This site introduces the Alphabet of Art, an explanation of the formal elements that go into all fine art and commercial design, developed by the late Robert J. McKnight, a sculptor, designer, and theoretician of art. Following the Introduction, a series of linked pages explain with clarity and simplicity how and why pictures look the way they do. Some of the elements discussed include line, color, value, shape, and composition. Each page contains illustrations of artworks that demonstrate the principle being considered. This is a great resource site for beginning fine art and design students and anyone else interested in understanding art from a technical perspective.
Emphasis is on how and why pictures look the way they do.