The set for a play combines design elements (style, line, shape, mass, measure, position, color, and texture) and principles of composition (unity, harmony, contrast, variation, balance, proportion, and emphasis) to create a particular...

High schoolers make connections between music and visual art. In this integrated arts lesson, students design paintings that challenge them to examine the relationship between art elements and principles.

Explore contemporary American Indian art. After viewing a set of images, class members discuss the design elements of techniques present, as well as how these artists represent history and culture. Learners examine the parfleche and...

Learners explore color, shape, line, balance, radial symmetry, unity, repetition, and pattern as they make a peace quilt inspired by those made by Hawaiian women in the 1800s. After learning a bit about the history or peace quilts, the...

Budding artists experiment with balance and movement as they learn about Alex Calder and his kinetic sculptures. They'll view several of Calder's pieces and review biographical information, then they'll work through the artistic process...

Connect design elements and principles to identity a culture with a discussion and related art activity. After analyzing artwork in relation to design, class members talk about personal and cultural identity. Using items that...

How to use the many design elements such as color harmony, percentage of size combinations, and lines of design are described. Composition of an attractive arrangement with a focal point is addressed. Also included, many...

Introduce your class to the beauty found in Muslim mosques by engaging them in a culturally inspired mosaic art project. They view and discuss the nature of the mosaics found in mosques and then they use scraps of colored paper and black...

What is peace and what does it mean to our society? To understand why peace is celebrated and what character traits or concepts relate to the action of peace, learners engage in a discussion, story time, and a craft project. The lesson...

Fifth graders analyze a landscape depicting Yosemite during the time of the Wild West. They compare their perceptions of the West from film and television to this representation. They observe the use of scale and color to depict size and...

Students gain appreciation for the work of Eric Carle. They speculate about a work of art, what materials, techniques and skills were used. They study Carle's work to determine how he did it and explore various water color techniques.

Learners examine the style of an 18th-century compound microscope and its case. In this scientific design lesson plan, students look at Jacques Caffieri's, "Compound Microscope and Case" before comparing the design to a modern...

Students review chord progression while listening to tracks of music. They write melodies to fit a given chord progression. They sing their melodies and analyze how it compares to the original melody.

Students create over twelve hundred miles of themed murals for an art project. They discuss what they want their theme to be and practice drawing the pictures before painting the mural.

Students study line direction in art. In this art lesson on lines, students look at art that portrays lines being used in different ways. They will use what they have learned about lines to create a final composition depicting either...

Students study Kwanzaa. In this art lesson, students compare Kwanzaa with the American holdiay known as Thanksgiving. Students decorate seven cards with the seven lessons of Kwanzaa written on them.

Starts with explaining visual elements, goes through design principles, balance, visual effects, and more. Teaching tips included too.

A site by watercolor artist John Lovett. He describes the Elements of Art and Principles of Design and gives tips and techniques for watercolor painting and for composition.

Illustrated essay on the principle of unity, also known as harmony, explains how the grouping techniques of alignment, proximity, similarity, and continuity can be used to create a unified, harmonious composition.