The Artist's Toolkit: Encyclopedia

Welcome to the Artist's Toolkit Encyclopedia. The Encyclopedia is an in-depth guide to learning more about the building blocks of composition. Here you'll see many examples of works of art that illustrate the visual elements and principles. Click on a topic below to get started.

	Line	A line is the track made by a point moving in space.


	Shape	Wherever the ends of a continuous line meet, a shape is formed.


	Color	All colors are mixed from three primaries: red, blue and yellow.


	Space	Space can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, negative and/or positive.


	Texture	Everything, including works of art, has a texture or surface.

	Balance	Balance is achieved by the resolution of weight, stress and tension.


	Emphasis	The eye of the viewer will focus first on an area of emphasis or center of interest.


	Movement / Rhythm	Repeated shapes, lines, or colors create movement and rhythm in a composition.