VISUAL LANGUAGE: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF 2D DESIGN

VISUAL LANGUAGE

What is visual language? 

In animation we had a whole class devoted to the subject, but at the time our assignments made little sense to me when they were compared to the title of the subject.  

I remember one assignment where we were asked to design a tree.  I picked up my sketchbook, did various observations of trees, and eventually ended up drawing a tree made of three Fates.  

The above are some of the observational sketches I made for the final assignment shown below.

"The Three Fates" (2003)

I thought I did a good job, but apparently I was wrong.  Many of my visual language assignments earned low marks, leaving me extremely frustrated, hating the subject, and hating the stupidity of my teacher, who clearly had no idea how to communicate his lessons to ignorant students like me!

The problem, looking back, was that I had no idea what "visual language" meant, and therefore I did not consider using "visual language" to complete my design, but instead worked from my gut--and in this case my gut was a sadly ignorant, uneducated organ.

So that you would not make the mistakes I made, I will interpret "visual language" in a way I have come to understand the meaning of the words.

Simply put, visual language is an artist's way of communicating his views, feelings and thoughts through his artwork.

Just like any other language, it has its words and grammar, and just like any language these words and grammar must be learnt, so the artist could communicate well.  The more words you know and the more proficient your use of grammar, the more fluent your speech.

Just as you cannot learn a spoken language in a day, do not expect to learn visual language in a day.  It will take time, careful observation and study, but if you are persistent, one day you will be able to communicate through art exactly what you want your audience to understand.  

It will take more than one article for me to teach you visual language, and I confess that most likely I am not as proficient in the language as I would like to be, but I can set you on your way.  So, let me begin at the beginning.

VISUAL LANGUAGE: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF 2D DESIGN

I do not work in sculpture, and though I am sure these elements and principles can be applied to sculpture as well, when I speak of them, I will be thinking in terms of two-dimensional design.

In visual language, elements of design would be your "words", while principles of design would be your "grammar".  Or to put it another way, elements of design are the tools you will use, while principles of design are blueprints you will follow to create a work of art that will communicate your thoughts.

It has been quite a while since I had to think of these elements and principles of design and define them in any way, so before writing this article, I decided to do some research...

The more I researched the more confusing the whole subject became, because there is not a single source that interprets elements and principles of design in the same way; there is not even a collaborative agreement on how many elements and how many principles of design are there in the mysterious world of art.

However, after Googling for hours, with a pulsing headache creeping between my eyes, I did manage to come to some sense of order. 

Therefore, allow me to present the elements of design.  They are:

point, 

line,

shape, 

form, 

size, 

value, 

texture 

and colour.  

The seven principles of design I learned in high school are too few for serious artistic purposes, so in addition to them I have added the ones taught to me in my 2D Design class as part of the Art Fundamentals Course at Sheridan College.  I'm sure cases could be made to include more principles of design than the ones I will list here, but these are the ones I decided to include for the purpose of this article: 

movement, 

direction,

balance, 

repetition and episodicity, 

contrast and gradation, 

harmony,

unity,

variety, 

emphasis and neutrality, 

fragmentation,  

proportion, 

distortion and accuracy, 

economy and intricacy, 

flatness and depth, 

predictability and spontaneity, 

regularity and irregularity, 

sequentiality and randomness, 

sharpness and diffusion, 

singularity and juxtaposition, 

subtlety and boldness, 

transparency and opacity, 

understatement and exaggeration...

The following articles will deal with each element and principle of 2D design in depth, so that by the end, there will be little confusion of what is expected of you in terms of understanding the visual language.  For now, I will define the elements and the principles of design in the simplest way possible.

THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

     Point

     A dot. A period. A mark; the simplest mark one can make as an artist, 
     therefore the simplest of all elements of design.

     Line

     A line can be visible or implied.  It can be an actual mark connecting two or
     more points, or an invisible connection between two or more points (or two 
     or more objects).

     Shape

     A shape is a two dimensional space enclosed by other elements of design 
    (line, shape, texture,...).  It can be geometric (regular) or organic (irregular).

    

     Form

     When a sense of visual depth is given to a shape that shape becomes a 
     form. (For example, a circle is a shape, while a ball is a form.)

     Size

     Size is a term used to define a relative comparison of one element of design (or 

     object/subject) to another, interpreting their length, width and/or visual mass.

     Value

     Value refers to the level of comparative lightness or darkness of an element 
     of design or an entire composition.  Value is most usually interpreted by 
     using something called a Value Scale.

     Texture

     Texture refers to the actual or "visual" feel of an element of design, individual 
     objects and subject, and/or of the entire composition.

     Colour

     Colour is the interpretation of light as it is seen by your eyes when that light 
     is reflected off the surface of your subject, or when it is refracted by a prism. 

THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

     

     Movement

     A way of using elements of design to create the illusion of movement in an
     artwork.

     Direction

     Using elements of design to guide the viewer's eye through an artwork.

     Balance

     Balance refers to the distribution of elements of design in an artwork.  There 
     are three types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial.

     Repetition and Episodicity 

     Repetition refers to the repetition of elements of design in an artwork.  Its 
     opposite is episodicity, meaning lack of repetition of a particular element 
     of design.

     Contrast and Gradation

     Contrast occurs when opposing elements of design (or even principles of 
     design) are placed in close proximity to one another.  For example, using 
     colours opposite each other on the colour wheel, light and dark values, 
     horizontals near verticals, etc.

    Gradation is opposite of contrast.  It refers to placing elements of design in 
     such a way to  lead the viewer through the changes in a gradual manner.  
     For example, starting with a black square and then adding white gradually 
     as you paint towards a completely white square in the end.

     Harmony

     Harmony is achieved in an artwork by using similar elements of design.

     Unity

     Unity is achieved in an artwork when all the elements of design support the 
     main idea, theme, feeling, etc. of an artwork.  However, be wary; unity without 
     variety makes for dull artwork indeed.

     Variety

     Variety in an artwork is achieved when elements of design are combined 
     in intricate and complex relationships, with enough changes to enhance 
     each other.  Variety with harmony creates unity, while variety without 
     harmony creates chaos.

     Emphasis and Neutrality 

     Emphasis in an artwork is achieved when an element of design is given 
     more prominence than other elements of design.

     Neutrality in an artwork is achieved when there are no prominent elements 
     of design; instead all elements appear of equal importance.

     Fragmentation

     Fragmentation in an artwork is achieved when elements of design are applied 
     in such a way to suggest pieces of the artwork are broken or missing.

     Proportion

     Proportion refers to size relationships in an artwork.

     Distortion and Accuracy

     Distortion refers to deliberate changes made to the subject of an artwork, 
     usually to express an idea or emotion of the artist.  A distortion can be as subtle 
     as creating an 8 head high figure to create a feeling of godly elegance, or as 
     deliberate as Mickey Mouse--a character that bears very little resemblance 
     to an actual mouse.

     Accuracy is the exact opposite of distortion.  In an artwork, it refers to an artist's 
     ability to copy (or crate) his subject, so the subject is represented as is in real life.

     Economy and Intricacy

     Economy in an artwork is achieved when the artist has used as few elements 
     of design as possible to represent his vision, subject, and/or structure.

     Intricacy, on the other hand, refers to adding unnecessary, but embellishing 
     details to the artist's vision, subject, and/or structure.

     Flatness and Depth

     Flatness in an artwork is achieved by arranging elements of design in a 
     way to only represent height and width of the subject.

     Depth is achieved when a third dimension is applied to height and width, 
     creating an illusion of a 3D space.  Depth is created by using principles 
     of linear perspective, areal perspective, contours, and/or overlapping.

     Predictability and Spontaneity

     Predictability in an artwork is achieved when an artist places visual clues 
     that lead the viewer on an expected path.  This has a lot to do with direction, 
     and/or repetition.

    Spontaneity in an artwork is achieved when there is no clear plan to the 
     artist's work, or a path the viewer can follow.

     Regularity and Irregularity

     Regularity and irregularity refer to the implied structure of an artwork.  
     This principle is related to balance, but it is more related to the geometrical 
     construction of the artwork.

     Sequentiality and Randomness

     Sequentiality refers to a clear sequence of design elements within the 
     artwork, or a sequence created by grouping individual pieces of artwork 
     in a logical manner.  

     Randomness is sequentiality's exact opposite.  There is no logic or reason 
     for the representation of design elements in an artwork, or in the grouping 
     of individual artworks.

     Sharpness and Diffusion

     Sharpness refers to clear separation of design elements in an artwork.

     Diffusion is the exact opposite; elements of design merge and blend 
     together, until their boundaries are indistinguishable, or at least blurred.

     Singularity and Juxtaposition 

     Singularity is achieved when only one element is present within the artwork.

     Juxtaposition refers to grouping many similar or different elements within 
     the artwork.

     Subtlety and Boldness 

     Subtlety in an artwork is achieved when the idea or the actual subject is 
     elusive, mysterious, and/or hard to grasp.

     Boldness in an artwork (or of the artwork) is crated when the idea and/or 
     subject is confidently assertive, and/or vivid.

     Transparency and Opacity 

      Transparency and opacity refers to the application of paint and/or the subject 
      matter. Paint is transparent when the viewer can discern the colour or surface 
      below the paint.  If all the viewer can see is the surface paint, that paint is 
      opaque.  When the subject matter is transparent, it means the viewer can see 
      through the subject of the painting as if he/she was looking through a window, 
      if the viewer cannot see anything behind the subject, the subject is opaque.

     Understatement and Exaggeration

     Understatement means the artwork is representing something in a restrained 
      way, without enough information.

     Exaggeration is to represent something as greater than it really is.  Usually it 
      involves some embellishment. 

Well, there you have it; elements and principles of 2D design listed and defined.  Since, many of these definitions make little sense if you've come across the concept for the first time, I will provide in depth information in my following articles and illustrate these concepts as they apply to art.

For now, read them over and think about them.  If you cannot wait for my explanations, I suggest you research the terms yourself, and try to find your own art examples.  To help you, I include a list of websites I've come across when researching information for this article.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, by commenting on this post, or by e-mailing me at art.help@artofmili.ca.

Till next time: Keep on sketching!

Mili Fay

References

http://www.canleyvale.hs.education.nsw.gov.au/Winning%20websites/art/pod.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principles_of_art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elements_of_art

http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/V.html

http://www.johnlovett.com

http://arthistory.about.com/cs/glossaries/g/c_contrast.htm

http://www.artincanada.com/arttalk/arttermsanddefinitions.html#d

http://www.ehow.com/about_6376213_definition-value-art.html#ixzz1s8CoMaqV

http://painting.about.com/od/artglossaryc/g/defcolor.htm

http://colour.pro/

http://www.studiocodex.com/shape01.html

http://www.creativeglossary.com/drawing/line.html

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/element.htm 

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/files/elements2.htm

http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/Compose.htm

http://www.bluemoonwebdesign.com/art-lessons-9.asp