Art and DesignYears 7–9

The formal elements of art

Learn The formal elements of art for Years 7–9 pupils (ages 11–14). Free practice questions, lessons and worked examples — aligned to the UK National Curriculum.

What you'll learn

  1. 1

    The formal elements are the building blocks of any artwork: line, shape, form, tone, texture, colour, pattern and space.

  2. 2

    Tone is how light or dark something is. Adding tone is what makes a flat shape look like a solid form.

  3. 3

    Which element makes a drawing look three-dimensional?

  4. 4

    Primary colours are red, yellow and blue. Mixing two gives a secondary colour. Colours opposite each other on the wheel are complementary and appear vivid together.

  5. 5

    To analyse a painting, describe what you see using the elements, then say what effect they create and why the artist might have chosen them.

  6. 6

    What do you get by mixing two primary colours?

  7. 7

    What is the difference between shape and form?

Practise The formal elements of art with Whizlo

Free AI-tutored lessons, unlimited practice questions, and progress tracking for ages 11–14. Aligned to the UK National Curriculum.