What element of art by which positive and negative areas are defined or a sense of depth is achieved in a work of art?

In terms of art, space is the area around, above, and within an object.  With consideration to drawings and paintings, our goal is to create the illusion of space.

Many new artists overlook the importance of creating space in a drawing or painting.  The result usually looks flat or objects can appear to be floating.  Luckily, however, creating space in an artwork is very simple to accomplish and there are a number of ways to it.

There are six ways an artist can create the illusion of space on a 2-Dimensional surface.

Overlapping - occurs when objects that are closer to the viewer prevent the view of objects that are behind them.

Placement on the paper - Objects placed higher within the picture plane will appear further away.

Size - Objects that are smaller will appear further away from the viewer.

Detail - Objects that are further away should have less detail than objects that are closer to the viewer.

Color and Value - Objects that are further away are cooler in color temperature, while objects that are closer are warmer.  Objects that are further away are lighter in value, while objects that are closer are typically darker in value.

Perspective - Linear perspective is a drawing method that uses lines to create the illusion of space on a flat surface.  There are three types of linear perspective.  Two are displayed on this page.

One point perspective uses one vanishing point to accomplish this illusion.

Two point perspective uses two vanishing points to create the illusion of space.

Terms

Space - element of art, refers to the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or within objects

PositiveSpace - the shapes or forms of interest

Negative Space - the empty space between the shapes or forms

3-D Space can be defined as the space over, under, through, behind, and around a form.  Architecture, sculpture, weaving, ceramics, and jewelry are three-dimensional art forms

2-D space can best be described as an illusion.  We perceive depth by creating an illusion of 3-D space on a 2-D surface.

Point of view - refers to the angle at which you view an object.

Illusion of form - is manifested by creating an image with a range of value.  By accurately placing highlights and shadows an artist can create the illusion of form.

Chiaroscuro - An Italian word that means the arrangement of light and shadow.  Today chiaroscuro is also called modeling or shading.

Illusion of depth - is manifested through the use of several factors:

Perspective - a graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volume on a two-dimensional surface.

Overlapping - when one object covers part of a second object, the first seems to be closer to the viewer.

Size - Larger objects appear to be closer to the viewer than smaller objects

Placement - Objects placed low on the picture plane seem to be closer to the viewer than objects placed near eye level

Detail - objects with clear, sharp edges and visible details seem to be close to the viewer.  Objects that are less detailed seem further away

Color - Brightly colored objects seem closer to you, and objects with dull, light colors seem to be further away

An Introduction to Visual Language, from a Novice.

When talking about art, design, and visual language, there is a shared vocabulary. Words that, in just a few letters, convey a visual idea as fundamental as the elements in the periodic table.

I’m just a novice on this subject, having only formally studied Art and Creative Design for a couple of weeks, but here, I’ll try to cover the 7 formal elements of art, and explain a little about each one.

Line

A line is simply an element defined by a point moving in space. A line may be two-dimensional, like a diagonal line or a curved arc, or 3-dimensional, moving through the X,Y and Z axes.

Lines can outline a shape or form, but they can also be implied, through the use of space or the edge of a object.

Shape

A shape is an element of art which is two-dimensional. That means that it is flat, or limited to height and width. Shapes can be geometric – like a square, hexagon or circle – or they can be organic and free form.

Form

A form is an element of art which is two-dimensional. That means that it is “3D” and has height, width and depth. Examples of “forms” are cubes, pyramids and spheres. But any three-dimensional shape is also a form.

Value

Value is the name given to the lightness or darkness or tones and colours. The lightest value is white, and the darkest is black. The value exactly halfway between these two tones is calls “middle gray”, unimiginatelively.

Space

Space is an element of art where positive and negative areas are defined or a sense of depth is achieved within a work of art. In digital design, this is most often called “Negative Space” and refers to the space between elements, rather than the space occupied by elements on a screen.

Colour (or Color)

Colour, as a fundamental element, is made up of three properties: hue, value, and saturation.

Hue is the name of the colour, such as red or green.

Value is the lightness or darkness of the colour, achieved through the addition of black or white. Dark and light would be values of red or green.

Saturation is the quality of the brightness and purity of a colour. A colour with high saturation is strong and bright. A colour with low saturation is faint and dull.

Texture

Texture refers to the way things feel – whether you’re touching the thing or looking at something and imagining what it may feel like. Textures include soft, hard, smooth, rough, sharp, blunt, and more.

By bringing these fundamental elements together, artists and designers are able to share a vocabulary and ideas, aiding in communication.

And by understanding these words, you’re better able to describe a piece of art or an object and work out why the artistic and design decisions may have been made.

Which element of art is referred to as positive and negative?

What is the element of art that refers to the way things feel or look as if they might feel if touched?

What element of art has positive?

What are the elements of art that you see and what are their specific functions in your artwork?