Formal Elements
What are formal elements of graphic design?
These are the building blocks of which all design is created. If we break any visual image down into its components, these will be known as the formal elements, they fall under categories such as; Colour, tone, composition, texture, mood, form, subject, style and size, to be but some.
In the workshop, we worked in groups to analyse a variety of examples of graphic design, such as posters, adverts and music album covers. Above are the outcomes of those group analysis.
I went on after the workshop to source and compile a more comprehensive list of formal elements.This is still a work in progress:
Colour
Natural, clear, compatible, distinctive, lively, stimulating, subtle, sympathetic
Artificial, clashing, depressing, discordant, garish, gaudy, jarring, unfriendly, violent
Bright, brilliant, deep, earthy, harmonious, intense, rich, saturated, strong, vibrant, vivid
Dull, flat, insipid, pale, mellow, muted, subdued, quiet, weak
Cool, cold, warm, hot, light, dark
Blended, broken, mixed, muddled, muddied, pure
Complementary, contrasting, harmonious
Tone
Dark, light, mid (middle)
Flat, uniform, unvarying, smooth, plain
Varied, broken
Constant, changing
Graduated, contrasting
Monochromatic
Composition
Arrangement, layout, structure, position
Landscape format, portrait format, square format, circular, triangular
Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, angled
Foreground, background, middle ground
Centered, asymmetrical, symmetrical, balanced, unbalanced, lopsided, off-center, structured
Overlapping, cluttered, chaotic
Separate, spacious, empty
Free, flowing, fragmented
Formal, rigid, upright, confined
Negative space, positive space
Texture
Flat, polished, smooth
Raised, rough, coarse
Cut, incised, pitted, scratched, uneven
Hairy, sticky
Soft, hard
Shiny, glossy, reflective
Semigloss, satin, silk, frosted, matte
Mark Making
Visible, impasto, blended, smooth
Thick, thin
Bold, timid
Heavy, light
Edgy, smooth
Exhibiting glazes, washes, scumbling, dry brushing, stippling, hatching, splatters
Layered, flat
Precise, refined, regular, straight, systematic
Quick, sketchy, uneven, irregular, vigorous
Regular, patterned
Exhibiting marks made with a knife, brush
Mood or Atmosphere
Calm, content, peaceful, relaxed, tranquil
Cheerful, happy, joyful, romantic
Depressed, gloomy, miserable, sad, somber, tearful, unhappy
Aggressive, angry, chilling, dark, distressing, frightening, violent
Energetic, exciting, stimulating, thought-provoking
Boring, dull, lifeless, insipid
Form and Shape
2-D, flat, abstracted, simplified, stylized
3-D, realistic, natural sense of depth and space
Sharp, detailed
Blurred, obscured, overlapping, indistinct
Distorted, exaggerated, geometric
Linear, long, narrow
Hard-edged, soft-edged
Lighting
Backlit, front lit, side lit, top lit
Having indirect light, reflected light, no directional light source
Natural
Artificial
Cool, blue, gray
Warm, yellow, red
Dim, faint, gentle, gloomy, low, minimal, muted, soft
Clear, brilliant, bright, glowing, fiery, harsh, intense, sharp
Viewpoint and Pose
Front, side, three-quarters, profile, rear (from behind)
Close up, far away, life-size, bird's eye view
Upward, downward, sideways
Standing, sitting, lying down, bending
Gesturing, moving, resting, static
Subject Matter
Abstract
Cityscape, buildings, man-made, urban, industrial
Fantasy, imaginary, invented, mythological
Figurative (figures), portraits
Interiors, domestic
Landscape, seascape
Still life
Still Life
Antique, battered, damaged, dusty, old, worn
New, clean, shiny
Functional, decorative, fancy
Domestic, humble
Commercial, industrial
Style
Realism, photorealism
Cubism, surrealism
Impressionism
Modernism, expressionism
Chinese, Japanese, or Indian style
Plein air
Media
Oil, tempera
Acrylics
Pastel, chalk, charcoal
Mixed media, collage
Watercolor, gouache
Ink
Fresco
Spray paint
Wood panels, canvas, glass
Size
Mural
Miniature
Triptych
We were then tasked with using the following basic shapes to create designs within a 13cm square, which we then analysed is the same manner as we had in our groups. Picking out the formal elements.
We then took a few of the squares and recreated them in Illustrator as vector images as accurately as we could.
Light Bulb Workshop
Using only the shapes provided in the initial formal elements workshop we were tasked with designing lightbulb packaging. The idea being to give the illusion of illumination through the use of the shapes.
Alongside this project we looked into the work of Swiss designer Armin Hofmann, whose avant garde approach to typography and type as imagery feeds beautifully into our own work.
View my research here.