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The artist’s design elements are line, shape, texture and movement.
Line:
Line defines the form of a design. An independent line can be straight, curved or spiral. Edges are lines formed by shapes or objects that overlap each other, such as a foreground door and background wall. Lines can be repeated to create parallel lines or concentric circles. They create a path or direction of movement for the eye. Converging parallel lines create an illusion of depth or spatial perspective, for example. Straight lines are more dynamic than curved lines and circles. They create a strong sense of directional movement. Smooth curves and circles communicate a smoother, softer feeling of more gradual movement. Sergei Eisenstein’s famous “Odessa steps” sequence in Potemkin (1925) for example, associates straight –line diagonals with the merciless, advancing Cossack soldiers and curved lines or circles with the defenseless women, children and students who are attacked on the steps.
Shape:
Shapes are composed of combinations of lines. There are an infinite number of different shapes reflected by specific objects, but some common, recurring shapes with which all designer work are circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, ellipses, trapezoids, octagons and hexagons. Shapes can carry symbolic meaning. A square –straight flat gives the viewer a different impression than set constructed using circular and curved forms in the background. They can be repeatedly used in conjunction with specific people or settings to evoke specific themes. In the film Ivan the Terrible (1942), Eisentein used circular shapes surrounding Ivan to connect the circular shape of the sun to the symbolic meaning of Ivan as the “Russian sun king”. Basic design elements often reinforce specific themes.
Texture:
Texture provides a tactile impression of form on the walls and on the surface of costumes. Texture can be real or represented. Real textures are revealed by directional light, which creates shadows and modeling on a nonsmooth surface. Represented textures, such as granite, marble or wood grains have smooth surfaces that create a tactile impression. The texture of a surface affects our perception of depth. A rough texture with heavy shadows provides a greater sensation of depth than a smooth, flat surface. A heavily textured material used in drapes or costumes can create a richness that relates to a theme of opulence, splendor or decadence. Texture like shapes, can create a sense of space that affects our emotions and relates symbolically to the major themes of a story.
Movement:
Movement can be real or imaginary. The movement of performers on a set is real movement, while the illusion of movement stimulated by a series of still drawings or stationary backgrounds is imaginary. In design, imaginary movement is just as important as real movement. The illusion of movements can be enhanced by the use of parallel diagonals in a design, for example. It can also be limited or reduced by the use of verticals and horizontals. Specific shapes and lines, such as spirals, concentric circles, and radial designs, can generate significant movement in a static frame. Transference can take place between real or imagined movement and otherwise stationary objects. A simple figure placed against a pulsating background will appear to dance or vibrate itself. A moving background can transfer the illusion of movement to a stationary figure placed in front of it. Movement throughout a stationary image is carefully controlled through changes in colour, shape, space and direction that guide the eye through a design.
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Participants