Activity #7 Identify and Describe the Visual Elements of Art in a Two-Dimensional Work

Instructions: If your instructor has asked you to write about just a few visual elements, answer the questions in the activity only for what you need. If you have a choice, decide what the most important visual elements are for your work that will give you the most to explore. For every question on the left about the visual elements of art in a two-dimensional work, fill out your answer in the box to the right. Bolded terms are defined in your book. You can use this color wheel to help you answer the questions on color in the activity.

Questions about the Visual Elements of Art: Line	Your Answers
Where are the lines and what do they look like?
What is the direction of many of these lines?
What type of emotion, mood, or feeling do the lines suggest?
Where do you see actual lines?
Where do you see implied lines (if there are any)?

Questions about the Visual Elements of Art: Shape	Your Answers
What do the shapes look like?
Which shapes are geometric (if there are any), and which are organic (if there are any)?
Are there more geometric or organic shapes?
What type of emotion, mood, or feeling do the shapes suggest?
Where do you see positive and negative shapes?
Where do you see overall shapes (if there are any)?

Questions about the Visual Elements of Art: Texture	Your Answers
Where do you see actual texture?
What would the actual texture feel like?
What type of emotion, mood, or feeling does the actual texture suggest?
Where do you see simulated texture (if you see any)?
What would the simulated texture feel like?
What type of emotion, mood, or feeling does the simulated texture suggest?

Questions about the Visual Elements of Art: Light and Value	Your Answers
What different values do you see and where do you see these?
Where do you see any significant changes between light and dark values that affect the expression of the work (if there are any)?
What type of emotion, mood, or feeling do the different values and changes in values suggest?
Where do you see chiaroscuro (if there is any)?

Questions about the Visual Elements of Art: Color	Your Answers
What are the hues?
What are the values of the colors and where do you see these?
What are the intensities of the colors and where do you see these?
What type of emotion, mood, or feeling do the different hues, values, and intensities suggest?
What is the color scheme (if there is one) and how do you know it is that scheme?
What type of emotion, mood, or feeling does the color scheme suggest?

Questions about the Visual Elements of Art: Space	Your Answers
What are two methods through which the artist shows the illusion of three-dimensional space and where do you see these methods (if there are any)?
What is a method through which the artist emphasizes the flatness of the picture plane and where do you see this method (if there is one)?

Questions about the Visual Elements of Art: Time	Your Answers
What are two methods through which the artist makes us aware of time and where do you see these methods (if there are any)?