Elements and Principles of Art and Design for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: First Term
Week: 2
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: Visual Art
Curriculum Theme: Fundamentals of Visual Arts
Focal competence: Using elements and principles of art and design in making simple drawings
Key competencies/values: Critical Thinking; Communication
Skills:

• making a drawing composition applying elements and principles of art and design

Previous Lesson: Drawing, Types, Media and Supports
Topic: Elements And Principles Of Art And Design
Subject Matter: Meaning of elements of art and design, Meaning of principles of art and design, Drawing a composition with elements and principles of art and design

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Define elements of art and design.
• Explain the elements of art and design.
• Define principles of art and design.
• Discuss the principles of art and design.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of elements and principles in creating art.
• Value creative expression through drawing.

Psychomotor Domain

• Draw a composition, applying elements and principles of art and design.

Social Domain

• Participate actively in discussions about art concepts.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Visual Art for Senior Secondary Schools, Book 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Design chart template
• Sketch books
• Cardboard papers
• B-Grade Pencils
• Pens
• Examples of artworks or images illustrating elements and principles

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson provides students with foundational knowledge of the visual language used in art and design. Understanding these elements and principles is essential for creating effective and meaningful artworks. It equips students with the tools to analyse, appreciate, and produce visual compositions with intention and skill.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have basic drawing skills and a general awareness of different types of art.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Elements And Principles Of Art And Design

Meaning of Elements of Art and Design

The elements of art are the basic building blocks or components that artists use to create a work of art. They are the visual tools an artist uses to communicate ideas and feelings.

1. Line: A mark with length and direction, created by a point moving in space. Lines can be straight, curved, thick, thin, broken, continuous, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. They can convey emotion, define shapes, and create movement.
2. Shape: A two-dimensional enclosed area defined by lines, colours, or other elements. Shapes can be geometric (e.g., squares, circles, triangles) or organic (e.g., free-form, natural shapes).
3. Form: A three-dimensional object that has height, width, and depth. Forms can be geometric (e.g., cubes, spheres, pyramids) or organic (e.g., human figures, trees).
4. Space: The area around, between, or within components of a piece. It can be positive (the subject itself) or negative (the empty areas around the subject). Space creates depth and perspective.
5. Colour: The property of light as seen by the eye. It has three main properties: hue (the name of the colour, e.g., red, blue), intensity (the brightness or dullness of a colour), and value (the lightness or darkness of a colour).
6. Value: The lightness or darkness of a colour or tone. It ranges from pure white to pure black, with various shades of grey in between. Value creates contrast and suggests form.
7. Texture: The perceived surface quality of a work of art. It can be actual (how something feels when touched, e.g., rough, smooth) or implied (how something appears to feel, e.g., a drawing of wood grain).

Meaning of Principles of Art and Design

The principles of art are the rules or guidelines that artists use to organise the elements of art in a composition. They dictate how the elements are arranged to create an effective and visually appealing artwork.

1. Balance: The distribution of visual weight in a composition. It can be symmetrical (equal weight on both sides), asymmetrical (unequal but balanced weight), or radial (elements arranged around a central point).
2. Emphasis: The creation of a focal point in an artwork, drawing the viewer’s eye to a specific area. This can be achieved through contrast, placement, size, or colour.
3. Movement: The way the viewer’s eye is directed through the artwork, often to a focal point. It can be created by lines, shapes, colours, and repetition.
4. Pattern: The repetition of an element or elements in a predictable or regular arrangement. Patterns can be decorative or structural.
5. Repetition: The recurrence of a particular element more than once in a work of art. It creates unity, rhythm, and emphasis.
6. Proportion: The relationship of the size of parts to the whole and to each other within a composition. It deals with how elements relate in terms of scale.
7. Rhythm: The visual flow or movement created by the repetition of elements, often with variations. It can be regular, flowing, or progressive.
8. Unity: The sense of wholeness or coherence in an artwork, where all elements and principles work together harmoniously. It makes the artwork feel complete.
9. Variety: The use of different elements or forms to create interest and prevent monotony in a composition. It adds visual excitement.

Applying Elements and Principles in Drawing Composition

To create a successful drawing composition, artists consciously apply the elements and principles of art. For example:

1. Planning: Before drawing, consider what message or feeling you want to convey. Sketch out ideas, thinking about how lines will define shapes, how values will create form, and how colours (if applicable) will set the mood.
2. Using Line and Shape: Use lines to outline objects and create different shapes. Vary line thickness and quality to add interest and define edges.
3. Creating Form and Space: Apply shading (value) to shapes to give them a three-dimensional form. Use overlapping objects, size variations, and perspective to create a sense of depth and space.
4. Incorporating Colour and Texture: Choose colours that work harmoniously or create contrast for emphasis. Use different drawing techniques (e.g., cross-hatching, stippling) to suggest various textures.
5. Achieving Balance and Emphasis: Arrange elements so the composition feels balanced, whether symmetrically or asymmetrically. Use contrast in size, value, or placement to create a focal point.
6. Guiding Movement and Rhythm: Arrange lines and shapes to guide the viewer’s eye through the artwork, creating a sense of movement or rhythm.
7. Ensuring Unity and Variety: Use repetition of certain elements (e.g., similar shapes, colours) to create unity, but also introduce variety to keep the composition engaging and prevent it from becoming dull.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Practical Activity

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them what they think makes a picture beautiful or interesting. The teacher then introduces the topic: Elements and Principles of Art and Design.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Introduction to art concepts

Step 2: Meaning of Elements of Art and Design

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that elements of art are the basic visual components artists use. The teacher guides students to define “elements of art and design” and provides simple examples of each element (e.g., drawing a line, a circle for shape, shading for value).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils define elements of art and design and observe the examples provided by the teacher.

Learning Point: Definition of art elements

Step 3: Explanation of Elements of Art and Design

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains each element (line, shape, form, space, colour, value, texture) in detail, using the design chart template and examples of artworks to illustrate how each element appears and functions in a composition.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, ask questions, and observe the examples, identifying each element in the provided artworks.

Learning Point: Understanding art elements

Step 4: Meaning of Principles of Art and Design

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that principles of art are how artists organise the elements. The teacher guides students to define “principles of art and design” and gives a brief overview of their purpose.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils define principles of art and design and understand their role in art creation.

Learning Point: Definition of art principles

Step 5: Discussion of Principles of Art and Design

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Illustration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses each principle (balance, emphasis, movement, pattern, repetition, proportion, rhythm, unity, variety), using the design chart and examples to show how they are applied in artworks. The teacher encourages students to identify these principles in the examples.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the discussion, identify principles in artworks, and ask clarifying questions.

Learning Point: Understanding art principles

Step 6: Drawing a Composition with Elements and Principles

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to create a simple drawing composition, consciously applying a few elements (e.g., using lines to create shapes, shading for value) and principles (e.g., creating balance, a focal point). The teacher guides students to begin their own simple compositions in their sketchbooks or on cardboard paper, focusing on applying at least three elements and two principles.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstration and begin drawing their own compositions, applying the elements and principles learned.

Learning Point: Applying elements and principles

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What are the elements of art and design?
2. Mention three elements of art and briefly explain them.
3. What are the principles of art and design?
4. Discuss two principles of art and design.
5. How can you apply balance in a drawing composition?

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Recall of art concepts

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on the meaning of elements and principles of art and design into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarisation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the lesson by reiterating that understanding elements and principles is crucial for creating and appreciating art. The teacher encourages students to observe these concepts in everyday objects and artworks around them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and prepare for the next lesson.

Learning Point: Consolidation of concepts

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework/Practice Exercise

Instruction: In your sketchbook, create two different drawing compositions. For each composition, clearly identify and label at least four elements of art and three principles of art that you have intentionally used. You can draw still life objects, landscapes, or abstract forms.

1. Composition 1: Focus on creating a sense of balance and rhythm.
2. Composition 2: Focus on creating emphasis and variety.

Lesson Keywords

• Elements – Basic visual components of art like line, shape, colour.
• Principles – Rules for organising art elements, like balance, emphasis.
• Composition – The arrangement of elements in an artwork.
• Line – A mark with length and direction.
• Shape – A two-dimensional enclosed area.
• Form – A three-dimensional object.
• Value – Lightness or darkness of a colour.
• Balance – Distribution of visual weight.
• Emphasis – Focal point in an artwork.

Differentiation

For students who grasp the concepts quickly, encourage them to experiment with more complex compositions or analyse professional artworks for the application of elements and principles. For students needing more support, provide simpler drawing exercises focusing on one element or principle at a time, with more direct guidance and examples.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for: “Elements and Principles of Art and Design for beginners” or “Visual Art elements and principles explained”.