground bouncing back into his hand.

Emphasis is created in a work of art when the artist contrasts colors, textures, or shapes

to direct your viewing towards a particular part of the image. For this photo I used the

water mushroom in the pool. The mushroom is extremely larger than all the other things

in this picture. The size of the mushroom definitely directs the viewer toward it as a

particular part of the image.

Pattern is the repetition of a shape, form, or texture across a work of art. The light

reflecting off of the waves in the water creates a pattern in the bottom half of the image.

For this photo I used the lifeguard fanny packs that are hanging on the wall. Every

single one of there fanny packs are the exact same but the way they are hung show a

difference between each one.

Proportion is created when the sizes of elements in a work of art are combined

harmoniously. For this photo I used a lifeguard up close to the viewer can focus there

attention primarily on the guard. You can notice in the background another lifeguard

climbing down from the guarding chair and how little that person looks in the photo

compared to the lifeguard up close. Also in the pool you can see how little all of

swimmers look which makes the focus on the lifeguard up close much more important.

Unity is created when the principles of analysis are present in a composition and in

harmony. Some images have a complete sense of unity, while some artists deliberately

avoid formal unity to create feelings of tension and anxiety. For this photo I used three

patio chairs to show harmony. You can see in the photo that the chairs are evenly

spaced out in the picture and each chair is the exact same. Having the picture taken like

this shows the balance within the picture.