Elements of Art | LINE
Facilitation Guidelines
HoMA presents Elements of Art, a video series examining the fundamentals of art through seeing, makingand talking about art. Each part of the series addresses a different element of art and has three sections(Art in Context: Seeing; Art in Practice: Making; and Art in Conversation: Talking), which can be experienced
together on a single day, or shared over a number of sessions, as fits the teaching schedule.
Each part of the series is geared toward a specific age group, but can be modified to accommodate multiple grades. We suggest
watching the videos in this order: Art in Context > Art in Practice > Art in Conversation, but the resources can work in a different
sequence, as well. Please preview the series prior to sharing with students.
Here’s how each section functions:
Section 1 – Art in Context: SeeingThis section surveys the key workings of the specific element utilizing an array of artwork curated from the museum’s collection.
Simple thought-provoking questions are peppered throughout, as a way to warm students toward engagement and discourse.
Pause the video at any time so that your group may reflect and respond.
Section 2 – Art in Practice: Making
In this section, a HoMA teaching artist leads the students through an art-making activity inspired by the element of art being
studied. As artists themselves, the students activate and apply awareness of the element in action. A simple supply list is provided.
Pause the video at any time so that your group may expand their making session, reflect and respond.
Section 3 – Art in Conversation: Talking
In this section, through the lens of a specific element of art, we look closely at two to three works of art in our galleries. A narrator
will offer questions for discussion. In addition, students are encouraged to think about the artwork that they made during the Art
in Practice section and how it relates to the artwork on view in the galleries. Pause the video at any time so that your group may
reflect and respond.
LINKS TO VIDEOS AND RESOURCES
Grades K–5
Elements of Art: Color

Elements of Art: Shape

Elements of Art: Texture

Art in Context (11 min. 41 sec.)

Art in Context (13 min. 42 sec.)

Art in Context (9 min. 27 sec.)

Art in Practice (10 min. 57 sec.)

Art in Practice (9 min. 27 sec.)

Art in Practice (13 min. 11 sec.)

Art in Conversation (7 min. 29 sec.)

Art in Conversation (7 min. 17 sec.)

Art in Conversation (8 min. 36 sec.)

WATCH HERE

WATCH HERE

WATCH HERE

Elements of Art: Line

Elements of Art: Space

Elements of Art: Form

Art in Context (14 min.)

Art in Context (13 min. 20 sec.)

Art in Context (8 min. 27 sec.)

Art in Practice (13 min. 44 sec.)

Art in Practice (10 min. 33 sec.)

Art in Practice (27 min. 3 sec.)

Art in Conversation (6 min. 18 sec.)

Art in Conversation (8 min. 5 sec.)

Art in Conversation (9 min. 33 sec.)

WATCH HERE

WATCH HERE

WATCH HEREGrades 6–12

Elements of Art | LINE
Facilitation Guidelines
ART ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS AND RESOURCES: Paper QuillingExpanding and Adjusting the Activity• Grade K–2: Freeform, students to create w/o an image, focus on quilling techniques and using it.
»ARTIST INSPIRATION: Hadie Shafie; visual artist• Grade 3–5: Outline a letter or text (Typography) and embellish.
»ARTIST INSPIRATION: Alia Bright; lettering and paper artist»ACTIVITY RESOURCE: Quilling Patterns• Grade K–5: General geometric or simple shape(s).

Advanced Activity Inspiration• 3D Quilled objects• Other artists:»

Jewelry : Filigratti»

Yulia Brodskaya; paper artist and illutrator»

Sculptures : Kagaz Kala Creations»

Ashley Chiang; graphic paper artist»

Sena Runa; paper quilling artist»

Jitesh Patel; animator of paper quilling

Supplies and Process Techniques
Drawing and Sketching• Use thin lines and a light hand while sketching.
• Sketch out general shapes and forms. Later refine details when quilling/gluing.
• Tight curves and angles can be challenging to outline with paper strips.

Paper• Construction paper – color variety and holds well to curling/folding.
• Cardstock paper – better paper quality, brighter/vibrant colors.
Alternative supplies for Paper:• Magazines and book pages (Strips of text)• Thin paper/cardboard (Grade K–2)»

Cut toilet paper rolls, flatten and cut into strips to form easy to use rings.

»Corrugated cardboard strips, good for bold straight lines easy to glue.

• Colored corrugated cardboard sheets/fluted paper (Grade K–2)»

Easy to quill with just hands.

»A paint tube wringer can create fluted paper.

Elements of Art | LINE
Facilitation Guidelines
Precut strips• Either prep paper strips for students (esp. younger) or have students prep own.
• Widths can be ¼” to 1”, consider widths based on fine motor skills. Thinner-harder, thicker-easier. (Video samples uses ½”)• Easy cutting for mass quantities, use a strip cut paper shredder for (usually) ¼” widths.
• Cut strips with paper cutter or use a ruler, pencil, and scissors/craft knife. (Teacher or Grade 6–12)Mounting boards• Starting roughly letter sized boards or larger allows enough space.
• Thick boards with smooth surfaces (mat board, chip board, cardboard)»Textured boards can cause issues in sketching/gluing.

• Students may color in the sections of their drawing.
»

Helps determine color strips used.

»

Option of how much of space to fill in with paper quilling.

»ARTIST INSPIRATION: Ayobola Kekere-Ekun; visual artist

Glue (PVA)• Good – Elmers school glue, easy to find, cheap, however is thin and requires holding pieces till set.
May cause paper to bleed ink into glue, always test materials.
• Better – Elmers Glue-All, thicker than school glue with a better hold.
• Ideal – Tacky glue, very thick and holds well, with stronger, quicker bond. (Used in video samples)• Do not use hot glue, crazy glue, rubber cement, glue stick, etc. These are messy, potentially harmful, or not as effective.
• As glue sits on plastic lid/card, surface will dry. Either peel off “glue skin” or put a new glue layer on a clean area of lid/card.
Do not layer glue on dry glue, will clump and attach to paper strips.
• Have moist paper towels to keep fingers clean.
• Student may outline their images at any time and in sections if easier for their image.

Tools• Tweezers-use for small pieces, detail work.
• Toothpick-use to pick up and apply small amounts of glue or to shift/hold pieces.
• Comb-Create a different style of quilling depending on technique.
»ACTIVITY RESOURCE: Additional Quilling TechniquesElements of Art | LINEGlossary2153647

Elements of art: The building blocks used by artists to create a work of art (line, shape, color, value, texture,space, form). These components can be isolated and defined.
Principles of design: The principles of design describe the ways in which artists use the elements of art in awork of art (balance, emphasis, movement, pattern, repetition, scale, rhythm, variety, unity, and contrast).
1

Line: The path left by a moving point, where its length is greater than its width. Lines can be two or three
dimensional, implied or abstract. Different types of lines include continuous, broken, jagged, vertical,horizontal, or diagonal. Lines are the foundation of drawing. A visual path of action.

2

Space: Space refers to the area between and around objects. The space around objects is often called
negative space; negative space has shape. Space can also refer to the feeling of depth. Real space is threedimensional; in visual art, when an artist creates the feeling or illusion of depth, we call it space.

3

Color: Color is our experience of light reflected, transmitted, or emitted from a surface. Color has three main
characteristics: hue (the name of the color we see), intensity (saturation: how bright or dull), and value (howlight or dark is its tonal variant). White is the absence of color, and black is the absence of light.

4Shape: Shape is a two dimensional area confined by an actual line or an implied line (an edge for example).
In drawing, shapes are created when the ends of lines are joined to enclose areas. The area that comprises a
shape can be defined by a line or a change in value, color, or texture. The shape boundary may be hard or soft.

5Texture: Texture is the surface quality that can be seen and felt. Textures can be rough or smooth, soft orhard. Textures refer to the tactile qualities of a surface, either actual or implied. Textures do not necessarily
feel the way they look.

6

Value: The degree of lightness or darkness in a color is its value. When a photograph, painting, or drawing
is made in black and white, varying degrees of value are the only thing that we see. In the colorless range of
black and white, each tone is a value.

7

Form: Forms are three-dimensional objects, or shapes that express length, width, and depth. Cylinders, boxes,balls, and pyramids are examples of forms. The illusion of a three-dimensional object on a flat surface can also
be described as having form.

Elements of Art | LINEGlossary
Media: The material and tools used by an artist to create a work of art.
Picture plane: The flat, two-dimensional surface on which artists paint or draw.

TYPES OF LINE:
1

2

3

1

Regular lines: Regular lines have rhythmic predictability or are essentially straight.

2

Irregular lines: Irregular lines are not balanced and are not predictable.

3Visible versus implied line: When we talk about line, we are most often discussing visible lines. Line canalso be implied, though. Implied lines offer overall structure for a design, and can help connect points ofemphasis within an artwork.

FUNCTIONS OF LINE:
456

7

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4Define edges: When line is used to define edges, it creates shapes. These lines are known as contour lines.
A contour line defines the edges of a form, as well as interior structure, without the use of shading.

5

Suggests movement: Line can be used to draw movement. In these cases, it is sometimes possible to feel theenergy the artist felt when they laid down the lines. This energy is referred to as the gestural energy.

6Suggests direction: Axes (singular axis) are unseen organizing lines of direction on which a figure or scene
is arranged.

7

Creates illusion of texture and depth: Line can be used to give the illusion of surface texture, shadows and depth.
A method known as hatching involves using a series of short parallel lines of varying closeness and thickness tocreate tonal and shading effects. When hatch lines are at an angle to one another, it is known as cross-hatching.

8Linear perspective: Linear perspective is a system of creating an illusion of depth on a flat surface. It relieson the use of lines to render objects in a way that creates an illusion of depth, space, and form on the flat
surface of a picture plane.

Elements of Art | LINE
Supply List
Below is the suggested supply list to accompany the Elements of Art Line art project.
Feel free to change and adapt the materials to fit the needs and abilities of your students.
• A pencil• A thick paper board like chipboard, mat board, or cardboard• A pair of scissors• Bottled glue
• A plastic lid or card
• And strips of paper like construction or cardstock paper, cut into ¼” to ½” widths
If you have toothpicks and a pair of tweezers, feel free to use them.