Line A line is a dot that went for a walk. There are many kinds of lines, but there are two line families.
The Straight line family includes math lines like horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. But also lines like zig-zag, toothed and crooked.
The Curved line family includes lines like arched, bumpy, wiggly, curly, squiggly, spiral, swirl, and dotted.
However, lines can be geometric and organic like shapes. Lines can also expressive, or showing emotions like bold, and playful.
Shape A shape is a line that went for a walk. There are many kinds of shapes, but there are three shape families.
The Geometric shape family includes shapes with names, like the math shapes: square, circle, rectangle, oval, diamond (rumbis), and triangle.. They are shapes you might find in man-made places or things like a chain link fence, a machine, or a house..
The Free Form shape family includes shapes that are imaginary, without names, and might remind you of something. Like a thing-a-ma-bod, a whatcha-ma-call-it, or a who-di-whitzit. You might say, "That looks like bubbles," and then you know you have a made-up, imaginary shape that is free-formed.
The Organic shape family are shapes from nature.. For example, your hand, a leaf, a cloud, or a flower. The can be imaginary, which is why sometimes people use Free Form and Organic. to name these shapes.
Color The colors we see come from the sun's energy. The colors come in an order, and you can see them in a rainbow.
Roy G. Biv is a learning tool used to remind us of the rainbow color order: Red, orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, (Indigo), and Violet. Violet is a science word for purple.
There are many things to learn about colors. Primary is a color family that includes red, yellow and blue. These colors make all other colors. Secondary is a color family that includes orange, green and violet. Warm is a color family that includes red, orange and yellow. These colors look closer to the viewer. Cool is a color family that includes green, blue, and violet. These colors look farther to the viewer.
Value The lightness or darkness of tones or colors. White is the lightest value; black is the darkest. The value halfway between these extremes is called middle gray.
There are two kinds of shadows that occur when one light shines on an object, a cast shadow and a form shadow. Cast shadow: When an object blocks a light source it creates a shadow. A cast shadow is not a solid shape but varies in tone and value. The farther a cast shadow is from the object the lighter and softer and less defined becomes its edges. Form shadow: A form shadow is the less defined dark side on an object not facing the light source. Form shadows are subtle shadows, but they are essential for creating the illusion of volume, mass and depth.
Texture Texture is how something feels when you touch it. Texture words are adjectives, or describing words, but not all describing words are textures so it's tricky! Yum, yuck, and gross don't count, those are opinions.. And temperature words like hot, cold, or warm don't either.
Think of your family pet, or falling in a cactus, or gum on the bottom of your shoe. Words like fluffy, soft, hairy, furry, fuzzy, or even scaly, might remind you of your pet. Prickly, pokey, and sharp are used to describe a cactus, not ouch. Sticky, gooey, gummy, stretchy, slimy, can be used to describe gum on you shoe., but not eeewwwwww!
Look in your yard, the sky, or even your refrigerator, and see what textures you can find and use them in your next story!
Space Positive Space, is the area of the thing you are drawing, like a fish or a lamp. Negative Space, is the area around the thing you are drawing, often called background.
However Background, Middle Ground and Foreground are used to make a picture look like it has depth, or goes back in space, while still being on a flat piece of paper.
The background is way in the back of your picture where things are small because they are 'far away.' Middle ground is in the middle of the picture, where things are mid-sized and have a little more detail. Foreground is very close to you, large, with lots of details.
Can you see a tree a mile away? What color is the bark? What if you were sitting under it?
Form Form is not flat.
Flat is two dimensional meaning wide and tall, but form is 3 dimensional meaning wide and tall and deep, as well. You can walk all the way around form. You can find form is math too!
Your body has form, your house has form, even your pillow has form.
Artwork that has form includes sculpture, pottery, architecture, and furniture.. When making artwork with form, you should look at all sides of your work, turning or moving around to the back and sides to check for mistakes or places that more detail is needed.