THE BASICS OF DESIGN
Before we dive into creating, let’s take a moment to explore the building blocks that make artwork come alive. The elements of design are tools you’ll use again and again—sometimes intentionally, sometimes instinctively—as you sketch, paint, and play. Think of this section as a gentle guide, not a set of rules. There’s no pressure to master everything at once. Instead, allow yourself to notice, experiment, and grow curious about how these elements show up in your work. As you move through the exercises, remember: learning happens through doing, and every mark you make is part of the process.
Elements of Design
The elements of design are the building blocks of every piece of artwork. In this course, we’ll focus on the following elements: color, value, shape, size, line, and texture. Understanding how these work together will help you create artwork that feels balanced, interesting, and full of life.
Color is made up of hue, intensity, and value. These three qualities work together to create mood, emotion, and visual impact in your artwork. The way you choose and combine colors plays a huge role in how your piece feels to the viewer.
Value is the main ingredient for defining shapes and forms. Without value, the eye can’t clearly recognize form. Light and dark areas give depth, contrast, and structure to your work—making everything feel more dimensional and alive.
Shape is a closed, defined area. Shapes can be organic and free-flowing, or structured and angular.
Size refers to the relationship between shapes within your piece. Varying sizes is key to creating visual interest and movement.
Line functions as the foundation of your drawing or painting. Straight lines can feel stiff and predictable, while varied line work adds energy and personality. Lines can suggest direction, emotion, and character. Keep your work lively by experimenting with broken, curved, dotted, and continuous lines.
Texture creates the feeling of different surfaces—hard or soft, furry or smooth, rough or crackly. Texture can add depth and interest, but knowing when to use it is just as important as knowing how. Used thoughtfully, texture can bring your artwork to life.
Handouts:
The attached handouts are designed to help you better understand how the elements of design are used and woven into your creative decisions. Please download them and work through each exercise at your own pace. Take your time—there’s no rush. Once you feel confident that you’ve absorbed the ideas and explored them in your own work, you’ll be ready to move on to Lesson Two.