Think of each element as a rung on a ladder that you must climb, where subject matter and meaning are at the top. Formal Elements Start asking yourself questions about the elements. A place to start might be color. Lines are central to a painting, too. They can slice across in a still life to divide, or meander through a landscape to connect.
Diagonal ones convey motion and disorder, vertical ones can show stability.
Contours can make a face appear soft and delicate, while jagged lines can make one seem rugged. After line, you might examine how the artist uses light. Brushstrokes can shape a painting, too. They might appear wide and fast to show vigor and motion, or be barely visible at all for a more naturalistic scene. Thick and thin paint might fill the canvas, creating texture, which in turn could create some other effect.