Elements of Design: Form, Shape and Space (Area or Volume)
Design elements are the basic units of a visual piece that make up a painting, drawing, design, etc.These elements include:These basic elements of design form and shape are areas which define objects in space. Form and shape are elements that give your jewelry dimensional sense and feeling. Artists add width and height to create two dimensional form and it can illusion of three dimensional objects. Three dimensional
shapes have depth as well as width and height. Form and shape can be organic or geometric. Naturally occurring designs are considered organic forms. Beauty of Nature can be a great source of inspiration in artists design ideas. Geometric forms are those which correspond to regular common shapes such as squares, rectangles, circles, cubes, spheres, cones and so on which are found in architectural designs. Consider the space around an object since it can distract or drw viewers attention especially when you want
to highlight a stone or a specific focal point.
The principles of designs are concepts used to organize or arrange the elements of design. This is the way which effects the visual message of a design. A principle is something that is repetedly and dependably done with elements to produce some sort of visual effect in a composition or principle is that it is a way to express a value judgement about a composition.
Use the elements of design to create works of art that will talk to the soul. Use of elements like line, texture, shape and movement give their art a sense of movements that brings the viewer to a different realm of reality and makes you think and ponder.
The eye between two parallel lines will never see them at so great a distance that they meet at a point. All the cases of perspective are expressed by means of five mathematical terms, to wit: point, line, angle, surface and body.
Point: The point is unique of its kind, and this point has neither height nor breadth, nor lenth nor depth, wherefre we conclude that it is indivisible and does not occupy space.
Line: A line is of three kinds, namely straight, curved and bent, and it has neither breadth, height nor depth, consequently it is indivisible except in length; its end are two points. Line is a mark made by a moving point. It can have a great psychological inpact according to its direction, weight and variations in its direction and weight. It is helpful in a visual and verbal ways. It is a symbolic
language, as well as it communicates emotions through its character and direction. It incorporates feelings into jewelry. Horizontal lines suggest a sense of rest or repose and vertical lines communicate asense of spirituality as seen in great cathederals. Diagonal lines suggest a feeling of movement or direction. In two dimensional work they are used to indicate depth or illusion. Curved lines send a message of soft, shallow curves suggesting comfort, safety, familiarity and relaxation. The recall the curves
of human body, and therefore have a pleasing and sensual quality.
Uses for lines in design
Contour line: A line that defines or bounds an edge, but not always the outside edge, could represent a fold or color change.
Divide space: A line that defines the edge of space can also be created by a gap of negative space. Many uses include to separate columns, rows of type, or to show a change in document type.
Decoration: Lines are used in linear shapes and patterns to decorate many different substrates, and can be used to create shadows representing tonal value, called hatching.
Angle: An angle is the ending of two lines in a point, and they are of three kinds, namely right angles, acute angles and obtuse angles.
Surface: Surface is the name given to that which is the boundary of the bodies, and is without depth, and is such depth that is indivisible as is the line or point, being divided only in the respect of length and breadth. There are many different kinds of surfaces as there are bodies that create them.
Body: Body is that which has height, breadth, length, and depth, and in this attributes it is divisible. These bodies are of infinite and varied forms. The visible bodies are of two kinds only, of which the first is without shape or any distinct or definite extremeties, and these though present are impercetible and consequently their color is difficult to determine. The second kind of visible bodies is
that of which the surface defines and distinguishes the shape and is divided into opaque and transparent.
Color: Color is used to create emotion, something the weared will emotionally enjoy. This is a very powerful principle to employ. Create different emotions with different colors. Good color can be used to create drastic contrasts just as hierarchy, size, scale, and dominance.
Types of color (general)
Primary color: The three colors that are equal distant on the color wheel and used to make up all other colors; red, yellow, and blue.
Secondary color: A mixture of two primary colors including green, violet, and orange. Secondary colors are a way to have more vibrant colors.
Tertiary color: Colors formed from a primary and a secondary color like yellow-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange.
Perceptual attributes of color
Hue: The redness, blueness, and greenness of a color.
Value (lightness): Tints and shades of colors that are created by adding black to a color for a shade and white for a tint. Creating a tint or shade of a color reduces the saturation.
Saturation: Give a color brightness or dullness.
Ways color can guide the reader
Aids organization: Develop a color strategy and stay consistent with those colors.
Gives emphasis: Create a hierarchy or color that leads the reader to the important information. An example of perceptional emphasis though color is highlighting important text in red.
Provides direction: Using warm and cool colors to relate parts with each other. Warm colors move elements forward and cool colors move them back. Display text using warm colors behind a cool color background will stand out and direct the readers eye.
Shape: A shape is a self contained defined area of geometric or organic form. A positive shape automatically creates a negative shape. A shape is defined as an area that stands out from the space next to or around it due to a defined or implied boundary, or because of differences of value, color, or texture. All objects are composed of shapes and all other 'Elements of Design' are shapes in some way.
General Categories of Shapes
Mechanical Shapes (Geometric Shapes): These are the shapes that can be drawn using a ruler or compass. Mechanical shapes, wether simple or complex, produce a feeling of control or order.
Organic Shapes: Freehand drawn shapes that are complex and normally found in nature. Organic shapes produce a natural feel.
Texture (visual arts): Meaning the way a surface feels or is perceived to feel. Texture can be added to attract or repel interest to an element, depending on the pleasantness of the texture.
Types of texture
Tactile texture: The actual three-dimension feel of a surface that can be touched. Painter can use impasto to build peaks and create texture.
Visual texture: The illusion of the surfaces peaks and valleys, like the tree pictured. Any texture shown in a photo is a visual texture, meaning the paper is smooth no matter how rough the image perceives it to be.
Most textures have a natural feel but still seem to repeat a motif in some way. Regularly repeating a motif will result in a texture appearing as a pattern.
Space: In design, space is concerned with the area the design will take place on. For a two-dimensional design space concerns creating the illusion of a third dimension on a flat surface.
Major Methods of Controlling the Illusion of Space
Overlap: Where objects appear to be on top of each other. This illusion makes the top element look closer to the observer. There is no way to determine the depth of the space, only the order of closeness.
Shading: Adding gradation marks to make an object of a two-dimensional surface seem three-dimensional.
Five Kinds of Shading Light: Together these shadows and highlights give an object a three-dimensional look.
HighlightTransitional Light
Core of the Shadow
Reflected Light
Cast Shadow
Linear Perspective: A concept relating to how an object seems smaller the farther away it gets.
Atmospheric Perspective: Based on how air acts as a filter to change the appearance of distance objects.
Form
Form is any three dimensional object. Form can be measured, from top to bottom (height), side to side (width), and from back to front (depth). Form is also defined by light and dark. There are two types of form, geometric (man-made) and natural (organic form). Form may be created by the combining of two or more shapes. It may be enhanced by tone, texture and color. It can be illustrated
or constructed.
Value: Value is the lightness or darklness of a color. Value is also called Tone.
Direction: All lines have direction - horizontal, vertical or oblique.
Size: Size is simply the relationship of the area occupied by one shape to that of another.
Patterns: Repeating a shape more than three times in a regular design makes a pattern. Patterns are enjoyable and makes design more organized.
Conceptual Elements: Point, Line, Plane and Volume. They are the invisible building blocks of all your design efforts. They are the structure of the building and indicate a notion, an expression, not the actual element itself and are born out of a point.
Visual Elements: Shape, Size, Color and Texture. When conceptual elements are noticed they become visual elements. When you depict them, these elements acquire a shape, a size, a color and a surface. Visual elements are the prominent features that are evident to the viewer. They are used to define the message and intent of the jewelry design.
Relational Elements: Direction, Position, Soace, and Gravity. The relationship between the visual elements, your composition, should be in tune with the conceptual elements. The composition of visual elements in the composition will naturally illustrate the message.
Arranging Lines and Figures in Space: Figures and shapes can be arranged together in various fashions. Centralized forms have the visual dominance of a regular and centrally located shape and have geometric orders that structure them. Linear forms arise from proportional variations in shape size or from the disposition of figure along an axis. A linear form may be fragmented or curved. Radial forms are
composed of linear elements radiating from the center. Grouped forms do not require a geometric layout. Recicular forms are an assembly of parallel lines separated in a regular pattern that intersect with each other.
