Why are the elements and principles important? 

How will you use them in your essay and in future assignments?

In a full Formal Analysis, you are expected to identify at least 3 elements visually used in the image or object, 
and describe their use with one example from that artwork. 

Your example for an element or principle should include the use of the correct vocabulary and descriptive terms 
related to the elements of art or principle of design and how they are used and how they appear visually in the artwork.

Because you are expected to use that vocabulary and those descriptive terms, it is very important that you understand 
how they are used when describing an element. Sometimes there are similar terms applied to principles.

These words are adjectives that are applied to the elements and the principles to better describe in words 
what you are seeing when you look at the artwork.

These descriptive words are used in the text and also both PPTs. 
In the PPTs I have emphasized these terms to help you better understand that they are necessary 
to the written description of a visual experience.

Important descriptive terms for the elements include actual, implied, straight, curved, organic  and geometric.
There are more and they are identified and used in the PPT and in the text when applied to an element.
    BEWARE not all of these terms apply to each element. 
Line is regular (straight) or irregular (wavy), not geometric or organic. 
Shapes may be actual or implied and organic or geometric, but colors cannot. 
Colors can be warm or cool, but not strait or curved. 

Also, the descriptive terms do not stand-alone - they are not elements themselves. 
Actual, implied, geometric and organic ARE NOT elements by themselves. 

      They only describe how and element is made to look by the artist in the artwork. 

In an assignment like the ESSAY, I only want you to identify the three elements that are the 
most obvious (visually strongest) when you look at the artwork. 

The principles are often described by their visual effect. 
You identify the three principles that are the most obvious (visually strongest) when you look at the artwork. 
There are some useful descriptions in the Principles PPT to help you state the visual effect of their use. 
LOOK in the Principles PPT on the slides for individual principles to see this kind of descriptive term.
    For example, scale is usually described one of 3 ways smaller than life size, life size, or larger than life size.
Always state everything - do not assume the reader can see or automatically knows what you see.

LEARNING TO IDENTIFY THE ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES

I have provided two (2) documents that given you specific examples of identifying and giving an example, 
in sentence form, of the use of the elements and principles in a specific artwork.
The numbers at the beginning of the title refer to the chapters covered in that supplement.

            1.1-1.5 Elements Analysis for Formal Analysis

            1.6-1.9 Principles Analysis for Formal Analysis

These examples for identifying and describing how the elements and principles are used in a specific artwork 
will be useful when writing the ESSAY assignment and other future assignments.

Read the chapters and view the PPTs first.

Then come back to the two supplements to help you to complete paragraphs 2 in the ESSAY assignment.

ABOUT THE FORMAL ANALYSIS Elements and Principles Supplements

I am giving you more than 3 elements, AND more than one example of the use of each element. 
The same is true for the principles supplement.
This gives you examples of how to write out the description of the use of any element or principle. 
In assignments I only ask you to choose 3 of each, the three you see as strongest in the whole image. 
Then you should always give a simple clear example to show how it is used.

HINTS FOR PARAGRAPH 2 E&P Analysis part of Formal Analysis.

1. Pick ONLY the 3 most obvious elements and principles used in the image. 

      Do not do all of the elements. That will not get you more points in that paragraph! 

      You should choose only the 3 elements most visibly obvious or strongest to you! 

2. Always chose elements or principles that are actually used in the artwork.

      Do not say the artist did not use an element or principle and then say that lack of use

            is the example. That will earn no points at all in the grading.

For instance, don't choose the element of color if the image is black and white!

       “The artist did not use color in this image.” 

            Instead write about what they DID use.  

2. NAME each element and principle in the sentence, then continue with the 

            specific example of the VISUAL USE of that element or principle.

            In the sentence apply any appropriate descriptive terms for that element or principle.

3. Correct use of descriptive terms for elements and principles, and use of other 

            appropriate art vocabulary, IS part of the grading.

4. In the formal analysis of the elements and principles avoid interpretation or response. 

            Your example explanation of the use of an element is not about meaning or expression. 

            Your explanation is simply about describing what you see – visual – in the artwork. 

            You see wavy lines. You do not see anxiety – that is an emotional response that may go

                         in a different type of analysis.

            If you say, “The artist used the wavy lines to make the viewer feel disoriented.” 

                 That is not a description of what the lines look like and where in the image they are used.

            Instead you might say, “The artist used wavy lines in the sky and in the water. 
                This make those two areas visually similar.” That is a descriptive statement.

5. The implied or suggested meaning communicated to the viewer by the way the artist used the element or principle 

          may be used later within modes of analysis separate from Formal Analysis.

The most important hint for writing a successful ESSAY:

USE the paragraph by paragraph OUTLINE of the essay in the ESSAY Assignment document.
The outline is a specific and clear guide to writing the Essay and to getting the right 
information in the right paragraph.

Make sure all 3 parts are included in the same document.
        Only one file is submitted and it is a Word document that contains
             the Essay, the Bibliography and the Image of the artwork in ONE document.