The Elements of Design:

Line
    Line is the artist’s unique method of recording what is seen in the environment. Lines serve as the continuous edge of a shape. Lines are used by the artist to describe the contour or framework of an object as well as its individual parts.

      Awareness Statements About Line:

      1. Lines go in some direction. Examples: vertical, horizontal, diagonal, circular, meandering
      2. Lines can go in a given direction, return to touch themselves and create a shape. Example: square, circle, heart
      3. Lines can vary in pressure, width, and emphasis. Examples: thin, wide, bold, weak.
      4. Lines can show contour. Examples: the outside shape of a person, car, vase
      5. Lines can show framework. Examples: skeleton, spider web, wagon wheel, picket fence
      6. Lines can show detail. Examples: hair on head, wrinkles on face, bark on tree
      7. Lines can provide guidance. Examples: highway lane, tennis court, sidewalk
      8. Lines can define texture. Examples: brick wall, woven basket, stairsteps
      9. Lines can record activities. Examples: footprints, tire ruts, vapor trails
      10. Lines can enclose space. Examples picture frame, fence, window frame
      11. Lines are basically curved or straight. Examples: circle, square, diamond, shamrock
      12. Lines direct our attention to certain areas. Examples: arrow, newspaper headline, underlined words
      13.Line is used to create directional motion. Such motion creates mood. Examples:

      • diagonal- excitement (lightning)
      • horizontal- calmness (frozen pod)
      • circular-unity (ring)
      • vertical- aspiration (church spire)
      • radial - vitality (wheel)
Shape
    Shapes may be created by lines which merge, intersect, cross, meet or touch in some way. Shapes may be geometric (circle, square , rectangle , triangle) or geographic( leaf, seashell, feathers, cloud).

    Shape is the two-dimensional outline or characteristic of something which shows its form. Form may be defined as three dimensional shape.

Space
    In two- dimensional expression, space is sometimes described as the empty or negative areas between objects.

    In the study of three -dimensional art work, space is not considered since the object exists in the space which flows around it.

    The concept of space-in -depth refers to the art techniques used to help the viewer understand what is seen in relation to distance.

    Positive shapes and negative space are terms used to identify the concept of space in a composition. Positive shapes are the actual objects in the composition. Positive shapes are the actual objects in the composition. Negative space is the area around the objects or positive shapes.

Texture
    Texture is the surface treatment of an art form which is either implied or real. If the viewer can actually feel the surface of an art form and learn about the texture through contact, the texture is real. If the viewer must rely upon visual discrimination to learn about the texture of a certain part of a two dimensional form, the texture is implied.

    (examples of implied texture)

Color
    Color has three basic properties-- hue, value, and intensity. Hue refers to the name of the color , value refers to the lightness or darkness of the color and intensity refers to the brightness or dullness of the color.

    There are two types of color. Light ray color from the sun or the artificial light . Pigments are created by man. The artist deals with pigments to create a color or the impression of color.

    The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. The secondary colors are formed by mixing two primary colors. These colors are green, orange, and violet.

    The intermediate color are formed by mixing one primary and secondary color together. These are yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-orange, yellow- orange, and red-violet.

    Complementary colors are any two colors opposite each other on a straight line through the center of the color wheel, such as blue and orange, red and green, yellow and violet.

    Analogous colors are adjacent or neighboring colors on the color wheel.

    Triad colors are any three colors equal distance on the color wheel. Primary colors form one triad and secondary colors form another triad.

    Mono-chromatic color is a variation of any one color. Tones lighter than the raw color are called tints and are created by adding white. Tones darker than the raw color are called shades and are created by adding black or darker color.

    Moods of color refer to the warmth or the coolness of colors. Warm colors are red, yellow, and orange. Cool colors are blue, violet, and green.

The 10 Animation Ingredients (updated for computers)

  1. Pose to Pose
  2. Anticipation and Overshoot
  3. Follow Through
  4. Exaggeration
  5. Timing
  6. Balance and Weight
  7. Secondary Action
  8. Attitude
  9. Staging
  10. Squash & Stretch

    Pose to Pose

    This term is taken from ta traditional animator's technique of drawing key poses for the action, each morphing into the next. Computer animation is a little different in that every part of the body can have its own keys on different frames but the concept is the same. For example, an actor is posed holding a ball on the the first keyframe, he lifts the ball on the susequent key, reaches back on the next, and steps forward wit hhis arm ahead throwing the ball on the last keyframe.

    Anticipation and Overshoot

    If the viewer is watching another part of the screen, it takes about a fifth of a second (6 frames) after a new object moves before the viewer can refocus on that movement. Essentially, the viewer misses the beginning of the movemet, attention, called anticipation. These are the clues your character gives the viewer that something is about to happen. An example of anticipation is drawing backa character's foot before a big kick; by the time the viewer is watching, the leg will begin its swing. Other Examples:

    • The character's eyes may follow a pestering bee before a swat.
    • The camera pans to aflower the character is going to sniff.
    • A baseball player winds up for a hit.

    Movement that is important to the narrative especially requires anticipation, and for emphasis, the movement should overshoot. An example of overshoot is an arm stretching too far while ointing a finger, then snapping back.

    Follow Through

    We see the

 

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