Defining Shape

Figure/Ground

Composition







Types

Shapes are often described in terms of their formal qualities. The properties of the shapes used in a composition can communicate much about the nature of an object or the intent of the artist. Geometric shapes might be used to indicate solidity or rigidity. Likewise, organic shapes may be used to create a more relaxed, natural and fluid feeling. Objective shapes have a powerful associative effect, referring to objects in the real world, while the inventiveness of nonobjective shapes can suggest a sense of artificiality or novelty when they are used abstractly in a non-representational work of art.
 

Click the shapes on the left to see the definition and an example of how the type of shape works in a composition.