Emphasis
Emphasis refers to the use of colour, value, shape, or other elements to create dominance and focus in designs.
Texture
Texture refers to the surface quality in a work of art. We associate textures with the way that things look or feel. Everything has some type of texture.
Line
Line creates length and can be made by connecting two points. Line is often used to lead the viewers eyes toward the point of interest in an image.
Rhythm
Rhythm refers to the repetition of elements, often with defined intervals between them. Rhythm can create a sense of movement, and can establish pattern and textures.
Typography
Typography is the art of arranging letters.
Space
Space refers to the area that a shape or form occupies. Space can be defined as positive or negative. Positive space is the filled space, the objects or elements in the design. Negative space is the empty space, or the open space between design elements or objects, such as a background.
Colour
Colour is produced when light, hitting an object, is reflected back to the eye. There are three properties to colour. The first is hue, which simply means the name we give to a colour. The second property is intensity, which refers to the vividness. The third property of colour is its value, meaning how light or dark it is.
Contrast
Contrast refers to the differences in values, colours, textures, shapes, and other elements. The opposite of contrast is similarity.
Repetition
Repetition is a way to grab your audiences' attention. Repeating a shape throughout your photo gives you instant composition.
Volume
Volume is a three-dimensional form that adds mass to an object.
Shape
Shape is a two dimensional area that stands out from the space next around it due to a defined boundary or because of differences of value, colour, or texture.
Value/Tone
Value, or tone, is the relative lightness and darkness of an object.
Form
Form refers to objects that are three dimensional in nature. A form has height, width and depth. Form is depicted visually using other elements such as line, shape and tone.
Movement
Movement is the process of relocation of objects in space over time. We can speak of movement as literal or compositional.
Pattern
Pattern uses elements that are repeated. The repetition of lines, shapes, tones or colour can create interesting images.
Proportion
Proportion refers to the relative size and scale of the various elements in a design. It is the relationship between objects, or parts, of a whole.
Balance
A symmetrical image has perfect balance. Balance refers to the distribution of objects, colours, textures, and space.
Variety
Variety refers to the varying elements and objects in an image, to add interest.
Harmony
Harmony is the orderly or pleasing arrangement of elements or objects.
