The Visual Art Elements Unit for upper years is a comprehensive educational program designed to deepen students’ understanding of the fundamental components that form the basis of visual art. This unit focuses on seven elements: line, shape, form, color, value, texture, and space. By studying these elements, students gain essential tools for analyzing and creating artworks.
Line is the most basic element of visual art, described as a mark that connects two points. Lines can vary in width, direction, and length, and they often define the edges of forms and shapes in an artwork.
Shape refers to a two-dimensional, enclosed area. Shapes are flat and can be geometric (like squares and circles) or organic (such as those found in nature). Students learn to recognize and create both types of shapes.
Form builds upon shape by adding depth, making it three-dimensional. Forms can be viewed from various angles and typically include cubes, spheres, cylinders, and pyramids.
Color is perhaps one of the most expressive elements of art. The unit explores color theory comprehensively, including the color wheel to understand primary, secondary, tertiary colors, as well as concepts like hue, saturation, and brightness.
Value pertains to the lightness or darkness of a color. It defines how light falls on an object and can give the illusion of depth.
Texture relates to how things feel or how they look like they might feel if touched. In art class, students might work with various materials to understand surface quality.
Lastly, space refers to the area around or within components of a piece of art. Students learn about positive and negative space and how artists use perspective to create the illusion of depth in a two-dimensional work.
Throughout the Visual Art Elements Unit for upper years, students will engage in various hands-on projects that strengthen their skills in observing these elements in existing artwork while also incorporating them into their own artistic creations. This unit lays a vital foundation for any further study in art or design fields and enriches students’ visual literacy which can enhance their personal enjoyment and critique of art throughout their lives.
