How to Teach Contrast & Emphasis | Elements & Principles of Design

The fourth tutorial in our series CONNECTING WITH THE ELEMENTS – How to Teach the Elements & Principles of Art, is Contrast & Emphasis.

After students have been introduced to line, pattern, shape and color, teaching lessons that show how to use these elements together to achieve contrast and emphasis in an artwork is a logical sequence to follow.

To learn more about past tutorials within this series, click the links below:

How to Teach Line & Pattern

How to Teach Shape

How to Teach Color

How exactly do you describe CONTRAST & EMPHASIS and why is it important?

EMPHASIS is the part of the design that catches the viewer’s attention. Usually the artist will make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The area could be different size, color, texture, shape, etc.

Using black paper as a background to bright colors such as yellow or orange, allow the paint to POP, creating not only contrast but emphasis. The bright colors are brighter than the other colors which creates a focal point. This is the essence of emphasis.

The artworks below are great examples of both contrast and emphasis.

CONTRAST is the arrangement of opposite elements: light vs dark, rough vs smooth, large vs small.

While working closely with the features of Emphasis, contrast can be achieved by paying attention to opposites.

Complementary colors like blue and orange or red and green can create contrasting colors.

Mixing large items (the large pomegranate) with small items (the pomegranate seeds) creates contrast.

Creating implied texture (polar bear’s fur) against a smooth background creates textural contrast.

Are you a Sparkler?

Head over to the private Sparklers’ Club website and click on the EPIC 2.0 Curriculum. You can discover all of the lessons and resources to support the Contrast & Emphasis Bundles.

Interested in starting your year refreshed, prepared and ready to go?

Download our back to School Guide | Resources to help kickstart your art program

It’s a 3-part strategy on how to use the Elements of Arts when planning your art curriculum including ordering supplies, a grade level checklist for the scope and sequence of K-7 Elements of Art and What I’ll Learn in Art Class posters.