Formal Elements. Research.

The visual elements have been a staple for artists and art viewers in creating the composition of pieces and developing a better understanding of the work. There are seven elements; line, shape, colour, form, texture, pattern and tone, each express different qualities such as movement, rhythm, space, growth, structure etc..  and they each have a relationship to one another for example most drawings begin as line and when lines cross one another it forms shape, the shape can be filled with colour or tone which can be repeated to create patterns. The main elements I will be focusing on are line, shape, form and colour as they are most relatable to my practice and the minimalism movement.

Line is the first and most variable of the formal elements as well as being the foundation of all drawing. Within an artwork line can be used in many different ways, it can be used to express other formal elements like shape, form but can also suggest growth, structure, depth, distance and a range of emotions. The style of line and the way the line is drawn can have a psychological response for viewers and have expressive qualities.

The topic of shape is subjective and can portray different qualities. Shape can be ‘man-made’ or natural, two-dimensional (2-D) or three-dimensional (2-D) but can also be descriptive or abstract. Shape almost definitely coincides with other formal elements, when 2-D without line there can be no shape and shape is usually filled with colour and tone. When shape is 3-D it takes a ‘form’ connecting the positive and negative space. The perspective of shape can change depending on our view point through the curves and angles. The behavior of shapes comes with connotations of its own, square and rectangular shapes portray strength and stability whereas circles and ellipsis can represent continuous movement.

Within art works we use colour as a use of initiating a mood or atmosphere which has a strong effect on our emotions. There are many different approaches to the use of colour and artists use these depending on the art work they are creating. Colour can be used as light, tone, pattern, form, movement or as a symbol.

Form is the physical volume of a shape or object and the space that it occupies. Like shape , form can be 2-D or 3D and can also be representational or abstract but more generally in 3-D form as a sculpture, design or architecture. 3-D form is created using sculptural materials like wood, clay, plaster and constructed metal and can be manipulated by modelling (adding to) , carved (subtracting) or constructed (built form). It can also be kinetic, involving light and movement generated by Natural, mechanical and electronic means.