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art history, examples of art, virtual museum and gallery tours etc

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Inside: The ultimate collection of principles of design examples and definitions, plus helpful resources for teaching the elements and principles of art.
The elements of art and principles of design are the fundamental pieces that make up an artwork. Most works of art will make use of many or all of the elements and principles of art. We often judge art by how effectively the artist used these design fundamentals even before we learn about them.

The elements of art are the building blocks of an artwork: color, line, shape, form, value, texture, and space. They are the tools artists use when creating an artwork. See Elements of Art Examples and Definitions for more on the elements of art.

The principles of design are how those building blocks are arranged: contrast, rhythm, proportion, balance, unity, emphasis, movement, and variety. They are the ways an artist can organize the elements of art to create a wide range of effects.

Each of these art fundamentals are closely related and many of them overlap. When combined, they produce a complete artistic vision.

Knowing the elements and principles of art boosts visual literacy. Artists and creators make more powerful works when they utilize the principles of art. When viewers are familiar with the elements of art, they become more aware of the details and can better appreciate what they see and the message behind it. Connecting with art makes us more empathetic and strengthens the fabric of society. In the age of the internet, understanding how and why advertisers make design decisions can empower students with information and make them less susceptible to manipulation.

I once said that I hate the elements and principles of art, but that's not quite accurate. The elements and principles of art are a lens through which to view and understand art, but they are not what makes art education vital. Art inspires higher level thinking, focus, a growth mindset, visual literacy, curiosity, respect, and connection. The elements and principles of design are an artist's toolbox. Knowing the tools not only improves students' studio art skills and gives them deeper appreciation when viewing artworks, it helps make them better, more informed citizens and prepares them for a visually complex and culturally interconnected modern world in need of creative problem solvers.

Below you'll find an explanation of each of the principles of design, including artwork examples and links to helpful materials for teaching the individual concepts.
Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made through these links help support Art Class Curator at no additional cost to you.
Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.
Click here to download the Elements and Principles Printable Pack.
Scroll below for each element or click the link to be taken to the appropriate principle of design:

Contrast

As a principle of art, contrast refers to the arrangement of opposite elements and effects. For example, light and dark colors, smooth and rough textures, large and small shapes. Contrast can be used to create variety, visual interest, and drama in an artwork.

In this example of contrast in art, Caravaggio created a scene of action and energy by contrasting both light/dark and directional lines.

Käthe Kollwitz adds contrast using the elements of art line, value, and shape, but she also adds contrast of emotion showing the despair of the mother in dark values and lighter sweeter elements like the heart on the chair in the background.

Contrast in Art Resources

Rhythm

Rhythm is a principle of design that suggests movement or action. Rhythm is usually achieved through repetition of lines, shapes, colors, and more. It creates a visual tempo in artworks and provides a path for the viewer's eye to follow.

In this rhythm example, the artist uses pattern, repetition of line, and contrast between curved and straight lines to create rhythm in art.

In this example of of rhythm in art, Mondrian repeats shape, color, and line to bounce the viewer's eye around the artwork.

In this fun rhythm in art examples video, the differences between pattern, repetition, and rhythm are described and put to music.

Rhythm in Art Resources

Proportion

Proportion is the size relationship between the various parts of an artwork. Artists can use the scale and proportion to create sensations such as depth, realism, disorientation, and drama.

The human figure is scaled to appear larger than the city skyline. The proportions could indicate depth of perspective or could symbolize the relationship of laborers in building a city.

In this example of proportion in art, the artist manipulates the individual proportions of the child as well as create varying size relationship (scale) between the objects in the painting and the child to create meaning in the artwork.

In this proportion in art example, the artist make the hands out of proportion with the rest of their bodies to enhance the meaning of the artwork. These men work with their hands, and their hands are needed for the .

Looking for more examples of proportion in art? Check out The Ultimate List of Proportion and Scale in Art Examples post!

Scale

Scale in art describes the size of one object in relation to another and also refers to our perception of perspective and proportion. Artworks that look realistic are scaled similarly to real world objects. Scale in art can also refer to the overall size of the work.

In this scale in art example, the artist uses scale to show the space or depth between the girl and the house in the background.

In this example of scale in art, Magritte plays with scale to create an amusing composition.

Hierarchical Scale

Hierarchical scale is a technique used in art, most often in sculpture and painting, in which the artist depicts objects with an unnatural scale to show their importance or lack thereof. This size manipulation draws the viewer's eye where the artist wants attention.

Ancient Egyptian artists are well-known for their use of hierarchical scale. In this example of hierarchical scale in art, the artist shows the man as largest (most important) and the child smallest (least important). The figures are in proportion within the figure but out of proportion with the other figures in the picture.

For more examples of scale in art, check out our proportion and scale in art blog post!

Proportion in Art Resources

Balance

As a principle of art, balance refers to the distribution of weight in a composition. While actual weight is a factor in sculpture and architecture, the principle of balance most often refers to the visual heaviness of shapes and forms in an artwork. An artwork's balance affects the equality and tension of the composition and can lend a feeling of calm or chaos to the work.

Symmetrical Balance

An artwork with symmetrical balance is well-balanced and looks even and stable. When one side of an artwork mirrors the other, it has absolute symmetry. When the symmetrical balance is not exact, it is called bilateral symmetry.

In this example of symmetrical balance in art, each animal on the left has its equal counterpart on the right. The colors are not exact, but it is still considered symmetrical balance.

Asymmetrical Balance

An artwork with asymmetrical balance is "heavier" or "lighter" in some areas, looks unstable, and can make the viewer uncomfortable. Asymmetric balance adds a dynamic look to artworks and often draws attention to focal points in the composition.

In this example of asymmetrical balance in art, the artist balances the heavy black figure on the right with the curtain on the left. If the curtain were a different size or a different color, the balance would be thrown off.

Radial Balance

An artwork with radial balance is arranged around a central component. Forms and objects in a radially balanced composition appear to radiate out of the circular focal point of the artwork.

With radial balance, like in the example of radial balance below, one can imagine the artwork as equal pieces of a pie.

Looking for more examples of balance in art? Check out The Best Examples of Balance in Art post!

Balance in Art Resources

Unity

Unity, also known as harmony, is a design principle that refers to the cohesiveness of an artwork-how whole, consistent, and complete it appears. Unity in art is not necessarily just a repetition of the same element over and over again, but it is the pleasing combination of elements to create a harmonious composition.

In this example of unity in art, Botero creates unity through subject matter, through rhythm, and through repetition of form, shape, and color.

In unity blog post, you will find more examples of unity in art created with shape/form, color, texture, line, style, and in architecture.

Unity in Art Resources

Emphasis

As a principle of art, emphasis refers to the area of an artwork that dominates attention or draws interest. It is often the place a viewer looks first. Artists create emphasis by contrasting the elements of art, such as color or shape.

In this example of emphasis in art, Goya highlights the man in white through putting him in a spotlight, having the man wear bright clothes, having many lines throughout the composition pointing to the man, and having his emotional face be one of the only faces shown.

Looking for more examples of emphasis in art? Check out The Best Examples of Emphasis in Art post!

Emphasis in Art Resources

Movement

Movement can be thought of in two ways - the first refers to how an artist depicts movement using the elements and principles of art. The second way refers to the visual flow of an artwork, indicated by the path a viewer's eyes take as they look at the artwork.

Lines, edges, shapes, and colors can be utilized by the artist to point the way through an artwork as a map for our eyes to follow.

In this example of movement in art, the artist shows the movement of the wind through the shapes of the paper. The lines of the figures and the lines of the billowing clothing convey movement in art as well.

Movement in Art Resources

Variety

Variety refers to the elements of a composition that differ from one another. Variety creates visual interest and energy.

A lot of variety can make an artwork look busy or overwhelming. When paired with unity, variety offers the viewer points of interest.

In this example of variety in art, Kandinsky uses a variety of lines, shapes, values, and colors.

Variety in Art Resources

The principles of design examples can be a powerful way to engage and interpret a work of art. To help your students engage, don't forget to download these free art worksheets:

More Principles of Design Examples

For more examples of elements and principles of art, check out more from our elements of art examples series below.

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The Ultimate Collection of Principles of Design Examples and Definitions

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Inside: The ultimate collection of principles of design examples and definitions, plus helpful resources for teaching the elements and principles of art. The elements of art and principles of design are the fundamental pieces that make up an artwork. Most works of art will make use of many or all of the elements and principles of art.

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Inside: The ultimate collection of elements of art examples and elements of art definitions, plus helpful resources for teaching the elements of art.

The elements of art and principles of design are the fundamental pieces that make up an artwork. Most works of art will make use of many or all of the elements and principles of art. We often judge art by how effectively the artist used these design fundamentals even before we learn about them.

The elements of art are the building blocks of an artwork: color, line, shape, form, value, texture, and space. They are the tools artists use when creating an artwork.

The principles of design are how those building blocks are arranged: contrast, rhythm, proportion, balance, unity, emphasis, movement, and variety. They are the ways an artist can organize the elements of art to create a wide range of effects.

Each of these art fundamentals are closely related and many of them overlap. When combined, they produce a complete artistic vision.

Knowing the elements and principles of art boosts visual literacy. Artists and creators make more powerful works when they utilize the principles of art. When viewers are familiar with the elements of art, they become more aware of the details and can better appreciate what they see and the message behind it.

Connecting with art makes us more empathetic and strengthens the fabric of society. In the age of the internet, understanding how and why advertisers make design decisions can empower students with information and make them less susceptible to manipulation.

I once said that I hate the elements and principles of art, but that's not quite accurate. The elements and principles of art are a lens through which to view and understand art, but they are not what makes art education vital. Art inspires higher level thinking, focus, a growth mindset, visual literacy, curiosity, respect, and connection. The elements and principles of design are an artist's toolbox. Knowing the tools not only improves students' studio art skills and gives them deeper appreciation when viewing artworks, it helps make them better, more informed citizens and prepares them for a visually complex and culturally interconnected modern world in need of creative problem solvers.

Below you'll find an explanation of each of the elements and principles of art, including artwork examples and links to helpful materials for teaching the individual concepts.
Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

Free Resource!

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Scroll below for each element or click the link to be taken to the appropriate section:

Color

André Derain, Charing Cross Bridge, 1906

Color is the visual property of the pigment of an object that is detected by the eye and produced as a result of the way the object reflects or emits light. The human eye is capable of seeing millions of colors, making it one of the most diverse and powerful elements of art.

Each color has three properties-hue, value, and intensity. Hue is the name of a color. Value is a color's lightness or darkness, which is altered when black or white is added. Intensity refers to the intensity of a color, often measured by boldness or dullness.

In this example of color in art, Paul Klee shows contrast between high intensity and low intensity colors by using more or less water with his paint.

Paul Klee, Hammamet with Its Mosque, 1984

Primary Colors

All colors come from the three primary colors-red, blue, and yellow. You cannot mix any colors to create a primary color. They are the base hues for all other colors.

In this example of primary colors in art, Jacob Lawrence uses only neutral colors with the primary colors of red, blue, and yellow.

Looking for more examples of primary colors in art? Check out our post of color in art examples and definitions post!

Complementary Colors

To find a pair of complementary colors, simply draw a line from one of the color wheel to the other. Complementary colors are called that because, when placed side by side, they are pleasing to the eye. They create an appealing contrast in artworks. Some of the basic complementary color pairings are red and green, purple and yellow, and orange and blue.

In this example of complementary colors in art, Hiroshige uses red and green to create contrast.

For more examples of complementary colors in art, check out the full color in art examples post!

Analogous Colors

To find a pair of analogous colors, simply choose two colors that are touching on the color wheel. Analogous colors create harmony and unity in art because they are made of the same hues. Some of the basic analogous color pairings are blue and green, red and orange, and yellow and green.

In this example of analogous colors in art, Vincent van Gogh uses colors next to one another on the color wheel-blue, green, and yellow.

Looking for more examples of analogous colors in art? Check out the Color in Art: Examples & Definitions post!

Warm and Cool Colors

Warm colors are reds, oranges, and yellows. They pop out towards viewer, and create energy and excitement in an artwork. On the other hand, the cool colors of blues, greens, and violets recede from the viewer's eye and create a calming effect.

In this example of warm and cool colors in art, Dorothea Tanning contrasts warm with cool colors to show the clash of rest and restlessness in insomnia.

For more examples of warm and cool colors in art, check out the full color post!

Color in Art Resources

Art Class Curator has a full color wheel lesson available in the Curated Connections Library including all of following color wheel topics: primary, secondary, intermediary/tertiary colors, analogous colors, complementary colors, monochromatic colors (tints/shades), cool/warm colors, and mood.

Line

Line is an element of art defined as the path of a point moving through space. There are many types of line in art. Lines may be continuous or broken, and can be any width or texture. The great variety of line types make them an especially useful tool in artworks.

Direction of Line

The direction of a line can dramatically alter an artwork. Diagonal lines create movement an energy. Horizontal and vertical lines add stability and strength to an artwork.

In this example of directional lines in art, Artemisia Gentileschi uses both diagonal lines to show the energy and excitement of the scene and vertical lines (in Judith's attendant) to show strength.

Looking for more examples of directional lines in art? Check out this post about line!

Contour Lines

Contour lines form the outside edge of a three-dimensional shape and clearly defines the area it occupies.

Look at the face of Leonardo da Vinci below; the contour lines around his facial features give his face form.

Looking for more examples of contour lines in art? Check out the Artworks That Show Line post!

Gesture Lines

Gesture lines are lines that show movement, particularly of characters in an artwork.

In this example of gesture lines in art, Marino Marini uses big swooshing gesture lines that capture the action and energy of the subject.

Looking for more examples of gesture lines in art? Check out this post of types of line in art!

Implied Lines

Implied lines are not made by a physical mark in an artwork, but rather by visual suggestion. Our eyes often follow them automatically, so they draw attention to specific parts of an artwork.

In this example of implied lines in art, Grant Wood uses implied lines to emphasize the hatchet in the center. Follow the implied lines from the ladder to the father's hand to George Washington's hand to the hatchet. The narrator's hand leads to an implied line as well.

Looking for more examples of implied lines in art? Check out our elements of art line post!

Expressive Lines

Lines that show feeling and emotion are called expressive lines.

In this example of expressive lines in art, Edvard Munch uses wavy lines in contrast with a strong straight diagonal line to convey anxiety.

Looking for more examples of expressive lines in art? Check out the Artworks That Show Line post!

Line in Art Resources

Art Class Curator has a full line lesson available in the Curated Connections Library including all of following line topics: contour lines, gesture lines, implied lines, expressive lines, lines in architecture, and characteristics of line.

Shape

A shape is an enclosed area of space created through lines or other elements of the composition.

Geometric Shapes

Geometric shapes are precise areas that can be made using a ruler or compass. These shapes can be simple or complex and generally give an artwork a sense of order.

In this example of geometric shapes in art, Picasso uses circles, triangles, crescents, and rectangles.

Looking for more examples of geometric shapes in art? Check out the Artworks That Use Shape post!

Organic/Free-Form Shapes

Organic shapes are complex and imprecise. They give works of art a natural feeling.

In this artwork, Grace Hartigan uses a variety of examples of organic and free-form shapes.

Looking for more examples of organic shapes in art in art? Check out this list of art using shape!

Shape in Art Resources

Form

Form is an element of art closely related to shape. Like shape, form can be geometric or organic. However, unlike shape, form is always three-dimensional. A form is measurable by length, width, and height, and encloses volume. Forms can be well-defined, such as a cube, or they can be free-form, such as an animal. They can be created by combining two or more shapes and are often defined by the presence of shadow and how light plays against it in an artwork.

In this examples of form in art, Dalí uses geometric forms (spheres) to create his image.

In this example of form in art, Niki de Saint Phalle uses organic form.

Form in Art Resources

Value

Value in art refers to the lightness and darkness of colors and is often described in varying levels of contrast. White is the lightest value while black is the darkest. To create a tint of a color, the artist adds white. To create a shade, the artist adds black.

In this example of value in art, Rufino Tamayo adds white to a color to create a tint in the clothes of the women, one of the baskets, and in the checkerboard on the wall.

In this example of value in art, Dürer creates a wide range of values using the shading techniques of hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling.

Value in Art Resources

Texture

Texture refers to the tactile qualities of a surface. This element of art deals with the way objects feel or the way it looks like they would feel.

Tactile or Actual Texture

Tactile texture is the actual feeling of a surface that can be touched. Think of the actual texture of a sculpture or a painting created with the impasto technique.

In this example of tactile or actual texture in sculpture, Meret Oppenheim uses actual fur to cover the saucer, cup, and spoon.

Impasto is the technique of applying paint very thickly to the surface. In this closeup of Water Lily Pond, you can see Monet's thick application of paint to create actual/tactile texture.

Looking for more elements of art examples of tactile texture in art? Check out the Texture in Art Examples post!

Visual Texture

Visual texture is the illusion of texture in an artwork. Think of a photograph of a forest. The texture of the trees and leaves is seen, but the photograph remains smooth.

Albrecht Dürer mimics creates the visual texture of thick fur in his painting of Hieronymus Holzschuher, but the actual texture is that of oil paint.

For more examples of visual texture in art, check out our post of texture in art examples!

Texture in Art Resources

Space

Space is the element of art that is concerned with how an artwork depicts depth. It is how artists make a two-dimensional surface look three-dimensional. Space can give the illusion of objects in an artwork being close, far away, or overlapping one another.

In this example of space in art, John Sloan uses overlapping, foreshortening, relative size, perspective, and more. For more information about this painting and how artists depict space, check out this blog post about the artwork.

Linear Perspective

Linear perspective is the mathematical system by which an artist uses lines to create the illusion of deep, three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.

Piero della Francesca was one of the forerunners of linear perspective. In Ideal City, he used one-point linear perspective to show the depth of the space.

Looking for more examples of linear perspective in art? Check out the Artworks That Show Space post!

Atmospheric Perspective

Atmospheric perspective, sometimes called aerial perspective, refers to how objects that are far away often appear fuzzier or less detailed than objects that are close due to the contrast between light and dark being increasingly reduced by the effects of atmosphere. Artists use value and shading to mimic atmospheric perspective and give their artworks a realistic appearance.

In this example of atmospheric perspective in art, the trees and mountains in the background are fuzzier and less detailed than the items in the foreground.

Looking for more examples of atmospheric perspective in art? Check out this list of space in art examples!

Positive and Negative Space

In addition to space being a way to show depth, artists also use positive and negative space as elements of art. Positive space is the areas of the artwork filled with the content, and negative space is the space in between.

In Rodin's The Cathedral, the empty negative space between the hands creates as much emotion and power as the positive space of the hands.

For more examples of positive and negative space in art, check out our elements of art space post.

Space in Art Resources

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

More Elements of Art Examples

For more examples of elements and principles of art, check out more from our elements of art examples series below.

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The Ultimate Collection of Elements of Art Examples and Definitions

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The ultimate collection of elements of art examples and elements of art definitions, plus helpful resources for teaching the elements of art.

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Portrait Stories present some of the stories of the artists and subjects in the National Portrait Gallery's collection.

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Book a presentation session for your senior students to help inspire them as they begin their creative journey for folio subjects.

During these free presentations, our Art Consultants will demonstrate and exhibit a range of materials, techniques, ideas and outcomes that will motivate your students to explore and enhance their folio work.

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Consultant Presentations for Senior Students - ZartArt

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Consultant Presentations for Senior Students Inspire your Students today! Book a presentation session for your senior students to help inspire them as they begin their creative journey for folio subjects. During these free presentations, our Art Consultants will demonstrate and exhibit a range of materials, techniques, ideas and outcomes that will motivate your students to explore and enhance their folio work.

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I have created for you the ultimate list of texture in art examples, broken down by media and types of texture, to use in your classroom to teach the element of design texture.

Texture is one of the elements and principles of art that relates to how something would feel if it were touched. There are several kinds of texture-from actual texture in art where the artwork has a certain physical tactile surface, or it could be visual texture or implied texture where the artwork looks as if it feels a certain way (but actually doesn't).

This post is a part of my elements and principles of art series.
Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Actual Texture in Art

Actual texture is the physical feel an artwork has. From the silky texture of the paint to the rough texture of stone, artists use texture to add interest, create emphasis and expression, and add depth to their work.

Best Artist that Uses Actual Texture

You absolutely cannot teach actual texture without pulling in the work of Anselm Keifer. In both his sculpture and his paintings, he mixes in all sorts of different textures in art such as glass, sand, dried flowers, ash, broken ceramics, straw, and more. His art is bold, dark, and emotional, and the textures contribute to the mood of his work. He was born in Germany at the tail end of World War II. His art shows his attempt to come to terms with the history of his country. Learn more about his work here.

Actual Texture in Art Examples, Two-Dimensional

Marcia Gygli King, The Family, from The Culture Series, 2005

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889

Anselm Kiefer, Aschenblume, 1983-97

Justin Gaffrey, Any

J.M.W. Turner, Rain, Steam, and Speed-The Great Western Railway, 1844

Iran, Silk Kashan Carpet, 16th century

Terese Agnew, Portrait of a Textile Worker, 2005

Actual Texture in Sculpture

Ife, Head, possible a King, 12th-14th century

Meret Oppenheim, Object, 1936

Robert Rauschenberg, , 1955-59

Constantin Brancusi, Bird in Space, 1925

Donatello, Penitent Magdalene, 1453-1455

Michaelangelo, The Awakening Slave (Design for Julius II Tomb), 1536

Auguste Rodin, Thought Emerging From Matter, 1895

Benin, Head of an Oba, 18th Century

Mike Kelley, More Love Hours Than Can Ever Be Repaid and The Wages of Sin, 1987

Buddhas from the Otagi-Nenbutsi Temple, Kyoto Japan

Ka'apor culture, Necklace with attached flute, 1955-1962

Asmat people, Body Mask (Det), mid-20th century

Fred Wilson, Mining the Museum, Metalwork, 1793-1880

Actual Texture in Architecture

Maya Lin, Vietnam Memorial, Washington D.C., 1982

Ancient Egypt, The Great Pyramid of Giza, c. 2580-2560 BCE

Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater, 1936

Antoni Gaudi, Sagrada Família, 1882-present

Cambodia, Angkor Wat Temple, 12th century

India, Meenakshi Amman Temple, 1623-1655

Visual Texture / Implied Texture

Visual texture in art (also called Implied Texture) is texture that is not actually real. The artist creates the illusion of textures through manipulation of the media.

Best Artist that Uses Visual Texture

There are so many masterful artists who create visual texture, but if I had to pick one, I would go with Albrecht Durer. He's a master in creating textures in multiple media.

Visual Texture Examples in Painting

Albrecht Durer, Portrait of Hieronymus Holzschuher, 1526

Ralph Goings, Ralph's Diner, 1982

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1614

Max Ernst, Europe After Rain II, 1940-42

Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434

Gustave Caillebotte, Place de l'Europe on a Rainy Day, 1876-1877

Salvador Dalí, Girl at a Window, 1925

Pieter Claesz, Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill, 1628

Albrecht Durer, 1502

Jason de Graaf, Oil Paintings (Any)

Teresa Elliott, Deliverance

Visual Texture Examples in Drawing

Visual Texture Examples in Sculpture

There you have it! The best texture in art examples for your elements and principles of art lessons. Want more elements and principles of art teacher resources? Check out the below posts.

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The Ultimate List of Texture in Art Examples

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I have created for you the ultimate list of texture in art examples, broken down by media and types of texture, to use in your classroom to teach the element of design texture. Texture is one of the elements and principles of art that relates to how something would feel if it were touched.

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It's time again for an Elements and Principles of Art post! This post includes good examples of color in art, divided into categories. This list of examples of color in art contains the following elements of color: warm and cool colors in art, primary color art, complementary colors in art, analogous colors examples, neutral colors in art, and color intensity in art.

Want to check out my color wheel lesson on Color in Art? Click here to purchase the color in art and color wheel lesson.

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Primary Color Art

The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. The primary colors are the basis for all other colors. You cannot do anything to mix blue, yellow, or red. They just exist.

Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942-43

Mark Rothko, Untitled (Yellow, Red, and Blue), 1953

Jacob Lawrence, Workshop (Builders #1), 1972 and many others

Cy Twombly, Summer Madness, 1990 (Click link, then click #20)

Hans Hofmann, The Golden Wall, 1961

Pablo Picasso, Claude and Paloma Playing, 1950

Fritz Glarner, Relational Painting No. 64, 1953

Roy Lichtenstein, Stepping Out, 1978

Ancient Roman, Glass Garland Bowl, late 1st century B.C.E.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Ambassadeurs Aristide Bruant in his cabaret, 1892

Nicolas Poussin, The Death of Germanicus, 1627

Complementary Colors in Art

Complementary colors in art are opposite each other on the color wheel. They create a lot of contrast in art. Look around in the world, and you will be surprised how often complementary colors are used. What are the sets of complementary colors? The basic complementary color pairings are red and green, purple and yellow, and orange and blue.

Complementary Colors in Art - Red and Green

Marc Chagall, I and the Village, 1911

Ando Hiroshige, Plum Estate, Kameido From "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo", 1857

Shinobo Ishihara, Test for Color Deficiency

Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café, 1888

Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434

Henri Matisse, Portrait of Madame Matisse (Green Stripe), 1905

Pablo Picasso, Woman with Hat, 1962

Georgia O'Keeffe, , 1916 (Click link, top right image)

Vincent van Gogh, La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustin-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851-1930), 1889

Kay Kurt, Weingummi II, 1973

Complementary Colors in Art - Blue and Orange

Mary Cassatt, Mother and Child, 1890

Edgar Degas, Ballerina and Lady with Fan, 1885

Claude Monet, Rouen Cathedral, West Façade, Sunlight, 1892

Paul Klee, Ad Parnassum, 1932

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait, 1889

Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise, 1872

Fritz Bultman, , 1958

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Portrait of Oscar Wilde, 1895

Sandy Skoglund, Revenge of the Goldfish, 1981

Stuart Davis, Colonial Cubism, 1954

Edvard Munch, , 1893

Arnold Böcklin, Island of the Dead, 1880

Complementary Colors in Art - Purple and Yellow

Analogous Colors Examples

Analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel. They create unity in art because they are made of the same colors. Example sets of analogous colors are blue, blue-green, and green or orange, red-orange, and red.

Warm and Cool Colors in Art

Warm colors are the colors red, orange, and yellow. They are bright and pop out. They create energy and excitement in an artwork. Blue and green are cool colors. These cool colors create a calming energy in an artwork. Violet/purple can be both warm and cool depending on how much red or how much blue is in the violet.

Warm Colors in Art

Cool Colors in Art

Neutral Colors in Art

Neutral colors are created by using white and black or are created by mixing sets of complementary colors together to make varying shades of brown. Examples of neutrals include gray, brown, tan, white, black, etc.

Color Intensity in Art

Intensity refers to how saturated a color is. It is the brightness or the dullness of a color. Colors with high intensity are bright, and colors with low intensity are dull.

Color Intensity in Art: High Intensity

Color Intensity in Art: Low Intensity
Do you have a great example to teach color in art? Share it with me in the comments, and I will add it to the list!

For more elements of art examples and principles of design examples, visit the following resources.

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The Ultimate Collection of Color in Art: Examples and Definitions

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This is the ultimate list of color in art examples divided in categories like primary, complementary, analogous, warm, cool, high intensity, and more!

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I'm continuing the Elements and Principles of Art series today with a post that includes example artworks that use shape.

I will add to this list when I find more, so this is a good one to pin or bookmark! The horizontal images do not contain all of the examples.

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Shape in Art Examples

Example Artworks that Use Shape, General

Artworks with Geometric Shape

Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie-Woogie, 1942-43

Marsden Hartley, Night - and Some Flowers, 1940

Grant Wood, , 1939

Paul Klee, The Red Balloon, 1922

Le Corbusier, Notre-Dame-du-Haut at Ronchamp (interior), 1950-1955

Claes Oldenburg, Geometric Mouse - Scale A, 1969-1971

Wassily Kandinsky, Squares with Concentric Circles, 1913

Artworks with Organic or Free-Form Shape

Paul Gauguin, La Orana Maria (Hail Mary), 1891

Joan Miro, , 1925

Henri Matisse, The Joy of Life, 1905-06

Henri Matisse, Icarus, from Jazz series, 1947

Henri Marisse, Beasts of the Sea, 1950

Pablo Picasso, Great Still Life on Pedestal, 1931

Kara Walker, Darkytown Rebellion, 2001

Shapes Made by Negative Space

Shapes that Guide your Eye Around the Picture

Shapes Used to Organize Picture (Pyramidal Configuration, etc.)

Leonardo da Vinci, Virgin of the Rocks, c. 1483

Michelangelo Buonarroti, , 1498-99

Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas, 1656

Raphael, Madonna in the Meadow, 1506

Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884

What did I miss? What are your favorite artworks to teach shape? Let me know in the comments!
Remember I will add to this, so don't forget to pin this post by clicking on the picture below.

Do you have a great example to teach shape? Share it with me in the comments, and I will add it to the list!
There you have it! The best shape in art examples for your elements and principles of art lessons. Want more elements and principles of art teacher resources? Check out the below posts.

Photo Credits:

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I'm continuing the Elements and Principles of Art series today with a post that includes example artworks that use shape. I will add to this list when I find more, so this is a good one to pin or bookmark! The horizontal images do not contain all of the examples.

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Continuing on with The Elements and Principles of Art series, this article focuses on good examples of balance in art. These examples and definitions are dividing into the different types of balance in art: symmetrical balance in art, asymmetrical balance in art, and radial balance in art.

I will add to this examples of balance in art list when I find more, so this is a good one to pin or bookmark! The horizontal picture collages do not have all the pictures from the categories.

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Free Resource!

What does balance mean in art?

Balance in art is just what is sounds like; it is the sense of stability in a work of art. To create balance in art, artists combine the visual components to ensure that one part of the artwork doesn't completely overshadow the rest. Each choice made by the artist is a deliberate one in order to ensure equilibrium and balance in the art. Artists create this pleasing effect using the different types of balance in art listed below.

Symmetrical Balance in Art Examples

What is symmetrical balance in art? Symmetrical balance in art is when each half of the artwork is identical or very similar. Draw a line through the artwork and compare each side.

Cimabue, Santa Trinita Madonna, 1280-90

Pietro Perugino, Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter, 1481-1482

American 19th Century, Cutout of Animals, second quarter 19th century

Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait, 1940

Chokwe people, African, Chibinda Ilunga, mid-19th century

Naum Gabo, Untitled sculpture in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 1957

Georgia O'Keefe, Oriental Poppies, 1928

Diego Rivera, , 1925

Ancient Greece, The Parthenon, 447-438 B.C.E.

Tapirapé, Cara Grande feather mask, c. 1960

Japan, Portrait sculpture of a Zen priest, 14th-15th century

M.C. Escher, many

Francis Bacon, Figure with Meat, 1909-92

Salvador Dalì, Mae West Lips Sofa, 1938

Asymmetrical Balance in Art Examples

What is asymmetrical balance in art? Asymmetrical balance in art is when each half is different but has equal visual weight. The artwork is still balanced. For example, in the Caravaggio (the picture in the right in the collage), the three men are balanced with Jesus on the left. Jesus is facing forward and in brighter light which balances out the three men in shadow.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother known as "Whistler's Mother," 1871

Caravaggio, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, 1601-02

Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884

Edgar Degas, The Rehearsal, 1877

Edgar Degas, Dancers Practicing at the Barre, 1876-77

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, , 1623

Alexander Calder, , 1942

Yinka Shonibare, Dysfunctional Family, 1999

Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1829-32

Paul Strand, Abstraction, Twin Lakes, Connecticut, 1916

Ikebana, various

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889

Jacques-Louis David, Oath of the Horatii, 1785

Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, 1942

Radial Balance in Art Examples

What is radial balance in art? Radial balance in art is when there are equal parts that radiate out from the center. Think of it like pieces of pie. You will find in the examples of balance in art here that there can be many equal pieces-from 3 in the Charles II Charger to 16 in the Gothic Rose window!

Off-Balance or Unbalanced Artworks (kind of)

It's hard to find artworks that are unbalanced by well-known artists. These teeter on the edge between asymmetrically-balanced and unbalanced. It's up for debate and would be a great discussion with your students!

Edgar Degas, Race Horses, 1885-1888

Paul Cezanne, Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses, c. 1890

Precolumbian, Presentation of Captives to a Maya Ruler, A.D. 785

John Singer Sargent, , 1882

Juan Sánchez Cotán, Quince, Cabbage, Melon, and Cucumber, 1602

Judith Leyster, A Boy and Girl with a Cat and an Eel, c. 1635

Paulus Potter, , 1647

Harmen Steenwyck, Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life, c. 1640

Do you have great examples of balance in art? Share them with me in the comments, and I will add it to the list!

There you have it! The best examples of balance in art for your elements and principles of art lessons. Want more elements and principles of art teacher resources? Check out the below posts.

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The Best Examples of Balance in Art: Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, and Radial

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Continuing on with The Elements and Principles of Art series, this article focuses on good examples of balance in art. These examples and definitions are dividing into the different types of balance in art: symmetrical balance in art, asymmetrical balance in art, and radial balance in art.

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Free Summer Art Connection & Artmaking Circles 🎨 ❤️

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Inside: This is ultimate list of example artworks that show the different types of line in art for your elements and principles of art lessons. The list of types of line in art includes implied lines, diagonal lines, gesture lines, outlines, contour lines, expressive lines, and more!

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself needing to teach a lesson on one of the elements and principles of art, but it takes a bit of digging to find good examples of art that teach that particular element. To help those in that situation, I have created an elements and principles series that includes lists of example artworks you can use in your elements and principles of art lessons.

To start, I am going to focus on example artworks that use the different types of line in art.

I will add to this list of the types of line in art when I find more, so this is a good one to pin or bookmark! The horizontal picture collages do not have all the pictures from the categories, FYI.

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Examples of Types of Line in Art

Artworks that Show Line, General

Richard Long, A Line Made by Walking, 1967

Richard Long, Cornish Slate Line, 1990

Frank Stella, Jarama II, 1982

Roy Lichtenstein, Brushstroke, 1965

Charles Sheeler, Classic Landscape, 1931

Joan Miró, The Farm, 1921–1922

Rembrandt van Rijn, Two Studies Of A Bird Of Paradise, 1630

John Singer Sargent, El Jaleo, 1882

Horizontal and Vertical Lines in Art

Stonehenge, ca. 2600-2000 B.C.E.

Ancient Greece, The Parthenon, 447-438 B.C.E.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater, 1936-7

Piet Mondrian, Composition in Red, Blue, and Yellow, 1937-42

Byzantine, Justinian and his Attendants, Basilica di San Vitale, 547 C.E

Diagonal Lines in Artworks

Edgar Degas, Blue Dancers, c. 1899

Gustave Caillebotte, Le Pont de L’Europe, 1881-1882

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1614–20

Franz Marc, Fate of the Animals, 1913

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Crucifixion of Saint Peter, 1600-1601

Francisco Goya, The Forge, c. 1817

Rembrandt van Rijn, Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, known as the ‘Night Watch’, 1642

Contour Lines and/or Outlines

Leonardo da Vinci, Self-Portrait, c. 1512

Paul Signac, Still Life with Pitcher, 1919

Carl Krull, Olmec Drawings and Scroll Drawings

Yoruba artist, Shrine Head, 12th-14th century

Andy Warhol, Red Lenin, 1987

Amedeo Modigliani, Jacques and Berthe Lipchitz, 1916

Gesture Lines, Lines that Show Movement

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing, 1767

Utagawa Hiroshige, The Whirlpools of Awa: Naruto Rapids, ca. 1853

Giacomo Balla, Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash (Leash in Motion), 1912

Natalia Goncharova, The Cyclist, 1913

Henri Matisse, Dance (I), 1909

Marino Marini, Miracle (Miracolo), 1952

Jacob Lawrence, Harriet Tubman Series, No. 4, 1939-40

Keith Haring, Untitled, 1985

Lines that Help Guide The Viewer’s Eye through the Picture and/or Implied Lines

Marc Chagall, I and the Village, 1911

Georges de La Tour, The Cheat with the Ace of Clubs, late 1620s

Frederic Remington, Dash for the Timber, 1889

Suzanne Caporael, Seeing Things: Rain, 1990

Fernando Botero, The Musicians, 1991

Grant Wood, Parson Weems’ Fable, 1939

Lines that Show Feeling/Emotion, Expressive Lines

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889

Mark Di Suvero, Are Years What? (for Marianne Moore), 1967

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1984

Egon Schiele, Portrait of Paris von Gütersloh, 1918

Odilon Redon, Death: “My irony surpasses all others!”, 1889

Jackson Pollock, Lavender Mist No. 1, 1950

Repetition of Line, Pattern Using Line, Decorative Line

Henri Matisse, Purple Robe and Anemones, 1937

Berenice Abbott, El, Second and Third Avenue Lines from the portfolio Retrospective, 1982

Aubrey Beardsley, The Peacock Skirt, 1893

Albrecht Dürer, The Rhinoceros, 1515

Benin, Memorial head, 1550-1650

Richard Anuszkiewicz, Deep Magenta Square, 1978

Lines in Architecture

Frank Lloyd Wright, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NYC

Frank O. Gehry, Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain

Stonehenge, ca. 2600-2000 B.C.E.

Ancient Greece, The Parthenon, 447-438 B.C.E.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater, 1936-1937

Lines in Sculpture

Kenneth Snelson, Needle Tower, 1968

Songye, Mask (kifwebe), 19th century AD

Mark Di Suvero, Are Years What? (for Marianne Moore), 1967

Benin, Memorial head, 1550-1650

Yoruba artist, Shrine Head, 12th-14th century

Marino Marini, Miracle (Miracolo), 1952

Lines that Show Texture and/or Shading

Vincent van Gogh, Garden of Flowers, 1888

Rembrandt Van Rijn, The Three Crosses, 1653

Käthe Kollwitz, Self Portrait, 1921

Lines that Show Space and/or Linear Perspective

Gustave Caillebotte, The Floor Scrapers, 1875

Leonardo da Vinci, Last Supper, 1498

Pietro Perugino, Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter, 1481–1482

Dorothea Lange, The Road West, 1938

Lines the Show Emphasis

Grant Wood, Parson Weems’ Fable, 1939

Francisco Goya, Third of May, 1808

Jonathan Borofsky, Walking to the Sky, 2004

Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1494-99

Richard Anuszkiewicz, Deep Magenta Square, 1978

Rembrandt van Rijn, Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, known as the ‘Night Watch’, 1642

See more artworks that show emphasis.

Elements and Principles Teaching Bundle

This extraordinary bundle includes the best resources for teaching each of the elements and principles—37 worksheets/handouts, 15 lessons (with accompanying PowerPoints and Handouts), 3 ready-to-go art analysis activities, 3 art analysis videos, and 13 elements and principle PDF articles.

There you have it! The best types of line in art examples for your elements and principles of art lessons. Want more elements and principles of art teacher resources? Check out the below posts.

Photo Credits:

Stonehenge,

Parthenon, Steve Swayne

Laocoön and His Sons, LivioAndronico

Needle Tower, Onderwijsgek

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The Ultimate List of Artworks that Use Line

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The ultimate list of example artworks that show the different types of line in art. The list includes implied, gesture, contour, expressive, and more!

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I'm continuing with my Elements and Principles of art series on the blog today focusing on scale and one of the principles of design proportion. Scale and proportion in art are closely related and both deal with the size and the relationship of things to other things.

Here are some artworks you can use to teach scale and proportion in art for your elements and principles of art lessons. I will add to this list when I find more, so this is a good one to pin or bookmark! The horizontal images do not contain all of the examples.

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Proportion in Art Examples

Proportion in Art: Good Proportion

Proportion in Art: Emphasizing Space with Proportion

Out of Proportion Art

Sir John Everett Millais, The Blind Girl, 1854-56

André Derain, Portrait of a Man with a Newspaper, 1911-1914

Songye people, Democratic Republic of Congo, Female Figure, late 1800s-early 1900s

Fernando Botero, Dancing in Colombia, 1980

Dorothea Tanning, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 1943

Saul Steinberg, The Fisherman

Giacometti, Man Pointing, 1947

Prehistoric, Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf), c. 28,000-25,000 B.C.E (On ACFK, 5 Artworks to Promote Introspection)

Parmigianino, Madonna with the Long Neck, 1535-4

Proportion in Art: Manipulating Proportion of Figures for Meaning

Artworks with Things Out of Proportion with Other Things

Jeff Jordan, , 2009

Francisco Goya, The Colossus, c. 1808

René Magritte, Les valeurs personnelles (Personal Values), 1952

Hans Eworth, Allegorical Portrait of Sir John Luttrell, 1550

Hierarchical Scale in Art

Ancient Egypt, Nebamun Hunting in the Marshes, ca. 1350 B.C.E.

Tanjore style painting from the late 19th century showing the ten Sikh, Gururs, Bhai Bala, and Bhai Mardana

Sumer, the Standard of Ur, about 2600-2400 B.C.E.

Palette of King Narmer, from Hierakonpolis, Egypt, Predynastic, c. 3000-2920 B.C.E

Benin Plaques, 16th-17th century

Big Scale in Art

Ron Mueck, A Boy, 2005

Ron Mueck, A Girl, 2006

Georgia O'Keeffe, Oriental Poppies, 1928

The Colossus of Constantine, c. 312-15

Nazca Earth Drawings

Chuck Close, Mark, 1978-79

Henry Beacon and Daniel Chester French, Lincoln Memorial, 1914-22

Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty, 1970

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Spoonbridge and Cherry, 1985-88

Small Scale in Art

Scale in Art: Artworks that Show the Scale of Nature in Relationship to Humans
There you have it! The best scale and proportion in art examples for your elements and principles of art lessons. Want more elements and principles of art teacher resources? Check out the below posts.

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Proportion in Art: The Ultimate List of Proportion and Scale in Art Examples

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From hierarchical scale to exaggerated proportions, this collection has the best scale and proportion in art examples for your principles of art lessons.

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Rhythm in Art: The Ultimate List of Rhythm in Art Examples

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The ultimate collection of rhythm in art, including a rhythm in art definition. A continuation of our Elements and Principles of Art series.

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Here's another Elements and Principles of Art list to help you in planning your art lessons! Today's post includes example artworks for emphasis in art.

It was hard to break this one down to categories, because chances are if the artwork shows emphasis well, it usually used more than one element or principle to do so. So, I have put the elements and principles of art that the artist used to show emphasis in art in parenthesis next to the artwork.

I will add to this list when I find more, so this is a good one to pin or bookmark! The horizontal images do not contain all of the examples.

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack

This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Free Resource!

Elements & Principles Printable Pack

Emphasis in Art Examples

Elements and Principles Teaching Bundle

This extraordinary bundle includes the best resources for teaching each of the elements and principles-37 worksheets/handouts, 15 lessons (with accompanying PowerPoints and Handouts), 3 ready-to-go art analysis activities, 3 art analysis videos, and 13 elements and principle PDF articles.

There you have it! The best emphasis in art examples for your elements and principles of art lessons. Want more elements and principles of art examples? Check out the below posts.

Photo Credits:

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Here's another Elements and Principles of Art list to help you in planning your art lessons! Today's post includes example artworks for emphasis in art. It was hard to break this one down to categories, because chances are if the artwork shows emphasis well, it usually used more than one element or principle to do so.

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Hand illustrated animations discussing movement in art history.

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Free Summer Art Connection & Artmaking Circles 🎨 ❤️

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Art Class Curator is leading an art education revolution by empowering teachers with the resources and training they need to elevate their craft and embrace the joy of connecting with art and their students. We are dedicated to creating deep, meaningful learning experiences that expand emotional intelligence using diverse artworks from across time and cultures that prepare students for an interconnected world in need of creative thinkers.

The Curated Connections Library is a vault of classroom-ready art appreciation and art history lessons and resources. Introduce your students to artworks from across time and cultures with activities and discussions that will engage their imaginations and deepen their love for art. Packed with professional development trainings to grow your skills and confidence, the Curated Connections Library is perfect for filling in the gaps in your lesson plans or introducing a complete art appreciation curriculum.

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The Curated Connections Library is a vault of classroom-ready art appreciation and art history lessons and resources. Introduce your students to artworks from across time and cultures with activities and discussions that will engage their imaginations and deepen their love for art.

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Art brain breaks

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Brain Breaks for the classroom are a great way to start class, help your students calm down, or simply infuse creativity into your day. Use these 15 brain breaks for the classroom with your students today! This post includes a free download of art brain breaks to use in your class.

Brain Breaks are a creative way to refocus, unload emotions, engage different parts of the brain, and shift energy. All that's needed is some paper or a sketchbook, plus a writing tool, and whatever art supplies you have in your classroom or lying around your house.

You can use brain breaks for the classroom to get your students' creative juices flowing, help them wind down at the end of class, as an activity for early finishers, or as their very own art project.

Brain Breaks for the Classroom

Circles of Mind Brain Break

Fill your page with circles of any size

Add color to the page (watercolor, colored pencil, marker)

Write down whatever is on your mind. Don't think about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or structure - just write. The goal is to keep your writing tool moving the entire time. It could be even the same word over and over! Try to get all your thoughts on the paper.

Find a Stranger in a Photo Brain Break

After locating a photo of someone you don't know, name them

Write their story

Free Download!

15 Art Brain Breaks

Where I'm From Brain Break

Write poem about where you come from

Include details about your personal history/your past

Write a Letter to Yourself Brain Break

Write to yourself looking back from 10 years in the future

What would you want to tell yourself?

Stamp to make background

Cover with watercolor

Write a journal entry on top of the previous layers

Cut letters from a magazine to spell out 1 word

Color shapes with oil pastels

Turn the page upside-down to write your journal entry

Add a border to tie everything together

17 Things I'm Not Allowed To Do Anymore Brain Break

Make your list of 17 things you're not allowed to do
Variation: Change the number of items or the the subject of the list

Arrange the items creatively as you write them

Alter Image Brain Break

Find an interesting photo or magazine pic

Tape it down to cover entire page

Cover portions of the image with gesso or acrylic paint

Journal on the gesso or painted portion

Free Download!

15 Art Brain Breaks

Notes to Self Brain Break

Write notes to self on the page

Incorporate various random objects in creative ways (paper clips, washi tape, snack wrappers, sticky notes, stickers, etc.)

Scratch Into Paint Brain Break

Paint thickly on page, scratch images or words into the paint
Variation: Paint one thin layer of paint and let it dry, then add a thick layer of paint in another color, and scratch into the thick layer

Texture Brain Break

Cut pages/images of texture out of magazines

Cover the entire page

While playing music, close your eyes and use a Sharpie to mark on the page according to how the music makes you feel

On the same page, use the same Sharpie (or use a different color) to write the first 3 words that pop into your mind.

Mind Map Brain Break

Write down various things that are on your mind, in medium to large size

Connect the words in some fashion

In another color and/or medium, journal over, around, and in between the existing words

Random Picture Brain Break

Choose 1 picture from a magazine, book, newspaper, or personal photo

Arrange it on the page in such a way that it looks as if it is coming off the page

Add oil pastel

Add paint

Incorporate masking tape

Write a RANDOM word

Draw a random tiny picture somewhere

Word Emphasis Brain Break

Cut a portion of scrapbook paper to cover page.

Choose 1 word, write on page

Using a ballpoint pen or Sharpie, journal around the word

Paint a pattern over the whole page with watercolor

Add some sort of border

Covering Fear Brain Break

Write something that you fear or that irritates you

Cover it with paint, colored pencil, crayon, or words

Write how that thing makes you feel (use various words and phrases to describe the feelings)

Connect the words with lines, shapes, drawings, etc.

Varied Pictures Brain Break

Lay various objects on the table

Loosely sketch the entire scene

Draw lightly, making a loose sketch

Next, draw over with darker strokes this time

Add color

Draw tiny pictures of scenes on other tables

Incorporate tape

Write something that frustrates you

Share your Art Brain Breaks for the Classroom with us on Instagram. 📸

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15 Art Brain Breaks

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Brain Breaks for the classroom are a great way to start class, help your students calm down, or simply infuse creativity into your day. Use these 15 brain breaks for the classroom with your students today! This post includes a free download of art brain breaks to use in your class.

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Playlist

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Behold the 7 "Elements of Art" that are the foundation of all visual arts.

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Katy Hessel is a London-based art historian, curator, podcaster, and founder of the influential Instagram, @thegreatwomenartists.

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After The Australian Ugliness

Robin Boyd's 1960 book The Australian Ugliness is a seminal critique of both Australian architecture and culture. In After The Australian Ugliness, 20 architects, landscape architects, architecture and design academics, writers, social commentators, curators, historians, publishers, archivists and editors put Boyd's work in a contemporary context.

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Art Guide Australia brings a unique insight into what is happening in contemporary art in Australia. Including current exhibitions, artists and artworks.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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art assignment "art history" "contemporary art" theartassignment "the art assignment" "ap art history"

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The Art Assignment is a weekly PBS Digital Studios production hosted by curator Sarah Urist Green. We explore art and art history through the lens of things ...

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support EAL students?

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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documentary art tate gallery museum "tate modern" "tate britain" "tate liverpool" "tate st ives" "art history"

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Our mission is to increase the public's enjoyment and understanding of British art from the 16th century to the present day and of international modern and contemporary art. Tate YouTube brings you videos about art and artists from around the world. Subscribe for interviews with artists, exhibition previews, celebrity art fans, live performance art and more.

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Tate Kids brings you films about art and art history for kids! Subscribe to find out more about your favourite artists. Learn about art movements like Pop Art, Surrealism and Impressionism and watch stories about the lives of famous artists. Learn how to make your own art at home or at school. F…

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In the modern Olympics' early days, painters, sculptors, writers and musicians battled for gold, silver and bronze

smithsonianmag.com

At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, American Walter Winans took the podium and waved proudly to the crowd. He had already won two Olympic medals-a gold for sharpshooting at the 1908 London Games, as well as a silver for the same event in 1912-but the gold he won at Stockholm wasn't for shooting, or running, or anything particularly athletic at all. It was instead awarded for a small piece of bronze he had cast earlier that year: a 20-inch-tall horse pulling a small chariot. For his work, An American Trotter, Winans won the first ever Olympic gold medal for sculpture.

For the first four decades of competition, the Olympics awarded official medals for painting, sculpture, architecture, literature and music, alongside those for the athletic competitions. From 1912 to 1952, juries awarded a total of 151 medals to original works in the fine arts inspired by athletic endeavors. Now, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the first artistic competition, even Olympics fanatics are unaware that arts, along with athletics, were a part of the modern Games nearly from the start.

"Everyone that I've ever spoken to about it has been surprised," says Richard Stanton, author of The Forgotten Olympic Art Competitions. "I first found out about it reading a history book, when I came across a little comment about Olympic art competitions, and I just said, 'what competitions?'" Propelled by curiosity, he wrote the first-and still the only-English-language book ever published on the subject.

To learn about the overlooked topic, Stanton had to dig through crumbling boxes of often-illegible files from the International Olympic Committee archives in Switzerland-many of which hadn't seen the light of day since they were packed away decades ago. He discovered that the story went all the way back to the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the IOC and the modern Games, who saw art competitions as integral to his vision of the Olympics. "He was raised and educated classically, and he was particularly impressed with the idea of what it meant to be a true Olympian-someone who was not only athletic, but skilled in music and literature," Stanton says. "He felt that in order to recreate the events in modern times, it would be incomplete to not include some aspect of the arts."

At the turn of the century, as the baron struggled to build the modern Olympics from scratch, he was unable to convince overextended local organizers of the first few Games in Athens, St. Louis and Paris that arts competitions were necessary. But he remained adamant. "There is only one difference between our Olympiads and plain sporting championships, and it is precisely the contests of art as they existed in the Olympiads of Ancient Greece, where sport exhibitions walked in equality with artistic exhibitions," he declared.

Finally, in time for the 1912 Stockholm Games, he was able to secure a place for the arts. Submissions were solicited in the categories of architecture, music, painting, sculpture and literature, with a caveat-every work had to be somehow inspired by the concept of sport. Some 33 (mostly European) artists submitted works, and a gold medal was awarded in each category. In addition to Winans' chariot, other winners included a modern stadium building plan (architecture), an "Olympic Triumphal March" (music), friezes depicting winter sports (painting) and Ode to Sport (literature). The baron himself was among the winners. Fearing that the competitions wouldn't draw enough entrants, he penned the winning ode under the pseudonyms George Hohrod and Martin Eschbach, leaving the medal jury unaware of the true author.

Over the next few decades, as the Olympics exploded into a premier international event, the fine arts competitions remained an overlooked sideshow. To satisfy the sport-inspired requirement, many paintings and sculptures were dramatic depictions of wrestling or boxing matches; the majority of the architecture plans were for stadiums and arenas. The format of the competitions was inconsistent and occasionally chaotic: a category might garner a silver medal, but no gold, or the jury might be so disappointed in the submissions that it awarded no medals at all. At the 1928 Amsterdam Games, the literature category was split into lyric, dramatic and epic subcategories, then reunited as one for 1932, and then split again in 1936.

Many art world insiders viewed the competitions with distrust. "Some people were enthusiastic about it, but quite a few were standoffish," Stanton says. "They didn't want to have to compete, because it might damage their own reputations." The fact that the events had been initiated by art outsiders, rather than artists, musicians or writers-and the fact that all entries had to be sport-themed-also led many of the most prominent potential entrants to decide the competitions were not worth their time.

Still, local audiences enjoyed the artworks-during the 1932 Games, nearly 400,000 people visited the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art to see the works entered-and some big names did enter the competitions. John Russell Pope, the architect of the Jefferson Memorial, won a silver at the 1932 Los Angeles Games for his design of the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, constructed at Yale University. Italian sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti, American illustrator Percy Crosby, Irish author Oliver St. John Gogarty and Dutch painter Isaac Israëls were other prominent entrants.

In 1940 and 1944, the Olympics were put on hold as nearly all participating countries became embroiled in the violence and destruction of World War II. When they returned, the art competitions faced a bigger problem: the new IOC president's obsession with absolute amateurism. "American Avery Brundage became the president of the IOC, and he was a rigid supporter of amateur athletics," Stanton says. "He wanted the Olympics to be completely pure, not to be swayed by the weight of money." Because artists inherently rely on selling their work for their livelihood-and because winning an Olympic medal could theoretically serve as a sort of advertisement for the quality of an artist's work-Brundage took aim at the art competitions, insisting they represented an unwelcome incursion of professionalism. Although Brundage himself had once entered a piece of literature in the 1932 Games' competitions and earned an honorable mention, he stridently led a campaign against the arts following the 1948 Games.

After heated debate, it was eventually decided that the art competitions would be scrapped. They were replaced by a noncompetitive exhibition to occur during the Games, which eventually became known as the Cultural Olympiad. John Copley of Britain won one of the final medals awarded, a silver in 1948 for his engraving, Polo Players. He was 73 years old at the time, and would be the oldest medalist in Olympic history if his victory still counted. The 151 medals that had been awarded were officially stricken from the Olympic record, though, and currently do not count toward countries' current medal counts.

Still, half a century later, the concept behind the art competitions lingers. Starting in 2004, the IOC has held an official Sport and Art Contest leading up to each summer Games. For the 2012 contest, entrants sent sculptures and graphic works on the theme of "Sport and the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect." Though no medals are at stake, winners will receive cash prizes, and the best works will be selected and displayed in London during the Games. Somewhere, the Baron Pierre de Coubertin might be smiling.

About Joseph Stromberg

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When the Olympics Gave Out Medals for Art

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smithsonianmag.com At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, American Walter Winans took the podium and waved proudly to the crowd. He had already won two Olympic medals-a gold for sharpshooting at the 1908 London Games, as well as a silver for the same event in 1912-but the gold he won at Stockholm wasn't for shooting, or running, or anything particularly athletic at all.

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Playlist

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The unexpected math behind Van Gogh's "Starry Night" - Natalya St. Clair

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The Art Story: Visual Art Movements, Artists, Ideas, and Definitions

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The Art Story is the History of Visual Art that is optimized for the web: we clearly and graphically overview and analyze classical and modern artists, movements, and ideas.

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Visual Thinking Strategies

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Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting your journey to discovering Aboriginal art, you will find what you're looking for in one of the world's most focussed Indigenous art galleries.

We ship paintings either stretched or unstretched, nationally and internationally. We have dedicated in-house packaging specialists, meaning that no matter where home is, you can rest assured knowing your art will arrive in perfect condition ready to put on the wall. Everything we send is insured by us until it reaches you.

Come in and get a free guided walk through our current show and stockroom, where there is always something wonderful waiting for you!

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Aboriginal Art - Art Mob | Australian Aboriginal Art Gallery

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Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting your journey to discovering Aboriginal art, you will find what you're looking for in one of the world's most focussed Indigenous art galleries. We ship paintings either stretched or unstretched, nationally and internationally.

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Australian Aboriginal Art Symbols & Meanings - Japingka Gallery

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Australian Aboriginal artists use symbols to express the stories of their culture. Understanding the meaning behind symbols requires context.

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Japingka Gallery Blog - Aboriginal Art News & Education

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News on Aboriginal art, new exhibitions, opening nights and events, Aboriginal artists to keep an eye on, recent paintings and projects at Japingka Gallery

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Philadelphia Museum of Art - School & Teachers : Teacher Resources

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Philadelphia Museum of Art Department of Education Lesson Plans

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The Koori Curriculum are often asked by educators for a list of the do's and don'ts in relation to Aboriginal programs.

However, due to the diversity of First Nations peoples we are not able to provide blanketed advice.

We strongly recommend that educators consult locally with their community to understand cultural protocols that are in place for their area.

The following guide can provide you with a starting point for this consultation and provides resources the Koori Curriculum offers that can assist in building your knowledge and understanding.

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The Koori Curriculum are often asked by educators for a list of the do's and don'ts in relation to Aboriginal programs. However, due to the diversity of First Nations peoples we are not able to provide blanketed advice. We strongly recommend that educators consult locally with their community to understand cultural protocols that are in place for their area.

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Clays and inelastic earth are the results of decomposing rocks in which the particle size is extremely small. Most clays contain several different types of clay minerals with different amounts of metal oxides and organic matter; this is what sets the different types of pottery clay apart. Learn more about the properties of clay and different types of clay here.

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Clays and inelastic earth are the results of decomposing rocks in which the particle size is extremely small. Most clays contain several different types of clay minerals with different amounts of metal oxides and organic matter; this is what sets the different types of pottery clay apart.

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Good visuals and user friendly info. Also has other art/craft types too.

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Discover everything you need to know to make pottery. Get information on pottery tools and techniques, as well as inspirational ideas and designs.