Studio Cascadia

Elements of Art: Form

Form is a three-dimensional shape that has height, width, and depth. Forms are also geometric and organic/free-form, and form is all around us in our natural world. Geometrical shapes include cubes, rectangular prisms, spheres, cylinders, and many more. Artists that use form as an element tend to work in sculpture.

Form in Art at Cascadia

John Carl Ely (1897-1929)
Head of a Woman
Circa 1923-24
Wood sculpture
Private collection

This sculpture by John Carl Ely is made from wood. The artist carved the wood to create this form of a woman’s head. Ely worked primarily with form and most of his pieces are created from wood. This sculpture has an organic form, but some pieces resemble geometric forms such as the front neck which resembles a cylinder. Parts of geometric forms can be used to create organic forms.

Art Project: Exploring Form with a Dog House

Form takes shape and gives it another dimension. This 3rd dimension creates a more realistic impression in contrast to the ‘graphic ‘style seen in shape by depicting objects receding into the space. Think of a square becoming a cube for a house or a rectangle becoming a cylinder transformed into a vase for flowers.