Grade 8 - Visual Elements and Principles of Art and Design (Creating/Communicating)

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

The visual elements are: line, colour, form, space, shape, texture, value, and tone.

The principles include: pattern/repetition/rhythm, balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, and unity/harmony.

It is expected that students will:

• create 2-D and 3-D images that:
  • deliberately employ physical and expressive qualities of the visual elements and principles of art and design to create an effect or mood
  • use a selected element of art to convey an idea or concept
  • combine and emphasize particular visual elements and principles of art and design
  • create variations of an image through manipulation of particular elements or principles of art and design

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Visual Elements and Principles of Art and Design (Creating/Communicating) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• In groups, design a tessellation tile (or set of tiles), using a given medium (e.g., computer software program, printmaking, bas-relief).
• Students use the visual elements and the principles of art and design to create an illusion of depth in a 2-D work (e.g., overlapping, high and low, level of detail, atmospheric perspective, size, converging lines).
• Establish theme weeks in the classroom (e.g., red/shape, pattern/line, contrast/form) to explore the elements and principles of art and design. During these times, all student artwork (e.g., in sketchbooks, idea books, assignments) can relate to the theme.
• Students develop a series of works that use the same image or motif but explore a variety of different colour schemes. Challenge students by giving them specific requirements such as making predominant use of earth tones with primary colour accents or making balanced use of both warm and cool colours.
• Draw up a list of possible themes (e.g., the artificial, the natural) and a list of elements and principles of art and design. Students create personal images (e.g., landscape, cityscape, skyscape) by combining one ingredient from each list.
• Have students make 2-D representations of a 3-D space or object. For example, they could make pencil sketches or computer drawings using shapes drawn in diminishing perspective, shading, and a variety of line weights and thicknesses to create the illusion of 3-D space.
• Students create two similar images, each using different textures.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• When students have completed their series of images or motifs, they could meet with partners to discuss the following questions:
• Have you explored a variety of colour schemes?
• To what extent has colour theory been explored?
• Have you used colour to communicate a particular idea?
• Do the various colour schemes affect the balance, contrast, emphasis, or unity of the image? How? Students submit notes from the discussions or add them to their portfolios along with the images or motifs.
• Work collaboratively with students to develop guidelines to evaluate the use of elements and principles. As they present their work, note the extent to which they are able to communicate their thinking and describe some of the processes they have used. You may wish to conduct brief conferences with each student. Students might also want to add copies of your notes to their working collections or portfolios.
• After projects are complete, meet with students to review their portfolios in terms of how effectively they have been able to:
  • use selected elements of art to convey an idea
  • combine the elements and principles in their work

RECOMMENDED LEARNING RESOURCES

• Art First Nations: Tradition and Innovation
• Art From Many Hands: Multicultural Art Projects
• Art Images and Ideas
• Arttalk (Second Edition)
• Claywork - Form and Idea in Ceramic Design (Third Edition)
• Down Town
• Experimenting with Art: 25 Easy-to-Teach Lessons in Design and Color
• Exploring Art
• How to Plan Your Drawings
• An Introduction to Acrylics
• An Introduction to Drawing
• An Introduction to Pastels
• A Painter's Palette: A Collection of Painting Activities for Intermediate Grades
• Photographing the World Around You
• Portraits
• Stencil It!
• Understanding Art
• The Visual Experience A World of Images
• The Young Artists Series

• Color with Stephen Quiller
• Learning to Paint with Carolyn Berry

• Themes and Foundations of Art

Table of Contents

Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Education
Standards Department © 1995 Copyright

Maintained by: Fine Arts Coordinator - Visual Arts

Revised: March 13, 1996

Ministry of Education Home Page