Government of Manitoba
Art Language and Tools

Art Language and Tools (A-L1) »
Students demonstrate understanding of and facility with the elements and principles of artistic design in a variety of contexts.

 

Students who have achieved expectations for this grade are able to

Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
use art media, tools, and processes to explore and demonstrate understanding of the elements and principles of artistic design

5-8 A-L1.1
Appendix B: Elements of Artistic Design
Appendix C: Principles of Artistic Design
describe in detail, the characteristics of art elements observed in art works and in the natural and constructed environment

5-6 A-L1.3

  
analyze how specific principles of design can be applied to the organization of art elements in artworks

5-6 A-L1.4

 demonstrate an integrated understanding of the elements and principles of artistic design in analyzing visual components in artworks and in the natural and constructed environment

7-8 A-L1.4
use appropriate art vocabulary to explain the use of art elements and principles in own compositions

5-8 A-L1.8
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Key Concepts: Elements of Artistic Design
Elements of Artistic Design
Line
  • line types: primary and secondary contour, gesture, line as value (hatching, cross-hatching), implied lines
  • line weight (e.g., thick, thin, light , heavy, varied)
  • line direction (e.g., horizontal, vertical, diagonal, spiral)
  • physical characteristics (e.g., straight , curved, zigzag, undulating)
  • emotive or associative characteristics (e.g., powerful, tentative, delicate, skyline, branching lines)
Colour &
Value
  • colour wheel: primary, secondary and tertiary hues
  • colour values: light and dark, tints and shades
  • intensity: bright and dull
  • colour relationships: complementary, analogous, monochromatic
  • emotive, associative qualities (e.g., peaceful, energetic, angry, juicy, blah, fresh)
Texture
  • actual texture (texture that can be felt through touch as in the actual wood grain on a plank of wood)
  • visual texture (texture that is implied through line, colour, and shape, as in the image of a wood grain on a plastic tabletop) 
  • physical characteristics (e.g., rough, smooth, jagged, wavy, prickly)
  • emotive or associative characteristics (e.g., cozy, feathery, gentle, bold, earthy, industrial)
Shape & Form
  • shapes are two dimensional (2D) and have length, and width
  • forms (solids) are three dimensional (3D) and have volume (length, width, and depth)
  • descriptors for the physical qualities of shapes and forms include: geometric, organic, symmetrical/asymmetrical, positive/negative)
  • shapes may also be described using other elements (e.g., a blue shape with jagged edges, a smooth form) or by associative characteristics (e.g., a delicate shape, a natural form, shaped like a ….)
Space
  • pictorial space:  the space represented in a two dimensional image
  •  actual space: in three dimensional objects or in the environment, space is the emptiness or volume between, around, above, below  and within
  • pictorial space may give the illusion of depth through the use of
    • line: for example, the use of a horizon line and/or converging lines (as in linear perspective) can suggest a deep space
    • colour: warm & bright colours seem to come forward, cool colours seem to recede
    • shape: shapes can appear to overlap; diminishing sizes of repeating shape can appear to be further away
    • texture : for example, objects represented with greater texture and detail may appear to be closer than objects with less texture and visible detail
  • spaces may be described in terms of spatial zones: foreground, middle ground, background
  • spaces may also be described in terms of physical, emotional and associative qualities (e.g., shallow, deep, airy, claustrophobic, vast, cluttered)
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