Elements of Art - Space

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The elements of art are the most basic building blocks or parts of all visual arts studies. You may think of the elements as the ingredients. Just as bread is made of flour, salt and water, art is made of ingredients called 'The elements of art.'  There are 7 elements of art:

1. line
2. shape
3. form
4. space
5. value
6. color
7. and texture

Space is kind of like volume because it is three dimensional  but refers to the area around the objects and is sometimes called the negative space.  Even though space is empty, it is very much a design element.  The illusion of space is created through linear perspective, the disappearance of color and the disappearance of detail. 

1. Linear perspective, in this case is shown by the reduction in size of the planets. Things appear to get smaller as they go back into space.
2. Color has power. Color seems to become less intense as it gets further away. In Photo Shop the desaturate tool makes this effect.
3. Perception of detail and clarity decrease as things go back into space. This effect may be created in Photo Shop using the blur tool.

Even though Photo Shop gives us powerful tools to create the illusion of space, keep in mind, painters have been creating these effects by mixing color and stippling for a very long time. Leonardo Da Vinci recorded these devices to show the illusion of space during the Italian Renaissance.

The following illustration of space, created in Photo Shop shows all three of these characteristics:

Quicky Quiz

1. Is space 2 or 3 dimensional? ____
2. Is empty space a design element? ____
3. Name three devices artists use to create the illusion of space. ____
4. Name an artist famous for having used these devices. _____