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The Elements of Art

THE ELEMENTS OF ART

The building blocks of visual expression 

Over thousands of years, we have developed more efficient and effective ways of describing art.  Artists and people who study art created a system for identifying the components that make up a work of art.  They are called the Elements of Art. These key elements are the building blocks used by artists to create a work of art.

A simple summary of the elements of art. The %22ABCs%22 of art.:  
Elements of Art by Museoleum 

The Elements of Art include:

  • Line
  • Space
  • Shape
  • Texture
  • Form
  • Color
  • Value

The elements of art are important for several reasons. First, and most importantly, a person can't create art without utilizing at least two of them. For example, a sculptor, by default, has to have both form and texture in a sculpture, because these elements describe objects that are three-dimensional.

Secondly, knowing what the elements of art are enables us to analyze a work of art that an artist has created, and communicate our thoughts and ideas about a work of art using a common language.