Elements of Design

Line | Shape | Texture | Value and Color | Space

Here is a short introduction to graphic design theory, explaining the different aspects of design which are considered when composing a piece of fine art or producing a graphic layout in commercial art. I call it classic theory because it forms the basis for many decisions in design.

LINE

A line is a form with width and length, but no depth. Designers use visual lines to create edges, outlines of objects. A line is created by the angle of type or images.

Line Direction - The direction of a line can convey mood.

Horizontal lines are calm and quiet,

Vertical lines suggest a potential for movement,

Diagonal lines strongly suggest movement and give a feeling of vitality to a layout.

Line as Contour and Gesture

Lines used to follow the edges of forms are called contour drawings

Designs which seem to depict more movement than actual outlines are called gesture.

Line as Value

Lines or crosshatching can also be used to create areas of grey inside a drawing. These areas of darker shading inside a figure, called areas of value, can give a more three-dimensional feeling to an object.

SHAPE

A shape is an enclosed object. Shapes can be created by line or by color and value changes which define their edges.

Volume and Mass

Shape is considered to be a two-dimensional element, while three-dimensional elements have volume or mass. Therefore, a design has shapes, while a sculpture has volume and mass.

Positive/Negative shapes

In a design, the shapes that the designer has placed are considered the positive shapes. The spaces around the shapes are the negative spaces. It is just as important to consider the negative space in a design as the positive shapes. Sometimes designers create layouts that have no distinction between positive and negative spaces.

TEXTURE

Texture is the surface quality of an object. We experience texture when we touch objects and feel their roughness, smoothness or patterns. Texture is the designer’s way of mapping these tactile impressions on to the two-dimensional picture. Texture is created by varying the pattern of light and dark areas on an object. Notice how the areas of light and dark give the impression of depth to the layouts below.

VALUE AND COLOR

Value 

Value refers to the relative lightness or darkness of a certain area. Value can be used for emphasis. Variations in value are used to create a focal point in a design. A light figure on a dark background will be immediately recognized as the center of attention, similarly for a dark figure on a mostly white background. Gradations of value are also used to create the illusion of depth. Areas of light and dark can give a three-dimensional impression.

Color

Color occurs when light in different wavelengths strikes our eyes. Objects have no color of their own, only the ability to reflect a certain wavelength of light back to our eyes. As you know, color can vary in differing circumstances. For example, grass can appear gray in the morning or evening or bright green at noon. Colors appear different depending on whether you view them under incandescent, florescent or natural sunlight. Colors also change according to their surroundings. You can see this by looking at the color squares below - the reddish outline box is the same color in all the examples.

Color and value will be covered more extensively in a later class

SPACE

Illusion of Space and Depth

We live in a three-dimensional world of depth. When we look around us, some things seem closer, some further away. The designer can also show the illusion of depth by using the following means:

Size & Vertical Location

Since objects in our environment look smaller when they are farther away, the easiest way to show depth is to vary the size of objects, with closer objects being larger and more distant objects being smaller. As well, we perceive objects that are higher on the page and smaller as being further away than objects which are in the forefront of a layout.

Overlapping 

When objects are partially obscured by other objects in front of them, we perceive them as further back than the covering objects. We do not see them as incomplete forms, just further back.

Detail

Detail uses color, value contrasts and focus to show depth. Objects which are further away generally have less distinct contrast - they may fade into the background or become indistinct dark areas. The foreground objects will be clear with sharper contrast.

Linear Perspective (Converging Lines)

Linear perspective is based on the idea that all lines will converge on a common point on the horizon called the vanishing point. You have observed linear perspective when you notice that the lines on the highway appear to meet at a point in the distance. Designers use linear perspective to create a focal point for a picture. These lines converging lead our eyes towards that point. Often, the most important object or person in the picture will be located at that point. You can see in the design above how all the lines in the drawing seem to lead your eye toward the plane in the center back of the poster.