Learning about the Seven Elements of Art

May 6, 2023 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

Did you know that what we think of as a good piece of art typically includes seven elements? Those elements are:

line: the basic marks that form a drawing or painting
shape: two-dimensional objects that can be formed from lines
form: three-dimensional objects
space: the illusion of depth and distance between objects
texture: how something looks like it feels
value: lightness or darkness
color: refers to the particular hue, value and intensity of colors used in a project

Those are super quick definitions, and of course artists can study these elements deeply and consider how different choices make their work look and feel different to the viewer.

When teaching kids about art, these are great terms for you and for them to know so you can talk about their art in ways that don’t judge or interpret it but really refer more specifically to what you see. (“Those forms are interesting” instead of “Is that an elephant?”)

Little Bins for Little Hands has a more in-depth discussion of the seven elements of art, complete with a free printable and different exercises you can do with your kids to learn more about how the different elements work in a drawing, painting, sculpture or other piece of art.

It might be fun to try having an art week where you work with each of these elements, or a DIY summer camp where you play with a different one of the elements each day. Like, how many different ways can you think of to add texture to a project? Maybe painting on a surface that was rough to start with, or using something with a lot of texture to paint with. What does painting with a feather look like versus painting with bubble wrap? What happens when you draw with a single color, or try to use all the colors? So many fun potential ideas!

[Photo: Little Bins for Little Hands.]

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Beach Crafts Kids Can Make — No Vacation Required

Last month I shared a collection of beach crafts that used items from the beach like seashells and sand. This month’s collection is all about beach animals and things you might see at the beach that don’t require beachy materials to make. In fact you’ve probably got what you need to make most of these beach crafts in your house already.

How about paper plates? With a paper plate you can make this cute watercolor seashell from The Educator’s Spin on It, or an adorable seagull like this one from Glued to My Crafts.

Add some white beans and you can make paper plate sand dollars like Crafts by Amanda. Or use a paper plate as a frame for a sweet beach scene like this crab and turtle one from Artsy Craftsy Mom, which includes a downloadable template and instructions to make it super easy.

Or grab a paper plate and some bubble wrap to make a jellyfish like this one from Happy Toddler Playtime. If you have paper bowls instead of plates, you can also make a jellyfish from one of those, like Natural Beach Living did.

Use your stash of craft sticks and googly eyes to make crabs, fish, sharks and more with this craft idea from The Keeper of the Cheerios.

I love this little crab made with a cardboard tube from Hunny I’m Home. With this same idea I’ll bet you could make lots of different creatures.

Grab some construction paper to make the loopy tentacles on this watercolor jellyfish from Craftsy Hacks. Or make a stained glass jellyfish like this one from Life Anchored.

Make easy puffy paint to make these fun fluffy starfish from I Heart Crafty Things, or use cupcake liners to make cute little crabs (also from I Heart Crafty Things).

Turn an old pool noodle into some super cute fish with this tutorial from Happy Toddler Playtime.

And if you’ve got some leftover yarn lying around, make pompoms and turn them into turtles like these from Craftsy Hacks. (And check out my post on different ways to make pompoms if you need a refresher!)

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