7 Principles of Art | An Overview from The FrameStore (2024)

When it comes to art and design, there is a foundational language that includes 7 art principles that help people communicate across all cultures and barriers. These principles are crucial to evaluating the different elements of a piece; they represent how an artist uses the elements of art to create their piece and share their vision.

While the elements of art include shape, color, line, value, form, space, and texture, the principles of art are something a little different. What are the 7 principles of art? Read on here to learn more from the experts at FrameStore.

1. Balance

When experts talk about balance, they’re referring to the way an artist combines the different elements of art to create visual stability and equilibrium within the work. Everyone knows about the most common types of balance — symmetrical and asymmetrical — but you might also hear people talking about radial symmetry. Radial symmetry refers to a piece with different elements placed around a central point in a circular pattern.

You don’t have to be an expert to feel an imbalance in a work of art. If a piece makes you feel visual discomfort, something might be off in the balance principle of art.

2. Movement

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The second of the 7 art principles is movement. Have you ever looked at a painting or sculpture and felt like it was moving? An artist has used the elements of art to create a feeling of action because they are guiding your eye through the piece to make it feel more alive.

3. Rhythm

This principle is almost like the heartbeat of a particular piece. It also indicates movement through the careful, repetitive placement of the elements within the work. This visual tempo can make a piece of art evoke different emotions that make a viewer feel the intentions of the artist, whether calm or frantic.

4. Pattern

This component of the 7 principles of art refers to the repetition of a particular design element. The pattern could be varied or exact and helps to establish the rhythm of a piece. Anything could become a pattern through repetition, from dots and spirals to weaves and stripes.

5. Contrast

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When defining this principle of the 7 principles of art, experts talk about how the artist arranged the opposite elements in the piece. These opposites may include light and dark, large and small, rough and smooth textures, and negative and positive space.

Areas of contrast generally command your attention as a viewer, and you’ll find that your eye is drawn exactly where the artist wishes it to go.

6. Unity

If every element of the 7 principles of art are harmonious within a given piece, then a viewer has a sense of completion when looking at the work. Artists want their paintings or artwork to feel complete without falling into monotony. There must be a balance between unity and variety, or else a piece feels too boring or too chaotic.

7. Emphasis

The emphasis of a piece of art is where the artist has created a sense of interest. It can use any of the 7 principles of art to draw your eye to a particular place. Some artists use patterns to draw the eye, others prefer to use contrast, and a few like to use rhythm. Each artist has their own ideas for how to emphasize a piece.

Learn More About Art

7 Principles of Art | An Overview from The FrameStore (3)

Now that you know what the 7 principles of art are, you can approach your museum visits with a much more critical eye. Think deeply about how a piece uses these principles to evoke emotion and lead you on a visual journey.

7 Principles of Art | An Overview from The FrameStore (2024)

FAQs

What are the 7 principles of art? ›

The Principles of Art (balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, and unity/variety) represent how the Elements of Art (line, shape, color, value, form, texture, and space) are used by an artist to create a painting, drawing, or other work of art.

What are the 7 fundamentals of art? ›

The seven elements of art are line, shape, space, value, form, texture, and color.

What are the seven 7 principles of design how does the proper use of these principles of design affect the art viewer? ›

The principles of design are a designer's guidelines to create a compelling and appealing composition. Emphasis, balance and alignment, contrast, repetition, proportion, movement, and white space are the cornerstones of the principle of design.

What are the 7 basic principles of design? ›

The fundamental principles of design are: Emphasis, Balance and Alignment, Contrast, Repetition, Proportion, Movement and White Space. Design differs from art in that it has to have a purpose. Visually, this functionality is interpreted by making sure an image has a center of attention, a point of focus.

What are the seven 7 most common elements of art? ›

The seven most common elements include line, shape, texture, form, space, color and value, with the additions of mark making, and materiality. When analyzing these intentionally utilized elements, the viewer is guided towards a deeper understanding of the work.

What are the 7 rules of composition in art? ›

The Elements of Composition are, in Western art, generally considered to be: Balance, Contrast, Focus, Motion, Pattern, Proportion, Rhythm and Unity. Balance: Is there a symmetrical or asymmetrical arrangement? Symmetry can add a sense of calm, orderliness, whereas asymmetry can lend a sense of unease, imbalance.

What are the 7 forms of art explain? ›

Seven arts may refer to: The traditional subdivision of the arts, being Music, Sculpture, Painting, Literature, Architecture, Performing, and Film.

What are the correct 7 elements of art 10? ›

It discusses the seven elements of art - line, shape, space, value, color, texture and form. For each element, it describes its definition and examples. It then discusses the principles of design - unity, variety, balance, emphasis, contrast, repetition and rhythm, and scale and proportion.

What is considered the 7th art? ›

Canudo subsequently added dance as a precursor to the sixth—a third rhythmic art with music and poetry—making cinema the seventh art.

Why are the 7 principles of design important? ›

The elements, or principles, of visual design include Contrast, Balance, Emphasis, Movement, White Space, Proportion, Hierarchy, Repetition, Rhythm, Pattern, Unity, and Variety. These principles of design work together to create something that is aesthetically pleasing and optimizes the user experience.

Why were the 7 principles created? ›

The 7 Principles of the US Constitution

The importance of this document stems from its establishment of seven key principles that have guided the nation's governance. These principles were deliberately structured to limit government power and ensure that the freedoms and rights of the people were safeguarded.

What are the seven purposes of art? ›

“art works can help us to remember what matters; they also lend us hope; they dignify sorrow; they expand our horizons; they help us to understand ourselves; they rebalance us; and lastly they make us appreciate the familiar anew.”

What are the seven 7 principles of arts and design? ›

The principles of art and design are balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, and unity or variety. The use of these principles can help determine whether a painting is successful, and whether or not the painting is finished.

What are the 7 elements of design explain? ›

The elements of design are the fundamental aspects of any visual design which include shape, color, space, form, line, value, and texture. Graphic designers use the elements of design to create an image that can convey a certain mood, draw the eye in a certain direction, or evoke a number of feelings.

What are the principles of art and their definitions? ›

PRINCIPLES OF ART: Balance, emphasis, movement, proportion, rhythm, unity, and variety; the means an artist uses to organize elements within a work of art. Rhythm. A principle of design that indicates movement, created. by the careful placement of repeated elements in a work of art to cause a visual tempo or beat.

What is the 8 principle of art? ›

The principles of art are the way that the visual elements of art are explained. The principles of art include balance, emphasis, rhythm, movement, proportion, harmony, and variety.

What are the 7 elements of visual art? ›

The 7 basic elements of visual art are SHAPE, LINE, SPACE, FORM, TEXTURE, VALUE, AND COLOUR. These elements are the building blocks of art that help the artist communicate. These elements help us in understanding the piece of art more clearly.

What is the 10 principle of art? ›

They are color, form, line, shape, space, texture, and value. The ten common principles of art are balance, emphasis, harmony, movement, pattern, proportion, repetition, rhythm, unity, and variety. Many of these concepts are not only related to one another but also overlap to create an artistic vision.

What is balance in the 7 principles of art? ›

The principles of design describe the ways that artists use the elements of art in a work of art. 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.

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