Which element of design refers to the area that an object of occupies?

The 7 Elements of Art

The elements of art are the "building blocks" of art. This is the vocabulary we use to describe works of art. 

Line A path created by a moving point, mark or object. It is a dot that takes a walk. A line can be straight, swirly, wavy, jagged, dotted, dashed, broken, thick, thin, zig zag, diagonal, vertical, horizontal, curved, bold, parallel or perpendicular.

Shape A two-dimensional (2D), flat enclosed area. When a line crosses over itself it creates a shape. Examples of shapes could be geometric, organic/natural, irregular, circle, square, rectangle, diamond, oval, crescent, heart, triangle, octagon.

Color The element of art derived from reflected or absorbed light. Color adds interest and mood to a work of art. It is also referred to as "Hue". The primary colors are red, yellow and blue. The secondary colors are created by mixing the primary colors. They are purple (violet), orange and green.

Texture How something feels or looks like it would feel if you could touch it. There are two kinds of texture: Real (how something actually feels, such as a sculpture) and Implied (when an artist paints or draws a texture but it is artificial).

Form Objects having three dimensions (3D), or height, width, and depth. You can walk around a form. Examples of form can include cubes, cylinders, and spheres.

Value The lightness or darkness of an object; the degree of lightness or darkness in a piece of art; or the effect of light and shade on objects in a picture. Value vocabulary includes tint (adding white to make something lighter), shade (adding black to make something darker) and hue (the true color). Shadow, highlight, and light source are also some vocabulary words to consider with this element of art.

Space The element of art that refers to the emptiness or area around or within objects. Positive space refers to the part of the artwork that takes up space. Negative space is the area around that object. This element of art also refers to the "parts" of the picture... Foreground, Middle ground and Background!

http://www.greececsd.org/webpages/akirkebye/index.cfm?subpage=29493

Principles of Design

Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and space. If the design was a scale, these elements should be balanced to make a design feel stable. In symmetrical balance, the elements used on one side of the design are similar to those on the other side; in asymmetrical balance, the sides are different but still look balanced. In radial balance, the elements are arranged around a central point and may be similar.

Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewer’s attention. Usually the artist will make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The area could be different in size, color, texture, shape, etc.

Movement is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the work of art, often to focal areas. Such movement can be directed along lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art.

Pattern is the repeating of an object or symbol all over the work of art.

Repetition works with pattern to make the work of art seem active. The repetition of elements of design creates unity within the work of art.

Proportion is the feeling of unity created when all parts (sizes, amounts, or number) relate well with each other. When drawing the human figure, proportion can refer to the size of the head compared to the rest of the body.

Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly to create a feeling of organized movement. Rhythm creates a mood like music or dancing. To keep rhythm exciting and active, variety is essential.

Variety is the use of several elements of design to hold the viewer’s attention and to guide the viewer’s eye through and around the work of art.

Unity is the feeling of harmony between all parts of the work of art, which creates a sense of completeness.

 

https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf

Space, the final frontier. Well, not exactly, but when it comes to graphic design it’s pretty important to “explore” (pun intended) its use. In fact, the use of space within a design is often a factor that is not considered enough, especially regarding how it can be used to compliment the other elements of design. So to begin, let’s determine what constitutes space.

Featured Image: Posters by Warsheh licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Other posts in this series:

How to Apply the 7 Elements of Design to your Work. Element 1: Line.

How to Apply the 7 Elements of Design to your Work. Element 2: Shape.

What is Space?

Space can be described as the distance around and/or the area between design objects or elements. As an example, if you were to place an image on a page, the area that does not contain the image would constitute space. Furthermore, this can be called white space (if placed on a white page) or negative space.

Negative Space

It is all too easy just to concentrate on the shapes (images, text, graphics) we place on a page when generating a design and forgetting about the negative space that surrounds them. Even something as simple as page margins needs careful consideration to ensure this negative space is used to it’s full potential. Negative space gives the eyes a place to rest, which in turn helps the reader to consider and absorb the other elements on the page. As a result, the underlying message of the design is better communicated.

Have you ever heard the term “this design is very busy”? Or have you seen a design and thought, “man, this gives me a headache just looking at”? This is most likely due to the fact that there is not enough space surrounding the elements. Space visually organises elements on a page; it helps to create focal points, special relationships and areas of interest.

Tips for Using Space in Your Designs

  • The use of space is particularly important when your design contains many of the other elements of design.
  • Larger page margins will give a page a more ‘upmarket’ look and make it easier to follow.
  • Carefully consider the placement of imagery that contains people so they have space to gaze or look into.
  • To tie objects or elements together, only use small amounts of space between or around them.
  • You can highlight an object (making it a focal point) by using large amounts of space around it.
  • Don’t be afraid of space. There’s no need to fill up every area on a page. Remember, space gives the eyes a place to rest!

Examples of Space in Design.

Below are a number of examples that showcase how space has been successfully used in everday design.

Which element of design refers to the area that an object of occupies?
Which element of design refers to the area that an object of occupies?

Unfold Sound of Yoga by Martin Sitta licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0

Unfold Sound of Yoga

This is a great example of using white/negative space within a layout. Take note how there very few elements on each page; however, with careful placement the layout is still well balanced. This has produced a very clean, contemporary and calming layout which is well suited to the topic. Another concept to consider is that the layout portrays the ying and yang symbol with the use of strong positive shape and negative space. Again, this is indicative of the topic.

Which element of design refers to the area that an object of occupies?
 

Posters by Warsheh licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Poster

This example highlights the importance that both negative and positive space can have within a design. Negative space should be considered as a shape/s within a design that holds as much importance as the other elements. As seen here, the negative space tells as much of a story as the positive space.

Which element of design refers to the area that an object of occupies?

Valley Roofing Logo by Curtis and Walsh licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0

Negative space can be cleverly used within logo design. In this example, imagery has been incorporated into the negative areas of the typeface, which has resulted in a flawless integration of both logo and type. This is called a Logotype.

Final Words

Now that you have an understanding of negative space within design, make sure you consider this when designing your next piece. Remember, each time you create a shape within a design you are in turn creating negative space.

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Which element of design refers to the surface quality of the shape?

Texture is the surface quality of a shape - rough, smooth, soft hard glossy etc. Texture can be physical (tactile) or visual.

Which element of design refers to the area that an object of Q pies?

Space. Space, or depth, is the eponymous property of our 3-dimensional world. It refers to the area that a shape or form occupies.

Which elements of art refers to the area that is occupied by an object or a subject as well as the area surrounding that object or subject?

space: Real space is three dimensional, sculptures occupy real space. Space can also mean the artist's use of the area within the picture plane. The space occupied by the subject of the artwork is called positive space. The space around the subject is called negative space.

What are the elements of design?

What Are the Elements of Design? The elements of design are the fundamental aspects of any visual design which include shape, color, space, form, line, value, and texture.