Formal Elements

The formal elements of art, also called the visual elements, are the basic units and the means artists use to create and design works of art.

Some formal elements are point, line, shape, space, value (light and dark), color and texture. With these simple elements an artist can create whole worlds of visual experience.

The formal elements are means for creating different kinds of visual order in a work of art by manipulating materials. These materials are discussed in the lesson "Medium".

The arrangement of the formal elements is "composition," which is discussed in the lesson "Composition."