formal art element

In art, any of the eight visual elements or components that form the basis of the ‘language of art’: colour, line, form, shape, value, space, movement, and texture. Knowledge of the formal art elements is important when developing and analysing works of art. The artist will consider these elements, based on the design principles, when creating a work; the viewer looks at the work in its totality, as the eye will usually blend the parts together, picking out the separate elements only when analysing the piece. The study of art and art history requires an extensive understanding of each element.